I know you don't want to be "spoiled" by my TR but let me at least comment on the DxDDP and say that for us it was fantastic! We had a great time and the food was great and yes we didn't clean our plates (except for Prime Time, you get a sticker there!) but it allowed us to try new things, If I knew I had an app and dessert that I would love I could be bold with my entree selection, SWIM?
First, let me tell you it was hard today trying to relax. Meaning I realize I'm getting somewhat exhausted (swollen and tender lymph nodes in particular, which are the usual bad sign) and even though I wasn't particularly over-exerting myself recently, I did go out more than usual (shoppin' anyone? ), do a lot of stuff on the computer, went to bed particularly late, without any afternoon naps but without getting up late in the morning either... (well not early-early, but without getting more than 8 hours of sleep, which is not enough in my situation).
But it's hard. Even though I'm ahead planning-wise and all is under control, I'm always finding stuff to do, things to check and I always want to be doing something Disney/trip-related, be it only looking around on the DIS!
So, that being said, on with yesterday.
First we left later than we wanted, because I did my "beauty-treatment-at-home" in the morning. I wanted to do it the previous evening, but had been too tired.
It was a looong morning "treatment". I don't know if I had told you, but I rarely am able to take a shower everyday, because it tires me so much. I seldom can take a shower the same day I go out, because I'm exhausted afterwards. I realize it's mostly because of the maintainted standing position... all the blood pools in the feet and it's not good.
Really! After a shower, even without the water being too hot and not taking too long, my feet and ankles are red and swollen! I need to remember to move and "pump" my legs while I'm showering, which helps a little... but it's no miracle.
So imagine when I want to do "the big thing".
Yesterday I used that product to make the hair over my lip paler... So I had a cream mustache for about 10 minutes! (I had electrolysis almost 10 years ago, but it seems it wasn't very efficient was it?!).
I also put some sort of sticky paper on my nose and forehead, to remove all impurities... So for a while, on top of the cream mustache, I also had those! Should've taken a picture!
...But I was too busy, as I was putting Nair cream on my thighs, to remove the uneven patches of light hair I had there... You know, not quite enough to have it removed by the beautician (when I did, she thought I was crazy), but enough to annoy me.
Just those things added about 20min. to the shower routine!
And the shower itself was prolonged, because I did my exfoliating treatment... like I do about once a month. But it was particularly important this time because I started, as I told you, my hydrating/self-tanning lotion. It's not as important as if it was a real self-tanner, but still, it's always better...
Of course after the shower and putting on lotion and drying my hair and all this, we couldn't leave immediatly, I had to take a break and sip on some Gatorade...
We started the shopping at Pennington, the 14+ store.
First, let me tell you something, mini-rant I guess :
Why is it that the sizes are bigger in 14+ stores than in regular stores? Or smaller in regular stores than in 14+ stores?
I recently tried clothes in regular stores and yesterday tried clothes in a 14+ store. It's not the 1st time I noticed this. But you could say this time I'm really in a good place to notice it, since it was really close in time between the 2 types.
I had trouble fitting in many size 16 in the regular stores the other day. Only the XL would fit me at Old Navy, for example.
When we go at that 14+ store, the 14 is just perfect (some even loose) and the XS (X usually = L and 1X = XL) is just right, when they have it.
So one would think one wears size 14... when it's not true at all! Because it's not the same size 14 from one type of store to the other!
It's why I often call the regular stores the "anorexic" stores. Because as much as the 14+ stores are the "obese" stores, where everything is made bigger, to make you think you're small (or smaller) : "see, I fit in a size 14 now, like when I was younger!"... as much, in the regular stores, everything is made smaller!
In many regular stores, you can't even find a size 14, let alone a size 16. They stop at size 12!!!
What's a girl to do when the size 14 of the 14+ store is too big???
Because that size 14 is really a size 16 in the regular stores!
There should really be a standardization, or else the regular stores should have bigger sizes in them. I don't really see the point in not carrying anything more than a size 12 in your store... Anorexic standard? Making sure you don't have anyone with a butt coming in?
I'm just in that point again, the last time was when I was gaining weight, now is because I'm losing it, but it's not really much more fun (of course the other time it was more depressing, but I can't dress myself any more) : I won't be able to find anything in the 14+ store (half of what I tried yesterday was too big), but 80% of the regular stores don't carry my size either! And in those who do, the choice is very limited! Just go check the American Appareil website : browse the items, and check which ones go up to XL, or to a size 16 (because remember, if a size 14 is what I wear in a 14+ store, it's not true in a "regular" store, in there, maybe even a 16 could be too small!).
So anyways : Pennington.
It was supposed to be only so Mama could find a white tank top or small tee, and a specific top she had seen in an ad from that store and hadn't been able to find in the Montréal outlet. She wanted that top for the P&PP.
And then she said : and maybe look for some summer pants.
And then I said : I could look for that vest I didn't find.
Turned out they had many sales going on, as usual, and as we looked around for what we had set out to find, we found much more... We thought it wouldn't take us more than 30min. in there... it took us more than 1hr!
I had almost more clothes to try on than Mama!
I found my vest! A khaki wool vest with a hood and long sleeves (and with a zipper! I hate buttons!). Best of all : it's super soft! The perfect summer vest.
I also found black velvet slackers for an unbelievable 10$! OK, it will be awful with the cat's hair, but 10$!!! And they'll be sooo comfortable!
I also found some underwears.
Mama found 2 pairs of pants, one black, one beige (15$ for the beige pants!).
She didn't found the "pirate" top she was looking for... but she did find a black/white striped tank top that will do the job.
And, drum roll... she found a white tee!!! You know, not a Tshirt, just a small top with very small sleeves, kind of a tee, but not really? It fits her nicely and will fit perfectly with the design. (what a relief!).
Better yet, when we went to pay, we were told the tee and tank top were each in 2/$ sets (but not together), and it was a better savings to take a second item to complete the sets. But Mama didn't like the style enough to take any 2nd item (she took the white tee only for the iron-on, and liked it enough, but not to take another one... same for the "pirate" tank top). So she told me to take whichever one I liked best in what was available.
So I wound up with a pink tank top with small silver stripes (with a lace trimming on the bottom) and a pink small tee. I would've taken something else than the plain pink tee, but there was little to no choice for what I could take as a 2nd item with the white small tee... And the pink tee goes perfectly with the black velvet slacks!
When we left, it was on to eat at Boston's pizza.
Where we had the DDP discussion.
We had a real hard time making a decision, but we decided against it.
Do you want to know the worst thing? We made the decision based on wrong information!!! It would've been way easier! When I made the spreadsheet and we made the decision the first time, we had the right info.
But when I started doubting, I had forgotten about all the details.
When I went back to look at the spreadsheet, I didn't look carefully at what I had noted and didn't went to look back at the info on AllEars or here for example. I just went with the totals and the difference in the credits and that part.
And the fact I felt unsure and didn't want to feel guilty if we ended up spending more money OOP than we'd do on the DDP...
All that to say : I had forgotten than the DDP doesn't include an appetizer!!!
Which changes EVERYTHING!
I don't remember if I made the spreadsheet calculations for regular pricing and DDE based on meals with appetizers or if I didn't include them because the DDP didn't (so as to compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges), but even if it didn't, for us, it makes a huge difference.
As for the DxDDP, I went back to check at the price, and it's more than what Mama is willing to pay for food for the whole trip. I mean, maybe we'll end up paying that much, we don't know. If it is, it won't be the end of the world, but we'll try not to end up there, KWIM? We're budgeting about 100$ a day, which is about 50$/person. That's more than the DDP, but less than the DxDDP.
We know some restaurants will cost us that whole 100$ in just one meal, but it won't be the norm and we're ready for that.
But... thanks Becca for the info!
Anyways, even without that very important information, we had come to the decision to NOT go with the DDP.
In the decision process, I had clued Mama in the bounceback offers that exists.
I don't know much about it, but I told her something like "if we ever try the DDP, I'd like to try it for free" and explained to her that some people are offered free dining to book another trip soon after being there, as an incentive.
I had been wondering for a while about telling her about that or not, pretty sure she would think I was pushing her towards another trip too soon or something.
I was totally sure, if we ever got that kind of offer once in Disney, she would NEVER say yes. I had been leaning on just hoping we'd get the offer and hoping she'd take it, but to not talk to her about it... so I wouldn't be flamed for doing anything wrong and to add the surprise factor on my side, in hopes of making her accept the offer, if ever there was one.
Well whaddayaknow : she couldn't believe her ears and I couldn't believe mine when she told me, if we ever got that kind of an offer, we'd jump right on it!!!
I should've seen it coming, since she'd already told me she thought it would be tempting to go back before our APs were done...
So let's pray for either free dining or another super offer, and maybe we'd go back to Disney sooner than we thought, and instead of going for Christmas in 4 years, it would be this year... because while I thought it would be Christmas 2012 and Halloween/F&W festival in 2 years (if it were to happen), Halloween would be too fast if we were to go back this year, while Xmas would be just right!
After lunch we went to Home Depot.
Yay! We have mickey head paint chips!
But damm, I hated feeling like a thief, taking all those paint chips! (I must've took at least 30!).
Mama hated it even more, trying to cover me and thinking I was totally cuckoo for doing that!
Litterally, she was standing close so people wouldn't see what I was doing, while I was taking a handful of lgmh and then 2-3 of many other colors as quick as possible, all the while trying to look normal... then I made a pile, put it in my hand hoping it wouldn't be obvious and we walked away... away from a HD employee that had been working at a PC just behind the Disney paint chips stand ... We went up an aisle and then stopped when we felt "safe", so Mama could put the stash in her purse... We really felt like thieves... and hated it!
I hope I have enough lgmh because I really don't want to do this again for a while!
I wonder, do you usually put 2 paint chips back to back and paste them or what?
So a shopping outing that we though would only take us 2hrs max (including lunch!) took us 4hrs and exhausted us.
I had an energy burst when I got back home though : my M3 card (for my DS) had arrived in the mail!!!
I had some trouble setting it up (lacked something called user's manual and set-up CD ), but I finally got through to it, and I was able to get rid of the pouch system and now have a "clean" DS : the game system and nothing else! I have one and only one card in it, and 47 games on it! (I could have a little more or less depending on game size).
I have everything from french to german to japanese games, from educational to puzzle to racing games, even baby-child games (like build-a-bear workshop and crayola adventures!). OK, build-a-bear won't stay on it long, but I didn't know what it was and wanted to try it! I've always wanted to go in one of those places, we don't have any over here... I may keep the crayola thing though... haha!
I'm now in the process of trying all the games I don't know to see what stays and what goes...
So when I woke up and realized she hadn't left to see grandma yet, I stayed in bed. Why? Well, the small gift I had in mind wouldn't be ready until her return, and I didn't want her to notice anything, I didn't want to wish her happy birthday without giving her anything and didn't want to see her without wishing her happy birthday either (hate to try to make people think I forgot about their birthdays). So I stayed in bed.
As soon as she left, I went to check if dad was home or if he was gone (he worked a little this week). If he had been at worked, I would've needed to call him on his cell and tried to make sure he came home early so I could get the car to go buy what I needed... But he was still sleeping.
Since Mama doesn't usually come back from grandma's 'til 8pm or later, I didn't have to rush!
When dad woke up, I asked him if he had a gift in mind... he didn't. He said he thought of giving Mama US $$$ unless he found something else.
We went to the florist together, and looked around (they have many other things than flowers... mainly decorative items). He didn't find anything.
I asked the florist for my bouquet. Since dad didn't find anything, he decided to "upgrade" my bouquet, so it became a 50$ bouquet instead of a 25$ . Let me tell you, it was BIG!
See, that's the thing when you don't know a thing about what you're buying... had we known, I think we would've paid a little bit less... Mama would've got a beautiful bouquet still, and we would've paid a more reasonable amount.
Because now, I almost paid as much as if I'd made her a gift, but she only got a bouquet of flowers!!!
After all, it was my luck that dad didn't find anything for Mama... I asked him if he would mind giving me his share of Mama's mother's day gift (remember? I asked him to help me pay it and he agreed... not whole heartedly, but he did) in US cash, since he was going to get some and I would exchange what he'd give me anyways...
So I got 48US$ cash today.
See how cheap he is with me?
He paid what was needed to get Mama a "round" number (don't know if you use that term in english... you know, like 5, 10, 50 instead of 2, 13, 47). Instead of exchanging, for example, 50$CAD, he gave what was needed to get 50$US, even if it meant paying a little more than 50$CAD.
I paid 100$US for Mama's mother's day gift, and he had agreed to pay half of it, which was 50$US. Well he only remembered it was 50$ I guess, and gave 50$CAD to the cashier, who gave him 48$US.
Oh, it's only 2$.
Exactly, it's only 2$.
I don't care about the money itself. I care that he's willing to put money out for others, but not for me (hey, it's for Mama anyways, doesn't he realize that? Well I think he does, but he hates that it's only my idea, like always : if it's not his idea, it's wrong/bad/stupid, etc. If it's his, it's wonderful/perfect/genius, etc.).
Mainly, it's that it's always the same. He'll ask me to pay him back if he goes out and buys something for me, even if it cost only 2$, but will expect me to pay out of my own pocket if I go out and pay for him.
Even though he makes 10 times more a year than I do.
Anyways...
I used a no-text card I had and did some scrapbooking-style crafting in it to add some oomph. Maybe if I think about it and have the time I'll take a pic and put it in a post. (seems there are many things I need to take a picture of and post! )
Mama just got home.
She was really impressed by the flowers, seemed really happy.
She loved dad's card (he chose a Goofy card and tricked Mama : the card said he came empty handed... and he hid the money in the card's lining!), she especially loved the money part! ...but dad had to tell her "not to put it in the trash like this", because she didn't notice a thing and would've been fine with no gift at all and just the bouquet.
She seemed to like my original card pretty much, and kinda hoped for some hidden money , but I had to tell her I only had "half-a-bouquet" to offer...
I'm waiting for May 11th for my big surprise!
I did some other crafting today though... I added the glitter on the mousekeeping envelopes, now they're drying. Only then will I see the real final result, but I think it's going to look pretty neat!
As soon as it's dry, I'll put the tips in half of them... Yeah, one thing dad did right is he got me 1$ bills for 18$! I had told him I wondered if I would be able to get 1$ bills at the bank (when I'd exchange for US$), because I would need it for tips, especially for the mousekeeping envelopes... And he remembered... But since he only got me 18$ in 1$ bills, I only have half the night's covered... Hey, I still have about 250$ to exchange before we leave, if dad was able to get 1$ bills, I should too, so I'm not worried (yeah, I decided to pay the tips, it'll be one of my contributions to the trip!).
One other thing I did today was prepare the restaurants tips cards.
I put those I was sure to use in the corresponding day PassPorter pockets. The lower slot of the pocket is perfect for a business card. You don't really see what is in there, but you can easily get it out. At the same time, it shouldn't fall out.
The best thing with that is : I could put the tip card for the mother's day brunch in May 11th's pocket and Mama won't know anything about it! I had wondered where to put that! And thus I took one of the wasted tip cards (one that got messed up when trying to print the tip cards) and put the brunch confirmation number on it with the ADR time, and put it in the day's pocket too!
That way, not only won't I forget about it, like I was worried about (hey, you never know, in all the trip whirlwind!), but I'll have all I need without Mama knowing a thing! I know she won't look in there (she's not nosy at all).
For the tip cards I'm not sure if or when we'll use, I use an envelope on which I wrote "restaurants tips cards" and punched a hole in a corner. That way, I can just put it in the binder. But meanwhile, I put it in one of the slots under the binder's first page.
I did the same thing for all the CM thank you cards (finished printing the last ones today, too) and with my "business cards".
I will probably always carry 1-2 around (business cards as well as CM TY cards), but never all of them. It's not that it's very bulky, but what's the use?
I also contacted our phone and internet provider by chat today... (it's the same... also our digital cable company)
First, to ask about dial-up internet. There will be high-speed internet in POFQ, but 10$ for 24 hours is a lot of money. I know about the trick to start using it late in the afternoon or in the evening, and not use it one minute after the 24 hours, and then start again only the next day, or even the one after that, so as to maximize it... But still, dial-up with only the 10 cents fee for the local call would've been better!
With my high-speed internet account, I have 10hrs a month of dial-up access, so it would've been perfect.
Yeah, you noticed? I say "would've been"...
Sadly, our provider doesn't offer any local dial-up number in Florida... so the long-distance fees would be prohibitive.
So 10$ spread out over 24hrs it will be... and the less often possible.
Because 90$ is way too much! (yeah, 18 days, divided by 2 is 9, 9days x 10$ = 90$!) Goes fast ain't it?!
Even internet just half of the days is incredibly pricey...
Still, I don't think I could live without checking my emails at least once every other day... and I'll need to be able to transfer pictures online... and I'll want to check the photopass pix!
And I'll need to pay my bills at the beginning of the month... and Mama will have to fill her government unemployment agency form...
Maybe if me and Mama share the bill and we skip at least one in 3 days (spread the 24hrs over 2 days, no internet the next day and start again the 4th day, for example), it won't seem as bad...
Yet maybe also we won't feel we need it as much once we're there! Maybe I won't feel I want to look at my emails, maybe I won't need to upload pix (I'll have other means like CD burning)... We'll see.
I also asked about how the calling card was working.
Turns out it could be of some use... if I could just find that info I had on calling in Disney, fees and how it all worked ... Because it's an 866 number to reach the provider's network and then only 15cents a minute.
I wonder if then it would even be useful to take the cellphone US plan?
I guess then answer is still yes, because it's not always possible to get to a regular phone. Also maybe there are other costs with a regular phone using the calling card (that's what I have to find, I have this info somehwere). But mostly, it's for incoming calls! If there is even just a wrong number from Canada and we don't have that US plan, we'll pay so much! And for nothing! Of course we could just never answer, but... Not to mention the ever possible and so important emergency situations! What if we need to call Canada for an emergency? No searching for a regular phone then! And watch out for the fees then!
Oh, and of course there's the added bonus of flexibility. Being able to always having a phone with you.
But then of course, you take the smallest package possible, because the calling card price is unbeatable. And as long as you have the cellphone package, you use it as much as you can, and only use the calling card if you need to, so as to milk it.
I started cutting out the mickey heads paint chips from the background...
I used one to see if it was possible to just peel them... nope. Plus, they are more sturdy that way.
But now, I have a lot, and do mean A LOT to cut out...
With my fragile wrist, I'll have to spread the cutting evenly over the next few days.
I'll also try a different pair of cissors tomorrow.
Still trying to figure out if it would be best to put 2 mickey heards back to back or if I should just leave the "Home depot/Behr - user instructions" back and have more.
I'd go with the back-to-back option, but the sloth part of me is thinking it will be such a hassle to paste the 2 parts together and the greedy part of me is thinking I'll just have less...
Since those 2 parts of me aren't really the best, I guess it means I should just go ahead and put them back to back...
Oh, I realize I forgot to tell you about something else that happened at Home depot yesterday!
I bought a Tinkerbell light switch cover! It's self adhesive and it worked like a charm! The funniest thing is, it's Mama who saw it and called me over!
I have Disney souvenirs and I didn't even leave yet!
It fits perfectly with my room... doesn't makes me any happier that it's been the same color for more than 15 years though... Last time we painted it was the first time we painted it in my life... and I wasn't even a pre-teen yet!
It's lilac. Lucky for me I chose an OK color, and lucky for me, my parents weren't into fancy childish motifs. Altough I guess if they were, I would've had a baby themed room, a childish-themed room, a teen-themed room and now would have an "adult-themed" room, if you KWIM.
We redid the room that is now my studio last year... well I redid it mostly myself with the help of my parents (all the styling was me, so much fun! I really like doing that and am quite good at it... I even did the styling of some of my parent's dining room and hallway, even though they had a pro stylist!), but I'm dreaming of when we'll redo my room...
Of course we won't be able to "redo" much.
Can't change the walls (and it's all those planks, no drywalls, such a hassle to paint... main reason we didn't redo it yet), can't change the dimensions either... Don't have the money to change the furniture...
But changing the color would do wonders... In fact, just a fresh coat of paint, even without changing the color would be great! Now the paint is falling off the walls and I have more holes, nails and screws in the walls than I can count (so many years of hanging stuff on the wall and moving them!).
I've known which color it will be for more than a year, and I don't think it will change, since it's a color I had in my appartment and liked a lot (won't be exactly the same, though). Maybe just change a detail or 2. I want it light yellow. It will be bright, fresh and relaxing... I can't add a border because of the uneven planks... So the detailing will have to be in either another paint color for the details (doors, wood borders maybe), curtains... Or maybe some add-on motifs in paint (you know, those designs you add with a "sponge"?).
Anyways... another "dream" of mine.
Not on the same scale as the Disney trip, or my European trip... (I need to talk to you about that, it changed!), not on the same scale of what the studio was, or as putting a therapeutic bath in it... But I live like that : having dreams an having them come true! I think it's what gets me through.
Oh yeah, I also made the notecards with the photo boards info I had gathered. I prepared myself with a pack of notecards, 4 different colored pens and my 2 sheets of notes. They all are for best settings to take pix in each special situation : -animals at AK, including the safari
-indoor/dark shows (like the Lion King)
-SpectroMagic and the Electrical water pageant (and the P&PP night parade)
-the fireworks
-The afternoon parades (including the best wheelchair spots)
I also have one that lists some things that make beautiful pictures at night.
Seems I wasn't able to relax enough today. I realize I still did quite a lot.
Of course I'm happy I didn't do quite as much on the computer, which is good. I did some crafting, which for me is relaxing and I hadn't done crafts in a while...
But I didn't just sit in the laz-y-boy or in bed with my legs up and relax much...
Either watching TV, playing on the DS or surfing the web (if it's the DIS, at least not writing anything, or just listening to the podcast...).
Now, of course tomorrow I know I'll go out : I have the pedicure appointment, I know I'll need to go get some milk while I'm out (unless Mama decides she wants to do a full grocery, then it'll be that taken off my list) and I'll go to the dollar store trying to find some Québec items, since I wasn't able to go to any dollar-store yet. I was hoping to do that either yesterday or today, but Mama didn't feel like it and it took us so long at Penningtons that I didn't even want to anymore, and today, with dad, it was out of the question.
Thankfully, after tomorrow, I should be able to work on my "try-to-do-nothing-or-almost" thing, since I don't have any appointments or shopping scheduled until next Tuesday... I think!
I know I'm not doing myself a big favor by writing a 3rd post tonight, because at the pace I'm writing, I won't be in bed early, but I feel like writing... Must be the combination of migraine, pain killers and music...
Usually, pain keeps me up. And pain killers keep me from relaxing.
And music inspire me, so...
It's been awhile since I wanted to do the real "not-to-be-missed" post...
I've put the PassPorter's attraction list on my .Mac account so I could have it on my laptop and that was a while ago, and I never could do it, always spending my DIS time writing about something else that I did or that happened!
OK, so as you know, Mama doesn't really have a NTBM list. She could have one if she wanted... I mean I've never ever been to WDW and I'll soon give you mine! You only need to get some information about what's out there and it gives you certain clues as to what you want to do and what's interesting you a lot...
Mama doesn't want to sit down and neither read or let me tell her what's in what park. Be it attractions, shows or restaurants.
She doesn't mind if I inform her on some things, but she doesn't want to do it meticulously.
It's not very important, it's not like we're only there 3 days and have to make choices.
So her NTBM list is pretty short, since it only covers things she did or saw (and remembers! ) from her trip to WDW about 30 years ago :
-It's a small world
-POTC
-Haunted Mansion
...If they were still there, she would love to do "the submarines" (no idea what that attraction was).
Even though I love thrill rides, those are not of prime importance to me. I have those I absolutely want to do at least once in the trip, but it's not the focus of my trip (RnR, ToT, EE and SpM). I may change my mind after doing one, like deciding I absolutely need to do ToT at least 3 times more, but it still won't be the heart of my trip. I'm not commando-style and I'm not thrill-ride either. Not that I don't like them, but to examplify : we're not going to P&PP because there will be less crowds and we'll be able to do all the thrill rides without the lines, we're going for the atmosphere AND because we'll be able to do MANY attractions (note the word attractions, not thrill ride) without too much a line.
When I go to a Six Flag park, I do as much of the big thrill rides as I do the small rides (swings, anyone? ) and I love both as much.
So I think, if possible, the first thing we'll do as we enter MK will be IASW because that was something Mama wanted to do on her first trip and dad made it impossible for her because HE didn't want to and she regrets it to this day.
Since I want to see/do that ride a lot and love the song, I don't see why we wouldn't do that first. It may not be the more logical choice, but if it makes Mama happy, I say we should go for it. After all we have the time and theres not really anything else I'd prefer doing first.
Before I state my list, I want to remind you that even though I have things I don't want to miss, there is nothing I don't want to see or try. I want to see even what is considered a good place for a nap, even want to see the kids playgrounds (good photo ops!, not necessarily spend time there tough), etc.
On to my list. (like they say in Dancing with the Stars : In no particular order) Magic Kingdom:
-Carousel of progress
-Haunted mansion
-It's a small world
-Many adventures of Winnie the Pooh
-Mickey's PhilharMagic
-Pirates of the Caribbean
-Snow White scary adventures
-Space mountain
-Spash mountain (not a fan of log flumes, but want to see the story line stuff)
-TTA
-Toontown Hall of fame
-Toontown expo hall
-Pirates & Princess Party, including parade & fireworks
-Wishes
-Dream along w/Mickey afternoon parade
-SpectroMagic
-Castlefront show
Epcot:
-All of World Showcase (no countries more than any other... well maybe France a little more and Canada less than any other!)
-Club cool
-IllumiNations
-ImageWorks
-Soarin'
-Spaceship earth
-Flower power concert series
-Flower & Garden festival (gardens, topiaries, butterflies)
-The seas w/Nemo & friends
-Honey I shrunk the audience
-Character greeting spot
Studios:
-Beauty & beast
-Fantasmic
-Great movie ride
-Magic of Disney animation
-Rock n roller coaster
-Studios backlot tour
-Twilight zone tower of terror
-Voyage of little mermaid
-Toy story mania (only because we'll be AP preview... else I wouldn't care!)
-Block party bash
Animal Kingdom:
-Character greeting trails
-Expedition everest
-Festival of Lion King
-Finding Nemo -musical
-Kilimandjaro safaris
-Maharajah jungle trek
-Oasis
-Pangani Forest exploration trails
-Rafikis planet watch
-Tree of life
-Jammin' jungle parade
As you can see, I love nature.
I love flowers and plants. I love animals. I love aquariums.
I also love museums and so does Mama, so I think we'll spend a lot of time in Epcot and Animal Kingdom, with their museum and zoo feeling.
But since Magic Kingdom is the one Mama remembers and the one I was always thinking about when I was young and thiking about Disney, the "magic" one, I still think it's the one we'll be spending the most time in.
Still, if we need more time in either park, we'll have the possibility to change the plan if necessary.
But the way it's planned as of now is the least amount in the Studios (least stuff to do in comparison... AK has the least attractions/shows, but with the paths to explore can take much more time!), the most time in MK and less time, but an almost equal amount in both AK and Epcot... with maybe a little more time in Epcot, because of the longer hours of operation.
One thing is for sure (well... I say "for sure"... Of course I can't really know until I've been there!... but I know myself and Mama and our tastes).
Unlike those who find Epcot boring because it's more looking than experiencing, and unlike those who don't like AK much because it's animal looking and a lot of walking along paths to do so, and who go there only to run for EE and go from attraction to ride and then on the next show and go back to EE and then leave... those things are in the back of my mind as what is exciting to me in this park are all the paths along which you can see all those beautiful animals without bars or glass... And take pictures! But the pix really come in 2nd. Just seeing the animals (and the beautiful scenery) is my first interest. As I've said, the focus on the pictures will be for the 2nd visit only.
(I can't wait to see the meerkats! I've been watching a kind of reality series on meerkats on Animal planet and they're sooo cute! Can't wait to see some for real!)
Maybe we'll realize we want to spend more time in those parks and less in MK!
I can't wait to see everything and see what we prefer, what we decide, how my plan's holding up, etc.
I aksed Mama if she thought she would tolerate me and all the time I think I'll want to spend on those paths looking at the animals... and she said she thinks she'll be OK. What a relief!
Oh, as for the restaurants NTBM :
-Chef Mickey's
-Kona Café
-Chefs de France
-Mother's day brunch (I heard rave reviews! and the menu... mmmm)
-Crystal Palace
-Cinderella's Royal Table
-Mama Melrose
-Garden Grill (will be missed if nothing changes)
-Le Cellier (same thing... will be missed unless we get lucky)
-Tutto Italia
-Boulangerie pâtisserie
-Ghirardelli's
-Beaches and cream
-Grand Floridian High afternoon tea
-MK bakery
In no category :
-Jellyrolls dueling pianos
-Electrical water pageant and wishes from a resort's beach
-Taking wonderful pictures
-Taking notes for the TR
-Having fun with Faolan
-Having the time of our lives!!!
With Le Cellier, you can usually get a table for two at lunch without a ressie. In fact, on our last two trips, we ate there for dinner once & for lunch once, both without a ressie. But lunch w/o a ressie is easier to squeeze in. You might try it one afternoon and see what they tell you.
Oh, also, for AK at least, you should make sure you have your camera the first time you go as well. I usually hit all the parks once, then go back w/ the camera, but I've missed some great pics of the lions especially b/c they weren't out when we went back with the camera.
Hi all, very tired today. And very tender lymph nodes.
Reality hit me yesterday... as I feared it would hit sooner or later.
After the pedicure and some very small and fast shopping, I crashed.
It wasn't a big day, but it was too much once added to all the rest...
I went to my bedroom early in the evening, thinking I would just sit in my bed to use the laptop, as I often do, but I simply crashed on the bed, unable to even move. I spent about an hour, half asleep, not even placed OK in the bed... over on one side and the covers half over me.
Mama had to bring my meds upstairs with drinkable yogurt, because I wasn't able to go downstairs (I need to eat a little to take them) and I wasn't able to get up for a couple hours.
I slept for a little more than 12 hours total. I woke up in the middle of the night for a couple hours, but I couldn't do anything. I opened the laptop and simply listened to the last DIS unplugged podcast while laying down.
So today I tried not doing much and I'll go to bed early again. Sooo not easy!
And I'll try resting a lot until the trip so as not to crash again, especially hoping not to crash in Disney... and mostly, so as not to make it worst. It's not the time to get bedridden or to catch something to make me very ill for weeks.
I'm supposed to start taking multi-vitamins and vitamin C this week.
I wanted to start again one week before the trip... I had started taking those a couple of months back, when I got that awful cold, but the pharmacist said not to use them all the time, especially not the vitamin C, and to use them when I got sick and up until after a coupld weeks after I got better, and before I went on a trip, to boost my system a little. She said it wouldn't do miracles, but could help. She didn't say to stop or not the multi-vitamins, but I'm hoping that, stoping them and starting the whole thing together just now and keeping it up all through the trip (and maybe up to 2 weeks once we're back) will help me go through it unharmed virus-wise... So I had stopped them at least a month ago (don't remember exactly).
I think I'll also try to go out a couple of minutes a day now that there is a little sunshine, since that's a source of natural vitamins... I think E and C. I may not know the theory perfectly, but what I know is it's good to get between 5 and 15min. of sun exposure, without sunscreen, on the face and arms, everyday when you can. It's good for the soul too!
Of course it's important not to stay longer not to get a sunburn, and not to go in the middle of the day, and that's not for near equator regions (I guess in those regions 2 min. are enough! or sunscreen doesn't block enough to block the good stuff)... So I'll try to get some sun vitamins... And with the weather finally looking good here, it's really interesting!
Yesterday wasn't that bad... I had my pedicure, which lasted about an hour... (I now almost have smooth feet!)
I have to go back saturday after next (the 26th) so they can apply the color-nail polish (chose a baby pink! It feels Disney to me. I may chose another one when we go to the pharmacy this week though... all the better, I could do my nails the same color and do a touch up if needed).
I had decided to skip the color, because it would've gone off sometime during the trip, but the beautician told me I could just go back at the last minute before my trip (well, the last minute when they are open : we leave on Tuesday but they're closed Sunday-Tuesday) and they'd apply the color, which will take about 20min. and won't cost me more.
After that I went to the optometrist to have my glasses aligned... I had noticed they were a little skewed. That only took 5 min.
Then I went to the dollar store.
That took a while. I did all the aisles (not a big store, but still) not only to find some Québec items, but hoping to find ponchos and water-mister fans... I found a small battery operated fan, but no watermisters... And there weren't any ponchos either...
I did find some kind of plastic string to bind the boards to my wheelchair and a set of small keyring ID tags which could be useful to identify bags, in case we lose them in the parks...
As for the Québec items, I wasn't overly happy with what I found, but at least I found some. I decided to take different items, in case the same mousekeeper came back in our room more than once... Then she wouldn't get the same thing over and over... Of course I've got the same items more than once, but not 17 times the same one. I took a picture of every type of item I got, but I didn't upload it on Pbucket yet... I got a sticker with glitter that has the Qc flag, 2 different keychains a suncatcher (you know, those kind of stained glass things) and a type of leather wallet... ya know, the kind you only can put dollars bills in, not spare change?
Since the stickers were 2/1$, I got mostly those... the rest was 1$ each. I'm most happy of the keychains, which really don't look like dollar store items and are pretty neat. I almost got one for myself!
The whole thing, string and keyrings ID tags, taxes included, cost me less than 20$, so I was happy, it was about the budget I gave myself.
I got one "souvenir" for each envelope.
We also did a little camera practice with Mama after dinner, and she's doing pretty well. Remembering what to look for and how to zoom with the lens, etc. Practicing a couple more times and she'll be all set, without any stress. I made sure to tell her, for many pictures that were not perfect "that would've been perfect if it would be the only picture with Mickey!" or something of the like.
Talking about camera : thanks for the cue, Michelle!
But no worry : I'll always have the camera with me. What I meant was, I won't focus on picture taking the first times I'll be in a park or do something in particular that I'll know I'll do again (like an attraction or a show) and won't bring the special lens for what I'll be doing.
For example, the best lens in AK will be the zoom lens, which is very heavy. Also, when I focus on picture taking, I may need to fuss around with settings, trying to take more than one picture of one object to get the best one, and thus, take more time on the picture taking than on the touring itself or more than I would if I wasn't taking pictures... especially, more than I would if I wasn't taking professional-level pictures.
But I will bring my professional camera, with my "regular" lens (what pros call their "walkaround" lens... the everyday lens... which is the one that can do the job in most situations). So as to be ready if we encounter a character, if we see a spectacular photo op, or whatever. Only thing is, I won't spend time for this and if theres a special photo op, maybe the pix won't be as good as if or when I'll have my special lens. But I won't have missed it completely!
In fact, I'm now wondering if maybe I should leave my dad's camera at home.
Since Mama is game on using the pro camera all the time; since she doesn't like to take pictures at all, she won't mind not having one in hand while I'm using mine; I have more than enough memory cards on the pro camera, and if I would need memory, the quality of my dad's camera isn't good enough that I would like to use it until I get a chance to transfer some pix off the pro memory cards... I would prefer getting the quality down on the pro camera (I prefer shooting RAW, which takes up a lot of memory... if I needed more memory space, I could just use TIFF or JPEG. Taking pix in the lowest quality JPEG with the pro camera gives me better pix than the same JPEG on my dad's camera... )
I thought I'd bring it (my dad's) when I thought I wouldn't carry the big camera around and when I thought Mama wouldn't want to use it... Now I don't really see why we'd carry it, other than "in case something happens to the pro camera". Then, at least we'd have another one. But would it really be useful? Who really does that, bringing a "spare camera"? (unless it really is a good one of course)
And I'm already bringing a water-disposable camera for the waterpark, so space-wise...
So, today, trying to relax, I still did some.
I paid the balance on the hotel (wasn't my money, but I did the payment! )
I printed all our ressie confirmations (we have 3, as you know)
I enlisted for flight change notification, by email... I did so for the departure flight, but couldn't do it until today for the return flight. If ever there's a change or cancellation, I should receive an email notice right away.
I joined Accu-Weather for a 30-day free trial... If I think of cancelling it before we return home, or on the 1st day we are back, I should't pay a thing. If I forget, it will only be 8$, so it's not too bad.
I could have 15-day forecast free, but not the chance of rain or thunderstorm, winds, etc. Not the "real feel" or I don't know how they call it... Plus, with the premium account, I can have the health forecast... I've always been curious to see if the weather really affects my migraines or joint pains (I'm not saying I'm not sure it affects anyone who has those conditions, as I'm sure it does. I'm saying I'm not sure it affects me). If I think of looking at this, maybe I'll be able to see if theres a relation or not. It's not important, but I'm curious.
Sadly, as of now, our first days won't be sunny. At least, there's no talk of rain... And it shouldn't be too hot either.
I also did the awareness cards, one side for CFS/NDS, the other for EDS. I printed them and put one in each of the mousekeeping envelopes. I took the opportunity to translate them. When I get back I'll print those and keep one or 2 in my purse at all times.
And I cut 2-3 Home depot lgmh. God, this will take me a while!
Mama offered me to do some of them. I'll see how far I am in a couple days and maybe I'll take her offer...
So, now I'll stop writing for the day, not only on my PTR but anywhere, and will either read a little on the DIS or just listen to old podcasts or play a little on my DS... or a little of all this.
One thing is sure : I'll be sleeping early! But I'm fighting because I would be already! Except I don't want to be sleeping as early as I was yesterday... Don't want to be awake from midnight to 2am again...
Oh, there's absolutely no meaning to that title, except that's the song I was listening to when I started the post...
I'm starting to lose inspiration for post titles... It's about time we LEAVE FOR DISNEY!!! Which is just about right since it's only 10 days!!!
Happy dance, happy dance!
Tomorrow is gonna be the single digits happy dance!
Now today I was able to take it easy, but still accomplish a lot, IMHO.
Went to bed at a normal hour yesteray, midnight. I was in bed earlier than that, typing here I was already sitting in bed of course... I closed the DIS earlier than most days lately, about 9pm. Then I layed down and listened to 2 old DIS unplugged shows. Love, love, love those. I really wish Mama would agree to go to the May 4th recording. It's not like we don't have the time... And the timing is right... It's in the afternon and shouldn't last too long, I guess.
Well it's not like she won't agree to do it. Not like she's saying "Nope, no way, we're not going and that's final!".
It's she wouldn't like to and she said she'd agree to go if I'd really, really want to. You know, sometimes she says she doesn't really want to do something, but if I want to, OK, she'll do it. That's not really it, it's more of the : she really doesn't want to, but would force herself to do it to please me if it's really important to me... See the level difference?
There are already things we're doing on the trip that aren't inspiring her much, or at all, but we're doing because I want to, or want to very much... Some restaurants, some places, some activities.
Of course, she doesn't know the unplugged show at all and maybe she would love it. Maybe we'd even win a beautiful gift that would make it very well worth it.
But I don't feel much at ease pushing her this time.
I'd like to be able to decide pretty much last minute. See how she feels and how I feel that day. How she feels towards going there, in her mind wasting a couple hours... How I feel physically.
I sent an email to the podcast asking about wheelchair accessibility and duration of recording, and saying maybe we would be going and all... but I didn't get an answer, and now I wonder if I used the right way... I used the "contact us" online form and now I wonder if for them it's the same than sending an email through podcast@wdwinfo or if, by using that email address, I would get my answers... Or if the only way to get and answer is hoping they'll read it on the show, either way (online form or email)... which I wouldn't like... I mean, not that I care they read it on the show or not, but I'd like to have some personal feedback and let's say I told them for sure we were going, I'd like to know for sure if they got the email! In the meantime, I'd like to know if it's OK to just tell them it's possible we show up, but not 100% sure... I wouldn't want to not be able to show up because I didn't make a 100% sure RSVP, but I wouldn't want to look bad because I said we'd go and not show up...
That aside, I woke up early this morning... but didn't got up. I went back to sleep (voluntarily. I decided I needed more sleep) and only got up around 11am.
That helped a lot!
I still feel tired (when don't I?), but do feel better. Worst thing is the swollen and tender lymph nodes though. I have trouble swallowing and I look like I put on 10 pounds (at least!). Double chin thing...
I finished cutting my LGMH... I don't know if I'll do the other colors or will only use them in the scrapbook though... (Of course I would need to cut them evetually, but that's the key word : eventually!)
I will see how I feel. If I feel like crafting, maybe I will cut the rest and do a banner with them... To put in our resort room window.
I still need to paste the LGMH back to back.
I also made the order to Garden Grocer. I was happy to be able to pay for it myself. Another of my small contributions to the trip.
We ordered :
-a case of spring water (32 x 16oz bottles, Danone I think)
-2 x 8-packs of Gatorade (20oz bottles), one each of 2 different flavors... They will be too big... Well I mean, I'm used to the little ones, the itsy bitsy ones, don't really know how many oz. But they didn't have those.
Either it'll fit in one of the bags... and just make it heavier... and the chill "mist" will make everything around it moist... Either we'll find a way to clip it to the lanyard with the other water bottles... but since it won't be insulated, I don't think it would be a good idea (unless we bring my dad's bottle, then we'd have a 3rd insulated bottle? 2 for water, one for my Gatorade)... Or better yet, I bring my small Gatorade bottle in my purse on the flight (should be OK, since as a "disabled person" I should have the right to bring on fluids that help me with my illness) and reuse it, refilling it. At the same time, maybe the bigger bottle would be best, because I may need more in the parks...
Maybe my dad's bottle would be a good idea after all... It's a 24oz bottle just like ours. And since he won't be working until we get back, he shouldn't need it while we're away... I'll ask Mama for what she thinks and ask dad if he would care... Did I tell you about the bottle lanyard? We'll take a lanyard and put it across the wheelchair handles. Our insulated Polar bottles have small plastic straps. On it we'll clip a carabiner. Then we'll clip the carabiner (to which the bottle is attached) on the lanyard. So both bottles will be hanging on the wheelchair and easy to reach, but mostly, easy to remove. We tried just putting the bottles directly on the w/c handles using their straps. But they're so short it's very hard to remove them. When you're thirsty, it can be a long wait! And I was worried we could end up breaking them.
-a 6-pack of Boost meal replacement drinks, in case I know I won't be able to eat for at least an hour after I get up... in which case I can faint...
-2 x 1/2 gallons of 1% Hood milk... can't live without my milk... especially to take with my medicine at night, with a light snack... and I guess those snacks will be sugary! I hope that milk is good! I mean, to my taste... We're very fussy on milk taste...
-a 24-pack of wet-ones singles! I was sooo happy to find those! We had bought a box of Kleenex wet wipes to bring, but we would've needed to put a couple in a Ziploc bag to bring to the parks each day. This will be way better! I was jealous of Diane that had those! We'll just use the Kleenex wipes here at home instead!
I looked for the Chlorox singles too, but to no avail. Heh, at least it will be just one kind to carry in the Ziploc bag! And one less wipe box to put in our luggage, too!
I think that's it for the Garden Grocers order...
It cost about 65$... Around 43$ before taxes and delivery fees, then about 58$ and I added 7$ gratuity. I figured about 20% on 43$.
I asked for delivery between 3-5pm on our arrival date. Since we should get there around noon and we're hoping for a dinner ADR, I didn't want anything earlier or later. And I'm not worried for the milk: if we're not anywhere near our room when they get there, bell services will hold it in a fridge. But they should call on Mama's cell 30min. before arriving, so there are good chances we'll be there to get te stuff too (only, if we're not near, we won't have to make a mad dash either...won't even try! ).
I made some research on the Cinderella's white chocolate slipper dessert , that I, wanted to surprise Mama with at some point, but I don't even remember if I slipped (no pun intended) or just changd my mind wanting to tell her about it because I was so excited, but anyways : I talked to her about it and we want to order it.
I knew you have to order it at least 48hrs in advance. Now I know it's, as I thought, only a CRT or one of the GF restaurants. For us it means either CRT dinner or High afternoon tea.
Now I emailed Rhonda with my following question :
If we order it for CRT, what happens with the included dessert?
Because CRT dinner is already paid! And what we paid included a dessert! Do they just give us the dessert PLUS the slipper, and we're so stuffed we explode, or more logically, waste the food?
or
Do they credit us the price difference between the regular, included dessert and the slipper?
or
Do they just don't credit us anything, but don't bring out the regular dessert?
As for the afternoon tea, I don't think it would be a good idea there, not for us anyways... I mean, we're loking forward to the scones with jam, the dessert tray and the strawberries with cream... Even if we take our time to eat and don't eat too much of anything, I don't feel as if the slipper would fit well with the other items. I feel like it's really a dessert and it would go well after a meal. Too big and too rich to just go after tea items like scones, sandwiches and fruits. In my mind, tea items are small and sugary. You don't take a huge dessert after that. It's just my opinion! But I wouldn't do it.
I don't think we'd skip the slipper dessert even if CRT doesn't credit a cent for the included dessert, and even if they bring both. We were thinking o spliting it anyways (looks too big ad mostly, too rich to have one each), and we knew it's not cheap and it was a "dessert splurge". Plus, CRT is paid anyways.
It just will be a little disappointment if they don't credit.
Being sure we'd go back this December, I'd let go and make sure to do one of GF restaurants to try it there instead... But if we're not going back until 2012, I'm not sure it'll be here still!
Oh, makes me think... Now Mama is saying unless the bounceback offer is free dining, she doesn't think she'll take it.
She's not saying we won't go back this year for sure unless there is free dining, since she did say before that having the AP makes it tempting to cash on it (the park admission is indeed one of the biggest costs of any trip). But learning the bounceback offer I heard of was "only" 30% off the room, she didn't think it seemed good enough to "jump on it".
Of course 30% is not free dining. But I was kind of surprised she didn't even consider it! We didn't even save as much wth the AP discount for this trip! When she thought about it some more and I hammered into her head that if we had this offer and didn't take it before checking out, we wouldn't have anything else that good if we decided to go after all, and that all was asked was to say "yes, well book those dates" and pay only one night... and we could get full refund if we needed to cancel she began to see the light...
I think what I'll do before we leave is look at the dates we would like to go, also put the documents (Word, Excel, PDF) I could need on the laptop, so if ever we are lucky, I'll be ready!
I just hope if you make a bounceback ressie and need to make a change to it, you don't lose the discount (for example, change the dates -as long as it's in the valid dates, add a day, something like that...).
She said : "If we have the offer, we don't have to book right away, we can wait 'til later in the trip, right? So we can make sure we'd really like to go back as soon as this year... tour around the resorts to decide which one we'd like to choose..."
Aaah, I so hope we will go again!
I finished looking at my PassPorter eBooks to take out the most important tips to put in my Best tips Excel spreadsheet... and I realize I don't have a lot! Most are for before you leave, or for families... or just things I either remember/know well now or that aren't important or essential enough to write down and take with me.
Next I'll skim through one or 2 Word documents in which I put info (only copy and paste, will be easy) and the regular PassPorter and the Open Mouse... After that I'll either stop or, if I have time and still want to, I'll go through some websites...
The biggest job I did today wasn't Disney related, altough it should help a lot when I get back : I got all my summer stuff out. Well I did most of that 2 weeks ago. I got it out and tried it all to see what fit and what outfits I had, etc. And because I didn't know where to leave it all, I put all I'd bring on the trip in one of the big suitcases. I'm not packed, it's all a mess in there. Plus, I want to use the tip of putting our things together. We're 2 and we'll have 4 suitcases, so we'll each have a 1/4 of our things in each suitcase. Not like all our socks in one and all our underwears in another, but little outfits in each, so if we lost all but one suitcase, we'd still have at least one outfit to wear each.
So I had done the "getting all summerwear out" thing. But only with the trip in mind. I had put back all I wouldn't bring on the trip in my "out of season/what doesn't fit anymore" bin. Now it's getting warmer over here (yay! finally) so I realized I would start wearing some, at least the pajamas.
I got out what was left, put some winter clothes in the bin (not too much, we still had snow last week!) and also made the switch in my shoes and slippers (weird how our slippers and Cindy's aren't the same huh? Mine are somethin' I wear in the evening, plushy, and Cindy's is a high heel shoe...!)
Made me realize I'd have some shoe packing to do...
The best thing is, when I come back, we probably will be in warm weather enough to wear the summer clothes most of the time, so it'll be a good thing to have done that switch, since I'll probably be too tired to do that on the other side of the trip.
I plan on doing the final iron-on tomorrow and on starting the real packing. How exciting!!!
And then it'll be the last week!
Of course we only leave on a Tuesday, not a Monday... But Monday won't really count. We'll run around in circles making sure everything's ready and I'll try to sleep either in the afternoon or very very early at night (thanks to sleep pills), because we need to get up around 4am.
This Monday we go get our passports, stop at the mall (nothing, just return something at Sears), Altough maybe we'll try to find myself a summer coat. You know, half raincoat half windbreaker, but really light. Something you can wear when it's hot and humid outside, that doesn't get damp when it rains, with a hood. I hate ponchos, altough that's what I'll wear in the parks, especially with the wheelchair. I have one of those coats now, but it's a man's and it's really too big for me. Plus it's a little too warm (but I'd been looking for one of those for 2 years and when I found it I jumped on it even though it didn't really fit me and cost too much! I was desperate!)... Mama will try it, if she likes it and it fits her well, she'll take it and pay for mine. If she doesn't like it, we'll both shop for one.
Tuesday we go to the hairdresser and if we have last-minute errands it will be the time. If we don't go looking for the coat on Monday, or didn't find one then, maybe we'll go.
My list of trip-related errands is all done though. That was a elief!
Sometime during the week we need to go to the bank to change our cash in US$...
I also want to wash my pennies for the pressed pennies machines... maybe tomorrow.
Something I absolutely need to do before I leave is find the official translations of the places where the characters I'll use for Fairy Godmailer live...
For example, I'll write on behalf of Winnie the Pooh to my cousin's daughter... but in french. What is the right transation for 100 Acre Woods? (and the rest of the address, which I don't even know in english!)
I mean, I could translate it myself, but if she's used to how Disney translates it in movies and books, she definitely won't buy that it's Winnie himself writing! See what I mean?
I need to find the official french translations of the characters related info.
Since I have alternate options for both girls (as of now, I'm doing only 2 "Fairy Godmailer postcards"), I need the info for 4 characters : Cinderella, Winnie, Jack Sparrow and Rémy from Ratatouille. It's nothing hard to find, it's just, it's important I don't forget. Of course if I do, I could also find it while online in Disney, but it's not something I'd like to send my time doing while I'm there!
I think that's it for what we have to do this week! I'm sure there's lots more that I just can't think of right now!
Day 1 - April 29th (Tuesday) (Arrival day)
Leave home around 5am
Flight leaves @ 8h35am
Arrive MCO @ 11h34am (if everything's OK)
Check-in
Visit POFQ
Unpack
Boat ride to DTD, then bus to Epcot, then monorail tour around Epcot and MK
ADR : Garden Grill dinner WE HOPE Epcot evening
*Flower Power Concert : BJ Thomas
*IllumiNations
Day 2 - April 30th (Wednesday)
MK rope drop MK full day!
Break in the afternoon
ADR : Dreams come true dinner @ CRT
*Wishes
Day 3 - May 1st (Thursday)
Studios rope drop Studios full day!
Break in the afternoon
ADR : Mama Melrose lunch
ADR : Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic package dinner
*Fantasmic
Day 4 - May 2nd (Friday) Epcot full fay!
(World Showcase side)
Break in the afternoon
ADR : Tutto Italia dinner
*Flower power concert : Arlo Guthrie
*IllumiNations
Day 5 - May 3rd (Saturday) AK full day!
Break in the afternoon (or see option B)
ADR : Tusker House lunch Boardwalk evening
ADR : Spoodles
*Jellyrolls
option B-Leave Jellyrolls early and have a good night's sleep.
Day 6 - May 4th (Sunday) AK morning
Break MK afternoon/evening
ADR : Crystal palace dinner
*Wishes
*SpectroMagic (2nd parade if possible, for less crowds)
Day 7 - May 5th (Monday)
Sleep later Epcot almost full day
(Future world)
ADR : Chefs de France lunch
*Flower power concert : The Searchers
*IllumiNations ... MAYBE
DTD speed through
...To see Cinco de Mayo festivities... That will be if we see anything announced there the day before, and if so, if we think it's worth it, and if it's really only on that night (because if it goes on 'til the 6th, we're already going to DTD). I've heard good things about DTD's Cinco de Mayo events, but it seems there isn't anything special anymore! So we'll see.
Day 8 - May 6th (Tuesday)
ADR : Kona café breakfast Typhoon lagoon part-day (late morning-early afternoon)... as long as we feel. Could be only 2hrs or until closing.
Maybe Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. (I know, I know, I don't list non-ADR meals. But this one is special. I know I want to try it anyways if it's not then). Fantasia Gardens mini-golf evening (Gardens side, mainly for the Fantasia characters. We're only going there for those!)
This is a relax, no park day to split the trip in half... since we added days, it's not exactly in the middle of the trip anymore, but it will still do the job... it's only a day early!
*Depending on how the day goes, the choices we make and how I feel, either break between TL and dinner, between dinner and FG or go to bed early.
Day 9 - May 7th (Wednesday)
MID-TRIP!
MK rope drop MK morning
Break (could push it later in the day) Resorts afternoon/evening
ADR : High afternoon tea @ Grand Floridian
Visit some resorts (mostly monorails. Maybe All Stars or AKL if we have time, if not, it will be on another day when we feel like it, it's not planned)
*Wishes & Electrical water pageant from either Polynesian or Grand Floridian beach.
Day 10 - May 8th (Thursday)
Sleep later AK almost full day
ADR : Yak & Yeti lunch Epcot evening
*Flower power concert : The Tokens
*IllumiNations
Day 11 -May 9th (Friday) Off-property shopping morning (Orlando premium outlets - Character Premiere)
Nap and sleep as much as possible in the afternoon!!!
Because... because that night is : Pirate and princess party!!!
Day 12 - May 10th (Saturday)
Only one week left...
Sleep later MK morning/afternoonif we can get up DTD afternoon/evening (we'll be there in the afternoon especially if we didn't go to MK)
La Nouba 1st show (6pm)
ADR : Portobello Yachtclub dinner
Day 13 - May 11th (Sunday)
Mothers day!!! Epcot morning
ADR : Epcot Mother's day brunch
Break (Mama gets her gift basket!) MK afternoon/evening MAYBE.
We could decide otherwise...
Day 14 - May 12th (Monday) MK morning
ADR : Tony's town square lunch
Break Studios afternoon/evening
*Fantasmic (2nd showing if possible health-wise)
Day 15 - May 13th (Tuesday) Backstage Magic tour!!!
Whispering canyon café lunch
Maybe Rainforest café dinner (again, not an ADR -we couldn't get one if we wanted, since it's the one at DTD- but I'm pretty sure it will be that, so I'm putting it here. If it's not that night, we'll go there anyways since I really want to try it)
*Wishes and Electrical water pageant from either Polynesian or Grand Floridian beach (whichever we weren't on last time)
Day 16 - May 14th (Wednesday)
ADR : Chef Mickey's breakfast! NO IDEA for morning/aftenoon
It's a free choice day. We'll wing it, go with the flow, do as we feel, etc.
ADR : Coral reef dinner WE HOPE
Break sometime in the afternoon Epcot evening
*Flower power concert : Davy Jones
*IllumiNations, one last time
Day 17 - May 15th (Thursday)
Last full day NO IDEA for morning/afternoon, once again! Only that it shouldn't be MK, because it's not a green day, according to TGM...
There should be some packing done in there, though...
ADR : Le Cellier dinner WE HOPE
Break sometime in the afternoon, unless we slept later in the morning MK evening
*Wishes
*SpectroMagic (2nd parade), one last time...
Day 18 - May 16th (Friday) (departure day)
Check that all the packing is finished and nothing is left behind
Last Disney meal (breakfast)
If all packing was done right yesterday, maybe have some time for a quick stroll through POFQ, in DTD or in one of the parks, or a ride on the monorail (since I've never been, I don't know what's realistic. Plus it'll depend on when we wake up).
DME pickup @ about 10h30am
Flight leaves @ 2h35pm
Arrive in Dorval (Montréal airport, which isn't really in Montréal ) @ 5h10pm
Arrive home sometime around 7pm.
Sad it's over, glad to be home, very happy to be reunited with Colombine!
As you know, all the "hoped for" ADRs could be mixed up... Garden grill could be happening on our last day, Le Cellier could happen as a lunch on the 14th instead of as a dinner on our last full day... We only hope we'll get them at all...
Also, if you want to, I could get back and edit the post adding all our exact ADR times... I didn't think it would be useful info, but if anyone thinks it would...
Hope it can help you follow us around if you want! (or just get some ideas for your own trips!)
Today I took a walk in my past.
In the time when I was healthy (well OK, when I was healthy-er), when I had my own appartment, lived alone, had independance... in other words, a time when I had a life...
No, it was not a stroll down memory lane... No I didn't look at old pictures nor watch a video. No, I didn't chat with a friend about old times...
I went into the shed and searched through my boxes...
When I had to move back with my parents after a little more than 6 months of illness (including about 2 months living here leaving the appartment empty), it wasn't just a normal move... I wasn't moving from an appartment to another, or from an appartment to a house... I was going from an appartment to a bedroom. Worst : a very small bedroom. Old houses have small rooms...
My appartment wasn't big, but it was a 3 room!
So we moved most of what was in my bedroom (for when I crashed here) in the shed, along with most my possessions... Since I was too ill to do much and since we wanted to move as quickly as possible, my parents did most of the packing.
The worst part is my dad did the moving so fast and carelessly (like all he does) that many boxes that were intended to go in the house for me to run through were sent to the shed. Also, since we lacked space in the house and I lacked energy to deal with them right away, many of the boxes labeled "house" (instead of "shed") were sent in the shed anyways, dad thinking I could always tend to those later... Problem is, he mixed all the boxes once in the shed, and some "house" boxes wound up under or behind some "shed" ones... I tried asking him not to put boxes behind or under other ones (we have a lot of space for my stuff, so unless we need the space, I want the boxes to be spread out so I can easily search in them without wasting energy), but he didn't listen too much...
So sometimes I need things I have in the shed and I go in the back and search through the boxes of my old life...
At first I was hoping I could move out in a couple years. It's been 4 years. I'm not hoping too much anymore. So I'm going to go through all of my stuff this summer, when it's not freezing in there, and brighter (we don't have much lighting in there)... And a little like in that TLC show, making 3 piles... Things I keep in the shed. Things I bring in the house. And finally, things I try to sell. (maybe there's going to be a 4th pile : things I give).
I have a microwave. I have many small kitchen appliances. I have a mini washer and dryer kit... I have some furniture...
And dozens of boxes of course. Containing glasses, utensils, teddybears, books, decorations, clocks, phones, you name it.
Just an example : last year I bought a measuring cup... only to realise today I had one in there...
Today I was looking for a bunch of plastic glasses to put in my studio, instead of using disposable glasses. Looking around the "kitchen" boxes, I also found many baking stuff that could be useful! Cake pans, pizza plate, etc. I almost bought one of each this year!
I also found a box that wasn't supposed to be in the shed... containing, among other things, gift wrapping paper and bows! Now, you tell me, was that useful in the shed? Would it be something better to leave in there in case I need it when I move out again? Or would it have been better to have it in the house for when I actually wrapped presents?
I also found the perfect travel sewing kit. I had just made ours yesterday, putting some stuff in the smallest Tupperware we had. This one will be much better!
Going in there and looking through my stuff always gets me down.
I mean... you get in there and you're litterally looking at my life boxed up, lined against walls and with plastic covering everything...
My life stopped and is all in there.
I didn't want to sell anything for years, hoping I could move out and always thinking : yeah, I could make some cash out of selling that stuff, but if ever I could move out, how much more would it cost me to buy all of it again at once? It's well protected here, if I need it in 5 years, it should work as new, it won't be like it will have worked for all those years...
And you see, I'm now using my fridge again!
Another possibility : what if we move (as a family) and where we move, I can have more of my own space, like my own appartment (bachelor)? Maybe I would love to have my toaster, my popcorn machine, my microwave, etc.
OK, probably not the mini washer/dryer and mini dishwasher...
But do you get the dilemma? What to keep, what to sell, and what if?!
By the way, there really is a possibility that we eventually move. Not only if Mama finally decides to divorce, but because there is development around our land... it's possible we get an offer (what I call smooth expropriation) to leave, so they can extand the industrial park here. In fact it's what we're starting to hope for, because it now looks like if it's not what happens, we'll soon be surrounded by it...
They're almost finished chopping down the small wood at the end of our land. It's so sad to see the woods gone...
Anyways, I'm disgressing in my disgression!
So... yeah. Going in there... Depressing, and frustrating.
Depressing for all it means.
Frustrating to see all that was left in those boxes and that could've be used in the house all this time...
There are things in there that are just getting rotten or eaten by rats. Yep, if I have the energy, it's something I want to attack this summer. Maybe I won't finish it all this summer, because I'd like to go slowly and thoroughly, one box at a time. I don't want to rush things, and I know it will be draining emotionally.
And after I'm done, I'll rearrange the boxes so it will finally be easier to search in them.
Sorry for this entirely OT post.
I could put some Disney in it, but I prefer starting another one!
OK, first things first :
Single digit happy dance!!!!!!!
Almost a week!!!
I can't believe it's finally coming true! Woohoo!
I apologize already : I know this post won't have any logic to it. I'll only try to not forget anything! Each "**" will be a point.
**We decided not to get the Cinderella chocolate slipper dessert.
Since it's not on the menu and not included in the price, but we won't get a credit if we order it... Especially since we'll STILL get the included desserts AND pay for those even if we order the slipper, Mama thinks it'll be a waste of food (and, of course, of money). She doesn't care for the slipper enough to order it anyways, and I don't either.
I think, when we'll go back, whenever it will be, if it's still available, we'll try to eat at one of the participating restaurants and get it then if we still want it.
**I finally made a decision about my dad's camera. Well I think I did anyways.
I won't bring it. Since the reasons I had for bringing it changed (I already talked about that so I won't repeat myself), I don't think it's worth it anymore.
My only reasons for bringing it now would be either
1)in case something happened to the pro one
2)in case I realize I get tired carrying the pro one around and would prefer the small one for most of the time
...Which I don't think are good enough reasons. Nobody brings a 2nd camera on vacation "just in case"... and I don't think I would prefer using my dad's camera "because I'm tired of carrying the big one", since the difference in image quality is sooo huge.
But hey, my insecurities could still make me change my mind at the last minute!
**We went to get our passports today!!!
Sometimes I can almost be happy to have a wheelchair... We had brought it to the passport's office because we thought we could wait a long time, maybe standing, so we didn't want to take a chance... (now that I have it, as well use it, heh?)
The security guard must have been a CM in a past life (OK, I've never met a CM, but I'm sure they're like that! ), but I must admit, a bit more and he would've been paternalist...
All excited and talking like he knew me for a while he said "I didn't know you were going on a trip?! That's wonderful!" And then he congratulated me (that part was when I felt the most like it could've sounded paternalist, because it almost sounded like "wow, you can travel? good for you!". It wasn't any vacation congrats' tone... it was more a baby's first steps congrats... If I remember, he said "bravo"!) and then he said "We've been waiting for you, line #1"... And in fact, that line was empty and we just went there and got our things, signed and... went out!
OK, it seemed that lady had the box with all passports, so maybe anyone going to fetch a passport would've went right in that line without waiting, I don't know... But it's been twice now, at both pasports offices (it wasn't the same today, we had to go to another one) and we seemed to go in front of other people, especially the first time. I know sometimes it seems that way but it's only because people are either there for something else or have a problem that takes more time to deal with... but I'm suspiscious...
Anyway, if it's the chair, for once, I was happy to have it. Especially since we didn't take it for that reason!
Mama was quite excited because it was her first!
I remember that feeling. I felt somewhat important and... I have trouble putting my finger on it... high profile maybe?... in my mind, only a certain type of people travelled enough or far enough to need a passport KWIM?
Of course today it's not the same anymore, with anyone crossing the border needing one... But still, I can understand the feeling!
... See, dad wasn't excited at all when he got his. Not a word, not a facial expression. Nothing. He didn't care, nothing special. He doesn't get that sort of thing.
That's why he partly ruined my 2nd Bahamas trip (which he came with me on), why he ruined Mama's Disney trip 30 years ago or so, and most importantly, why he is not coming to Disney with us!!!
Yeah, dad is on a roll these days.
Saturday he asked Mama if she wanted to go out to dinner with their friends (I don't know how to translate it... it's a married couple that are their friends since more than 25 years. They almost never see each other unless they're the 4 together. To me, they're almost aunt and uncle.)
Mama didn't really feel like it, but she rarely is, so she reluctantly said yes... After all, it had been a while and it would be good to see them before leaving.
But she regretted when dad started smoking pot before they left. That meant he was going for one of those nights... (he's an addict... he rarely uses just a little. So when he starts...). He drank a lot at the restaurant.
They all came back to the house to play cards, which is what they always do together. (When I was a child, they would meet at least twice a month to play cards on Saturday nights).
Dad was a mess. Since his friend also smokes pot and smokes a lot of it, dad also smoked a lot (well until Mama quit, they all did... Now she's the only "straight" one, and I'm so proud of her... She also quit smoking and she really doesn't drink a lot, only socially and rarelly more than one or 2 drinks).
Dad was very bad. Could've been worst... but he was loud, trying to control everything, be the center of attention, hype, etc.
Lucky I don't feel now like I have to stay with the "company", and spent most the evening either in the studio or in my room. The couple minutes here and there where I was in the kitchen with them I had such a hard time supporting dad I really don't know how they did it... Well I know, since I often have to support him too, if we're not home. But I was happy I was able to skip it.
Usually they leave very late, around midnight, sometimes even later...
Well this time they left around 10pm... And I guess they stayed this late because it wouldn't have felt polite to leave earlier... They couldn't stand my dad anymore!!!
And my dad drank and smoked pot some more after they left...
Today dad had an appointment at the garage... When we arrived from the passport's office he already left... 1h30 early for his appointment. The garage is a 2min. drive away... Mama and me both thought the same thing.
Oh, we always give him benefit of the doubt, mostly because we always think "well, just in case it's not that, we'll feel bad". For example, if he's really late, we always think "well, if he's had an accident and we're here angry against him, we'll blame ourselves for a long time"... Still, I guess we shouldn't worry too much, because if that ever happened, we could reason ourselves with the stats : maybe that one time he was indeed late because of an accident, but all those other times it was indeed because he was at the hotel drinking... (it's our very cheap version of a pub. This particular one has a couple of rooms to rent upstairs and is run by a very old couple that my dad grew pretty close to. We think he sees them as "adoptive parents", since he cut all ties with his mom and his dad is dead, he didn't see him much either though. We hate those people. Letting him drink like that and making money out of it... They even ask my dad for help, like lifts to the hospital! I can't bear that. The worst is when he asks us to go there with him!).
When dad finally got back (much later than he should've if he just went to his appointment), he wasn't very pleasant with Mama, let's put it this way... Oh, nothing major, but his usual self when not sober. I asked her in a subtle way if she thought he drank and while he was outside she answered me : "well he put a foot out the house didn't he? So of course he did". She really wasn't happy.
While we were driving to the passport's office and she was talking about Saturday night's, she asked that we not talk about him from the moment he drops us off at the airport from when we get back... (oh yeah, I didn't tell you that... he'll just drop us off, won't wait with us for the flight... well that's not too bad, I can understand, it's boring and it'll be early. But he won't even come in to wait for us. He wants us to call him when we land, so he doesn't have to park the car and just wait for us in the car... Doesn't even want to wait for us at the gate...)
A dad vacation.
I always thought of the trip as a vacation from him as much as a vacation from my illness, altough I won't be able to escape the illness (but I'll be able to forget the everyday frustrations and live my dream... live IN a dream). But I still think it will be pretty hard not to talk about him and our frustrations, especially since we won't have him near to listen!
Almost each time we leave the house, we end up talking about what he did lately, so as not to end up crazy...
I easily see us saying "dad would sooo ruin this" or the likes...
Like Mama said "all about us for the trip"... And it would indeed be best...
But I think it will be very hard. He's so controlling and he ruins the atmosphere so much, hovers over our lives so much that we have this need to vent when we get out.
I lived outside this house for 5 years and it took me awhile to kind of forget a little... The fact that Mama told me he behaved better helped too. (I still don't know, to this day, if he did or if she was blinded by hope.)
OK, trying to focus again... Sorry for that slip.
**I finally finished the iron-ons! Yep, finished Mama's white tee with her version of our Aristocat's Mother-daughter trip DISign! I'm very happy it's done!
Sometimes between now and december, I intend on buying dark transfer paper and making some other types of designs, like a Carebear and maybe something for the twins. Not a gift. Something Sophie either already has or would choose. I saw a picture on the Creative DISigns thread, and it was a kid with a whole kit with Pooh : on his jeans pocket, on the jeans leg, on the shirt... So I wonder if I could try doing something on jean for the twins... Maybe something on overalls would be cute!
I really like the idea of having my own designs. I often see things I like in stores, but it's either not my size or the text is in english, and I'd like something in french.
English is perfect for a Disney trip, but when I'm here... ehhh, french is my language!
OK, what else... um...
**Well, today I pasted the LGMH together. I put them under some books to make sure it's all good, and tomorrow I'll check and if it's all OK, I'll punch a hole, write the info on some and put the plastic cord on it. (Maybe I'll even attach some of them already?)
**I also wrote our info on the luggage tags. Our new luggage set has wonderful luggage tags. They are a synthetic material and the tag slides out of a pocket but is attached! It's really cool! I just hope it won't fall out too soon (remember, we only paid 100$ at Walmart!). I also completed the info on the keyring luggage tags set I bought at the dollar store. I'll put one on each carry-on.
I also put an address label on my camera monopod and will put one on the camera itself (I hate the idea : it's so ugly! Plus, a sticker on my beautiful pro camera! But I prefer that than not having it returned if I lose it... and not because it's robbed but just because the person doesn't know to where to return it)...
**I tested attaching the boards to the wheelchair, and it's perfect!
I also tried my idea of lanyard with carabiners on the w/c handles to hold the water bottles... Well no layard will be big enough to fit. So I thought of using the seatbelt. Yeah... The w/c got a seatbelt. (No, I don't need it!)
Since it was so much trouble removing it (bolts and srews and such... maybe some other time!), we just attached it behind the chair and it doesn't bother me. I could put the carabiners on the seatbelt!
But no... Mama would have the bottles knocking her knees... Well maybe it would be OK, except I'm not taking the chance.
So I came up with yet another idea (ain't I brilliant?!) : I'll use 2 lanyards, each rolled around one w/c handle, hanging a bit. The carabiner will be on the hanging part, and the bottle will hang there.
The 3rd bottle will either be in the bag or on one of the lanyard (2 bottles on one side).
Now the thing is : I have spare lanyards from different past activities... I even have 2 blue ones that fit with the chair... I'll bring them just in case.
I'm sooo sad now that I forgot to order the TFW ones! They were cheap and I intended to order 2! But I forgot and now I'm sure it's too late to get them in time... (I'll try to remember to email to ask, just in case... but not hoping too much though)
So what I'm wondering is : are Disney lanyard very costly if ever we want those? I guess we'll see.
**I did a big chunk of important job today : I photocopied all the important documents we're bringing to the World (passports, credit cards, tickets, etc.) and made 2 copies. One for us to bring, the other to leave dad.
I then put the numbers in the PassPorter .pdf document (where you also note important phone numbers like the hotel, airline, airports, etc. and flight numbers)
I'll also make 2 copies of those, one for us and the other for dad.
**Yesterday I wanted to make sure I had went through all the info I had in the computer tip-wise for my best-tips spreadsheet. So I went through all my .pdf, Word and Excel documents one by one (in my Disney vacation file, not the whole computer!) and either just skimmed to check there were not tips in there or read it thoroughly and noted the tip(s) if needed.
While doing that, I noted a couple of documents I had forgotten about, I think they come from TGM, those are very detailed information about each attraction. It looks like .pdf files, but I have it in Word. I have one each for MK, AK, HS and then 2 for Epcot, one for WS and one for FW.
It's constructed a little like my own Attraction info spreadsheet, but of course not with the same focus (I focus with myself and Mama in mind, how weird is that?!), and those documents have no info for disability or w/c accessibility. Oh, and they're not bilingual like mine either... Yeah, I have some trouble choosing a language. When reading and writing so much about Disney in english, I end up having a lot of trouble finding the right word in french either when writing for myself, in an email or talking to Mama... A good thing most people around me are bilingual, because I end up speaking frenglish... And writing it. So my attraction, restaurant and tips spreadsheets (and almost all other Disney-related documents I put info in myself) have most info in english with some french, sometimes both in the same sentence... Of course my illness, with having a hard time finding the right words, really doesn't help there!
So I read all those documents and there were many info to add to my own attraction info spreadsheet!
It took me a while, so much in fact that I still have some work to do for the tips part...
**The song I'm listening to on my iPod makes me think of something... I'm one to organize my iPod to the last detail. I have lots of playlists, I like to have pretty accurate genres (not VERY accurate, I don't have 10 types of rock and classical music for example, but I like to put each song in it's own genre, not just the album, for example. And I can't tolerate a "other" genre). I like when all my songs are rated, so I can listen to all my favorites in one playlist or genre... I also set a different EQ for each song (having done sound engineering classes, both on stage and in a recording studio, I can't stand no EQ or a classical song with a rock EQ... I'm still really annoyed I can't set my own EQ settings on iTunes and have it transferred on the iPod... but that's another story).
All this to say... Getting my iPod organized takes me a lot of time, since I have a lot of music (more than 15 000 songs on the iPod right now...). My first iPod was pretty much organized... But then I had to have it repaired... they changed it for a refurb instead... so I lost everything. Oh, I had backed it up. But I learned the hard way that an iPod backup only backs up the songs, not their info... (way better than nothing though!) So I started organizing it again.
Then I changed my 40G for an 80G... This time, I knew better, I bought a program that was made especially not to lose the info, like play count, playlists, etc.
I didn't lose any of that... But lost all my EQ again!!! Yeah... they didn't mention that the EQ wasn't something covered by the program... Of course, the EQ was what I'd spent most time on!
I switched for the 160G soon after, and this time decided I'd start anew with the organizing, because of a technical problem I had (that is now resolved).
Well with so much music, it takes a whole lot of time organizing it all!
And let's face it, the last 9 months I put my time on something else...!
But all this to say : I realize there is one type of music I should organize before next week : Disney!!! I have about 100 Disney songs on the iPod, but at least twice more on the iTunes... but I can't just transfer that, because there are some I have 4 times (like Reflection, for example) so I need to do some housecleaning in that first... and then syncrhonize with the iPod!
I also need to make sure my favorite albums are in there and I have some lullabies too for bedtime...
**Ooh! Another thing I did today : With the passports in, I was finally able to do the online passengers registration with our airline! If I understood right, this will save us time at check-in (is it called check-in?)
The other day, I looked for all the information concerning a trip in December, in case we get a bounceback offer.
Of course I'm hoping for free dining, because with that one, I'd be sure of going back, but with 30% back or something of the likes, maybe we'd go too...
So I knew that, to be able to make a decision, we'd need all the info ready and handy while in Disney.
I don't know if I missed something or if I'm just starting to become a real pro, but it didn't take me a long time and I was really running around in circles wondering what was missing...
First I checked the resorts again :
I looked at the value prices, and then looked for some Pop Century reviews...
Honestly, it's the only value I would consider (even though I think I would prefer the Music or Movies theming better), but unless it's either "value or no-Disney" I wouldn't go to a value.
It's not that I heard horrible things, but what I read and what I deduced from it make me want to skip all the values : I need rest. Mama doesn't like full pools. We like peace. Mama likes to be near the parks. I need to be close to the amenities.
I'll just say : these are the places where there are the most families with young children (nothing wrong with that! just noting), the walls are pretty thin, which make you hear very well when young children run to the pool or breakfast at 7h30am.
With just 2 pools, and the biggest crowds of any resorts on property, there are no real quiet pools. It's also the place of choice for teens, which instead of running early in the morning, tend to do so late at night...
So again I say, if the choice is : value or no Disney at all, I won't hesitate a second, it's Pop. But if we do have the choice, then the peace we want and rest I need dictate we go elsewhere...
I looked at the moderates. One thing is certain : Even if after our stay we love POFQ to pieces, I want to try another one when/if we return. My only compromise would be to go to POR...
But in the moderates, I think it would be Coronado Springs, even though it's pretty big and spread out (hoping we could get a room closer to bus stop and Pepper market, because of the wheelchair). The fact that there are quiet pools (I'm sure we'll miss that in POFQ... hoping the main pool won't be too crowded... or we'll go to POR... but I guess if the main one is too crowded we'd just not swim!) and I've heard good things about Pepper Market. It looks like a restaurant we really loved over here and closed recently... if it's really like it, I think we'd eat at our resort's food court more often than normal!
Since there aren't that many moderates, the choice is limited! Don't want to return to POFQ (because I want to try out others), POR is so much like POFQ in my opinion (well, I'll see for real soon!) and the only other moderate is Carribean Beach and I don't find it appealing.
On the deluxe side, the prices are really spread out!
We couldn't afford something like Grand Floridian, and the Contemporary would be a really big splurge... But I think Mama has her sight set on that one, because having the monorail is really a big plus in her mind... I guess seeing how it really looks and feel and the experience of the bus transportation will influence our choice.
Of course I'd still like staying at AKL, but the price for the savannah view, which is really the only one worth it, is a little too much out there...
I also thought about a Boardwalk resort, since it's walking distance from Epcot, but those are really pricey too and not worth it IMO. Well, not with our budget anyway.
I know about the Swan and Dolphin, that is deluxe level at lower pricing and walking distance from Epcot, and has some of the Disney-resort guests perks, but I think, to pay a low deluxe-price, we'd prefer staying in AKL and have all the perks. One thing that bugs me the most of Swan and Dolphin is not being able to room-charge... But if we go, I'll tell Mama about that option.
I noticed one thing I didn't know about though...
Fort Wilderness Lodge. Same price range as AKL. The theming isn't much my bag of tea, but the amenities may be. Very near MK, lush scenery, Wishes and Electrical water pageant from the beach every night (well, if you're at the resort!)... I think I would prefer AKL in that price range, but it's an option I didn't know about.
I looked for the activities in December, and was happy and relieved to learn that, even though the MVMCP tickets would start selling on May 1st, they wouldn't be sold out before at least the fall. So no hurry on that front.
The plan is, if we get a good enough but not wonderful bounceback offer (for example, 30% off room-only moderate/deluxe resorts instead of free dining), to decide right off the bat when we're going and how many days (and asking if we can change the dates and/or add/remove nights without losing the discount) and make the ressie before checking out. Even if we'd get the offer on our 2nd day, we wouldn't make the ressie then. We'd wait until maybe our next-to last day.
To make sure we want to go back, to have the time to visit some resorts, etc.
So we wouldn't buy the MVMCP until at least mid-summer.
Since the 180 days would start in June (or at the end of May, since we would be resort guests), I would have the time to come back home before starting on a plan and making the ADRs. (not a lot of time, but some time...) And I learned my lesson... no going from the end of a month to the beginning of another (like from April 29 to May 5), when you can start making your ADRs but the calendar isn't out yet!
I'll make sure we go at least 2-3 days after the beginning of a month, so the calendar will be out at least 2 days before I have to make the ADRs!
We wouldn't think of the trip as set in stone until at least the end of summer, beginning of fall. Well maybe, but at first, when Mama thought of cashing on the APs and maybe going back, she wouldn't have made ressies until then. (yep, we would've had big trouble with ADRs!).
I told you, Mama doesn't like to be pushed into things, so by thinking she can always cancel everything, and nothing is set in stone, she'll feel much better and will book it more easily.
I looked at pricing for Amtrak and Air Canada, just to have a comparison point. Of course the plan was to go by train if we were to go back.
The price difference was : 600$ more by train. But it's for 4 days more! So I guess it's a good deal. Almost a week's more of vacation, for only 600$ more!
Of course, it's possible we could get a better deal on the flight between now and then, you never know... But I don't think it could change that much. Our flight for this trip costs us approximatly the same thing than the quote I got for December...
And I know with Amtrak, the price get higher the closest you get to departure date...
So my plan is : get your Amtrak tickets ASAP and simply cancel them, with a refund, if we decide to fly instead. (if possible, of course!)
With the train, we would leave here, stop for a night in New York (I found cheaper hotels than last time... "only" 200$/night and not too far from the station... this means I'll keep checking! There may be even better deals out there! Yay for Trip Advisor!) and then take the sleeper car for a 24hr ride to Orlando. That's 3 days! For example, leave Montréal on Monday morning, arrive in Orlando Wednesday at noon. On the way back, we could even catch a Broadway show in NY!
Mama is not sure about the train anymore, because of the 600$ difference. But when you factor in 4 days more for that price difference, I definitely say it's worth it!
It's like saying : 1500$ for 5 days or 1000$ for 10hrs! What's more cost efficient?
On top of it, that time would be really for the train experience... Being able to see the scenery (plus, it would be the start of winter over here, so we could really see the change in weather!... and it's easier to change in a sleeper car than at the airport... we would have to wear uncomfortable clothes either in Montréal or in Orlando to be comfortable in the other destination travelling by plane in winter)
Anyways, I guess we'll have to wait and see what she chooses... if we go!
I couldn't believe how easy and fast it was to get all the info together and such... I'm really getting experienced!
So now we're all ready if they give us a bounceback offer.
I know which date we'd take, only thing I still don't know is if it would be 7 days or more, like 8-9 or 10... hoping for 10! It would be in the first week of December (probably leaving here on Monday 1st, so as not to be in the Thanksgiving crowds).
I can't put in words how much I'm hoping to go.
Like I said, I would truly, honestly prefer not to go this year, since I'd like to go each 2 years for 4 years... This year, in 2010 and in 2012... Make it evenly spread out. But if going back this year meant I'm pretty sure to go 3 times in all (with this other time to go to Universal see the Harry Potter park around 2012), especially with the bounceback discount and the AP being already paid helping a bit... urm, OK, helping A LOT, well I'm all for it!
The thing that excites me the most about it is the holiday things. I love the holidays, and it always seem I'm the only one in my entourage (is that the right word? or is that word only for rappers? ). My parents aren't excited about the holidays at all. Mama likes to decorate somewhat, but wouldn't put the tree out... it depents, you see? And she doesn't have the spirit at all. She sometimes gets into it, most of the time she doesn't. I guess my dad always being in a "bad moment" in the holidays doesn't help putting you in a holiday spirit... (people don't seem to have creativity when it comes to gifts and only seem to think about giving booze, which really doesn't help us. Holidays aren't a happy time around here, it's true. It's generally one of the worst time of year.)
Having heard about the double dose of magic that happens during the holidays in Disney... well it almost makes me cry!
So the Osbourne spectacle of lights, holidays around the world, MVMCP, the candlelight processional (even though I'm not religious, it must me sooo beautiful!) and so on... And I would of course looove to do the yuletide tour (or whatever it's called, I don't quite remember). And seeing the castle all lit up!
But I wouldn't have wanted to do Disney like that for my first time... I wanted my first Disney experience to be a "regular" one. I feel like on the holidays, like Christmas or Halloween, the parks are changed and it's not like usual. I wanted "usual".
So I'm really hoping for a very good bounceback offer...
Oh, I also asked Rhonda if I could still deal with her if ever we had such an offer... or if we'd be "stuck" with the official Disney agency... we can deal with DU!!!
Rhonda said we'd only have to tell Disney we already had a TA, and then inform her of the ressie/confirmation # afterwards, and she could take it over.
I was really glad to hear that, because I had very good service and she now knows me a little.
I also hope I'll be able to keep Rhonda, and not have another agent at DU!
By the way, the Harry Potter/Universal thing? I'm thinking it may be more 2011... because it will be WDW 40th anniversary, and there will most certainly be something special happening... Certainly not as big as DL 50th, but it may be a good time to go back... Of course, it may also mean more guests, and in that case, maybe we would wait for 2012 as intended... We'll have plenty of time to think about it and see what others think! But I just learned about the 40th this week, so it hit me... I guess it will be either October 2011 or October 2012... A 2-weeks trip with one-week in Disney and one week in Universal... We all know this could change a lot, but it's the plan.
In french there's a saying : Chose promise chose dûe. It means "thing promised thing due", or "if you promise something, you better give it"!
So, I promised you some pix, now's the time.
If there are some I promised you that I'm not giving you, just remind me. You know how I have memory trouble...
First of all, the almighty bathing suits!
I'll start with my favorite one
Then, the other, not the favorite, but I still like it a lot.
Update on that matter : Don't remember if I told you, but when I bought it, the top was a little big for me. Mama even thought I shouldn't have taken it... I still thought it fit me and didn't think it was that big (!) of a deal. I guess I'm used to clothes being too big for me now, being on a loosing weight slope for now more than a year... It's good and I'm happy, but it's getting costly! Side note : I don't have much credit, it's mostly going back to normal after gaining a lot of weight because of trying too much meds and one in particular that made me gain 40lbs in 2 months... I think I already told you about that... Also, when I don't feel good I have a hard time eating. As much as I'm excited about Disney food, I'm really worried I won't be able to eat a lot of it... Often in restaurants I would like to order half of what's on the menu (I love to eat and used to be a good eater -too good!), but can't even finish one plate...
Of course I try to eat good things, but I'm not on a diet and wouldn't want to be... and if I was I'd say I cheat a lot! Even though I try to eat things that are healthy, I also eat things that aren't and don't feel guilty about it.
End of side note.
But there wasn't the smaller size. I had a 16 on, only smaller size was a 12. It fit me, but didn't fit me well...
So I still bought it. When Mama went shopping with her mom (my grandma) last week, she was in another Sears store (where I bought it), so she went in the swimsuits department to show grandma the ones I bought...
Well whaddayaknow : There was a size 14!!! So she bought it for me and we'll return the size 16 when we get back. I guess I was destined to have it.
(by the way, grandma loved both of them! )
The light switch cover that Mama found me at Home Depot
Sorry, it's a little fuzzy. I didn't have the courage to go downstairs to get the macro lens.... It's better that way, you don't see as much the dirt on the paint... You can still see the crack though...
Finally, the Québec items for mousekeeping
I have a dilemma about that... What if it's the same person doing mousekeeping in our room all the time? Well it's virtually impossible, since it's 17 days, but let's say it's the same person for a while? That person will get the same things over an over, even if I make a point on alternating the stuff!
But if I don't give out the stuff each and everyday, maybe some will get things and some won't and it's unfair!
Now, of course, if the service isn't worth it, I won't give the trinket. Maybe just the money and the little awareness card. Maybe nothing at all. You know, it will depend on the level of satisfaction.
It's like the restaurant tips cards... We won't hand them out if we didn't like the service... The cards say things like "thank you, your service was outstanding!"... you don't give that to a server that didn't give you an outstanding service and to which you wouldn't even give a tip!
I won't feel an obligation to hand out those things just because I spent a lot of time working on those. I'll still have them for a future trip, that's all!
Well... That's it!
P.S. I resized all the pix when transferring them on Photobucket, making them very small so they wouldn't make the post too large and wouldn't take too long loading... I realize this may be a little too small, don't you think? I'll try making the next ones bigger.
Some suitcases had been out for a while, only because we didn't quite know where to put them.
Then, when I got my summer clothes out and tried all of them, I didn't know where to put the clothes I had decided to bring. I didn't want to put them with the others, didn't want to put them in my "out-of-season" bin either... So I opened one of the suitcases and put them in. But it wasn't like I had started packing.
Today I really started. Since we decided to follow the advice of splitting our stuff evenly throughout the suitcases in case of a loss, we'll each have a quarter of our stuff in each of our 4 suitcases. Since the idea is not to have all your socks and underwear in one and all your tank tops in another with all the shorts in the last one, I had to try and put some kits together. Of course I had already started doing that, because I didn't want to get in Disney with tops that wouldn't go with any of my shorts, and vice-versa : shorts that wouldn't have any top to go with.
I had started to do that when I first tried the clothes on, but since then I had done my iron-ons... Which were all on new tank tops.
So I had a base, but had to change some things and add.
I'm packing and planning for a "no washing trip" except maybe some underwear and maybe a little before we come back, so we don't have too much to wash once we get home.
BUT. Once the packing is done, we'll look at the result, and if I feel we have too much, I'll remove some of my clothes. (Mama doesn't have a lot of clothes. If I didn't insist, I think she wouldn't have enough. She had like 3 bottoms and a couple of tops... Tops weren't as much of a trouble as the bottoms. She finally decided to shop for herself too, and now she realizes how little she had... Now that she has 3 times more, she says she doesn't have a lot, which is true, but before she didn't realize it!)
I'm far over from finished. I have only 2 suitcases that have each 1/4 of my kits, plus socks and underwears.
No bras are packed and a lot of underwears and some socks still need to be packed (not washed yet or still need them... then will need to wash before packing!).
I have a pile of clothes that need to be divided in the 2 last suitcases. Probably tomorrow.
I opened the Disney bin. Oooooh.
I decided to use one travel bag, made for toilettries, and put it in one of the big suitcases. That way our stuff won't roll around and it doesn't really take much more space than out of it. And it will be useful in the room, since there is not counter space.
We decided to remove some of the items from our list... Remember that the bin started to fill as we were thinking of driving down... So the 2nd toothpaste is out.
My bubble bath too. I'll buy some in Disney. I heard there was good bath salt in one of the Epcot shops... Maybe they have bubble bath too! Or maybe I'll just stick with salt. (buying bath salts was already planned). The bubble bath I had was the cheapest one anyways, and the bottle was sooo big!
Mama had already decided to share my body lotion and to only bring one of hers (she thinks hers could be too much with the heat and humidity. She'll bring one bottle in case, and we brought one more of mine -only half left, but I'm scared if she uses a lot, the new one could end up not being enough, so that half could be just what we need).
Also, I realized I had 2 contact lenses solution bottles. I had already bought a small one and when I bought my new kit (it's 24 pairs, one pair each 2 weeks) it came with 2 big bottles free... so I put one big bottle in the bin too, forgetting about the small one... I think the small bottle will be enough. And easier to carry in the parks! I also have a very small one that fit in the Ziploc bag for the plane. If ever I would run out of the small bottle, that could come in handy. I don't want to bring both the big and small bottles, and I couldn't carry the big bottle in the parks. I won't wear my contacts on the plane (too dry), but of course I'll bring my contacts (3 pairs), the mini-bottle of solution and eyedrops on board. I'm not leaving that in checked luggage!
I also packed my "makeup" pouch. There is much more than makeup in there, hence the quotes... Face cloths, some meds, toothbrush, etc.
We chose our carryon "standard items" and our purses... Which wont be our usual purses. Mama finally decided to use the pullout carryon size suitcase from our new luggage set. I think it's the best choice. It has the more storage space, the more pockets and is the best layout to put clothes in (we put each : one change of clothes, one underwear, our P&PP costume, one bathing suit, one pajama) since it's made like a suitcase.
Like I had decided a while ago, I'll take my backpack. The reason is simple : it's possible we'll take that to the parks, so instead of putting it into a suitcase and have it take space, I'll have it on my back (or on the wheelchair, or on my knees... you know what I mean!). I seems it won't have much in it... It's really to have space for the trip home!
As a purse, Mama will use the sling baggalini, even though she doesn't like it much (I still can't believe it... I asked her her opinion before buying it!!! And to this day, she can't see it, talk about it or touch it without mentioning how she doesn't like it... Stop it already! You should've told me your honest opinion, or return it. If you didn't then just stop... )
As for me, I'll use a bag I used as a purse before, which is just like a big black bag. Only two small pockets. One in the front, the other hidden inside. Perfect for when you want to have lots of space and still be able to say "but it's only my purse!"...
I finally remembered to email the lady about the TFW lanyards, and she had a wonderful idea! She'll send them to POFQ!!! Better yet, I'll save money! (how much? A big, whopping buck!)
I also wrote to the croc sitter that had Faolan just before me...
First, we had decided that she wouldn't send him to me too early, in case someone would sign to croc sit sometime between late march and now... When I realized that wouldn't happen, I contacted the girl back and told her it would be the time to send him to me... She told me she was getting married like, 2 days later, and then would go on her honeymoon, and she would send him to me when she got back, through UPS overnight.
Altough that scared me a bit (it would only leave us a week!), I said it would be OK, afterall, in "UPS overnight" there was "over night" which meant I would get Faolan about a week before we left.
Problem is, I didn't get him yesterday and didn't hear from her either, and started thinking : hey, the girl just got married and just got back from her honeymoon, I doubt her head is on Disney matters and on sending me that plush thing...
So I sent her a reminder... And she emailed me back saying she sent him to me the day before through USPS, because UPS asked for my phone number and she didn't have it...
Now, I must say I'm a little disappointed.
She could have tried to reach me, she has both my email and my PM here... And I'm not sure, but I'm guessing taking a day to try and reach me to get my phone number would still have got Faolan here earlier, if shipped with UPS overnight, than sending him through USPS...
(I also might add that with my last name and postal address, she would've been able to get my phone number through many websites).
So now... I'm anxiously waiting, and scared that I won't be getting him in time!
Of course if I don't, my dad will have the instructions to forward him to POFQ... And we are there long enough that I'll be sure to get him before the end of our trip...
But I'm sad I didn't write to the girl 2 days earlier when I emailed her 2 weeks ago.
Sad that she didn't think about sending him to me before leaving (either by herslef or after I emailed her).
Sad that she didn't try to get my phone number to send him via UPS overnight like she had told me. Maybe she found out it cost more than she thought and prefered USPS anyways...
I just hope I get him in time. But usually, when something is shipped across the border with USPS, it can take quite a while... It always depends on the content and the sender. I really hope, but I don't have any memory of anything being shipped and getting here in less than a week...
Send out some pixie dust!
Tomorrow I'll go change my Disney fund money in US$! I hope the exchange rate will be good! It has varied quite a lot these last days... from 0.97$ to 0.99$... didn't go back over 1.00$ though... That would be great!
Well, even if I'd like to write a lot, forgetting the time of day (night), I couldn't...
My laptop is dying my friends!
I have to look at my warranty to see if I still could revive him or not...
Remember when I told you I had trouble with the plug and had ordered a new one, but was a little scared it wouldn't solve everything?
Because, yeah, of course, my old plug is a little torn in one place, from being bent a little too much a little too long when I used the laptop in a certain way a while ago...
But the new cord I bought is even worst... It comes with many tips, and not one is exactly right for the hole, so it's pretty loose, and the cord is too short for what I like.
But mainly, I still have the same problem! Which means, it's as I feared... it's the female part (the hole) that has become loose. I guess I forced it somehow, probably when I used the laptop in the breakfast tray (the weight of the back of the laptop then rested on the plug... it's exactly the reason why I bought my new laptop "platform"!). And now the contact is very hard to maintain...
So what happened is I left my laptop on for about 30min and went downstairs... it was plugged in... well when I got back it had shut down, because the battery was down!
About every 2 minutes, when I'm lucky (every 2 seconds, when I'm not), the laptop goes in battery mode because the plug loses contact. Then I need to unplug it and replug it... The catch is, more often than not, just as I let go of it, it loses contact again. So I often try to keep my hand on it, forcing contact...
Now I'm in a lucky moment... It's been more than 10min!
But let me tell you, when it's the 30th time (not even exaggerating!) that you plug it back and you still can't get contact, you're getting slightly mad!
I'm getting worried I won't be able to use it in Disney!
I paid 80$ to get the new cord exactly for that reason (not just for Disney, but so I'm not caught up one night with a dead battery and no way of charging it again!), and it's no use! Worst part is I forgot to keep the packaging, so now I can't return it... And I always keep the packaging until I'm sure I won't need to return what I bought! *&?%$@ Murphy's law...
Maybe I'll call a computer service store and ask if they could fix it very quickly and how much it would cost me... because I know even that, if it's still under warranty, and I send it to that store shop, I won't get a replacement laptop meanwhile and it will take more than a month to get it back...
I'm fed up enough that I would easily pay 50$!...
OK, the purpose of this post : I SOLD MY IPOD!!!
The 80G iPod I've been trying to sell for more than 9 months!!!
I've come close to selling it twice. I've had a lot of exchange offers ("wouldn't you like to take my multi-tasking cell for it?"), but it never happened. I had to lower my price quite a lot (almost 100$)... and now I'm wondering if it was maybe just a timing thing and I would've sold it at my original price... Well, I guess not. Maybe that same person wouldn't have wanted it for 100$ more...
But what better timing?
More than 200$ in my pocket juste before leaving!!!
I can't believe it!
I had the email this afternoon... When I saw it, I didn't hope too much, sure that it was another one of either "exchange" or asking for a ridiculous price... or to correct me on something I said in my ad (yep, I even had those... like "you said the new ones sold at 295$, well there are some at 280$ at Best Buy!"... like it's the point.... )
But I had the surprise of a serious email, someone asking if it was still available!
I jumped on my keyboard to answer... Hey, the person didn't even ask for a lower price!
Oh, and I told her (it was a "her", I later found out) that we would have to hurry, if she was indeed interested, because I was leaving soon for 3 weeks...
You just can't believe though how sure I was that it wouldn't go through...
After so long, and so many lost hopes, I didn't belive anymore... (hum, sounds like Disney doesn't it!)
But it did!
I have the money, the fax for the warranty transfer is out and tomorrow morning I'm going to the post office.
Only disappointment : I didn't know that Paypal took money when you got a payment! At first I didn't understand why the buyer didn't pay me the amount she was supposed to!
Other news on the money side : I went to the bank today and exchanged canadian money in US$. I got 280$. (cost me 291$ and some cents... Still not back to parity... humph... I had hoped it would be back before the day we'd leave...)
I had enough in 1$ bills to finish filling the mousekeeping envelopes.
I also prepared envelopes for DME and the carriage ride at POR, even if we're not sure we'll tip the DME driver (will depend on service and if he manages our luggage on the drive back to the airport), and Mama doesn't think she'd like to take the carriage ride, but maybe she'll change her mind after seeing them pass by every day ... Plus, I had already printed the envelope when I asked her about it...
Since dad had given me money in US$ (as I asked) to help with Mama's mothers day gift, once the mousekeeping and other tips are paid, I'll have 280$US in cash.
The money I received for the iPod I decided I won't try to exchange it for cash. First of all, there is a good chance it won't be in my account on time. On the website, Paypal says it can take up to a week before the cash shows up in my bank account... Thus it would be too late for me to go and exchange it.
But even if it would be there on Monday, I prefer just putting the money on my credit card (well, one of my credit cards... the one I'll use the most in Disney because of the lower fees to exchange US$ and the lower interest rate), since I prefer paying more by charging to the room than in cash.
I think with more than 250$ in cash I'll have more than enough for 3 weeks of snacks and little things that are not as easy to charge on the KTTW (including the plane snacks).
As for the rest, I looked at it today, and with my 3 credit cards, I will have a little more than 2000$. I don't want to spend that much, but if needed, it will be there.
(by the way, it's not all credit... some money I could've had in cash, like the iPod money, but put on my credit card because I prefer that payment option... Well I guess, since my balance isn't at 0$, it still count as credit, but hey... in my mind, FDM, Disney is a separate thing... since it could've been in the cash Disney fund, it's not all credit )
One thing to remember is, by havng more money, it won't be automatically more souvenirs or gifts. But it will be more opportunity to help Mama in paying little things here and there. Like some meals, my own snacks, etc.
And maybe, simply better gifts for friends and family. I had budgeted really low-cost gifts, and I had figured the costs on a low-budget... (like : usually, I spend about 20$ for that person's gifts, it shouldn't be more in Disney)... maybe I wouldn't have been able to find gifts at the prices I was looking for, for some... or only cheap ones that I would't have liked or would't have felt right to give.
I'll see!
But one thing is sure : I'm really relieved to see I'll have a little money cushion that I didn't think I'd have, not so long ago...
And I'm extatic that I finally sold my iPod!
It had been so long now that I didn't believe I would anymore!
Of course I didn't try too much... only put it on a free ad service (local too!) and left it there, simply renewing it every 3 months, changing a word or two here and there... (oh yeah... and lowering the price...)
I was going to put it on eBay last week, but the browser bugged and I lost all the ad, on which I had been working for almost an hour... so I didn't have the courage to start again, and decided to wait until the next day to do it... And I just did't get around to it! Lucky I didn't!
Well, now that there are really only 3 days left, and in my mind, only 2 (Monday doesn't really count... for me it will be just going over the packing list and "to-do-list" to make sure everything's done and packed and fill in the blanks... and go to bed at 5pm to make sure I get some sleep, since we have to get up at around 3h30am... ), I'm starting to panic a little...
So it's the weekend, and only the weekend.
Of course most of what needed to be done is done and I'm pretty much set.
But some things I want to do aren't done or completed.
As much as yesterday I was totally relaxed and not really able to grasp the full reality of the trip getting close at the speed of sound... as much today it finally hit and it's hitting a bit too hard!
I continued in the printing department... Finalized the attaraction info spreadsheet (all the info was in, but it wasn't configured for printing... I also proof-read it, and it made for some copying and pasting, some deleting and some rearranging, so I wouldn't have an Epcot attraction at the bottom of an MK page, for example.
I printed those on legal paper (8 1/2 x 14), both sides so as not to waste paper nor space, stapled them together by park and folded each set in 2.
I started doing the same thing with my restaurant info spreadsheet. Sadly, I still had 1 page left to print when my virtual PC (I use a Mac) completely bugged and closed.
At the time, I was also halfway in the process of typing the postal addresses of all the people I could eventually decide on sending a postal card to... (Yep, I'm good at multi-tasking, especially on the computer... always having many programs or files open at once... flying from one to the next... mostly because I can't concentrate and also because, since I don't have good short-term memory, if I don't do what I'm thinking of right now, I'll forget... That's great multi-tasking!)
Usually, Word and Excel make an emergency save of all documents when Windows shuts down abruptly... Of course, this didn't happen today.
So I lost at least 30min. worth of work.
I'll need to start again tomorrow.
I almost finished the work I wanted to do on the laptop, so it would be ready for Disney and picture-hosting (and transfer). I deleted a lot of stuff and am now in the process of defragmentation. As soon as it's over, I'll install the program that is needed to see the raw files from my Nikon.
Because if ever I have the time, it could be worth it to go through the pix and delete the more obvious bad ones before transferring them on my .Mac account or burning them on a CD... Otherwise it would just be wasted space! But of course, that takes time, so it will be if I have the time.
Sadly, I wasn't able to search for a place to repair the plug problem in less than 3 days... When I went out for some errands today, I almost did... there was a computer store just besides one place where I was going, so I decided I'd go and ask... It was closed!!! And it will stay closed until Monday... Maybe I'll make a phone call or 2 tomorrow, but I don't have much hope.
By the way... I had the worst day. Maybe it didn't help me to be efficient...
First thing I had to do today was go and ship the iPod... So I went to the local post office. All was well until it was time to pay. Total was, let's say 13.45$. I hand the lady a 20$. She hands me back a 5$, a 1$ and some change.
And that's when the trouble began.
Remember when I told you my illness doesn't just affect my body and stamina, but also my brain, concentration and cognitive functions?
That I sometimes have trouble reading the newspapers?
Well I can have the most awful trouble counting too.
Abstract things in general can be very hard now. (and to think it was my forte!!! )
So in my head, with a 13$ total, I should've got at least a 2$ back with my change.
I wouldn't even have been able to explain this, sometimes abstract things are simply out of my grasp. Now I can tell you, probably to me 20-13 meant 7 and I forgot the 0.45 and change part... But it wasn't clear at all. It simply just didn't make sense.
Trying to explain it as it happened "in my head" :
First impression : "this isn't right, it doesn't seem enough it should be more" (I was apprehending a 2$ instead of a 1$). Then I try to count, to make sure I'm wrong or to tell the lady where she got it wrong... The more I try to count, the more confused I get, like trying to remember a dream after waking up. My mathematical theory is evaporating and when I try to calculate in my head, I lose the numbers as I go... like when you start spelling and suddenly don't remember where you are in the name. And then a kind of panic sets in, when you realize you're not able to perform this simple task, plus the humiliation of having this happen in public... you try to keep a straight face and save it, but at the same time you don't want to lose money, if you were right...
So when she handed me that 1$, at first I stood there waiting for the rest. When she didn't give me any, I started to try to count... and of course, wanting to do it fast, I wasn't able to at all. The lady simply told me that it was it, the count was right. I answered that I believed her and started to put the money away, but still tried to figure it out, and it must have showed, because she said "I don't want you to think I'm not giving you the right amount!" and proceeded to show me how 13.45$ plus what I had in my hand (pointing it! How humiliating) totaled 20$.
Want to know the worst part? It still didn't work! I still wasn't able to see it.
Maybe she wasn't explaining it right, maybe her way of counting "change" is weird, I don't know, but it didn't help a bit...
And even though I had put the money back in my purse and told her, for at least the 3rd time, that it was alright and I didn't doubt her or anything, I guess my trouble still showed, because she turned her calculator around so I could see it, and entered "20 - 13.45" so I could see that the total was exactly what she gave me.
Then, and only then, it made sense.
I don't remember exactly when, but she said something, probably that I could just count again if I wanted to, and I just had to answer "I can't count". Thing is, I could... Before I was ill. I can't count anymore.
I was able to hold myself together until I was in the car... then I cried a lot.
It's so hard. Those things are the hardest for me.
I mean, not that it's easy, but I can tolerate the pain, the wheelchair, the stamina issues. The hardest part about all that is having to cancel things and not seeing my friends.
But losing your capacities, watching yourself go stupid...
And it's so humiliating when it happens in public... Those people don't know it's because I'm ill.
I have degrees, I even have a bachelor's! And now I can't even count money!!!
If a clerk wants to rob me, go ahead... I won't be able to make sure I get the right amount in change!
The irony is I worked as a cashier for a year and a half and did that many days a week, give money back to clients!!!
Every day there are things I can't do anymore...
I cried again once I got home later, after I talked to Mama about it...
That whole thing ruined my day. It had been a while since I hadn't lived such a low in public because of my illness...
I mean, there are often things that bug me, that make me sad, that frustrate me.
I won't name them all.
But I usually just shrug them off and try not to let that ruin my day and just be happy to be out (I can't go out a lot).
But things like that are a lot harder to take. I guess, especially since it had been awhile.
Anyways... Tomorrow is another day and it will be one day closer to my dream trip...
Bon Jour!
I just wanted to wish you a wonderful vacation to Disney! You have some very incredible plans. If you feel tired one day don't be afraid to throw out those plans and just sit and enjoy all that is around you. There is something very magical about having quiet moments at Disney (especially the Magic Kingdom).
Annie Danielle - I just wanted to wish you safe and happy travels. I know you're going to enjoy the next few weeks. I am so excited for you. I will miss your planning updates. Looking forward to the trip report after.
Please take care of yourself and get all the rest you need while you're there. You will have plenty of time to see and do and you don't need to get sick.
Plus, it looks like you might get to go back soon and catch up on anything that you might miss on this trip.
Take lots of pics. Cherish the time you get to spend with Mama. Make those memories, girl!! Enjoy!
Before I leave, and thus, before this PTR comes to and end, I want to send a shout out to those who read me, stood by me, helped me, encouraged me and coped with my writing style... which is, sadly, the equivalent of no writing style at all these days, except very long posts!
So a million thanks to all you lurkers that never posted, and extra-magical thanks to:
Becca aka dreamer17555
OhMari
Susan aka Swwake
Sandra aka bluedolph1n
Michelle aka michellem118
Marjol... aka Marjol Mel aka lonegungal17
Heidi aka MRYPPNS
Catherine aka cmmc
When I started, I never would've thought I'd end up at more than 1500 views of this PTR , and more than 100 posts... including some from others than myself!
This has been the most wondeful experience, a very good way to help cope with the anxiety and frustrations of planning the trip, helping with the days that didn't want to pass... and some place to vent!
Thanks a lot to each and every one of you, it really means a lot!
Before I leave, and thus, before this PTR comes to and end, I want to send a shout out to those who read me, stood by me, helped me, encouraged me and coped with my writing style... which is, sadly, the equivalent of no writing style at all these days, except very long posts!
So a million thanks to all you lurkers that never posted, and extra-magical thanks to:
Becca aka dreamer17555
OhMari
Susan aka Swwake
Sandra aka bluedolph1n
Michelle aka michellem118
Marjol... aka Marjol Mel aka lonegungal17
Heidi aka MRYPPNS
Catherine aka cmmc
When I started, I never would've thought I'd end up at more than 1500 views of this PTR , and more than 100 posts... including some from others than myself!
This has been the most wondeful experience, a very good way to help cope with the anxiety and frustrations of planning the trip, helping with the days that didn't want to pass... and some place to vent!
Thanks a lot to each and every one of you, it really means a lot!
Have a great trip! Tell your mom, that as a mother looking back at my trips with my girls, I have too many fond memories to list. I hope she enjoys this special time with you. My memories are kept in scrapbooks as well as in my head. So don't forget to get a big Disney Scrapbook (I bet you can find one at the Main Street Emporium) and start putting your mementos and pictures in it while you are there. It can be like a visual journal for all time.
), do a lot of stuff on the computer, went to bed particularly late, without any afternoon naps but without getting up late in the morning either... (well not early-early, but without getting more than 8 hours of sleep, which is not enough in my situation). 
(I had electrolysis almost 10 years ago, but it seems it wasn't very efficient was it?!).
A khaki wool vest with a hood and long sleeves (and with a zipper! I hate buttons!). Best of all : it's super soft! The perfect summer vest.
You know, not a Tshirt, just a small top with very small sleeves, kind of a tee, but not really? It fits her nicely and will fit perfectly with the design. (what a relief!).
It would've been way easier! When I made the spreadsheet and we made the decision the first time, we had the right info. 
...but dad had to tell her "not to put it in the trash like this", because she didn't notice a thing and would've been fine with no gift at all and just the bouquet.
... Because it's an 866 number to reach the provider's network and then only 15cents a minute. 
It's self adhesive and it worked like a charm! The funniest thing is, it's Mama who saw it and called me over!
(no idea what that attraction was).
:
:
:
:
And it shouldn't be too hot either. 
Either we'll find a way to clip it to the lanyard with the other water bottles... but since it won't be insulated, I don't think it would be a good idea (unless we bring my dad's bottle, then we'd have a 3rd insulated bottle? 2 for water, one for my Gatorade)... Or better yet, I bring my small Gatorade bottle in my purse on the flight (should be OK, since as a "disabled person" I should have the right to bring on fluids that help me with my illness) and reuse it, refilling it. At the same time, maybe the bigger bottle would be best, because I may need more in the parks...
Maybe I won't finish it all this summer, because I'd like to go slowly and thoroughly, one box at a time. I don't want to rush things, and I know it will be draining emotionally. 
I love the holidays, and it always seem I'm the only one in my entourage (is that the right word? or is that word only for rappers? 
)
in less than 3 days... When I went out for some errands today, I almost did... there was a computer store just besides one place where I was going, so I decided I'd go and ask... It was closed!!! 
