The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 18

[Glynis]

YAY!!! I got the digital frame for my parents all uploaded with pictures from all my siblings and myself! It works great, and looks fabulous! We were even able to get a goldtone frame plate to match my parents living room decor! They are going to LOVE it!!! I just sat and watched it switch from picture to picture for the longest time this morning! I also got it wrapped, packaged and Alan took it to the UPS place at his work. They have guaranteed delivery by Thursday afternoon! I'm so thrilled! It's getting harder and harder to come up with gift ideas for my parents, but this is something they will cherish!

Now on to other tasks, like laundry, dishes, sweeping and mopping, etc. Yuck! No fun!!!!!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Hi all!!!

I'm back-trying to catch up....I work on a trip report when I get photos uploaded.

Flying Fish seems to be very popular over on Restaurants right now. Citrico's menu intrigues me, so we might need to try that, too. And we might have to hit Wolfgang Puck's the night we go to Cirque. But it looks like Puck's Cafe takes DDP and NOT DDE. Puck's Dining Room takes nothing! I wonder if you can make ADRs for the Cafe?

We ate at Raglan Road at DTD in August and while they have a limited menu it was our best meal. The kid's meals were really great fish & chips and really, really nice chicken fingers.

I've never been to Flying Fish but have eaten at Citrico's. The food was good but the place was so loud and much more casual than I anticipated.

Just how unbearable is it to go to Disney in Aug? Does anyone remember when the free dining usually starts? I was thinking maybe taking the boys for a quick trip before school starts, I don't think I can wait till next Dec. lol But I am not sure I could handle the heat. It gets hot & humid here, but I try to stay inside when it gets bad.

I think it started on 8/13 this year. They also had value season pricing for the entire length of the package even though value season didn't start until 8/27.

I HATE the heat! But the two times I've been in August didn't seem too bad to me. I may have been lucky but it seemed worse in late May and one of the Octobers I went than the 2 late August trips.

Low crowds were great. I plan to go again in August this year.

 

[lovesdumbo]

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

Im going to DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My friend just called back and her dad looked around at the specials more and we are booked on a flight going to disney May 17!! I graduate college on the 11 and she graduates t he 13!! im soooo excited!

I'm so happy for you!!!!!

You're classroom assignment sounds great too. You'll do great and learn a lot too.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Good afternoon, DDA!

Elin & Tom - I imagine we will go ahead and put the tree up tonight. I went to Target myself and found 2 boxes of clear lights. DH can return his multi-colored ones. I forgot I am working tomorrow night, but I should get off a tiny bit early tonight so we'll see how much we can get done!

Glynis - Your gingerbread tradition sounds great! Good luck getting the house to stick together! I'm glad you got the digital frame all worked out!

Bernadette - Welcome home!

Vicki - I think an update by "DDA Update" is a great idea!

Janet - The only time I had a DJ was for my wedding. I am sure there are plenty in the yellow pages.

Anne Marie - I need to go get stocking stuffers. I was at Target this morning but I had DS and Brother with me. Brother has developed a fondness for a certain word that rhymes with "duck". I am not sure where he learned this word - I think from one of Momboss's friends. As we were going through Target Brother decided to SHOUT his new word over and over. And of course DS finds it hilarious, which encourages Brother to do it more. I finally got to the point where I hissed "STOP that right now!" He stopped. But it was not a good idea to prolong our time in Target.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hi all!!!

I'm back-trying to catch up....I work on a trip report when I get photos uploaded.
I HATE the heat! But the two times I've been in August didn't seem too bad to me. I may have been lucky but it seemed worse in late May and one of the Octobers I went than the 2 late August trips.

Low crowds were great. I plan to go again in August this year.

Did you do the bounce back deal so you get free dining in Aug. '07? When will you guys be there? We will be there Aug. 15-24 at WL.

 

[lovesdumbo]

One of my friends buried her first born son while I was at WDW and I haven't even made it over to her house to give her a hug. Seems he was a victim of a randon act of violence; a robbery gone wrong and he was shot in the head. They have arrested 4 people ... 2 men and 2 women. Unflipping believable....

 

[yellowfish78]

Hi DDA! I hope everyone is almost ready for the Holidays! Or WDW! Have a wonderful day - I'm just stopping by while mom's boarding passes are printing....

Thanks again for all the cards that are being sent!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Tom - DH grew up with dozens of cats and I don't think he ever saw one eat through wires like Aurora does. She is peculiar. We think she is part Maine Coon because she has some quirky traits that seem to be specific to that breed. Chewing wires is not one of those traits.

We adopted her from a shelter when she was maybe 6 weeks old. She wasn't heavy enough to be spayed when we first got her - she was teeny tiny. We had her spay and declaw done all in one procedure so she wouldn't have to be under anesthesia twice. That was probably a month or so after we got her. In the normal course of a day she isn't horrible - just when we have the tree out!

Out other cat is ancient. We got her from a shelter back in Spring of 1991, along with another kitty we had to have put to sleep in October of 2004. She was about 4 months when we got her, had her spayed and declawed in one procedure, and she is terrific. She is an Oriental short hair (all the traits of a Siamese but she is solid black). We got Aurora to keep her company because she was lonely, but they don't have much to do with each other.

When we go to WDW our pet sitter comes every other day. The cats are fine on their own for 48 hours at a time.

 

[Glynis]

I love getting mail! Thanks to Elizabeth, Tammi and Vicki for the wonderful cards. I love the SSP, Vicki! I just sat and cried for a minute. What a great thing!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Glynis - You are welcome! I hope I have some more cards today!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Did you do the bounce back deal so you get free dining in Aug. '07? When will you guys be there? We will be there Aug. 15-24 at WL.

Noone mentioned it to me at all while I was there and I was non stop go/go/go there so I didn't do it. I don't know what dates we'll be there so I didn't feel like I was ready to commit. I'm thinking 10 nights starting around 8/22 but I don't know where we'll stay. I'm thinking we should go with POR as that is the cheapest option for the 5 of us but would really prefer the YC or BC. I think my DH would really love a 1 BR at BCV. I loved the CR but I don't think I'd stay there again too soon. My favorite parks are Epcot and MK. It was great walking to MK but returning to CR from Epcot seemed to take an hour. Take monorail to TTC walk down the ramp and back up the ramp to catch the resort monorail, wait for that monorail and then take that monorail nearly all the way around to the 4th stop at CR. I really loved being able to walk to the Poly from TTC. I know I'd enjoy walking to Epcot from BC.

Concierge at CR was awesome! My DH would LOVE that!

We had a few technical problems on our trip and when you've only got 3 nights you just don't have time for those things. I was really disappointed that we didn't really do all that much. I was really annoyed with my friends over a few stupid things. I can't talk to DH about them because I know I'll get over it and I'm afraid he'd always hold it against them. I'm sure it doesn't help that I am exhausted and starting to feel the holiday stress. I think I am done traveling with friends unless it is an adult only trip.

I went to the mall today at lunch and got the only thing asked Santa for. I foolishly never asked him what he wanted. Someone at my office asked him when he came in last Wednesday and he said all he wanted was an Irish flag. When we saw Santa and Mrs. Claus at Epcot all he wanted was an Irish flag. So today at lunch I went to the Irish shop at the mall and got a 12" x 18" flag on a stick for $5.95. I looked at Epcot for one of those desk flags but they didn't have an Irish flag.

I still need to purchase my SIL's gift. I'm going to get her the same camera I just bought myself. I purchased mine the Sat before Thanksgiving on a "2 day only pre Thanksgiving sale" for $424.99. I picked it up at 11PM and at midnight the price dropped to $404.99. I checked yesterday and it was $359.99. I was going to buy it today and see if they wouldn't make some sort of adjustment but when I checked today it was $395.99. I'm sure the $359.99 was just a mistake. I should have purchased it yesterday.

I've got just a few CD's and DVD's to wrap for MIL, SIL, and DH. I did contribute to group gifts for both Joe's & Lizzy's teachers but I was thinking I should still do something else small for them. Joe bought gifts for Lizzy & Emma at Disney but he wants to get something for DH and I should probably take Lizzy & Emma shopping too.

I've got 3 more vacation days that I can either take before year end or carry forward to next year. I may take one this week or a few after Christmas.

 

[PrincessLeighsDaddy]

Thanks to everyone's comments about my kitty issue. I think we will go ahead and get her.

I just hope she doesn't end up being like this

.
My brother John told me that she was very loving and very affectionate, one of the tamest in its litter.
Now to just come up with a unique name for her.
Maybe I should get some ideas from all of you and let Leighanna pick out the name she likes best. If I let her pick out the name, I know it would be "Blackie". She tends to name things the color that they are. Thus, her brown BAB "Brownie", her orange stuffed kitty "Orangey", her white teddy bear "Whitey".
We are celebrating Christmas tomorrow with my family, so that is when we will get her. I will try to post a picture of her so that you can see her and submit your ideas for a name. I think a Disney related name would be neat!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Cool! When our dates get closer we will have to see if we can meet up. I do know Christmas day I am not planning on going to any parks. I want to use this day to check out decorations at other resorts & maybe go to DTD. I also want to ship a box down with some Christmas decorations for our room & some gifts for the boys. I have already started an itinerary lol

I wish!!

Looks like it will be Dec. 18-26 '07

On Sunday the room next to ours at the CR was having 4 HUGE (like 30"x36"x48") boxes delivered to their room. They must has had a tree, decorations, presents. The rooms are big at CR but I still don't know where they'd put all that.

 

[PrincessLeighsDaddy]

Well, I am off to pick up our family photos. I need to get them home, put in frames that we bought, and wrap them as gifts to my family. I also have to figure out something to make for our family dinner tomorrow. Maybe a dessert? I am sure I will figure something out. Talk to you all later!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I am totally done shopping for Christmas & wrapped! I got my very last gift yesterday for Dana.."Team of Rivals Abraham Lincoln" book. He's a real history buff & this got great reviews.

I'll have to check that out as DH is a real history buff too. I got him a few DVD's from the History Channel.

 

[kc10family]

I started to pack for our trip last night. I am up to my eyeballs in so many things this week and next. I am almost done with my autograph pages, I think I am going to try to make one or two (don't laugh, I know I am clueless). I need a Prince Phillip and a FairyGodmother along with the mice (suzy and ?????)

I hope PM (Ricky) gets to us soon so we can clebrate Christmas with a him, I would also like to take him to my in-laws if he gets here by Friday.

I have all but one or two gifts done. Saturday we are off to visit the in-laws for the day. Sunday my mom will come down to prep for Monday.

If I don't get back before Monday, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Poor Sister. I had no idea they didn't have their afternoon enrichment today, so I wasn't there to pick her up! The preschool director called me about 15 minutes after pick-up time and said there was no enrichment today. OOPS! We were able to get there in 15 minutes, so Sister was only there 30 minutes longer than her friends, but I feel bad. On the other hand, when I got home I checked both calendars AND the school calendar in the handbook and I couldn't find a single mention of "No enrichment" for today. I don't think my bosses will be angry with me because I don't think ANY of us knew that!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I'm loving all the Christmas cards this year! Mine all went out yesterday. I had a SSP that had to be completed before they could be mailed. I hope you all enjoy. I just got the two new addresses from Deb so those will go out Monday.

I loved the SSP!

I got those 2 new addresses the day I left for my trip. I still need to send those 2 Christmas cards.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Tom - Well, if we had it to do over again we would name her after a villain instead of a princess!

Bernadette - I am telling you, after that August trip with our friends DH and I will never do that again! And it HAS hurt the friendship. I almost wish we wouldn't have done that trip as a group. The memories we have are certainly NOT the memories I intended to make!

Paula - The other mouse is Perla. Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[Glynis]

Thanks to everyone's comments about my kitty issue. I think we will go ahead and get her.

I just hope she doesn't end up being like this

.
My brother John told me that she was very loving and very affectionate, one of the tamest in its litter.
Now to just come up with a unique name for her.
Maybe I should get some ideas from all of you and let Leighanna pick out the name she likes best. If I let her pick out the name, I know it would be "Blackie". She tends to name things the color that they are. Thus, her brown BAB "Brownie", her orange stuffed kitty "Orangey", her white teddy bear "Whitey".
We are celebrating Christmas tomorrow with my family, so that is when we will get her. I will try to post a picture of her so that you can see her and submit your ideas for a name. I think a Disney related name would be neat!

Well, just offhand, since the kitty's black, you could name her after Minnie Mouses's cat, and the cat in Pinocchio: Figaro.