The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 31

[Tammi67]

Hi Elin! It was fantastic, I posted a little bit about it & will get pictures up soon

I'm glad you both enjoyed it.

 

[Glynis]

I do have a question about Thanksgiving, do any of you have a recipe for an unusual side dish that you love? Something that you wouldn't necessarily see on the menu?

My dad always makes a red cabbage dish that is extremely yummy! He got the recipe from when he spent 3 years in Finland. If you want it, let me know. He'll be here this weekend and I can get him to write it down.

Other than that, I make stuffing muffins, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, and cranberry sauce. Not too imaginative, I know!

 

[Glynis]

Mom's Fried Corn

As much corn as you want (can be thawed frozen, or canned, drained well)
A full stick of butter or margarine
Salt & pepper to taste (I use no salt, and a little pepper)

Melt butter in an electric skillet on low. Add well-drained corn and stir well. Cover and cook on low until the corn starts to caramelize. Salt and pepper to taste just before serving. (I put this on in the morning and cook it for a few hours.)

YUMMO!!!!!

 

[PNO4TE]

Round trip on American is $232 total, taxes & fees included. That's for the first weekend in May, in case I want to go see Bernadette & Emma at WDW. (And maybe go to the pin event. ) SW still doesn't have fares out for May but it's not looking good! I hope they continue to have good DING fares or I won't be using that $99 credit!

I just got a "DING" that SW is booking through May now.

 

[Glynis]

Janet - I'm so glad that you and Gary had a good time in Vegas! It's quite the town, eh??? Alan and I love to stroll through the Venetian. We were there when it opened, as a dear friend of ours was hired as one of the gondoliers. What a treat that was!!! Did you get a chance to walk through the shops at Caesar's Palace? That's a ton of fun! Not to mention the fountains at the Bellagio!

 

[Tinkaroo]

SW schedule is up, through May 9.

I am not impressed with the fares.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I'll have to look at SW fares when I get home since the DINGs don't show here and the fares that do show are ridiculous! I read through the pin event info from the one they had in 2004 and I simply do NOT see how it is worth $150, especially not for all 3 of us. So if we go to WDW between Dec & Aug it won't be for the pin event!

Lindsay - I meant to post that KVIL was playing Christmas music yesterday.
The fares on NW are actually $159 by the time you add all the fees & so forth. I got those on an alert from Fare Compare this morning. I looked at some dates but since we are already ticketed for August I don't really have specific dates I am looking for. My life will be SOOO much simpler when we know what DH's 2008 schedule looks like. He is obviously going to try for a week off in August, but he still has another week in 2008 so who knows when that will be. The other thing I keep forgetting is that after the December trip I am out of vacation days until the end of June! I better not plan to take time off in May or it could very well be unpaid!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hmm. Would I rather fly non-stop on American for $696 (total for all 3 of us) or on flights that stop on SW for $1022? Decisions, decisions...
Of course with my credit SW would ONLY cost $923.

They better start DINGing!

 

[mommykds]

If you buy a tciket on SW & have to cancel is there a fee? I thought you get a credit good for a year but not sure??????

Oh & should I buy 1 way tickets in case of dings? Sorry, I don't fly sw much so I am not sure what to do. The flights opened up & I am in a tizzy

 

[Pooh67_68]

Do you think it will ever be as long as the Halloween and Christmas parties? We wanted to do it but they are only doing 3 days in Jan. and at the end of the month.

P&PP is highlighted from January to September, ending when MNSSHP starts.

 

[Steffy]

Ah yes, DDA, since it was a metal Lightning McQueen, the microwave is quite dead. I'm just happy the house didn't catch on fire. It smoked the counter top. All in less than 2 minutes!!

home Janet. So glad to see you had a good time in Vegas. I loved, loved, loved that trip!!!!

 

[Tinkaroo]

Hmm. Would I rather fly non-stop on American for $696 (total for all 3 of us) or on flights that stop on SW for $1022? Decisions, decisions...
Of course with my credit SW would ONLY cost $923.

They better start DINGing!

I am really floored. This is the 1st time, out of the gate, that I have ever seen American beating Southwest in airfare - by well over $150 on the flights I'd be looking at! I don't consider the AA fare all that great, but it's looking darn good in comparison to these!

What I don't understand is how there are only "business" or "business select" on several of the flights for my dates. How could cheaper fares be unavailable, when you just released your schedule?? It's not like they're sold out!

I certainly hope this new "business" angle from SW isn't going to contribute to their leaving their business model that has been working for decades to just become like every other legacy carrier. I am not a happy camper!

 

[Pooh67_68]

Welcome home Janet. Glad that you had a nice time and they you and Gary were able to reconnect.

 

[Tinkaroo]

If you buy a tciket on SW & have to cancel is there a fee? I thought you get a credit good for a year but not sure??????

Oh & should I buy 1 way tickets in case of dings? Sorry, I don't fly sw much so I am not sure what to do. The flights opened up & I am in a tizzy

There is no fee to cancel or change, Anne Marie. The credit you receive will be good for a year from the date of the initial ticket booking. (I've also been able to get them to extend that expiration in the past.)

It can be a personal preference, whether you buy 1-way or r/t. I used to say don't buy 1-way, back in the days when they flagged you to make you go through extra security. SW is pretty good about canceling part of your existing reservations - you just have to call them, and let them know which leg you want to cancel. Then you can rebook with the DING online, using your Ticketless Travel Funds. I've done this a lot, and I think Elizabeth just did this yesterday, too.

Good luck! I hope your flights are looking better than mine!

 

[mommykds]

There is no fee to cancel or change, Anne Marie. The credit you receive will be good for a year from the date of the initial ticket booking. (I've also been able to get them to extend that expiration in the past.)

It can be a personal preference, whether you buy 1-way or r/t. I used to say don't buy 1-way, back in the days when they flagged you to make you go through extra security. SW is pretty good about canceling part of your existing reservations - you just have to call them, and let them know which leg you want to cancel. Then you can rebook with the DING online, using your Ticketless Travel Funds. I've done this a lot, and I think Elizabeth just did this yesterday, too.

Good luck! I hope your flights are looking better than mine!

Thanks Lindsay! Heres the thing...I see $110 each way for the 5 of us (so$220 rt) but we would have to leave a day earlier to get that fare, pay for another nights hotel & either rent a car to go from the hotel to the port & back, or get a shuttle service. So the cost of flying is more than just the fare.

or we could drive 20 hours & the gas is free (dana's company allows 1 free driving trip a year) All we would have to pay for is a night stay & thats if we decide to stop (we have driven straight thru in the past) Anyway if we drive the kids miss 3 days of school & we get less Disneyworld time...
I am so confused & dana is in a meeting!!

 

[Pooh67_68]

Oh no, sounds like it will make its way through the house.

Thanks, Tammi. I am feeling much better. However, Alan has it now, and it's killing him! He insisted on going in to work, though, since it's the ratings season, so I'm hoping it doesn't turn into bronchitis.

Leslie also woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever and what we like to call "the barking seal" cough. So, she's home from school with me today. Hopefully, it's a fast moving thing, since we have company coming on Saturday!

We sure could use the DDA pixie dust and prayer cycle!

 

[tinknme]

We didn't make it to Caesar's, but we did see the fountains at Bellagio's!

Janet - I'm so glad that you and Gary had a good time in Vegas! It's quite the town, eh??? Alan and I love to stroll through the Venetian. We were there when it opened, as a dear friend of ours was hired as one of the gondoliers. What a treat that was!!! Did you get a chance to walk through the shops at Caesar's Palace? That's a ton of fun! Not to mention the fountains at the Bellagio!

 

[tinknme]

Stephanie sorry the microwave is fried, but thankful your home is still standing

Ah yes, DDA, since it was a metal Lightning McQueen, the microwave is quite dead. I'm just happy the house didn't catch on fire. It smoked the counter top. All in less than 2 minutes!!

home Janet. So glad to see you had a good time in Vegas. I loved, loved, loved that trip!!!!

 

[tinknme]

I have the pictures downloaded, now I just need to weed through them.

Gary's mom had all the boys clothes washed for me, so I do not have as much to wash as I thought

Mia must have missed me, she just wants to cuddle

Anne Marie good luck with the airfare!

 

[Tinkaroo]

Thanks Lindsay! Heres the thing...I see $110 each way for the 5 of us (so$220 rt) but we would have to leave a day earlier to get that fare, pay for another nights hotel & either rent a car to go from the hotel to the port & back, or get a shuttle service. So the cost of flying is more than just the fare.

or we could drive 20 hours & the gas is free (dana's company allows 1 free driving trip a year) All we would have to pay for is a night stay & thats if we decide to stop (we have driven straight thru in the past) Anyway if we drive the kids miss 3 days of school & we get less Disneyworld time...
I am so confused & dana is in a meeting!!

Understood - there are a lot of things to consider! (Particularly, it seems, with the cruises!)

If you drive, will you arriving at the port the day of, or the night prior? Just remember to factor in the potential cost of parking your car somewhere. If you have to park at the port, I think it's $12/day - it might be more, now. Some hotels let you park your car for free while on the cruise, and you just take a shuttle (which is a nominal fee - like $3/person 1-way) to the port and back. Or, I hear a cab, depending on where your hotel is, is about $10-12, before tip.

I feel your pain - I just went through all the above scenarios for our cruise. Would you believe it is cheaper for us to rent a car at MCO when we land, and keep it for the entire 2 weeks we're in the area (some of which it will just be sitting in a parking lot in Port Canaveral!), vs. doing a one-way rental, or DCL transfers, or a car service, etc. Go figure!