The DDA Trouble Free Zone Part 8

[Steffy]

this is a drive by posting - I have to head to the festival!

I am scheduled for surgery on September 1 - I could have done it the week we got back from DC but decided it would be better to wait until the kids are in school - I will be on crutches and not able to drive for 2 weeks but he told me that I would be doing great at 4 weeks!! He also took an x-ray of both of my knees - and guess what...

both knees have the same problem and he thinks that odds are once my one knee is fixed - I will realize how much the other one bothers me as well - I have some arthritis starting in the knees so it is good that I am getting it taken care of now - and he said I will be shocked to find out how my knees should feel when I walk!!

and the x-ray tech is a Disney Fan too!! So of course, I directed her our way - I hope she stops in and says hi! Her name is Tammy!!!

Good news Kate! I'm so glad you can have surgery. You'll be like new in no time....

 

[my3princes]

Has anyone here done weight watchers recently? I keep trying to get back on a diet and excercise plan, but I am failing miserably. Atkins worked for me in the past, but I just can't stick to it anymore. The constant rain has stopped me from getting outside to exercise so I feel like a giant blob. I am toying with the idea of weight watchers. I am not a big veggie eater so I'm wondering if I will be able to stick to it? Anyone have any advice?

Deb

 

[my3princes]

Denise, you must be so frustrated that you haven't gotten the pathology report yet. I'm frustrated just waiting with you.

Kate. Good news that you can have surgery. I hope that it completely cures your pain.

Glynis. Love the trip report. Keep it coming.

Deb

 

[legalslave]

I've had a rather stressful day. When I got to work I took a peek at the newspaper as I always do. On the front page was the news that the man (dealer) that I bought I my mobile home from had crashed his SUV into a pole less than a mile from his home and was killed instantly. He was only 48, and had two young children (his daughter is just 5). I believe I mentioned the other night that after my husband died I was forced to declare bankruptcy. Well, when I fell in love with my present home, I missed out on getting a mortgage to purchase it by just a few points. I was so terribly disappointed. Scott said he had some other homes that were less money that he could show me, but I wanted this one. This wonderful man financed the home for me himself (personally, not through his dealership). I paid him back in full in 4 years, but I will never forget how wonderful he was. Without him and his generosity and faith in me I would not have my home today. Just to show how well liked and respected he was, it took over an hour just to get into the funeral parlor tonight. The line stretched half a block! Please add a prayer for Scott's family to your ever growing list.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

June - He has been added to my prayer list - what a wonderful man!

Deb - Karen has MD - she doesn't really ever say anything about it

I am headed to bed - I hope you all have a good night!

 

[Steffy]

You also get a double dip that way but both only go to the Bahamas.

Next year will be our 4th Disney cruise the week of Labor day and it is always great and the kids only miss 4 days. The prices are also better than June/July.

I used to cruise for my birthday (mid Sept.) but after cruising with 2 hurricanes (the ships do have the advantage of avoiding the hurricanes, but the water was still choppy and I couldn't para-sail) I decided to go in May/ June from then on. Loved my spring cruises MUCH better. Cost a little more, but it was worth it IMHO...

 

[itdjbw]

I've had a rather stressful day. When I got to work I took a peek at the newspaper as I always do. On the front page was the news that the man (dealer) that I bought I my mobile home from had crashed his SUV into a pole less than a mile from his home and was killed instantly. He was only 48, and had two young children (his daughter is just 5). I believe I mentioned the other night that after my husband died I was forced to declare bankruptcy. Well, when I fell in love with my present home, I missed out on getting a mortgage to purchase it by just a few points. I was so terribly disappointed. Scott said he had some other homes that were less money that he could show me, but I wanted this one. This wonderful man financed the home for me himself (personally, not through his dealership). I paid him back in full in 4 years, but I will never forget how wonderful he was. Without him and his generosity and faith in me I would not have my home today. Just to show how well liked and respected he was, it took over an hour just to get into the funeral parlor tonight. The line stretched half a block! Please add a prayer for Scott's family to your ever growing list.

Sorry to hear that, prayers for his family

 

[Steffy]

Well, I'm back from the doctor. All is well, but I get to start with the mammograms in January! Great fun!

Back to DL:

We left DL (after getting our hands stamped for re-entry, of course) and crossed the plaza to California Adventure. Since I was now firmly into the "dumping" syndrome my first stop was the bathroom. Everyone else went into the toy shop right there. I rejoined them soon, and we decided to hit Tower of Terror first. Peggy really wanted to do it, but was afraid that if she put it off, she'd talk herself out of it. I love this ride, and could go on it over and over and over. So, we headed to Hollywood Backlot. On our way, we noticed that Turtle Talk with Crush was starting, so we stopped there on our way. This was my first time seeing the show, as I had skipped it with the family last September. What a darling show! It was so cute. I thought of Denise the whole time we were there.

Once that was over we went directly to the TOT. There was a posted 15 minute wait, so we hopped in line. By the time we were in the lobby of the hotel, I was praying that I'd make it through the ride before "dumping" came on again. Well, it did, I'm happy to say! This was a great ride. We were in the front row, and it was quite a different experience from the back row where I'd always ridden before. Once off the ride, I made a beeline for the bathroom (this is where my knowledge of DL and DCA was paying off. I never had to ask directions). I was a bit held up because Cruella DeVille was right in front and there was a huge crowd around her. After my bathroom stop, I took another Immodium and felt much better!

I rejoined our group and we decided to hit Soarin' Over California. This was the longest line of our whole trip at 35 minutes. Still, we decided to wait, and were happy that we did. Even though it said 35 minutes, we were strapped into our glider under 20. This is such a fabulous ride! We all enjoyed it, and grabbed more fast passes on our way out. Bryce and Peggy really wanted to go on this one again. I didn't have to have my arm twisted, either.

Next up was Grizzly River Run. We were still a bit damp from Splash Mountain, so figured it would make sense to go on it now. It was a posted 10 minute wait, but it took a bit longer than that as there were many handicapped people that needed to be helped in and out. It didn't bother us at all, though as it was a pleasant day, and we were in a good place! We got into our "boat" and the other 4 passengers were students from a local school. They were so much fun! We had a blast joking around with them, and when we ran into them later in the day, they wanted to hang around with us. I guess they thought we were cool. It was such a fun ride, made even better by the fact that Peggy and I didn't get wet, but Alan and Bryce got drenched! Poetic justice!

On to Paradise Pier. We bypassed most of the rides here as the only one we were really interested in was the Maliboomer. Think Tower of Terror in reverse. Bryce and Peggy chickened out, but agreed to watch Alan and me. I love the rush this ride gives me! You hear the countdown music in your ears, so the anticipation can really build. It's so very cool! I could ride it again and again!

Next up was California Screamin'. Again a fabulous ride! The launch is spectacular. I had to hold my glasses on as I forgot to take them off, but it was still ok. Nobody but me wanted to do it again, though, and we realized that it was now 2:00 and we hadn't had lunch, yet. A stop was definitely in order. We walked to Paradise Pier and had a split lunch. Alan and Bryce went to the Mexican walk up counter and ordered steak nachos. They were incredibly good! The steak was so tender. Peggy and I went to the Pacific Wharf Cafe for soup in a bread bowl. Peggy had a turkey sandwich on sourdough bread, and I had vegetarian chili in a sourdough bread bowl. I didn't eat the bread, though, as I didn't feel my stomach could take it, but the chili was incredible! I love this place and have tried all the soups and chili's now! I would definitely go back again!

After lunch we strolled over to A Bug's Land and saw It's Tough to Be a Bug. We all agreed this is the best 3-D show here. It's so cute! We were sitting by a father holding a little girl who was probably about 18 months, and it was too intense for her. She kept trying to take her glasses off, but dad wouldn't let her. It was really annoying, and I wanted to just rip those glasses away from the baby. I think she would have enjoyed it better that way. Oh well, some parents just don't understand that a screaming child is not having any fun!

Next we went back for our last ride on Soarin'. It was cool again, and we all agreed it was the highlight of DCA. Having done all that we wanted to do, we decided to head back to DL for the late afternoon and evening. Alan and I just couldn't get over how much we had been able to accomplish by 4:30 in the afternoon.

Next installment will finish out our day at DL. Stay tuned.

Wow Glynis, I really want to go to DL with you!!! You are the guru of DL!!

 

[Steffy]

Well we saw Cars today, it was cute but for a three year old it got a little long. That being said we will be buying the DVD when it comes out.



Good night all.

Debbie

Thanks for the review Debbie!! We're going on Saturday....

 

[legalslave]

I used to cruise for my birthday (mid Sept.) but after cruising with 2 hurricanes (the ships do have the advantage of avoiding the hurricanes, but the water was still choppy and I couldn't para-sail) I decided to go in May/ June from then on. Loved my spring cruises MUCH better. Cost a little more, but it was worth it IMHO...

I've done a few in mid/late October. Had wonderful seas. I've also done a couple in March - I REALLY enjoyed those, because it was still pretty chlly here in New York and it was great to go somewhere warm. However, March did cost more. Don't you love parasailing? I did one cruise end of May, early June, but that was to Alaska. You don't need to worry about choppy water or hurricanes in the inside passage. That time frame was cheaper, and I didn't want to wait until later in the summer, because I wanted to be there while there was still snow on the mountains. It was a beautiful cruise, but now that I've done it, I don't think I'll do it again. It's a completely different experience than Caribbean cruising.

 

[itdjbw]

I used to cruise for my birthday (mid Sept.) but after cruising with 2 hurricanes (the ships do have the advantage of avoiding the hurricanes, but the water was still choppy and I couldn't para-sail) I decided to go in May/ June from then on. Loved my spring cruises MUCH better. Cost a little more, but it was worth it IMHO...

We enjoyed our May/June cruise and for me any cruise is great, one of the things I like is to have something to look forward to after summer and the kids are back else I find we go early and like now our cruise for summer is over and we have a week in Myrtle beach and that may be it for the kids this year as they are not going to Alaska and no Disney cruise in September for them.

 

[Glynis]

I'm determined to finish our day at Disneyland before heading off to bed, so here goes the final installment!

As we left DCA, the crowds getting into DL were HUGE. It was about time for the last parade, then Fantasmic, and the fireworks. We waited patiently to get back in and headed immediately to Indiana Jones to use the fast passes we had picked up earlier in the day. The line was pretty much non-existant so we went on the ride a couple of times back to back! I loved it both times! It's a great ride! Once done there, we stopped at Bengal Barbecue for a quick dinner. I ate one skewer of beef in the sweet sauce (so yummy!) but Alan opted for a turkey leg instead. I just don't like them, but he does. We split a skewer of bacon wrapped asparagus and it was yummy, too!

The rest of the group wanted to head back to Splash Mountain, but I was not really excited to get wet as the sun was going down. So, I left them in line, and went into the shop at Pooh Corner to do some shopping. I picked up a new golden ears antenna topper, a stuffed Pooh Bear for Mary, a 50th anniversary hoodie for me (I was really cold by this time), and a couple of pins. Alan came in and told me that the ride was down for a time. A child had wandered off while in line, so they closed it down to search for him. While waiting, we decided to go to Frontierland to do Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is a fun ride, and all through the ride, I just pictured my Jacob as he experienced it for the first time. The grin on that boy's face just about split his head in 2!!! What a great memory!

At this point we split up again. Alan and Bryce and Peggy went back to Splash Mountain, and I went into Fantasyland in search of Princess stuff for Leslie. Alan didn't want to let me go off on my own, as he was positive we'd never connect back up again. Silly boy! This is my happy place! I know my way around like the back of my hand. Finally I convinced him that I would be ok, and off I went. I found a darling stuffed Aurora doll to go with the Cinderella doll she got in September, and I knew she'd love it! I struck out on the other things I wanted, so I strolled around trying to take pictures. I know that I told you all that we were getting a new camera to take on the trip, but that was before my glasses broke. So, we were using our old camera, and it just wasn't working very well. So, I don't have many pictures from this trip. Sorry, guys. I'll post what I got, but it isn't much!

Anyway, I made it to our designated meeting spot and had to wait about 10 minutes for the rest of them to show up. Alan was looking very concerned until he saw me, and then he was relieved. We thought about watching Fantasmic! but couldn't find a good spot. It was a long shot, as we hadn't staked out a spot earlier, so we weren't too upset not to see it. It's just another reason to come back. I think next time we might splurge for the riverside seating. That would be fun! We decided to finish up our shopping on Main Street and watch the fireworks.

Katie had requested a stuffed Mickey, and we found her one of Mickey in his 50th anniversary clothes. I knew she'd love him. She's become a collector of Mickey's and this is one that will be a collector's item. Jacob was much harder! He requested something with Donald Duck on it. I figured that wouldn't be too hard. Well, guess again! They had one stuffed animal that was really not very cute at all! We decided to look for a hat. Jacob needs to wear them, to keep his head and face cool, so that would be a good thing for him. On to the hats! The only Donald hat we found had the saying, "Shut your bill!" on it, and I didn't think that I wanted my 6 year old saying that to people. So we continued looking. We looked through tons of hats, and finally found one that has Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and Chip and Dale on it. Embroidered by each character is the autograph. It was also on sale for 15 dollars. Not bad by Disney standards.

As we left the Emporium, the lights dimmed for the fireworks to start. I quickly bought some postcards at the newsstand, and we tried to find a place to watch the fireworks. We were able to see most everything from the top of the train station. It was not crowded up there at all, and we had a great view of Tinkerbell flying and most of the fireworks. The only things we couldn't see were the projections on the castle and Matterhorn. However, since we hadn't told Bryce and Peggy about them, they didn't miss them at all. Once the fireworks were over, we headed out of the park. It was a great day in my happy place, and only fueled my appetite for more trips!

I do want to say that I wore my Crocs with socks all day long, and my feet never hurt. Not one little bit. I couldn't believe how great they felt after being in the parks from 8:30 to 11:00. Alan says that the 90 pounds that I've lost might have somthing to do with it, too, but I'm telling you now that I'm never going without my Crocs again! I was also wearing a fanny pack. This was the first time I've been to DL without having to take a diaper bag, and I was relieved to see that the fanny pack did just fine. I saw tons of other people wearing fanny packs, too, so I didn't feel funny. I doubt I would have cared anyway!

In summary, it was great to go to Disneyland without my kids, but I spent most of the day thinking about how much fun it was with them. I can't wait to go back with them in the fall of 2007. I spent a ton of time planning out what we will be able to do by then. On the other hand, it was fun spending time with our friends, and doing grown up rides without having to do the Child Swap. That was a new experience.

Thanks for suffering through this! Hopefully it will make some of you want to go to a meet in DL soon! I'd love to show you around Walt's park!

 

[babytrees]

Well, I'm back from the doctor. All is well, but I get to start with the mammograms in January! Great fun!

Back to DL:

Next installment will finish out our day at DL. Stay tuned.

This sounds like so much fun!! I can't wait to go to Disneyland again.

 

[babytrees]

All depends on what jobs open up.
For my position.
I'm a Maintenance Techican with Equity.
Maybe you have heard of them.
They manage Apartment communities.
So will see.
Jo.

There are Equity communities all over the country right?

I think there are a couple near us.

Nice communities.

 

[Glynis]

I've had a rather stressful day. When I got to work I took a peek at the newspaper as I always do. On the front page was the news that the man (dealer) that I bought I my mobile home from had crashed his SUV into a pole less than a mile from his home and was killed instantly. He was only 48, and had two young children (his daughter is just 5). I believe I mentioned the other night that after my husband died I was forced to declare bankruptcy. Well, when I fell in love with my present home, I missed out on getting a mortgage to purchase it by just a few points. I was so terribly disappointed. Scott said he had some other homes that were less money that he could show me, but I wanted this one. This wonderful man financed the home for me himself (personally, not through his dealership). I paid him back in full in 4 years, but I will never forget how wonderful he was. Without him and his generosity and faith in me I would not have my home today. Just to show how well liked and respected he was, it took over an hour just to get into the funeral parlor tonight. The line stretched half a block! Please add a prayer for Scott's family to your ever growing list.

June, I'm so sorry to hear this. You must be so upset! He sounds like he was a wonderful man! I will definitely add his family to my list. Would you mind if I added you, too? This must be such a shock to you as well!

 

[Glynis]

Wow Glynis, I really want to go to DL with you!!! You are the guru of DL!!

I would love to take you!!! It would be so cool to go with people who "get it". Alan enjoys the fact that I love DL, but he doesn't quite get the whole deal, yet. I'm working on him, though. He did tell me when we got home that it was a great trip and he wants to do it again sometime. PROGRESS!

 

[Steffy]

Here's a brief synopsis of my last two days:

Yesterday at my doctor's appointment I found out I'm one cm. dialated! It looks like I'll be able to be induced a week early at this point, which means July 7th (guess I'll have to wait on seeing Pirates 2!).

Alyssa's "water babies" swim lessons start up on Monday, so my friend and I took all the kiddos to the community pool last night to re-introduce them to their surroundings. The water was pretty cold, but Alyssa didn't complain too much.

The weekend forecast doesn't look too great, so I made sure we spent some time outside today. We went back to the zoo for about three hours. I'll try to post some pictures later this weekend. I was disappointed that the new koala bears were sleeping again, but we got to see the polar bears at feeding time, so that was exciting. Alyssa also rode the carrousel three times...thank goodness we upgraded our zoo pass and got free rides this year!

We had another house showing tonight and our realtor also called to follow-up on some questions posed by the woman who walked through and took pictures on Wednesday night. Maybe one of these days, we'll actually hear an offer!

I think that's it. Our weekend is going to be busy with painting, moving non-furniture items, and keeping Alyssa happy. We're also having another open house on Sunday.

I hope you all have a great weekend!
Amy

Good luck Amy! Sell that house!!!

 

[babytrees]

Prayers are being said for Karen and the family of Scott.

Kate-

I hope the surgery goes well...sounds like a good time to do it!!Enough time to recuperate before DL.

 

[legalslave]

June, I'm so sorry to hear this. You must be so upset! He sounds like he was a wonderful man! I will definitely add his family to my list. Would you mind if I added you, too? This must be such a shock to you as well!

Not at all. I'm still finding it a hard to believe.

 

[Steffy]

I've had a rather stressful day. When I got to work I took a peek at the newspaper as I always do. On the front page was the news that the man (dealer) that I bought I my mobile home from had crashed his SUV into a pole less than a mile from his home and was killed instantly. He was only 48, and had two young children (his daughter is just 5). I believe I mentioned the other night that after my husband died I was forced to declare bankruptcy. Well, when I fell in love with my present home, I missed out on getting a mortgage to purchase it by just a few points. I was so terribly disappointed. Scott said he had some other homes that were less money that he could show me, but I wanted this one. This wonderful man financed the home for me himself (personally, not through his dealership). I paid him back in full in 4 years, but I will never forget how wonderful he was. Without him and his generosity and faith in me I would not have my home today. Just to show how well liked and respected he was, it took over an hour just to get into the funeral parlor tonight. The line stretched half a block! Please add a prayer for Scott's family to your ever growing list.

June

What a nice and honorable man. May he rest in peace....