The New Lizard Lounge

[lovesdumbo]

Hi All-
Wanted to give you an update on my Mom. She's still in ICU and while she is recovering well from the surgery she is now fighting pneumonia and they have had to put the breathing tube back in twice. They are thinking about doing a tracheotomy. She's been the hospital for over 5 weeks and she's getting understandably depressed. A nurse at the "bad" hospital was accused of strapping down a 93 year old patient and slapping him. At least she's in a good place now.

My MIL was admitted to the hospital Friday night with not quite pneumonia. She should be going home today and my SIL is here to take good care of her.

Tammi-I haven't been on the boards much so I hadn't read your post about the skating. I was channel surfing last night and saw a bit of the skating and actually thought of you (and your photo)! Didn't stay on the channel long enough to realize it may have been your DS.

Hope all those going soon have a great time!

Dreaming of those hammocks and 80 degree days.....

 

[Angel16]

Morning everyone! Steph- I found a few Cinderella slippers in the very back of the the frig.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day!

All of you leaving soon and/or for the LL meet. I am wishing you the best trip you have ever had. May there be tons of pixie dust, magic and joy in the air.
Tell everyone hi from me. Sure wish I could be there!

Lovesdumbo- Thank you for the update on your mom. You and your mom are in my prayers

Angel

 

[TammiMcMan]

LovesDumbo, I'm wishing good thoughts for both your mom and mom-in-law. Hopefully they'll both be home recovering very soon. There's something about sleeping in your own bed that can make you feel so much better.

You must have caught CN8 on the TV and yes you could clearly see both my children. Youngest DD is in the Red Sox/Patriots number. They had a great close up of her. Her shirt number is 11 if you happen to catch it next Saturday or the week after. DS is in the Sailors number and if I remember correctly, he was the first one shown (long, curly brown hair). They were both pretty excited to see themselves on TV. My DH was very happy that they edited out the adult number that he was in. I think Saturdays broadcast is going to be a little bit longer, so maybe they'll have more of the show on. It was a lot of work, but we all had a great time.

Tammi

 

[VAgal76]

Oops - double posted...

 

[VAgal76]

Just popping into to say hello.

Lovesdumbo - Sorry to hear about your DM & DMIL. I'll keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.

I haven't been able to go back to read what's going on with everyone, but I've been thinking about you guys. Just wanted to send warm wishes and 's to you all.

Tammi - That must've been cool to see your kids on TV. DH was a little disappointed not seeing himself? Sounds like he has another chance at stardom, too.

Seaspray - Regretfully I wasn't blessed with the creativity gene so I'm hoping some of these other folks can give some good suggestions on gifts.

 

[Goofy's Muse]

Joining Angel16 for some Mother's Day leftovers! The fridge had some Mickey bars tucked away! We did a long road trip this weekend to the Reading PA area for a family gathering. Sometimes Mother's Day is just a travelin' kind of day!

SeaSpray... Wish I had a few ideas for teenaged sons. My thoughts are veering toward the more expensive outing-type things... Segway tour, watermice rental, etc. Perhaps the music connection would be a key. Anyone know if Jellyrolls on the boardwalk or some place on Pleasure Island is young adult oriented? I have noted that pin collecting appeals to all ages... so many to choose from... are they collector types? BTW... I love your tags 'cause I too am a Jersey shore girl at heart!

lovesdumbo... Sending you some extra PD & P along with a

 

[steveanddonna]

lovesdumbo, our prayers are with your family. Sending all the positive energy I can gather for the road ahead of your DM & MIL.

DH's aunt collapsed at Mass yesterday and her daughter wasn't answering her cell, so our Mothers Day was spent mostly in the ER. Ironically, it wasn't really any less fun than going to the in-laws for dinner!

Had to change our late June trip to early August because of family commitments. We enjoyed the first week of Aug. last year; we'll just keep our fingers crossed for a sloooow hurrican season.

Leaving out some teriyaki beef & chicken skewers and plenty of fresh veggies. Enjoy!

 

[ead79]

lovesdumbo, my prayers continue to be with your mother and your whole family.

 

[sfbank]

lovesdumbo-my prayers are with you as well. I hope everything turns out ok. My grandmother who is 92 came down with pneumonia in February. She came out of it fine but it is scary. DH's dad has also been in the hospital again with pneumonia and lung problems. The doctors first thought the spot on his lung was cancer, then it shrunk so they were thinking absess, now it has grown back but because of him being sick they have not been able to do the biopsy, so it is a waiting game with him too. Not fun. Anyhow, got our Christmas Party tickets so we are one step closer. Big "hi" to all!!

 

[#1hockeymom]

Lovesdumbo>> COntinued prayers for your entire family. You need a hug!((((HUGS)))))) as do all the other lizards with family in the hospitals! SFbank and Donna, prayers and PD to you and yours, also! ((((hugs))))

Congrats on your children being movie stars, Tammi! That is very cool! My classroom was on the news last Friday and it was totally the highlight of my year! It was only ten seconds, but it was MY class and a great moment for our community!

I am double booked... SHHHHH ok... technically my mother and son are at AKL, and I am at POP, both on the AP rate, so we're all legal on the AP rates since DS and I both have one. I will figure out how to split up the trip later, when I have time to think!

I hope this week goes better for the hospital stays,
Debbie

 

[SeaSpray]

Thanks, Goofy'sMuse

Older DS will definitely do the water mouse. DH and I are doing the Segway tour without DSs because DS14 is too young to do it, so we don't think it'd be fair to let DS17 do it, and not him.


Both DSs got into pin collecting when we were there in 2001 but I don't think either one is interested anymore. And that's a good thing, considering how much we spent on the pins last time.

Thanks for the ideas

 

[GoofyJoofy]

Hey Terry, I noticed on your family vacations site that you visited Niagara Falls. The Goofy's are thinking of doing that this summer.

As for surprises for teen boys, hmmmm.....
How about a trip to the ESPN club by the BWI? Especially if their team is playing, they get to watch on the big screens.

Not sure how expensive it is (or age limits), but I have a friend who thoroughly enjoyed the Richard Petty Driving experience.

There is also a fishing excursion that you can book.

Or try to take a boat ride on the "oh I forgot the name of that boat at the Yacht Club", but it is a replica of 1930's Chris Craft boat.

You already mentioned the Sea Raycer.

And at Downtown Disney there is the Virgin Megastore for music and movies.
Hey you could even have concierge make a special purchase of music or movies to have in the room waiting for the boys.

Well that's all I got.

Have a great vacation.
I'll have to read your award winning review of the Disney cruise, as I keep teasing DW that we should do the cruise for our 25th!

 

[steveanddonna]

Or try to take a boat ride on the "oh I forgot the name of that boat at the Yacht Club", but it is a replica of 1930's Chris Craft boat.

That gorgeous craft is the Breathless which I will get to experience for the first time next week for an Illuminations cruise.

SeaSpray, not sure if they still have them, but last year we picked up small resin figures from PotC gift shop - they were skeleton/pirates playing various musical instruments. They were fairly inexpensive and the musically-inclined, marching-band-member pre-teen and teen sons of our friend thought they were "totally awesome." Can't remember what all instruments they had, but there were several.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Seaspray, I was giving your question a lot of thought and unfortunately, the older they get, the more expensive the gifts seem to become. I know my 8 year old was thrilled with the pins, hat, even Pal Mickey that we bought her as a surprise. She had a bunch of gifts compared to her older sister, who we ended up getting one of the Epcot dive tours. I think we still ended up spending more on the tour.

One tour that I did think of was the new safari tour that's open for concierge guests. Would this be something that they could do together, without mom & dad? Also, I had great luck in purchasing some Disney items (favorite characters, etc) from home and then shipping them down to the concierge department. They set up everything really nicely in the room ahead of time. My other thought was cell phones. We let our 19 year old and 15 year old go off park hopping together, but we kept in touch via DD's cell phone. Not sure if they already have them, but I recently purchased a pre-paid Tracfone for my DS15 for $38 plus the phone card. He tends to misplace a lot of things and so he's not yet a candidate for our family plan, but I like that we can still keep in touch. For $38, I don't care if he loses the pre-paid phone. Definitely less hassle than replacing a lost Cingular phone. Anyway, you could let them have some freedom, but still be in touch. At their age, it might be cool to have lunch with a Disney Imagineer. Definitely ask your pre-planner for some suggestions. They may have access to some newer events.

Tammi

 

[SeaSpray]

Wow, thanks everyone, for giving my question so much thought!

We just got both DSs cell phones about 2 months ago, so we do plan on letting them go explore the parks, and go to DisneyQuest, on their own, as long as they stay together. I know they're looking forward to being able to choose their own activities, but we still will spend time together each day in the parks, and have lunch and/or dinner together.

I am considering that new Animal Kingdom concierge-only tour thats open to concierge guests of all of the resorts. I have to find more info about it. I think it'd be something fun for all of us to do together on the day we go to AK.

Those POTC figures sound great! I wonder if concierge would be able to get those to be in our room. I got an email back from someone in concierge and they said they could get drum sticks and guitar picks from RockNRollerCoaster, if I want them to. DS17 already has drum sticks from there, but maybe they have a different style now (the pair he has is from 2001), and I know DS14 would like the picks.

None of us have ever been to ESPN yet. I did tell the boys that they or we should check it out during this trip. We're encouraging them to visit any and all areas of Disney World, even when they are on their own. If they're going to DisneyQuest for a part of each day, I told them they don't have to limit themselves to dining only at the Downtown Disney area restaurants.

GoofyJoofy: We LOVED the Disney cruise, and are booked again for August 2006. We've booked a separate cabin for the boys though, so we'll all have more room next time. My review on Cruise Critic won a t-shirt for me in their "Review of the Month" contest (I didn't enter it, they just saw my review and chose me as the winner )

 

[Angel16]

Good evening lizards!


Angel16 - Please tell me all about Napa Valley Camus wine! California wine country is on my vacation to-do list!

Good Morning Everyone I have been so busy with company visiting, work, new puppy and DH, that I think I will just sit down in that nice lounge chair and put my feet up with a cup of cappuccino and visit.

Minnesota- Wow you touched on one of my favorite subjects. GREAT WINE Caymus Winery is one of the premiere wineries in Napa Valley. They produce some of the very best red wine in the world. IMHO They also produce some very good white wines. They are a small private winery that does give tasting, however it is by reservation only. They usually only do a small group of people at a time. Usually only 8-10 in each group, it is a sit-down tasting with great history of the wine and grape used in the selected wine. In our collection we are currently working on a lateral selection of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon starting in 1994.

Here is little write up I found:

Caymus Vineyard Winery
California Wine, Napa Valley

Caymus Vineyard 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

History: Founded in 1972 by Charles F. (Charlie) Wagner, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner and their son Charles J. (Chuck) Wagner on the family's Rutherford property. The Wagner family produced their first Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1972 vintage. Their first Special Selection Cabernet-from selected lots given extended barrel aging-was made from the 1975 vintage.

The Wagners took the name Caymus from the Mexican land grant known as Rancho Caymus, given to George Yount in 1836, which included what eventually became the town of Rutherford and much of the surrounding area. (Caymus was also the name of a subgroup of Mishewal-Wappo Indians whose village was north of what is now the town of Yountville.)

Vineyards: The winery's 60-plus acres of estate Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley's Rutherford District continue to form the foundation of Caymus Cabernets. Caymus also purchases grapes from carefully selected Napa Valley growers who have had a long-term association with the winery.

Caymus Winery 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The 2002 Caymus vineyard Cabernet is dense, with a saturated dark ruby color. Dominant aromas of ripe black currants, black cherries and sweet berries, with subtler suggestions of brown spices, bittersweet cocoa and earth. In the mouth, bursting flavors of berry fruits/plums at their lush, high-summer ripeness, toasted spice and chocolate. Fine, fully mature tannins give the wine a satisfying grip--a textural element I love. The finish is long, rich and fruit-filled yet surprisingly supple for Cabernet at this level of extraction. (Winemaker)

Caymus Vineyard 2001 Special Selection
This Caymus Winery 2001 Special Selection features a supersaturated deep ruby color. Aromas of ripe, vanilla-tinged black currants and black cherries, roasted coffee beans and exotic spice. In the mouth, a solid core of sweet, dense liquid cassis flavor flows seamlessly from first taste to a long, expansive finish, underscored but never dominated by notes of mocha, spices, vanilla, earth and olives. The wine is dense, with a solid grip, but the tannins remain supple. Sweet oak becomes more apparent on the finish but is always subservient to the lavish fruit. (Winemaker)

Caymus Winery 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting notes for the Caymus Vineyard 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon:

Color: Deep ruby
Aroma: Expansive aromas of black currant (cassis), blackberry and slightly briary boysenberries; an overall impression of richly ripe fruit. Secondary notes of cedar from the very well integrated oak.
Flavor/Texture: The taste follows directly from the aromas, with remarkable consistency. Pure, clear flavors of black currant and blackberry seem to fan out across the palate, underlined by subtler notes of anise, toasted spice and roasted coffee beans. The softer, rounded blueberry flavors of Merlot seem more intense at mid-palate. However, the overall flavor spectrum is essentially seamless. The texture is substantial and full, and the finish is long and sweet. (Winemaker)

Napa is a wonderful relaxing vacation spot. My DH and myself prefer to go there in September/October. It is during harvest time and the scents are just too wonderful to describe. The crowds are much lower as most have completed their summer vacations. However, the weekends can be crowded. There are many wineries to visit and much to sample. We usually pack a picnic and just enjoy the day. If I can be of any further help let me know. We are about due for a trip. It has been three years since our last. We are due soon!


Sending everyone who is off to WDW for vacation my best wishes.
I am looking forward to all your news and stories when you get back. Please share trip reports. Many of us are taking this trip vicariously with you.

Lovesdumbo- You are in my thoughts and prayers for your DM and DMIL I hope they are both doing better and getting stronger each and every day.

Angel

 

[VAgal76]

Good morning, lizards! I hope everyone is doing well today. Sending PD & Prayers to all those in need.

Ok, not too many more days and I'll finally be able to stay at BWI CL!

I have never seen Illuminations so next week will be my first time as well. I held off since we would be taking my MIL on our next trip together so I thought we'd share something new together. A cruise aboard the Breathless kind of twisted my arm to go for it so I'll be with friends and my mom instead!

Anyone else getting real close to going? I know Ead79, Kerry and Donna are venturing off next week as well. I'd love to hear what you guys have in store.

 

[Tess]

I suppose "soon" is a relative term--it seems to be fast-approaching from my viewpoint! Less than a month to go and May is soooo busy with school stuff that I know it's going to sneak up and bite me on the backside! What the heck--we've done it so many times, getting ready is a cakewalk! Our only dilemma is whether or not to use ME--after many horror stories, we're leaning toward sticking with a limo service. I guess we better decide soon!

Good to see y'all! Happy Friday the 13th everybody!

 

[minniesota]

Me too!

DD13 and I arrive at the GF on Friday, May 20 - can't wait. Our plans include acting like princesses, park time (MK and MGM mostly though I will get my way and spend some time at Epcot, too), wonderful mom and daughter lunches, dinners and bedtime talks, some spa pampering and we must find cheesecake for DD - her very favorite food! Can't wait! We love the GF!

 

[MinnieSummer]

Okay all of you -- I'm new here and have a question. After reading through all 62 pages I couldn't get an actual feel for -- If you had to choose one resort CL to stay for Christmas, wanted great decorations room for a 4 1/2 foot tree, a day bed and decent food in the lounge where would you stay. Keep in mind that there will be 2 adults and one 6 year old princess.

By the way -- this is GREAT resource.