Turkey Day Gang 2009

[ICEMANPAD]

Lisa

We are set for Sunday - Friday.. Will head out at about 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Let us know your schedule.

Wendy

Hi Wendy-

We will be heading to WDW after work/school on wed., so we probably won't be there until after dinnertime. If ya'all and any other turkeys are available for breakfast or lunch thursday or friday or would like to spend time at any of the parks, we would really like that!! The only things we have planned so far is dinner thursday and dinner fri w/ my sister and her family.

Lisa

 

[Tinkerbell 99 Mom]

Hi Wendy-

We will be heading to WDW after work/school on wed., so we probably won't be there until after dinnertime. If ya'all and any other turkeys are available for breakfast or lunch thursday or friday or would like to spend time at any of the parks, we would really like that!! The only things we have planned so far is dinner thursday and dinner fri w/ my sister and her family.

Lisa

Lisa:

Let's see what we can work out. It looks like we are in town until Friday. At this point we planned to not visit the parks after Wednesday. I will check on our schedule.

Thanks

Wendy

 

[alwayslisad]

Hello all ---

Did you miss me ? ? ?

Just got back from our HUGE vacation late last night. Glad to be home for sure - sometimes being away for three weeks is far too long!!

what is new in DISNEY CRUISE LAND????

 

[sherreis]

Welcome home! 3 weeks is a long time. Tell us about it.

 

[sherreis]

I was just playing with DCL website. There are no more category 12 cabins left for our cruise. I guess that means it's filling up. We're in a 12 cabin and there are 4 of us.

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

4 people in a Cat 12 automatically moves you up to a Cat 11. Cat 12s can only hold 3.

An yes, you have just been dusted with pixie dust you lucky person!

 

[alwayslisad]

Welcome home! 3 weeks is a long time. Tell us about it.

Good Morning - sure thing!

DH / DD and DDfriend and I departed from Manchester NH at 5am on 07/11 - We were all excited and giddy and SLAM came face to face with the nastiest woman that ever could work for Delta. She was HORRIBLE!!! She started off by yelling at me "YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG WRONG WRONG!" (this was while I was trying to use the kiosk - since I do not travel a lot - I was putting the wrong information in - I thought it was right !! ) She stormed over and grabbed the paper and did it herself. Sadly she only put down three pieces of luggage not 4 - so when we finished at the kiosk we went to put the bags up and she yelled "STILL DOING IT WRONG" by then I am ready to kill her - and said "NO Mam - you did it wrong because you did the luggage part - so YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG WRONG WRONG" my kids started to laugh which sent the witch into major $itch mode!!! ( this will be important later in the show.... ) so finally she takes the final piece of luggage and throws a tag on it and says "GATE D5" and off we go.... no more problems at aiport in NH.
Arrive in Vegas - oh my I forgot how hot.. Get the shuttle to the rent a car place and wait in line for our Yukon. The woman behind the desks states we do not have coverage in the state of NV for a rent a car and must take the special coverage - I show her my paperwork from my insurance agent that states we are covered - she states he is wrong and I am wrong -- HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! She and I read the information and interpret in a total opposite manner. I state to her " I AM COVERED - GIVE ME THE DAMN CAR" she finally states OK and hands me the information and I leave.... PHEW!! get to the car - there are so many bumps and bangs on it - it takes us an hour to document them all. So we went to the Hertz man and said - sheesh - he was like - Gosh dont worry - we only look for HUGE bangs - you are all set - enjoy your vacation.!! OFF WE GO!!!

We cruised the vegas strip and looked at Vegas in the daytime - which we know is so opposite of night vegas... ehehe ....we got our fill and off we went to St. George Utah for a week at the national parks. We arrive in St. George and am amazed at how BIG it is. We get our Condo and crash since we are soooooooo exhausted. Sunday and Monday we explored Snow Canyon, Cedar Breaks and Zion. All VERY VERY beautiful. Every day there were nasty storms and they kept having these warning alerts for flash floods - scary. We got to one park and it was closed due to flash floods and we got pics of the boulders that crashed through the roads. VERY SCARY!!
We did attempt to hike at Zion - but was too hot. We saw Roadrunners / coyotes / bobcats / deer on the first leg of the journey...

On Tuesday we drove to Bryce Canyon. So BEAUTIFUL!!!! we went to the very top and worked our way down to each overlook. Each stop was breathtaking!! We stayed right in the canyon at the Bryce Canyon Lodge - it was nice - but none of us slept - it was a small cabin and I think we were all over tired. The next morning we were to be at the ATV place at 9. We arrived and found that we were the only all day'ers going. YAHOO...or was it??? we found out that we were going to go out for about 8 hours.... WHAT?????????? ok - this has never been done by any of us - except DH who was like a little kid now!

cont...

 

[alwayslisad]

So we get our ATVs and the two kids get helmets - (THANK GOODNESS!!!) Off we go - over the rocks and up hills and OHH YEA DON'T stick your legs out if you feel you are going OVER on the ATV - lesson #1 - hmmmm - so when I felt like I was going over - what did I DO????? you guessed it - STUCK MY LEG out to brace myself - OUCHIE??????? won't do that again!! thankfully only bruised it... off we go again...over more mountains and rock beds and up hills.... ??? THIS IS FUN ???? I am afraid of heights and we are climbing higher and higher...we get to the top to have lunch and it is starting to get nasty - the weather alarm is going off for flash floods and our guide states - $hit we got to go now....and off we go - booking it - down the mountains and over the hills to outrun the storm. We tell the guide to get us home fast since it was not fun anymore and he says ok and brings us to a wide open field and says "OPEN THEM UP and try to keep up with me" so we do - my DD is first behind the guide - then her friend - then me and then DH - we have to keep a distance from each other so as not to get the dust in our eyes --- suddenly I see my DD's ATV take a turn and throw her from it - she is airborn and the ATV is heading toward her - she hits the ground and the ATV goes down the ditch...She is hysterical I am hysterical and we just want to go home now..... about a half hour later we are all composed to go back on the ATV's - we arrive at home base another hour later and say BEEN THERE DONE IT WON'T DO AGAIN! We check in to the motel and DD is saying her hands hurt - so I say lets go look at you - she is bruised bad - but basically ok - her hands look funny though - so I touch them and she screams - they are blood red and shiny - so I tell her to rest while I get out my med kit and read a little ( yep I carry a med kit with me always! ) and come up with the fact they are wind and sun burnt. Go back to her and the hands are now purple-ish... uhoh....so I start to treat them ( later when I went to the pharmacy - and showed the guy there - he said that I did an amazing job treating them and they would not scar!! ) We decide that Bryce Canyon is beautiful but only needs to be seen once - no need to come back here either....ehheheh - saw so many Deer and Antelope and other small animals - it was cool.. We go back to the condo that night. I get a message that my foster brother has passed away and to contact the family. Realize that we have a 3 hour time diff and no way I can get in touch w/ anyone at this late hour. So I called my office and left a message for one of my staff to find out what happened and call me. It appears that he was working on his car and the jacks slipped and crushed him. He was 36 and left two small sons. I was shocked (still kinda am now - since it has not hit yet ). We had to leave our condo to go to the houseboat ( our second installment of the vacation )

 

[alwayslisad]

My sister in law contacted me on the first day of the houseboat and asked if I could come home and I explained that I really could not but that I was with her in spirit. I felt that my vacation was important to me and my family since DH had been recently diagnosed with skin cancer and we needed time for us....I know it may come across as selfish but I wanted my family time.....

The houseboat was located at Lake Mead and BOY was it hot. Two of our friends were coming with us and thank goodness they did - DH and Dfriend#1 did most of the work on this houseboat - it is huge and hard to navigate. To be able to beach the houseboat - you have to find a safe cove and drive the houseboat up onto the beach. We rented a small tag along so we could explore and spend our days on the smaller boat. so Dfriend#1 and I take off to find a nice cove - we find one and he says "does it look good ?" I say "let me see" and jump off the front of the boat onto the cove. Well funny thing is it is NOT a beach it is quicksand like mud and I am now stuck in the mud -
4 feet down. Dfriend is hysterical crying and laughing and screaming - and I am too - thinking this is a horrible way to die.....the only thing above ground is my chest and my head - so I am like sinking - so I try to remain calm and being a very large woman every time I move I sink more.. I start to pull my body out of the mud and use my arms to crawl out - it works - but boy there is no way I am every paying for a mud bath - those rot!! ... I ended up with some serious boo boo's on my legs and arms - but that is ok... it is getting dark and we need to find shelter for the night - so we go to the marina for assistance - they tell us of a spot and we go there --- perfect!!! we pull in and see wild burrows all on the shore line --- we like it there --- we park the houseboat and settle in for the time. So for the next few days we take our small boat out and explore Lake Mead - from the Hoover dam to the Colorado River -- very very nice - but very very hot. On our last night we decide that we want to pull back into port and clean up and relax before heading to vegas. So we radio in that we want to come in for the night - great - no problems - off we go. While in port we see a group getting ready to board so we offer them all our left overs - plates / cups / unused pasta / beach toys....They take it all and all of us gals go into the main salon to watch movies - DH and Dfriend#1 stay up top deck to hang with the new friends. DH comes running into the salon and startles me - so I yell at him and we start a small fight - (UHOH) DH gets mad at me and goes to leave - he slams the door - but his thumb did not clear it - so he cursing and mad - I try to talk to him but he is a little mad -- finally he lets me look and I realize he needs a doc fast... so he and Dfriend#1 go in search of the ER... 10 stitches later and chipped bone - DH is home and I feel like a heal! SO he said the reason he was so excited was that the guys they were talking to own an indoor skydiving place in vegas and gave us all free passes...

 

[alwayslisad]

So I said ohhh ok - we can go look at it tomorrow when we get to vegas. The next morning we pack up and are out the door at 8 am. Off to vegas - ****oo's and all. would we houseboat again - NOOOOOOO - it is a lot of hard work - and I think it is more for those that LOVE camping... I do not!!....

Onto Vegas.. We are staying at Treasure Island. We arrive and the rooms are ready. We all go to our rooms and promptly fall asleep! eheheheh - when in vegas - you........SLEEP!! no no --- so a quick nap and we are all ready to cruise the strip - we start at Excalibur and walk around - grab the monorail and see more - Dfriend#1 and I are hobbling around behind the rest - and we realize we are hurting - so we say it is time for us to go back - so all decide that it is a good idea - that in the morning we will go to sky dive and then explore more. Off to bed we all go - DH wants to go gamble but he is sore and on major meds due to thumb so we all fall asleep.

Next morning we jump up eat breakfast and head to the sky diving place when it opens. We decide that DH cant do it due to thumb - I can't due to size and a previous dislocated shoulder - and Dfriend#2 does not have any wish to do it. So DD and DDfriend and Dfriend#1 decide they will. They are all a little nervous but excited. They go off for their lesson and the rest of us go to the observation deck. We are watching the other class do the sky diving and it is great - suddenly we see the instructor and a woman go up on a tandem ride and something went wrong - the woman slams down and starts screaming she can not move....that does it - I want my kids OUT OF THE jumpsuits NOW!!!! --- I go running to the class room area and tell them "GET OUT OF THE SUITS NOW! WE ARE NOT DOING IT" they are fine with it....about half hour passes before we can leave due to 911 and all the paramedics coming - when we left - the woman still could not feel anything below her neck!! I am praying she is ok - it did not look good. We all leave and decide we need some down time. DD and DDFriend want to have lunch and watch a movie - SOUNDS GOOD TO ME !!! -- DH wants to go gamble and friends want to go watch the Red Soxs game. We decide to meet up at 6 for dinner. I decide I am going to go print the boarding passes for the trip - the people at TI are wonderful and tell me that there are only 3 people listed on my reservation - no sign of DH - I explain the issue and they get a Delta rep on the phone who tells me that DH is not on the flight that the woman I first dealt with adjusted DH's part of the trip - so now he is not on the plane with us. I go ballistic on the delta rep I am on the phone with and explain that if DH is not sitting beside me on the plane I will take actions that are very unpleasant for delta. Finally the woman comes back on the phone and explains that all is fixed now. GOOD!!! she said that somehow DH was deleted from the roster - GRRRRRR....

I go for a nap after that one - hehhehe - needed some down time. Saturday night we go off to freemont street and try to catch the show at TI - the SIREN - that is why we were staying there - but due to high winds the show could not go on. So we decide oh well - no worries - we go off and do other things - saw the sites - had a blast - at 945pm Dh says lets go back I am tired - so we arrive to TI at 955 - he says lets go see if we can see the show - the security guard remembers us and lets us right up front - YAHOOOOOOO - suddenly the loud speaker comes on agian - due to high winds we may not be able to see the show - grrr---- but then TA DA the show goes on - we are front row and loving it!! great show and so worth it..... after the show was over - the two stars were offering pics - so my dd and ddfriend got pics with them - great time! girls were sooo happy....

 

[alwayslisad]

last part I promise -- sorry so long....

so we go back to our room and pack up - get ready for an early flight and back home to NH. We spend a few hours talking about how great of a time we had - the beauty of Bryce/ zion / st george / lake mead - and how lucky we are to have had the chance to experience it all. We laugh about how we all did not have the internet or tv or stuff for close to two weeks and we acutally LIVED --- hehe --- that playing cards and watching stars are far more fun than texting....heheh.... We decide that we would not do this again - unlike when we went to Sedona we said we would do that again - this one was a NO DO OVER ....ehhehe

We arrive at the airport two hours before the flight as stated by TSA - and get to our gate - only to find out that our flight is delayed - scary part is our connection is only a half hour after we are DUE to land. Well finally we are in the air and wayyyy late - we will have 10 minutes to get to our connection. The flight attendant states that if you do not have a connection please stay in your seats so that others can RUN to get to the connections. We run like crazy - I break a shoe in the process - and have to kinda hop to keep up - hhehehhe - get on the plane and settle in for the two hour flight - arrive in NH at 10 pm - get luggage - a quick bite to eat and home.....we arrived home at 12 am - and fell asleep - now we are unpacking and trying to get used to the time zone changes.... Tomorrow DH and I go back to work and I have put my DCL counter on my desktop and changed my wallpaper to the MAGIC!!! eheheh -

I think I am a cruiser at heart - I love to explore but I want to be pampered - this vacation was a lot of work - a lot of cooking - cleaning and stuff like that -

I am sorry I took so many posts to tell you all about it - and I will post the link to the pics once I download them all - so you can see the beauty of the places we saw.....

Ta ta for now.....

Lisa

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Lisa,

Thanks for sharing. Sorry for the challenges you encountered along the way and I hope everyone is recovering nicely.

DH has houseboated on Lake Powell and said it was awesome. I keep thinking we might try that some time...but not now!

Can't wait to see pix.

Karen

 

[alwayslisad]

DH has houseboated on Lake Powell and said it was awesome. I keep thinking we might try that some time...but not now!


ohhh please do not use my experience to alter the chance to houseboat - my idea of camping is NOT going - so to do this was camping to me - many many many people LOVE houseboating - I would rather cruise. Also the beauty of the stars and the fact that the nature that was seen was worth it -

for the cost of this trip - I could have taken three Disney Cruises - but we would not have had the family time we did on this trip.. The kids had no other option but to hang out with us - it was great - and I remember how much I love card games!!!

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Hmmmm....houseboat or 3 disney cruises....that's not a tough choice for me! Bet you can't guess which one I'd choose!

 

[pillow]

4 people in a Cat 12 automatically moves you up to a Cat 11. Cat 12s can only hold 3.

An yes, you have just been dusted with pixie dust you lucky person!

You know, I was told once by a Disney cruise reservationist that only a FEW of the cat 12's hold 4 people. Then on another call, a reservationist told me that it varies depending on how full the ship is. Apparently, they change the max# per room based on that. In other words, a room can hold 4, but Disney might cap it at 3 for that particular sailing. Anyone know anthing more about that??

Jodie

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

Didn't know that! I'd always been told that Cat 12s hold 3. Anyone else know anything?

 

[pillow]

Lisa, enjoyed reading your report - although I halfway expected you to report that you arrived home to find that your house had been destroyed by an earthquake or something - ha!!! Sounds like a very eventful trip!

My brother is either moving to Grand Junction, CO or Salt Lake City for work (anyone live in either place??), so we're planning to go out there next summer. I'm already planning my itinerary - have heard a lot about the houseboating. For those who don't have experience with boats, is it difficult to master? (Mental note to self - no jumping into sand without a safety rope).

Jodie

 

[alwayslisad]

Jodie - Houseboats are not hard to master - but honestly I am glad we had an extra man on the boat to assist DH - I mean the three of us could have helped but it would have been hard - please feel free to email me if you have any questions - pumkin2@metrocast.net and I will answer all your questions as best I can.

Lisa

 

[jollytammy]

Alwayslisad,
Enjoyed your trip report, and am sorry for your mishaps. The picture I have in my mind of you crawling out of the mud is forever priceless. I want to apologize for laughing, but you gotta admit, it sounds like a scene from one of the National Lampoon Vacation movies

Thanks for sharing

 

[alwayslisad]

Alwayslisad,
Enjoyed your trip report, and am sorry for your mishaps. The picture I have in my mind of you crawling out of the mud is forever priceless. I want to apologize for laughing, but you gotta admit, it sounds like a scene from one of the National Lampoon Vacation movies

Thanks for sharing

OH MY GOODNESS TOTALLY NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION!!!!

all the way!