Who knew you had to plan for a trip to WDW! PTR and TR Combined: Completed

[If U Had Wings]

Okay, now I've got Stir it up Stuck in my head.

Thanks alot!

 

[Maddie2]

Hello! I've been MIA lately, but checking back in to see how the planning/prep is going. Any fun newsroom stories to share? I do miss it just a teeeeeny bit (not really THAT much).

Any luck on finding capris? I was at Kohl's today -- supposedly the biggest sale of the year type of thing (don't they advertise that about every other week?) Anyway, I came out with 4 pairs of capris! One @ 50% off and 3 pr from the CLEARANCE rack! Yessiree! $3.20, $3.20 & $2.80!!!! Wahooo!!! I also got a spring jacket and 2 shirts for me and a few clothes for my boys.

No WDW for us this year, but I am going to Las Vegas in 11 days! It was kind of a spur of the moment thing when I found a cheap airfare. I am going to see my niece (27 yrs old). I really can't believe that I am going -- and without my husband or kids! I can't remember the last time I flew alone. It will be good for all of us -- me/R&R, them/perhaps a new found appreciation for dear mom! Now, I just have to get everything planned out for the family while I'm gone -- and I'll need the vacation after I accomplish all that!

Hope all is well there -- how many days now? The candy bars sound fun!

 

[askelton]

It's the final countdown!

This reminds me of the show Arrested Development. Run out and watch it if you haven't seen it. Scott Baio plays Bob LaBla. So stinking funny.

But enough of work, now on to my Disney to Do List. First, let me say I'm a little myphed (sp) at Disney. I still haven't gotten the customized maps I ordered. It's been 6 weeks and I've pretty much come to the realization they're not coming. Granted, I may have made some mistake on my part, but I think I did it right. I'm going to try and reorder some and hope they come after our trip so I can put then in a scrapbook for DS.

I'd love to see photos when you get them.

I also printed out some candy bar wrappers from the DISigns page and made some Disney bars for DS and DGGM. I thought she would get a kick out of them.

Photos of these too, please.

 

[pajules]

Hello! I've been MIA lately, but checking back in to see how the planning/prep is going. Any fun newsroom stories to share? I do miss it just a teeeeeny bit (not really THAT much).

Newsroom stories....where do I begin. The past 2 days weren't so bad, but last Thursday and Friday were crazy and let's just say I was ready to beat someone.

To bring everyone up to date on my career. For the last 12 years I have worked in television news. All at one tv station. I started right after college with an entry level job as a production assistant...for you non-tv news people that is basically an editor. As a PA you edit stories for the newscast and run studio cameras during shows. I quickly moved up and over the years I have worked as a news producer, Special Projects Producer, and finally as the Assistant News Director. To put it in layman terms you are the 2nd in command in the newsroom. I work in a top 50 market and oversee a staff of about 50, including producers, reporters, anchors, photographers, and production assistants.

For the last year we were down a producer so in addition to doing my normal job as the AND I also produced the M-F 5pm news. As a producer your job is to pretty much write the entire newscast and decide which stories go where. After a year of this I had had enough and decided I wasn't going to renew my contract in November and in January I quit. I agreed to freelance produce if they needed someone and for the month of April I have been producing 2 days a week.

The issue I have is with the person they hired to replace me as the AND. He's a nice guy, but unlike me who was always willing to step in and help out, he justs sits in his office. Last Thursday and Friday the 6pm producer called off sick. So the other producer, who had only been there for a week and I had to do the 5pm, 5:30pm, and the 6pm. Needless to say the AND didn't even offer to come down and help. He even had the nerve to take an hour lunch break! This is pretty much unheard of....lunch for us is typically eaten at your desk while you work. Then to top it off we had breaking news and things were changing throughout the day.

News is in my blood, but it's the people who make me come back. I know sometimes I care too much and that's my downfall. I try to look out for others and sometimes forget about myself. I'm sure many of you can relate how it's hard when you've invested so much of your life into something and then to watch it fall apart

Of course the staff likes to rib me because I never go away for long. Yesterday was actually my third "last day."

This week was pretty easy, yesterday we had a homicide, a police involved shooting that killed a man, and an arrest in a 2 year long burglary spree...just another exciting day in Central PA.

 

[pajules]

I'd love to see photos when you get them.

Photos of these too, please.

sorry, I haven't quite figured out the photo thing yet. That's my goal for my TR when we get back. Then I promise to post lots of pix!

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

I can't believe you're leaving in only SIX days!!!

 

[pajules]

So let me just say that as I sit here typing this my left arm looks like I have a flesh eating bacteria and itches like crazy

Tuesday I was doing yard work and pulling out weeds, etc and getting the front yard looking all pretty . When I woke up Wednesday I had what looked like 4 mosquito bites on the inside of my elbow...well, let's just say they weren't mosquito bites. Thursday morning I had a severe case of poison oak all over my left arm. I haven't had posion anything since I was in junior high when I got it at summer camp. I went to the doctor yesterday because it wasn't just itching it actually burns and feels like my arm is on fire! He said based on the reaction I must be extremely allergic.

So now I am taking steriods to help clear everything up in time for the trip. It's starting to look a little better but still looks like I have some horrible skin disease. Of course the downside of the steriods are the side effects...bloating, puffy cheeks, weight gain, and according to the doctor, don't be surprised if you have really weird and scary dreams!

Lucky me...I just started losing all this weight and now I'm going to not only gain it back, but I also might have chipmunk cheeks and bags under my eyes from the nightmares I'll be having. Did I mention we leave for Disney in just 6 days.....UGGHHH why did this have to happen now!

As for my Disney to do list I'm still working on it. The capri shopping has not been fun. I did go to Kohl's but was very frustrated our local store did not have what I was looking for and I seem to be between sizes. I'm hoping to go shopping this afternoon for a little and will hopefully have better news to report.

 

[askelton]

Oh, I hope your arm gets better before you leave.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

All together now class..... Mom! Thanks for stopping in to say "hi." As of right now, I am counting down the days until we leave for WDW...only 20 more to go Glad you're enjoying reading, sometimes I tend to ramble and while everything hasn't always been Disney related it's a great outlet.

Thank you. I am off to read your writing.. because I am not going to categorize it as rambling.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

Oh, I hope your arm gets better before you leave.

If I could read I would be dangerous... I read that as AIM and kept looking back and back and back to see what she missed her aim at.... as a mother of two boys I could only come up with one thing that is missed and that is TOILET TALK!

 

[pajules]

I can't believe you're leaving in only SIX days!!!

It's 4 days now baby!!!!!!

Now I feel like a chicken with my head caught off as I try to tie up any loose ends...and I still haven't found capri's I like!!!!! UGHHHHH!

 

[pajules]

Don't worry this is nothing major, just a wrinkle and nothing that would ruin our trip.

Yesterday DS came home from one of his friends house and asks if he can sleep over.....FRIDAY NIGHT!


I told him I would have to check the calender to make sure we didn't have anything else planned which of course earned me a glare and a round of "please, please, please." Little does he knpw that "anything else planned is a flight to WDW for a week." I tried to change the subject but I know I can't keep dodging it for too long. Already this morning he was asking again because I know he wants to tell his friend at school.


If I say "no" to the sleepover he's going to be grumpy and mad at me for days and I really don't want to get him upset before the vacation.

He's been working on his behavior at school lately after getting in trouble a little too much for my taste. He's not a bad kid just likes to be the class clown sometimes and gets warnings from his teacher. For the last 2 weeks he's been doing great and having what we call "green days."



So now I'm thinking I might surprise him with the trip this afternoon after school. It's only 3 days out and I have a box of goodies I've already bought him. I thought I would swing by HD this morning and grab a couple more HDMH's and make a 3 day countdown on the fridge that he can remove each day.

I'm kinda bummed I won't make it to Friday, but it will certainly make it easier as I finish the packing and make sure I don't forget anything.

 

[PrincessV]

FWIW, my DS always does better with some advance knowledge of impending trips; maybe breaking the news a couple days early will allow your DS time to get excited and imagine all the fun he's about to have!

 

[If U Had Wings]

I think that 3 days is still close enough to be a great surprise.

 

[LISAMWDW]

I think so too! It'll be a great surprise if you tell him today!

 

[MomsOf2boys]

He is going to be so excited!!!!

 

[Tinkerbellarella]

Did you tell him?! Did you tell him?!

Geez, I'm so excited you'd think you were telling me that you were taking me to Disney World. LOL

 

[MomsOf2boys]

We are dying to know what he said...tell us please!!

 

[LISAMWDW]

Can't wait to hear if you told him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pajules]

I told him the big news this morning and his reaction was just as great as I had hoped!

He wasn't feeling well this morning and climbed into my bed to sleep for a little when I decided now was the time. I had put together a little shoe box filled with 2 Disney t-shirts, some pins, and 2 candy bars with Disney wrappers I made from the DISigns page. The box was wrapped in red paper and covered with Disney stickers. You would think he would have had a clue, but honestly he didn't get the connection.

When I brought out the box and told him I had a surprise for him, he first thought it was a new transformer....sorry buddy, but you'll have to wait for your birthday for that one. Then when he unwrapped it and saw the shoe box he thought I had gotten him new shoes


Finally he lifted the top and inside was a note I had made that said "Surprise, We're going to Walt Disney World." He looked at me and said, "this summer?" and I said, "No, Friday after school!" Well, the look on his face was priceless. He was shocked! I of course started to cry because it was so cute and he jumped up and down on the bed and then gave me a HUGE

He looked through the box and was so excited to see everything....it's funny it was the candy bar wrappers that impressed him the most...he was all, "how did you make these?"...just a little help from the DISign page.


So, after keeping this a secret for what seems like forever, the reaction I got was worth the wait.....I promise I will post pictures of the trip when we get back. I took some this morning, but used DS's camera and didn't realize his card doesn't fit in my card reader on the computer....


I'll try to post before we leave Friday...now it's off to get some last minute things....


Guess what......WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY IN 2 DAYS!!!!!1