"Now we're just haggling over price."
Indeed. Since we already established the precedent that you're not crazy to think about next year's vacation before you've even taken this year's vacation, let's take a little jaunt, folks.
A little jaunt into the land of the free dining bounceback. Which the TK clan will definitely be booking.
After consulting with key members of the crew (MOM
), TK and the larger clan have decided upon our destination. We know where we'd like to stay. Will I be telling you that here?
No.
I reserve the right to change my mind when I get more details about the bounceback offer, and I'm sure I'll be calling key members of the crew (MOM
) from Florida. Why so much consultation with Mom, folks? Well, simply put, she cares where we stay. Whereas the menfolk (DH, DS, FIL), not so much. Give them a bed, a good food court, some nice pools, and they're happy, savvy? Wither the women goest, so goest the men.
So after our deliberation, I was excited. Settled. Mom and I discussed dates, even. I had a new life raft, so to speak. Since this vacation is the life raft that's been getting me through my work week, I got to thinking. What happens when it's over? What happens when there's no more life raft?
Well, hopefully now, I'll have a new one.
There's just one teensy, tinsy problem. And it's the as yet unspeakable birthday, which is what next year's trip is celebrating. It's highly possible that my dad may even come down for a few days, which I'm very excited about. Dad doesn't do the frequent Disney trips that we do, so this is big doings. But, I am his baby, and I am having the as yet unspeakable birthday, so there you go. It's very exciting to me that I could have all this family together in one place. But I digress.
Back to the problem.
The dream if you will. The dream that woke me up this morning, smacked me in the head, and wouldn't let me go back to sleep.
The dream that said, "Pssst....TK.....remember the offer dates you read last night? You could be in Disney....on your birthday....with free dining."
:::sigh::::
:::sigh::::
The bounceback flier is part of August into October, much longer than I expected. And there's some sort of special offer from October 2-8. Now, if I can hook into that, and if they allow you to book during free dining and extend your stay past it, as in years past, I could easily be in the World on my birthday.
Hopefully at the Crystal Palace. Celebrating with Winnie the Pooh and friends, with confetti on the table, and characters clapping along to Happy Birthday. And possibly swooning into Jack Sparrow's arms afterwards, who can say?
But there's a proverbial wrench that pops that fantasy bubble faster than you can say bounceback.
And that's work. #!#@%!#$^ work. Yup, you heard me. And that's about as close as I can get to naughty words nowadays because three year olds repeat everything.
If I stay at my current job, I can't be in the World on my birthday. Won't happen, not even a possiblity. My direct supervisor takes off the same week every year. It's the week of her anniversary. And since her anniversary is two days before my birthday, it leaves me royally...well, you know.
So I have a quandary of the entirely fun sort. The sort of quandary that says, "Pssst...TK....quit."
Oh, how I wish, how I dream of that day. Either that or transferring to another branch so I could take this vacation when I really want to. :::sigh:::
Dang conscience. Since calling out sick four days in a row is pretty shabby, I'm at a loss here.
I have too many variables up in the air. Will DH be able to carry our health insurance? Will I find something else? Will I just stay home, and therefore be able to take a vacation whenever I want, DH's schedule permitting?
Is it possible to go earlier, still hook into October and be there close to but not on my birthday? Oh sure. But I dream folks. The impossible dream. The dream where everything works effortlessly.
So we've established my proposal as sound in principle, right? Now we're just haggling over what's morally and financially right.
deal for them that took months to approve, I'd really like DH to plant the idea in their head before November. Just a heads up since they seem reluctant to change.
on the continued job drama. I do hope that everything works out for the 2009 trip and you can spend your unspeakable birthday in the World--then maybe it wouldn't be so unspeakable anymore. 
It's not good for you or your fam. I don't know what would help--is there any way you could take a day just for yourself to decompress and do whatever makes TK happy? I've found that even if I have just one day where I don't worry about work or chores or anything that I "have" to get done, and even if I don't go anywhere really special, I feel much more refreshed and at peace. 
What LL says is smart. I know my insurance has an enrollment period during which I'd have to make any changes--unless the change is a result of a "life change" such as marriage or the birth of a child. Then I can change it whenever, but otherwise I have to wait till the new enrollment period.
, you know what I mean, but I also know that I just can't continue this way. And I just keep wondering how long it's going to take before my family actually listens to me.
