Im back. But not in black. Or with a vengeance.
Im back. With an itinerary.
Which will likely change. No less than 7 times.
When we last left our beautiful, charming, harried heroine, we had just met our beautiful, charming, harried heroine. Who has since taken to speaking of herself in third person.
Luckily, booking a trip only (only?!) six months in advance meant that I didnt have to wait at all for Disney to release their park hours for September 2008. Which they too will undoubtedly change no less than 7 times before our arrival. However, using that and the speculated Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party (
MNSSHP) dates, I was able to slap together the first draft of the itinerary pretty early on. Before the trip was officially booked, even.
The itinerary is now in its 4th version. Which is the same as its first final draft version. Keep a count for me, will you? And of course its in Excel. As are our trip budget, confirmation numbers and packing lists.
Why yes, Im an Excel nerd also, thankyouverymuch.
Our trip dates, since I dont think Ive mentioned it yet are:
9/20/08-9/28/08
And so, as of 5 months, 3 weeks and 6 days out, the plan for the first few days is as follows:
9/20/08
Departure day from home! Arrival day in FL! Yay!!! This is almost always the best day. Even the stress of traveling is fun. Note the quotes. Because Im the type of person who can be dressed in 100% cotton, 100% rubber flip flops, my contacts, hair down, no make up and no jewelry and I still manage to set off the metal detector at the airport. Then I have to go off to have a meaningful relationship without the courtesy of dinner first with the surly looking TSA guard-lady.
The plan is to (hopefully) fly Southwest out of T.F. Green in Providence (technically Warwick), RI. Southwest hasnt released their availability yet through our trip dates so Jet Blue out of Logan in Boston, MA is the alternative.
I love Southwest. Ding!
I love T.F. Green - it's smallish and cozy-like. Easy.
I like Jet Blue. They have TV. I'm not sure why SW hasn't caught onto this.
I dont like Logan.
Flying out of Logan in the early a.m. is akin to leaving the Magic Kingdom on the heels of the first showing of Wishes on a Saturday night during school vacation. Insanity. And thats without the consideration of Boston-area traffic and certain newly-built tunnels collapsing in concrete slabs on ones head. Ahem.
I heart Boston and the Big Dig.
So again, hopefully flying out of Prov and into Tampa.
Now, before your panties get all bunchy, I realize that:
a.) Disney didnt up and move Northwest-ish (if my geography-challenged, too-lazy-to-check self is correct)
b.) Disney has no plans on moving prior to September
c.) one cannot walk from Tampa to Orlando
d.) the Pats have traded Asante Samuel to the Iggles and my brand-spankin-new #22 Samuel jersey is now a piece of history
Melissas sister and family live in Tampa and they dont get to see each other often, so were spending our arrival day and a couple of days at the end of our trip with them.
We may do something fun in the Tampa-area, like Busch Gardens, or we might just veg out at Missys sisters incredible home. Were spending the night there also.
9/21/08
Today were going to head down to Orlando, hopefully accompanied by Missys sister and family, to spend the day at Sea World. I love me some aquatic life and Missy hasnt been in ages. We wont necessarily be in a rush to be there first thing, which will drive my commando side crazy, but were going to take our time. Once were done for the day, Missys sister is going to drop us off to check into the Lodge, where hopefully my DTL will be holding and well have our lakeview dreams fulfilled. Or crushed. Whichever. Is that a puddle, I see? A Disney puddle? In the courtyard? YAYYYYYY!
Once in, depending on the time, well probably use our (hopefully by then FREE) first Counter Service credits at either Roaring Fork or down at the Earl of Sandwich in DTD. All depending on how tired/psyched up/adventurous/insane were feeling.
9/22/08
Today is MGM day. Who knows, maybe by then Ill be calling it Disney Hollywood Studios. Or even know who Ill be voting for in the upcoming Presidential election. Maybe Britney will know how to behave like an adult and wear panties consistently. Maybe 49 other states will catch on to the whole Green thing and take away California's (and Governor Scwarzeneggers) crowning glory. For now Ill compromise and just call it the Studios.
We wont rush to be there at rope-drop. But well shoot for 10ish after a quick breakfast in the room. (My inner commando is officially asking for a straight jacket and nice padded room.) Were spending the whole day and having lunch at a CS place. Dinner is "reserved" at 50s Prime Time. For two reasons:
1. Were fun + (hopefully) a fun server = lots of laughs and good pics
2. SMores dessert.
Melissa and I have a history of smores. If by history you mean that once we were supposed to go camping with some friends but we had to back out at the last minute and so we went camping in my living room with the BF and actually made a tent with a tarp, made smores in the micro and had a flashlights only rule after sundown.
Its evening EMH so well probably take our time and stick around for the second showing of Fantasmic! After that well probably head back to the hotel. For Tuesday is to be the BIG day.
9/23/08
::singing and doing this:
::
Its Magic Kingdom day.
Its Magic Kingdom day.
AND, to boot, today is one of the skepticized (I made it up, dont bother consulting your Merriam-Webster) MNSSHP days. So its going to be a long one.
Again, were not rushing to be at park opening. Instead, shooting for 10-ish again. Well do lunch at the park (breakfast in the room) at a CS. At some point I need to hit up Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip. Since Ive never had one and all. Yes, yes, the outraged masses of Dole Whip fans are readying their stones. Remember glass houses people!
In order to escape the insanity of what the MK can be to people without children, we have an ADR over at Epicot at Le Cellier. Well monorail it (which Im voting to be added to the English language as a verb) and enjoy too much cheese soup and pretzel bread and a large piece of meat. Which does not come from a cow. My meat comes from a happy place. (If BF were reading this right now hed look for something to throw at me. This drives him crazy.)
After dinner well monorail it back to one of the MK resorts to change into our costumes for MNSSHP. Were very excited about this. Ill get into more detail in a later post when I introduce our trip theme and mascot. Yes, we have both. (Refer back to the above part of this post that introduces me as the nerd I am.) Then well hit up the MK until midnight to party it up with some tricks, treats, a Headless Horseman and likely 75,000 hot, tired kids in costumes that are itchy. And were paying extra for this and excited about it. Woohoo!
More to come!
) but we'll see how all of that pans out.
ME! 
He’s been there for me when almost no one else has. He’s seen me at my worst. And then seen me at my worst without make-up as a sobbing mess on the bathroom floor at 2 a.m. after an unfortunate dinner involving meatballs and not-so-good gravy and he STILL stuck around. (And by gravy, I mean what all you non-Italian types would call sauce. The red stuff. Get it together, it’s GRAVY.) I hope I make him half as happy as he makes me. Like I said in an earlier post, he’s the Superman to my Lois Lane…although the other day we had this conversation about how Batman is really his favorite superhero. But Batman seemed to have a real fear of commitment, so I’m sticking with my comparison.
I am hoping to one day live in an IKEA.
Me too! 
Wow, three weeks! You're getting there! You'll have to let me know how you make out. 
I used to say "cimmonin" (cinnamon). The one that really drives me crazy when I hear it, though, is "liberry" (library). I can be a big time grammar/word snob and I have to bite my tongue and not correct people.
and entertaining writer, I am looking forward to more.
).
, I'm sneaking my DIS! 
LOL Kidding!
