# The Scooter Strikes Back-A F&W 2017 TR- Bonus Features, Link to new TR 3/22



## franandaj

Welcome to another franandaj trip report, and yet another F&W TR! If you haven’t followed along on one of my TRs, welcome to craziness with a side of too much food. If you have followed along before, I’m glad you decided to come back!  Normally when I do a Trip Report, I like to start the report before I leave, get people interested in following along and then resume the report when I get home. For some reason this trip was different. Maybe I didn’t have enough time to get it started before I left, but also something made me want to title this trip report based on something that happened on said trip. Well boy let me tell you, there came a point in the trip where it became clear *what* the name of the report was going to be centered around; the only question, how exactly was it going to be phrased?  As you can see I finally settled on the title, but here were some of the runners up.

Revenge of the Scooter
Rogue Scooter
The Scooter who didn’t love me
The Curse of the Red Scooter
That Darn Scooter
2017: A Scooter Odyssey
The Tale of Two Scooters

You’ll have to wait until the story unfolds to find out all the details, but it begins with an entertaining story to start off the entire trip. Consider that foreshadowing when we get there. I won’t say that this was a trip of a lifetime, but it was certainly a trip to remember. I had hoped that it would be a carefree week of fun and frolic where I came back relaxed and energized for real life, but sorry to say that did not happen.

For now, let me introduce ourselves, we are Alison and Fran, married almost a decade, been together over 20 years. Both of us are Disney loving musicians who also happen to have a bunch of cats.  Oh yeah and we’re major foodies.






If you’ve come here looking for thrills, riveting commentary, and exploding helicopters, you may want to look elsewhere. We do get our fair share of rides this trip, but for the most part, we came to enjoy Food & Wine, so the bulk of the report is going to be about food porn, with some other stories thrown in for good measure. Our last trip to WDW was in March during the Flower and Garden Festival where we spent a couple nights at the Boardwalk Villas following a cruise on the Fantasy.






We weren’t supposed to be back at WDW, but due to unfortunate matters, we were unable to take the Eastbound Panama Canal Cruise that we had planned for this same time frame. Since we had to cancel that, I wanted to do at least something, and we decided that a trip to WDW was probably the most affordable thing to do. I mean the APs are paid for, the DVC room is paid for, we had a small flight credit left from some plans we had to change earlier in the year, so our only costs would be the remainder of the flights and our food. We have to pay for food at home anyways…

So it was only a little over four months out that I started planning this trip. The only resort available was SSR. One of my homes, and not a bad place to stay.  Not ideal for F&W but I suppose I was lucky to find anything in DVC for eight nights at four months out! I made dining reservations and within a month, the F&W special events opened up, and I snagged a few of those. About a month later I booked our FP+ and then it was just time to sit back and wait two months for it to happen!

Those who have followed along before, know that we always face a huge challenge to get ready to go and then actually get out the door. This time was no different, except that we even started earlier, but still faced obstacles.  I started actually packing suitcases on Saturday which would have been Day -3 in this timeline. All my clothes were hanging in the closet of Olga’s room (long story, just call it the guest room) and some of Fran’s clothes had been picked out as well. That day I packed one suitcase with some of our stuff and felt pretty good about it. I always spread each of our clothes out amongst the four suitcases just in case one gets lost, that way we don’t lose “the suitcase with all the underwear” or something equally important. Although if you’re @Steppesister, I guess underwear is not all that important!     So anyways, we had our Fall band concert on Sunday October 22nd and that’s kind of how we plan the timing of our trips. We don’t like to miss rehearsal so we try to leave after the concert when the band gets the first rehearsal off for good behavior.  Since the second Tuesday after the concert was Halloween, we got two Tuesdays off and didn't have to miss any rehearsals.

Readers following along for a while will also know that we have recently become the proud grandparents of five little kittens.






Just two weeks before we left, little Amelia (the fluffy gray one) was lethargic and not at all playful so we took her to the vet and it turns out she was severely anemic and almost died. So two transfusions later, she came home a happy camper and when she went back for her follow up the next week, we enrolled her in the “kitten plan” which includes all her shots and spaying. Since all the kittens turned eight weeks old on Monday, the other four got to go in the day after the concert and that took up the entire afternoon, like 1PM to 6PM! Not to mention that the entire morning was spent with our contractor putting a new scooter lift on the back of the car so that we could ride to the airport with two scooters and all our luggage. You may remember the story of the scooter lift from the bonus features on my last TR (If you didn't read about it I tried to post a link but it didn't work, here is the page)….then wait until I get to the story about the scooters! But I get ahead of myself. With Monday spent working on automotive and feline chores I was able to throw more stuff into two more suitcases that evening (while dinner cooked and I talked with my Mom on the phone) before collapsing into bed.


Day 0 


Tuesday morning Fran had to go to the DMV and get the car registration sorted out so we didn’t get ticketed while the car was parked at the airport. You see even though we moved three and a half years ago we still have not changed the addresses on our vehicle registrations and this year we didn’t get the renewal in the mail and the car registration expired in October. So while she was at the DMV, I got out the fourth suitcase and began filing that.

Oh yeah, and this was the day that the Trader Sams at the Disneyland Hotel released their Haunted Mansion Tiki Mugs Part 2, so you know we had to go out there and get the “two per person maximum”. And since I know you all want to know what it looks like, I stole a picture from the Interwebs. Just like last year’s only the etching is in green. The ones from Florida have red etching.






After that I insisted we concentrate on finishing packing! Well that and picking up last minute prescriptions that we needed. The temperature reached 106 that day and I was glad to stay inside. I even had to take a small nap as I practically got heatstroke being out at Disney and the pharmacy in that sort of weather.

We finally finished packing the suitcases somewhere around 10PM and by the time that I fed the cats and kittens, loaded my scooter inside the car as well as the suitcases, it was midnight.  Have I mentioned that feeding the cats has become ridiculous now?  






Even though they are still nursing, most of them have learned to eat both wet and dry cat foods, and they eat quite a lot!

We both went to sleep, at least I think that she did. I’m sure that I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.


Be back soon with our travel day!


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## franandaj

Table of Contents

Day 1 - Travel Day, Page 2, Post #28


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## pkondz

First!

Going back up to read.
(Think this is my first "first" though.)


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## pkondz

franandaj said:


> If you have followed along before, I’m glad you decided to come back!







franandaj said:


> Revenge of the Scooter
> Rogue Scooter
> The Scooter who didn’t love me
> The Curse of the Red Scooter
> That Darn Scooter
> 2017: A Scooter Odyssey
> The Tale of Two Scooters



I'm sensing a theme here...
Not quite sure what it is....

Something... maybe.... to do with.... scooters?


I'm probably way off.



franandaj said:


> I won’t say that this was a trip of a lifetime, but it was certainly a trip to remember.



Uh, oh...



franandaj said:


> I had hoped that it would be a carefree week of fun and frolic where I came back relaxed and energized for real life, but sorry to say that did not happen.



Oh, man! Sorry, Alison. 



franandaj said:


> If you’ve come here looking for thrills, riveting commentary, and exploding helicopters, you may want to look elsewhere.



True. Here you'll only get the first two.
There's a serious lack of exploding helicopters.

But I suspect we might see an exploding scooter or two.



franandaj said:


> All my clothes were hanging in the closet of Olga’s room (long story, just call it the guest room)







franandaj said:


> that way we don’t lose “the suitcase with all the underwear” or something equally important. Although if you’re @Steppesister, I guess underwear is not all that important!







franandaj said:


> Readers following along for a while will also know that we have recently become the proud grandparents of five little kittens.







franandaj said:


> Just two weeks before we left, little Amelia (the fluffy gray one) was lethargic and not at all playful so we took her to the vet and it turns out she was severely anemic and almost died.



Oh, no! I didn't know that! Poor thing!



franandaj said:


> Since all the kittens turned eight weeks old on Monday, the other four got to go in the day after the concert and that took up the entire afternoon, like 1PM to 6PM! Not to mention that the entire morning was spent with our contractor putting a new scooter lift on the back of the car so that we could ride to the airport with two scooters and all our luggage.




loooong day!



franandaj said:


> Tuesday morning Fran had to go to the DMV and get the car registration sorted out so we didn’t get ticketed while the car was parked at the airport. You see even though we moved three and a half years ago we still have not changed the addresses on our vehicle registrations and this year we didn’t get the renewal in the mail and the car registration expired in October.





That might explain it.



franandaj said:


>



Cool! I like it! 



franandaj said:


> The temperature reached 106 that day



 This is possible???



franandaj said:


> We finally finished packing the suitcases somewhere around 10PM and by the time that I fed the cats and kittens, loaded my scooter inside the car as well as the suitcases, it was midnight.



You must've been absolutely wiped out.



franandaj said:


> Have I mentioned that feeding the cats has become ridiculous now?



Holy crap!



franandaj said:


> I’m sure that I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.



I believe you!


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## dizneeat

*Wohoo! Made page one! Now going back to read. Just had to save my spot first. *

*And I finished reading the intro which I love - great photos btw. You are WAY more organized when it comes to packing than we are - I kind of throw everything in the night before we leave and then pray we haven't forgotten something essential. 

Can't wait to read about it all. I sense the scooter enjoyed a life of its own the way you picked the title. 

Love to see the kitties and we both had a laugh seeing all the plates with catfood. 

Thank goodness the little kitty is okay again. They are too cute - all of them. You are both so lucky.*


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## Flossbolna

Yay! Looking forward to reading this!


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## dolphingirl47

Checking in.



franandaj said:


> I had hoped that it would be a carefree week of fun and frolic where I came back relaxed and energized for real life, but sorry to say that did not happen.



I am sorry that his did not pan out how you had hoped.



franandaj said:


> Just two weeks before we left, little Amelia (the fluffy gray one) was lethargic and not at all playful so we took her to the vet and it turns out she was severely anemic and almost died.



Oh, that must have been scary. I am glad that she is better.

Corinna


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## pooh'smate

Joining in. I know how your anemic kitty felt. I almost died after I had my dd because I lost so much blood. They didn't really pay attention to me in the hospital and sent me home then 2 hours after they sent me home my dh had to rush me to the hospital because I was literally bleeding out (sorry if tmi). Then I was put on bedrest and was not even allowed to take care of my newborn dd. DH was a trooper and had to get up and feed dd and take care of me too. I am sorry you didn't have the trip you wanted and I m looking forward to following along.


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## Steppesister

Here and ready. Kinda. Alison, I'll be here as I can this week then of course will be gone. 

Back to read and comment soon, but wanted to sub in asap.


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## chunkymonkey

I’m here! Haha excellent title! Just checked in into the Swan and the WiFi is a little better here. Tomorrow is our French Family lunch, can’t wait!


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## KBOhio

So excited to follow along on another of your trip reports! They are my favorite


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## tiggrbaby

Welcome home!  Looking forward to reading about your trip!

The kitties are so cute!


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## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> ! Normally when I do a Trip Report, I like to start the report before I leave, get people interested in following along and then resume the report when I get home.



SEE?! I"m not the only one! 



franandaj said:


> Revenge of the Scooter
> Rogue Scooter
> The Scooter who didn’t love me
> The Curse of the Red Scooter
> That Darn Scooter
> 2017: A Scooter Odyssey
> The Tale of Two Scooters



Hmmm, I'm gonna guess you had some issues with scooters. Could just be me though. 



franandaj said:


> I won’t say that this was a trip of a lifetime, but it was certainly a trip to remember.



Aww, Alison. 



franandaj said:


> Since we had to cancel that, I wanted to do at least something, and we decided that a trip to WDW was probably the most affordable thing to do. I mean the APs are paid for, the DVC room is paid for, we had a small flight credit left from some plans we had to change earlier in the year, so our only costs would be the remainder of the flights and our food. We have to pay for food at home anyways…



Seems legit to me! :yes



franandaj said:


> I always spread each of our clothes out amongst the four suitcases just in case one gets lost, that way we don’t lose “the suitcase with all the underwear” or something equally important.



Sigh... that's so... conservative. I mean what could possibly go wrong?!



franandaj said:


> Although if you’re @Steppesister, I guess underwear is not all that important!



Hey!! I resemble that remark!





franandaj said:


> Tuesday morning Fran had to go to the DMV and get the car registration sorted out so we didn’t get ticketed while the car was parked at the airport.



You mean they'd do that to you?! 

Oh right. Yes. They probably would. 



franandaj said:


> Oh yeah, and this was the day that the Trader Sams at the Disneyland Hotel released their Haunted Mansion Tiki Mugs Part 2,



Okay, yeah, same one, just different color. I like my blue one from FL last year. 



franandaj said:


>



That is some serious smorgasbord goin' on there.


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## Dis_Yoda

Yay!  You have a new trip report and I have a new dining report (which has more than just food but still). Link is in my signature under Nov 2017


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## rentayenta

Holy cat food. Glad grey kitten is on the mend; so scary.  

Excited to read your report. Please cont with the bat signals and lets get together when I get back. I leave this Tuesday morning.


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## Pinkocto

I’m here! Must come back and read but wanted to mark my place.


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## ACDSNY

Getting my WDW fix through you.


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## jedijill

Present and reporting for duty! Would have been here earlier but seeing Chris Hemsworth shirtless in Thor won out.  Sorry Alison!

Jill in CO


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## LegoMom3

ACDSNY said:


> Getting my WDW fix through you.



This.  Not knocking my new proximity to DLR, but anyone who's been to both knows they are NOT the same.  

Anyway, I'm in!   

And I hereby concede defeat in the cat realm:  you have me beat in the "all things cat that make this a crazy house" department!!    But that's awesome.

.


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## Malia78

Hi Alison!

Here to join along.

--Karilynn


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## Pinkocto

The kittens are so big!!!! How scary about Amelia, I hadn’t asked in depth what happened. So glad she’s ok  

LOVE the title  

The tiki mug is very cool, great addition to the collection.


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## rndmr2

Joining in! Looking forward to hearing all about your trip!! 

The kitties are too cute! Sorry the one was sick, glad she is better.


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## Captain_Oblivious

I'm here!  Thanks for the heads-up!



franandaj said:


> Revenge of the Scooter
> Rogue Scooter
> The Scooter who didn’t love me
> The Curse of the Red Scooter
> That Darn Scooter
> 2017: A Scooter Odyssey
> The Tale of Two Scooters



There had better be a scooter story, or I'm demanding my money back.



franandaj said:


> If you’ve come here looking for thrills, riveting commentary, and exploding helicopters, you may want to look elsewhere.



Well, it was good chatting with you.  See ya!



franandaj said:


> I mean the APs are paid for, the DVC room is paid for, we had a small flight credit left from some plans we had to change earlier in the year, so our only costs would be the remainder of the flights and our food. We have to pay for food at home anyways…



The logic is undeniably sound.



franandaj said:


> Although if you’re @Steppesister, I guess underwear is not all that important!







franandaj said:


> The temperature reached 106 that day and I was glad to stay inside. I even had to take a small nap as I practically got heatstroke being out at Disney and the pharmacy in that sort of weather.



106 is just wrong.  Ugh.



franandaj said:


>



This looks like a full-time job!


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## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> Revenge of the Scooter
> Rogue Scooter
> The Scooter who didn’t love me
> The Curse of the Red Scooter
> That Darn Scooter
> 2017: A Scooter Odyssey
> The Tale of Two Scooters


I don't know about a whole TR, but I certainly feel like I could have at least written chapters of a TR using most of these as a title.  And that's just from observing others with scooters.  



franandaj said:


> I won’t say that this was a trip of a lifetime, but it was certainly a trip to remember. I had hoped that it would be a carefree week of fun and frolic where I came back relaxed and energized for real life, but sorry to say that did not happen.


That's too bad, but I'm sure it was still a nice trip anyway.  



franandaj said:


> If you’ve come here looking for thrills, riveting commentary, and exploding helicopters, you may want to look elsewhere.


What about exploding scooters?????  



franandaj said:


> Have I mentioned that feeding the cats has become ridiculous now?


Wow!  You need to teach them to share!


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## franandaj

Before I get to welcoming everyone, I do like the fact that my first four readers are all from countries outside of the USA and all different countries as well!  



pkondz said:


> First!
> 
> Going back up to read.
> (Think this is my first "first" though.)





And  to your first "first"!



pkondz said:


> I'm sensing a theme here...
> Not quite sure what it is....
> 
> Something... maybe.... to do with.... scooters?
> 
> 
> I'm probably way off.



Maybe. Maybe not.  You'll just have to read along as the story unfolds.  



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh...



Yeah.



pkondz said:


> Oh, man! Sorry, Alison.



Well I did come back feeling somewhat better, at least I don't feel the weight on my shoulders like I did before I left.



pkondz said:


> True. Here you'll only get the first two.
> There's a serious lack of exploding helicopters.
> 
> But I suspect we might see an exploding scooter or two.







pkondz said:


> Oh, no! I didn't know that! Poor thing!



I didn't say anything anywhere online. Those whole two weeks before we left were just insanity. I felt like I was just going blindly from task to task with no control of events. Her red blood cell count had dropped to 7% and 20% was where it had to be before they let her come home.



pkondz said:


> loooong day!



Not very different than other days....



pkondz said:


> That might explain it.



Now we just need to fix the other six cars....



pkondz said:


> Cool! I like it!



That's why people were waiting for hours to get them. We lucked out.



pkondz said:


> This is possible???



It happens all the time in parts of Southern California, just not normally in Long Beach.



pkondz said:


> You must've been absolutely wiped out.



Pretty sure I was.



pkondz said:


> Holy crap!



A day in the life of a crazy cat lady.



pkondz said:


> I believe you!



That's practically how it goes every night.



dizneeat said:


> *Wohoo! Made page one! Now going back to read. Just had to save my spot first. *







dizneeat said:


> And I finished reading the intro which I love - great photos btw. You are WAY more organized when it comes to packing than we are - I kind of throw everything in the night before we leave and then pray we haven't forgotten something essential.



That's how Fran used to do it an I couldn't stand the chaos. I choose my outfits weeks beforehand and start packing a week ahead of time.



dizneeat said:


> Can't wait to read about it all. I sense the scooter enjoyed a life of its own the way you picked the title.



Life might no be the best way to describe the situation. 



dizneeat said:


> Love to see the kitties and we both had a laugh seeing all the plates with catfood.



And they are all empty by the next feeding session.



dizneeat said:


> Thank goodness the little kitty is okay again. They are too cute - all of them. You are both so lucky.



Sometimes I wonder about that, especially with the smell of the house!



Flossbolna said:


> Yay! Looking forward to reading this!







dolphingirl47 said:


> Checking in.







dolphingirl47 said:


> I am sorry that his did not pan out how you had hoped.



But it does make for an interesting story!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, that must have been scary. I am glad that she is better.



She was already in good hands before we found out how ill she was. They started the transfusion almost immediately.


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## franandaj

pooh'smate said:


> Joining in.







pooh'smate said:


> I know how your anemic kitty felt. I almost died after I had my dd because I lost so much blood. They didn't really pay attention to me in the hospital and sent me home then 2 hours after they sent me home my dh had to rush me to the hospital because I was literally bleeding out (sorry if tmi). Then I was put on bedrest and was not even allowed to take care of my newborn dd. DH was a trooper and had to get up and feed dd and take care of me too. I am sorry you didn't have the trip you wanted and I m looking forward to following along.



That's a scary story. I'm glad you came out OK and nice that your DH stepped up ad took care of things.  Amelia was a little different, her red blood cell count had dropped to 7%, not sure what was normal, but they wanted to see it at 20% before they'd let her go and I believe it was at 24% when we did take her home two days (and $1500) later.



Steppesister said:


> Here and ready. Kinda. Alison, I'll be here as I can this week then of course will be gone.







Steppesister said:


> Back to read and comment soon, but wanted to sub in asap.



You're part of the reason I put it up so quick. I wanted to give you a chance to sub in so when you get back you'll have lots to catch up on!  

Just kidding! Not sure how much updating I'll be doing while you're gone. The parental units are coming down for thanksgiving and the kittens have done a great job of stinking up the house, so lots to clean!



chunkymonkey said:


> I’m here! Haha excellent title! Just checked in into the Swan and the WiFi is a little better here. Tomorrow is our French Family lunch, can’t wait!





I had another friend at that lunch as well. I hope you enjoyed it. He said that he drank 10 glasses of wine! 



KBOhio said:


> So excited to follow along on another of your trip reports! They are my favorite







tiggrbaby said:


> Welcome home! Looking forward to reading about your trip!







tiggrbaby said:


> The kitties are so cute!



They are pretty darned cute. I may be posting more pictures of them soon!


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## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> SEE?! I"m not the only one!



Nope. You're not. Even pkondz did it once.



Steppesister said:


> Hmmm, I'm gonna guess you had some issues with scooters. Could just be me though.



Yeah, we might have had an issue.    You'll have to read along and see.



Steppesister said:


> Aww, Alison.



There were some good times too....



Steppesister said:


> Seems legit to me! :yes



I'm glad everyone approves of my fuzzy Disney math.



Steppesister said:


> Sigh... that's so... conservative. I mean what could possibly go wrong?!



Walking through Disney Springs commando?  



Steppesister said:


> !! I resemble that remark!



 



Steppesister said:


> You mean they'd do that to you?!
> 
> Oh right. Yes. They probably would.



When we used to cart her father around, we had his plaque in our car. We went to WDW two weeks after he died (trip had been planned 11 months in advance). I accidently put his plaque up in the window when I parked the car. They ticketed us for using a plaquard of a deceased person. Fran's plaque was on the dashboard in plain view.  



Steppesister said:


> Okay, yeah, same one, just different color. I like my blue one from FL last year.



I think they're going for the "collect the entire set!"



Steppesister said:


> That is some serious smorgasbord goin' on there.



I make sure that they have a choice. The first four plates contain each of the following 1) a land food pate 2) a seafood pate 3) some sort of shreds, bits, etc and then one more of the previous (varies by feeding time) that is divided in half (and half of that goes to the poor cat who lives hiding in the office.) The first four plates and plate #6 (with a can of Fancy Feast) go in the kitchen feeding area.  The last three plates go in the Master Bathroom where the kittens took up residence about a month ago.  The kittens and their mama eat specifically kitten food, but it may be giving mama a problem as she seems to have diarrhea and needs to go to the vet.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Yay!  You have a new trip report and I have a new dining report (which has more than just food but still). Link is in my signature under Nov 2017





I'm already signed on!



rentayenta said:


> Holy cat food. Glad grey kitten is on the mend; so scary.





They're hungry little suckers.



rentayenta said:


> Excited to read your report. Please cont with the bat signals and lets get together when I get back. I leave this Tuesday morning.



OK.  Hopefully one is coming up soon. I'll text you so that we can set it up!  Maybe Katella Deli this next time!



Pinkocto said:


> I’m here! Must come back and read but wanted to mark my place.








ACDSNY said:


> Getting my WDW fix through you.







jedijill said:


> Present and reporting for duty! Would have been here earlier but seeing Chris Hemsworth shirtless in Thor won out.  Sorry Alison!
> 
> Jill in CO





Eh...whatever turns you on....   



LegoMom3 said:


> This. Not knocking my new proximity to DLR, but anyone who's been to both knows they are NOT the same.
> 
> Anyway, I'm in!





They are definitely not the same.  But I like each one for their positives and differences.



LegoMom3 said:


> And I hereby concede defeat in the cat realm: you have me beat in the "all things cat that make this a crazy house" department!!  But that's awesome.



It's getting crazier and crazier the older the kittens get!



Malia78 said:


> Hi Alison!
> 
> Here to join along.
> 
> --Karilynn





Glad to have you onboard!


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## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> The kittens are so big!!!! How scary about Amelia, I hadn’t asked in depth what happened. So glad she’s ok



I've said this a few times, but her red blood cell content dropped to 7%.  Not sure what it is supposed to be for humans, but I would imagine you know how that could be serious.



Pinkocto said:


> LOVE the title



Thanks!  



Pinkocto said:


> The tiki mug is very cool, great addition to the collection.



I still haven't even gotten them out of their boxes.  Heck I haven't even unpacked yet!



rndmr2 said:


> Joining in! Looking forward to hearing all about your trip!!
> 
> The kitties are too cute! Sorry the one was sick, glad she is better.





Based on the way she has been playing for the last two mornings, she is definitely feeling better.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm here! Thanks for the heads-up!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> There had better be a scooter story, or I'm demanding my money back.



What makes you think that there is just one.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, it was good chatting with you. See ya!



  (I could have used the "not a thumb"  )



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The logic is undeniably sound.



Thank you.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> 106 is just wrong. Ugh.



But it's a dry heat.    No that's not even true anymore with climate change.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This looks like a full-time job!



I have the good end of this deal....if you get my drift.



afwdwfan said:


> I don't know about a whole TR, but I certainly feel like I could have at least written chapters of a TR using most of these as a title. And that's just from observing others with scooters.





I bet you could!



afwdwfan said:


> That's too bad, but I'm sure it was still a nice trip anyway.



It had it's moments.  I mean it's WDW, it would really have to suck for nothing good to happen!



afwdwfan said:


> What about exploding scooters?????



Actually that would have made the outcome a whole lot easier!



afwdwfan said:


> Wow! You need to teach them to share!



That is sharing!  Technically each one of those plates would be eaten by two cats....


----------



## franandaj

Day 1

We woke up at 5AM or was it 4:15? She set an alarm in her phone and we actually did get up instead of snoozing it for a while. I know that once we did all the things that we needed to do before leaving (and that did not include feeding the cats) it was 6AM or close to it, maybe 5:50AM, but there wasn’t time to drive through McDonald’s which had been my plan, at least it was the day before. 

Because of changes in American’s frequent flyer point structure, we have started flying on Southwest. Their terminal at LAX is undergoing construction so the routine we did in August for our Denver trip was no longer viable. The curbside check in counter we had used was now walled off. We had a slight learning curve (yet again). They did have curbside agents, but they had temporary check in desks in front of the walls. We were able to do our usual, Fran gets a curbside agent to check our bags and take them, I flash my ID at them to prove I’m me and then I take off to park the car while she finishes. My trip to Lot C was uneventful and soon I was back to join her and we headed to our gate. Because of the construction the place we got a snack at in August was gone as well. I ended up at the Coffee Bean and Tea leaf, where I got an Americano, an everything bagel, lemon loaf and an almond croissant for Fran. Sorry no pics! She got us water, diet coke, Milano cookies and a Honey Bun from one of the stores.

I held our place in the boarding area and she went to gate check her scooter, then when she got back I went to gate check mine. We were both so comatose from the lack of sleep and running around neither of us really remembers much about boarding or the flight. In fact I didn’t even use the Noise Cancelling headphones that we went all over town to pick up at Best Buy on Tuesday while the kittens were getting their shots and such.

It turns out that we must have sat on the Tarmac for over an hour or so because partway into the flight they made an announcement that they would be holding the flights in Houston (where we changed planes) for both Belize and Orlando. I was amazed that they held the plane over an hour and by the time we got off the first plane they were boarding our connecting flight. 

Fran had a wheelchair waiting and I took both of our carry on bags and power walked. The guy with her wheelchair was slow and kept trying to look at my boarding pass to find the gate number and finally I grabbed it from him and said, “we don’t have time for this we have to go!” And I walked as fast as I could to the gate. Of course it was pretty much as far from the first gate as it could be.  They were on boarding group C and both Fran and I had “preboarding” so I ran on the plane in front of the other folks and looked for any combination of two seats for her and a ‘one seat’ for me.  I found that at row 24 and tried to get her attention when she boarded the plane, but evidently they had saved her seats in the second row. I noticed that two seats had been turned “upside down” in the second row when I boarded and thought, “how stupid is that? It’s a full flight and they have two seats that can’t be used!”

So I sat in row 24 while she sat in row 2.  This flight I had THAT baby in the row behind me and before the plane took off I grabbed my noise canceling headphones out of my carry on and listened to my Disney mix playlist that I had downloaded from Spotify. While it didn’t cancel everything they made it much more pleasant than it would have been. Now if they could have done something about the kicking of my seat that would have been great! 

The thing about not sitting with Fran was that I didn’t have easy access to my carry on where our food was placed. When we had three seats together, I placed it under the middle seat and it was really easy to get to. For the first flight I had brought Cheerios in a cup, but they didn’t have milk on board so there went second breakfast. I had made three Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, and Fran didn't want hers on the last flight. Now they were up in the overhead bin in my carry on, so I starved and drank water. Peanuts and pretzels were not appealing.

When we got off the plane there was a whole ‘nother situation to deal with. When I finally got off the plane (remember row 24?) my scooter was waiting at the airplane door.  We waited a while for Fran’s scooter and it didn’t come up, so I went up top to see if they were bringing it that way. 

Nope. 

It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston. The flight crew only remembered waiting for one scooter before we left Houston. So now we had to go to the claims office in Baggage Claim on the opposite side of the airport as Magical Express. We hopped on the “Fake O’ Rail” just as the sun was setting.
















When we got to the claims office, it turns out that the folks at the Houston Airport had contacted the folks in Orlando and planned to send the scooter on the next flight. They promised that they would deliver it to the resort as soon as they could. So we made the trek over to the DME side of the airport to find a HUGE line. It turns out that the MB scanner was down, and they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!  The line took forever, but two families before us the scanner came back on line and things immediately picked up, we were directed to a line and were on the bus fairly shortly. I don't have any times because my phone was at 12% and I didn't have any portable chargers. I do know we arrived on Disney property at 8PM because I got a “welcome” text from the mysterious Michael of fame from @Flossbolna’s TRs. We would be meeting up later on during the trip. 

Sorry about the blurry picture, it was dark and the bus was moving, so hard to photograph with the point and shoot.






When we arrived at SSR, we told them about the scooter and how it would arrive late. They took us to the room with our groceries and Owner's Locker. I got to ride on a golf cart which was nice as I was tired. Our room was in one of the closest buildings to the lobby, but I was really tired and didn't want to walk that far. It was fairly cold out. I had packed my overshirt in the suitcase as I didn’t want to risk losing it on the plane.  I was a little surprised at how cold it was, because I was expecting very warm weather like high 80s in the daytime and not even below 60 at night. The overshirt was the only "jacket" I had packed.

We were placed in the Grandstand section which was not my first choice of location. It's the farthest spot from Disney Springs other than the treehouses, but at least it's the first stop on the bus pick up route when going to the parks. It turned out to be a good thing as we always were able to get on the bus, something that might not have been the case if we were on the 4th or 5th stop for the busses. However it did become tedious to have to ride through the entire resort every time that we went somewhere. The trip to pick up all the passengers sometimes took as long as 20 minutes before we even left the resort.

But back to our room, here it is before we trashed it.


























The bathroom, and my wonderful tub!





















And our comfy bedroom
















In the room, I unpacked food and stuff and it wasn’t until 11PM that our suitcases arrived. This was an annoyance because the spaghetti and sauce were in there. We did eat some of the Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches while we were waiting, but I really wanted hot pasta, so I only ate half of a sandwich and saved my appetite for the dinner.






In the meantime I tried to clean the tub (run bleach water through the jets to ensure nothing gross was caught in the pipes) and the jets didn’t work, called maintenance. Fran decided to lay down for a nap at this time. Maintenance came and fixed the tub before our luggage arrived. For anyone familiar with older jacuzzi technology, the tubs use the air switch to start the jets. I'm not sure if it got water in the tube or what, but he was using the blow dryer to fix it. He was all done before there was any sign of our luggage. In the meantime, I got our groceries unpacked and the kitchen ready for use.












In fact I called down to Bell Services at 10PM and they confirmed that yes our luggage was at the resort, but not yet out for delivery. As I said above it wasn't until 11PM that they arrived. I had the water boiling on the stove, and immediately started dinner.

We gave up on the caesar salad, but ate spaghetti, and I had some of the texas toast.






Meanwhile I wrote up what happened on this first day and then finally crawled into the tub before going to bed.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Sounds like a rough long first day!  

Did you guys not get a wheelchair assessable room this time?  

Glad you made it though despite all the travel issues.  It was nice of them to hold the play in Houston and saving Fran two seats near the front.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> Sounds like a rough long first day!



It was, but not actually really as long as our day home, but that was left eventful. I was only up for 17 to 18 hours on this day.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Did you guys not get a wheelchair assessable room this time?



We were lucky to get anything for 8 nights at four months and three weeks out!



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad you made it though despite all the travel issues. It was nice of them to hold the play in Houston and saving Fran two seats near the front.



I'm going to guess that almost one third of the plane was on the flight from LA because a lot more people boarded after I did.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> You're part of the reason I put it up so quick. I wanted to give you a chance to sub in so when you get back you'll have lots to catch up on!



Aww, I love the tender ways you think of me. I feel so spethal. 

Oh. 

Great. LOL!

I'm actually catching up one last time before I go dark until beginning of Dec. Catching up after that sounds like a completely hopeless and daunting task. 



franandaj said:


> Just kidding! Not sure how much updating I'll be doing while you're gone. The parental units are coming down for thanksgiving and the kittens have done a great job of stinking up the house, so lots to clean!



Well, if ^^ is any indication of "not updating much", I'm in deep doo. 

But, maybe your folks will keep you busy and me out of catching up trouble! 

Since I won't see you (or anyone else) for Thanksgiving, have a VERY nice one!! Er.... after you clean up for it!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I ended up at the Coffee Bean and Tea leaf, where I got an Americano, an everything bagel, lemon loaf and an almond croissant for Fran. Sorry no pics! She got us water, diet coke, Milano cookies and a Honey Bun from one of the stores.



Holy carbs and sugar! Girlfriend, you better get some protein in you STAT!



franandaj said:


> I was amazed that they held the plane over an hour and by the time we got off the first plane they were boarding our connecting flight.



Been there and done that. Sucks every time. 



franandaj said:


> And I walked as fast as I could to the gate. Of course it was pretty much as far from the first gate as it could be.


]

Well duh. This is Airport Law. 



franandaj said:


> Now if they could have done something about the kicking of my seat that would have been great!



I've been THAT mom. Tough on the parents too. 



franandaj said:


> I had made three Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, and Fran didn't want hers on the last flight. Now they were up in the overhead bin in my carry on



D'oh!  



franandaj said:


> It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston.



What the WHAT!?





franandaj said:


> It turns out that the MB scanner was down, and they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!



Meanwhile, back in the Prehistoric Era....



franandaj said:


> We would be meeting up later on during the trip.



HUZZAH for Magdalene and Michael!



franandaj said:


> We did eat some of the Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches while we were waiting,



Plan B FTW!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Wow!  I can't believe they mucked up on the scooter like that!

The room looks really nice.  There is no way I could have waited that long to make dinner; I would have given up long before!


----------



## ACDSNY

Wow, long day!  On our first day I just keep telling myself it's really only 8PM at home when I'm looking at the clock that saying it's 11PM.  No it doesn't usually work for me either. Lol


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Maybe. Maybe not. You'll just have to read along as the story unfolds.



I love a good mystery.



franandaj said:


> Well I did come back feeling somewhat better, at least I don't feel the weight on my shoulders like I did before I left.



Good.



franandaj said:


> I didn't say anything anywhere online. Those whole two weeks before we left were just insanity. I felt like I was just going blindly from task to task with no control of events. Her red blood cell count had dropped to 7% and 20% was where it had to be before they let her come home.



Aw, shucks Alison. That's what we're here for ya know.
Can't offer you _physical_ support, but moral support never hurts.



franandaj said:


> Now we just need to fix the other six cars....



Sell one, use the cash to fix the other five?

No... I guess not, because eventually you get to "Sell one to fix the other one." And then what do you do?



franandaj said:


> That's why people were waiting for hours to get them. We lucked out.



Nice!



franandaj said:


> It happens all the time in parts of Southern California, just not normally in Long Beach.



<rethinking decision to come to Cali in April.... tickets all bought.... guess I'm committed... or need to be...>



franandaj said:


> A day in the life of a crazy cat lady.







franandaj said:


> Nope. You're not. Even pkondz did it once.



Once!



franandaj said:


> When we used to cart her father around, we had his plaque in our car. We went to WDW two weeks after he died (trip had been planned 11 months in advance). I accidently put his plaque up in the window when I parked the car. They ticketed us for using a plaquard of a deceased person. Fran's plaque was on the dashboard in plain view.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We woke up at 5AM or was it 4:15?



Do I hear a "3:45"?



franandaj said:


> there wasn’t time to drive through McDonald’s



You know you're running late when there isn't time to stop for an Egg McMuffin



franandaj said:


> We were able to do our usual, Fran gets a curbside agent to check our bags and take them, I flash my ID at them to prove I’m me and then I take off to park the car while she finishes.



Like a well oiled machine.



franandaj said:


> an almond croissant for Fran.



I must be tired.
I read that as "an almost croissant". What the heck is an "almost croissant"??



franandaj said:


> We were both so comatose from the lack of sleep and running around neither of us really remembers much about boarding or the flight.



I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you did in fact board and take the flight.



franandaj said:


> In fact I didn’t even use the Noise Cancelling headphones that we went all over town to pick up at Best Buy on Tuesday while the kittens were getting their shots and such.



I see what you wrote later on... I bought those (not the most expensive (Bose?) ones mind you) and returned them when I got back. Wasn't impressed.



franandaj said:


> I was amazed that they held the plane over an hour and by the time we got off the first plane they were boarding our connecting flight.



Must've had more people to wait for to make it worth their while.

_Their_ while. Not yours.



franandaj said:


> The guy with her wheelchair was slow and kept trying to look at my boarding pass to find the gate number and finally I grabbed it from him and said, “we don’t have time for this we have to go!”



 All right Alison! You go girl!



franandaj said:


> Of course it was pretty much as far from the first gate as it could be



This is a truism.
Although... I have had it happen once where the gate I exited was adjacent to the gate I needed to board on.



franandaj said:


> evidently they had saved her seats in the second row. I noticed that two seats had been turned “upside down” in the second row when I boarded and thought, “how stupid is that? It’s a full flight and they have two seats that can’t be used!”



 Yeah! How stupid!



franandaj said:


> So I sat in row 24 while she sat in row 2.



Well... that sucks.



franandaj said:


> This flight I had THAT baby in the row behind me



A cute on? The baby was super cute?



franandaj said:


> I grabbed my noise canceling headphones out of my carry on and listened to my Disney mix playlist that I had downloaded from Spotify. While it didn’t cancel everything they made it much more pleasant than it would have been.



Ah! See I didn't do that. I didn't listen to music. I just put on the "cancel" feature.



franandaj said:


> Now if they could have done something about the kicking of my seat that would have been great!



Okay, now _that_ I cannot stand.



franandaj said:


> but they didn’t have milk on board



Odd. Really?



franandaj said:


> I had made three Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, and Fran didn't want hers on the last flight. Now they were up in the overhead bin in my carry on, so I starved and drank water.



 That bites.


er... or, doesn't, rather.



franandaj said:


> It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston. The flight crew only remembered waiting for one scooter before we left Houston. So now we had to go to the claims office in Baggage Claim on the opposite side of the airport as Magical Express.



:headache



franandaj said:


> When we got to the claims office, it turns out that the folks at the Houston Airport had contacted the folks in Orlando and planned to send the scooter on the next flight. They promised that they would deliver it to the resort as soon as they could.



Great. Meanwhile... you walk. 



franandaj said:


> they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!



Old school. Just like they did it back in the day.



franandaj said:


> Sorry about the blurry picture, it was dark and the bus was moving, so hard to photograph with the point and shoot.



Still counts!



franandaj said:


> I was a little surprised at how cold it was, because I was expecting very warm weather like high 80s in the daytime and not even below 60 at night.



So what was it? Down in the 50s? Colder???



franandaj said:


> The trip to pick up all the passengers sometimes took as long as 20 minutes before we even left the resort.



That's forever!



franandaj said:


> But back to our room, here it is before we trashed it.



Nice digs!



franandaj said:


>



Not accessible? Don't you usually try to get that?



franandaj said:


> In the meantime I tried to clean the tub (run bleach water through the jets to ensure nothing gross was caught in the pipes)



I never would have thought of that! How do you do that? I thought the tub had to be filled to run the jets... and you didn't have tons of bleach with you I wouldn't think?



franandaj said:


> and the jets didn’t work, called maintenance



moot point, then. 



franandaj said:


>



V8.... ever get up the nerve to try the Clamato?


----------



## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> Because of the construction the place we got a snack at in August was gone as well.


Man... can't catch a break to get breakfast!  At least you found something that worked eventually.  



franandaj said:


> It turns out that we must have sat on the Tarmac for over an hour or so because partway into the flight they made an announcement that they would be holding the flights in Houston (where we changed planes) for both Belize and Orlando. I was amazed that they held the plane over an hour and by the time we got off the first plane they were boarding our connecting flight.


That stinks.  Sitting on the tarmac is never fun.  At least you didn't miss your connection.  



franandaj said:


> They were on boarding group C and both Fran and I had “preboarding” so I ran on the plane in front of the other folks and looked for any combination of two seats for her and a ‘one seat’ for me. I found that at row 24 and tried to get her attention when she boarded the plane, but evidently they had saved her seats in the second row. I noticed that two seats had been turned “upside down” in the second row when I boarded and thought, “how stupid is that? It’s a full flight and they have two seats that can’t be used!”


Well, that's actually surprisingly good service that they had the foresight to reserve seats.  



franandaj said:


> When we got off the plane there was a whole ‘nother situation to deal with. When I finally got off the plane (remember row 24?) my scooter was waiting at the airplane door. We waited a while for Fran’s scooter and it didn’t come up, so I went up top to see if they were bringing it that way.
> 
> Nope.
> 
> It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston. The flight crew only remembered waiting for one scooter before we left Houston. So now we had to go to the claims office in Baggage Claim on the opposite side of the airport as Magical Express. We hopped on the “Fake O’ Rail” just as the sun was setting.


Oh man... brutal.



franandaj said:


> It turns out that the MB scanner was down, and they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!  The line took forever, but two families before us the scanner came back on line and things immediately picked up, we were directed to a line and were on the bus fairly shortly.


That's the downside to this whole MagicBand thing.  They're great when the technology works.  When it doesn't, total cluster @$#&.  



franandaj said:


>


Somebody clearly doesn't appreciate the fact that Disney World only has Coke products...


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Aww, I love the tender ways you think of me. I feel so spethal.
> 
> Oh.
> 
> Great. LOL!
> 
> I'm actually catching up one last time before I go dark until beginning of Dec. Catching up after that sounds like a completely hopeless and daunting task.



You're going to be gone for a while. Catching up on everything will be a daunting task! 



Steppesister said:


> Well, if ^^ is any indication of "not updating much", I'm in deep doo.



No that was a fast update. All the rest will be slower. I just wanted to get to travel day quickly. 



Steppesister said:


> But, maybe your folks will keep you busy and me out of catching up trouble!



They arrive in two weeks so yeah, that's quite a few days to stay busy. Then again they're fairly self service. They make their own breakfasts, read the paper and do crossword puzzles all morning....



Steppesister said:


> Since I won't see you (or anyone else) for Thanksgiving, have a VERY nice one!! Er.... after you clean up for it!



Two weeks and counting! 



Steppesister said:


> Holy carbs and sugar! Girlfriend, you better get some protein in you STAT!



Well there was cream cheese on the bagel! She ended up eating the Honey Bun in the room, and the Milano cookies lasted until the last night of the trip.



Steppesister said:


> Been there and done that. Sucks every time.







Steppesister said:


> Well duh. This is Airport Law.



Thankfully we broke it on the way home!



Steppesister said:


> I've been THAT mom. Tough on the parents too.



I imagine so. All I can say is we _really_ missed flying First Class on American!



Steppesister said:


> What the WHAT!?



Yeah, we said something a little harsher when we noticed her gate check tag said Houston. ...



Steppesister said:


> Meanwhile, back in the Prehistoric Era....



Tell me about it!



Steppesister said:


> HUZZAH for Magdalene and Michael!



I wish we could have seen more of them, but they had a very full social calendar!



Steppesister said:


> Plan B FTW!



Sometimes we ended up with Plan C.


----------



## Pinkocto

I’m having anxiety reading about this travel day and I already knew the story  Not much more could have gone wrong....

On one of our trips to OKW we arrived late and it took ages for them to deliver the bags. Of course I hadn’t thought to keep our pajamas in the carryon or I would have waited for them to be delivered in the morning. 

I had to laugh when you took charge with the wheelchair person. Times a wastin!


----------



## jedijill

Holy cow, that's a crazy travel day!  Glad you finally got there!

Jill in CO


----------



## LegoMom3

franandaj said:


> Day 1....
> Because of changes in American’s frequent flyer point structure, we have started flying on Southwest. Their terminal at LAX is undergoing construction so the routine we did in August for our Denver trip was no longer viable. The curbside check in counter we had used was now walled off. We had a slight learning curve (yet again). They did have curbside agents, but they had temporary check in desks in front of the  walls. ....



Ugh, airport construction is the pits....  Glad you were able to navigate it!




franandaj said:


> So I sat in row 24 while she sat in row 2.  This flight I had THAT baby in the row behind me and before the plane took off I grabbed my noise canceling headphones out of my carry on and listened to my Disney mix playlist that I had downloaded from Spotify. While it didn’t cancel everything they made it much more pleasant than it would have been. Now if they could have done something about the kicking of my seat that would have been great!



Disney playlist = 
ANYone kicking your seat = 



franandaj said:


> The thing about not sitting with Fran was that I didn’t have easy access to my carry on where our food was placed. When we had three seats together, I placed it under the middle seat and it was really easy to get to. For the first flight I had brought Cheerios in a cup, but they didn’t have milk on board _*so there went second breakfast.*_



Ah, spoken like a true Hobbit.  





franandaj said:


> I had made three Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches, and Fran didn't want hers on the last flight. Now they were up in the overhead bin in my carry on, _*so I starved and drank water. *_


Sounds like a prison sentence!!  




franandaj said:


> Sorry about the blurry picture, it was dark and the bus was moving, so hard to photograph with the point and shoot.





franandaj said:


>



It's a cool effect, actually! 



franandaj said:


> In the room, I unpacked food and stuff and it wasn’t until 11PM that our suitcases arrived. This was an annoyance because the spaghetti and sauce were in there. We did eat some of the Roast beef and cheddar sandwiches while we were waiting, but I really wanted hot pasta, so I only ate half of a sandwich and saved my appetite for the dinner.



First I'm thinking, No way I could eat that late!!  Then I'm remembering, Oh yeah, it's still only like 8pm for you!



franandaj said:


>



He looks like such a sad, lonely little half-sandwich....  





[/quote]

Oh the irony of V8 juice next to jugs of Mountain Dew!!  

Well, you finally made it after quite an interesting travel day!  Great place to come "home" to!!  I've walked through SSR (I love all things horses....) on my way to "The entertainment area formerly known as DTD".  

Looking forward to more!

.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Wow! I can't believe they mucked up on the scooter like that!



Yeah, they really did that well as far as screw ups go. Yet another thing to check when we travel.



tiggrbaby said:


> The room looks really nice. There is no way I could have waited that long to make dinner; I would have given up long before!



I tend to be rather obsessive about food. I plan my dinners well in advance and I spend my days looking forward to what I'll be having for dinner. Sad, I know. I had been thinking about this spaghetti for weeks and really wanted to eat it! In fact all this reliving of my spaghetti dinner has made me want to put it on the menu soon. I already have made plans to make lasagna out of two of the packets of sauce for this Sunday night's dinner!



ACDSNY said:


> Wow, long day!  On our first day I just keep telling myself it's really only 8PM at home when I'm looking at the clock that saying it's 11PM.  No it doesn't usually work for me either. Lol



It did really help us get onto east coast time having such a long first day. But I did keep saying it's only 8 o'clock, and sometimes we eat this late...



pkondz said:


> I love a good mystery.



In a way it was a slight mystery how the events unfolded...but it will be a few days before the clues start popping up.



pkondz said:


> Aw, shucks Alison. That's what we're here for ya know.
> Can't offer you _physical_ support, but moral support never hurts.



The problem was that with so much going on I didn't even have the time to pop in here.  When we took Amelia to the vet it was after band. We don't get home from band until 11PM. Between the concert, making sure we had enough cat food, packing, and cleaning up all the little cats poops (they still don't have the hang of using a littler box) I barely had time to get on here.



pkondz said:


> Sell one, use the cash to fix the other five?
> 
> No... I guess not, because eventually you get to "Sell one to fix the other one." And then what do you do?



Well all there is to "fix" is our address with the DMV. I did notice that we received a renewal in the mail for one of the Cougars at our current house, the other day.



pkondz said:


> <rethinking decision to come to Cali in April.... tickets all bought.... guess I'm committed... or need to be...>



Don't worry about April, weather then is usually nice. It's usually overcast, or it it's sunny it rarely gets in the 80s. Temperatures over 100° usually happen between August and October.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> The problem was that with so much going on I didn't even have the time to pop in here. When we took Amelia to the vet it was after band. We don't get home from band until 11PM. Between the concert, making sure we had enough cat food, packing, and cleaning up all the little cats poops (they still don't have the hang of using a littler box) I barely had time to get on here.







franandaj said:


> Well all there is to "fix" is our address with the DMV.



Oh! Well, that only means standing in line for 37 days.



franandaj said:


> I did notice that we received a renewal in the mail for one of the Cougars at our current house, the other day.



Cats _and_ cougars! Wow! We should have come to your place instead of the petting zoo.



franandaj said:


> Don't worry about April, weather then is usually nice. It's usually overcast, or it it's sunny it rarely gets in the 80s. Temperatures over 100° usually happen between August and October.



I know. Was kidding. Don't forget that's (roughly) when we were there this year.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Do I hear a "3:45"?



It's not an auction! 



pkondz said:


> You know you're running late when there isn't time to stop for an Egg McMuffin



Seriously. But then again the McDonald's on the way to anywhere is kind of lame and there is always a long line at the drive through. I've tried walking inside too and you wait almost just as long.



pkondz said:


> Like a well oiled machine.



That's us!



pkondz said:


> I must be tired.
> I read that as "an almost croissant". What the heck is an "almost croissant"??



It doesn't have the layers of flaky pastry, but ot is shaped like a crescent moon.



pkondz said:


> I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you did in fact board and take the flight.



In hindsight, I'm going to agree with you. We definitely did not teleport to Houston.



pkondz said:


> I see what you wrote later on... I bought those (not the most expensive (Bose?) ones mind you) and returned them when I got back. Wasn't impressed.



These are what we got. I don't think they had a "cancel" setting.  I just assumed you had to have some kind of sound going for them to cancel anything.








pkondz said:


> Must've had more people to wait for to make it worth their while.
> 
> _Their_ while. Not yours.



Definitely not ours, but I think about one third of the plane was on our flight.



pkondz said:


> All right Alison! You go girl!



Time is a wasting!



pkondz said:


> This is a truism.
> Although... I have had it happen once where the gate I exited was adjacent to the gate I needed to board on.



It was much better on the return flight. Different transfer airport though.



pkondz said:


> Yeah! How stupid!







pkondz said:


> Well... that sucks.



It did.  At least I can fit in a seat without spilling over....



pkondz said:


> A cute on? The baby was super cute?



I may get flamed for this, but I don't get all the fuss over baby humans....



pkondz said:


> Ah! See I didn't do that. I didn't listen to music. I just put on the "cancel" feature.



Like I said, I don't think ours actually had that feature. It had Bluetooth switch and a setting for a little USB thingy that you could put in your computer. 



pkondz said:


> Okay, now _that_ I cannot stand.



Yeah, it was major annoying.



pkondz said:


> Odd. Really?



I guess they only kept non-perishable beverages on board.  They must have had non dairy creamer for the coffee.  Blech.



pkondz said:


> That bites.
> 
> 
> er... or, doesn't, rather.







pkondz said:


> Great. Meanwhile... you walk.



Well, I had been sitting down all day.....



pkondz said:


> Old school. Just like they did it back in the day.



Except back in the day they sent you a little booklet with a code that they could scan and zip you on through.  Now everyone just has their MBs.  



pkondz said:


> Still counts!







pkondz said:


> So what was it? Down in the 50s? Colder???



I'm going to guess it was somewhere in the high 50's maybe low 60's.  I wasn't freezing cold, but all I was wearing was a T-shirt and capris (in addition to my shoes and socks). I wouldn't have minded having my overshirt at that point. It was definitely brisk on the golf cart.



pkondz said:


> That's forever!



Pretty much, especially when your FP+ are ticking away....



pkondz said:


> Nice digs!



I thought so!



pkondz said:


> Not accessible? Don't you usually try to get that?



When you book DVC at four months out, you're lucky to find anything for eight nights in a row!



pkondz said:


> I never would have thought of that! How do you do that? I thought the tub had to be filled to run the jets... and you didn't have tons of bleach with you I wouldn't think?



I usually get three cleanings out of a 16oz bottle of bleach. I'll order it from the grocery service and then use about 1/3 the bottle each time.  Just fill the tub past the jets and pour in a little bleach.  The stuff is potent, it doesn't take much!



pkondz said:


> moot point, then.



No, cause they came and fixed it even before the luggage arrived and mind you I called them around 9PM and the guy was right out there!



pkondz said:


> V8.... ever get up the nerve to try the Clamato?



No....   You'll have to fix me a drink when you get here.  I still have all the ingredients, although I have been using the Worcestershire in cooking.



afwdwfan said:


> Man... can't catch a break to get breakfast! At least you found something that worked eventually.



I much preferred the Ham and Cheese panini that I had in August, but a Bagel and Cream Cheese works too.



afwdwfan said:


> That stinks. Sitting on the tarmac is never fun. At least you didn't miss your connection.



I was just blithely playing my game so I didn't notice how long it was.  It's been so long since I took a flight with connections, I forgot about possibly missing it.



afwdwfan said:


> Well, that's actually surprisingly good service that they had the foresight to reserve seats.



I was impressed, and would have been more so if someone had notified us so I didn't have to go all the way back to row 24.



afwdwfan said:


> Oh man...brutal



I tried to think of it that I needed the exercise.



afwdwfan said:


> That's the downside to this whole MagicBand thing. They're great when the technology works. When it doesn't, total cluster @$#&.



So much so. Things are becoming so reliant on technology everything breaks down when it doesn't work.



afwdwfan said:


> Somebody clearly doesn't appreciate the fact that Disney World only has Coke products...



No she does not.  She'll drink Coke zero in a pinch, but Diet Mtn Dew and Diet Dr. Pepper are her "go to" sodas.



Pinkocto said:


> I’m having anxiety reading about this travel day and I already knew the story  Not much more could have gone wrong....



I try to look on the bright side.  Our luggage made it!  But by 10PM I was seriously worried about that too!



Pinkocto said:


> On one of our trips to OKW we arrived late and it took ages for them to deliver the bags. Of course I hadn’t thought to keep our pajamas in the carryon or I would have waited for them to be delivered in the morning.



I'm lucky that way.  I always have my pajamas on!   



Pinkocto said:


> I had to laugh when you took charge with the wheelchair person. Times a wastin!



Exactly!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It's not an auction!



Guess I won't win my bid, then.



franandaj said:


> Seriously. But then again the McDonald's on the way to anywhere is kind of lame and there is always a long line at the drive through. I've tried walking inside too and you wait almost just as long.



I usually find going inside is quicker. Especially if the weather _outside_ is poor.



franandaj said:


> That's us!







franandaj said:


> It doesn't have the layers of flaky pastry, but ot is shaped like a crescent moon.



Almost! So close!!



franandaj said:


> In hindsight, I'm going to agree with you. We definitely did not teleport to Houston.



You should have, though.
Think of the time saved!

Look into that.



franandaj said:


> These are what we got. I don't think they had a "cancel" setting. I just assumed you had to have some kind of sound going for them to cancel anything.



Mine had an on/off setting just for noise cancellation.
Maybe with music on... but... wouldn't _any_ headphone drown out stuff then? 



franandaj said:


> Definitely not ours, but I think about one third of the plane was on our flight.



That would do it all right.



franandaj said:


> I may get flamed for this, but I don't get all the fuss over baby humans....



Not from me.
Before we had our own, I didn't get it either.
I still don't, really.
But sometimes, a cute toddler reminds me of my own at that age and I'll smile.

A screaming toddler does not elicit a smile.



franandaj said:


> Like I said, I don't think ours actually had that feature. It had Bluetooth switch and a setting for a little USB thingy that you could put in your computer.



What was the USB for?



franandaj said:


> I guess they only kept non-perishable beverages on board. They must have had non dairy creamer for the coffee. Blech.



Just... no. That is _not_ milk.



franandaj said:


> Well, I had been sitting down all day.....



Well, there you go, then!
Literally.



franandaj said:


> Except back in the day they sent you a little booklet with a code that they could scan and zip you on through. Now everyone just has their MBs.



Well, actually... That's how all us foreign devils do it. They don't mail MBs out of the US.



franandaj said:


> I'm going to guess it was somewhere in the high 50's maybe low 60's. I wasn't freezing cold, but all I was wearing was a T-shirt and capris (in addition to my shoes and socks). I wouldn't have minded having my overshirt at that point. It was definitely brisk on the golf cart.



I can see that (considering your attire) that you'd be chilled.



franandaj said:


> When you book DVC at four months out, you're lucky to find anything for eight nights in a row!



Ah yes. Forgot about that.



franandaj said:


> I usually get three cleanings out of a 16oz bottle of bleach. I'll order it from the grocery service and then use about 1/3 the bottle each time. Just fill the tub past the jets and pour in a little bleach. The stuff is potent, it doesn't take much!



Ohhh... Okay. Got it. 



franandaj said:


> No, cause they came and fixed it even before the luggage arrived and mind you I called them around 9PM and the guy was right out there!



Quick!



franandaj said:


> No.... You'll have to fix me a drink when you get here. I still have all the ingredients, although I have been using the Worcestershire in cooking.



Do you dare???


----------



## rentayenta

So far so good, no scooter issues but I know it's coming.  

Ugh on getting luggage so late.  

We still haven't stayed at SSR yet aside from the Treehouses and it's our home resort. Michael is really wanting to go back to WDW; its been 4 years I think.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Holy cow, that's a crazy travel day!  Glad you finally got there!
> 
> Jill in CO



You and me both!



LegoMom3 said:


> Ugh, airport construction is the pits.... Glad you were able to navigate it!



Yeah and when we asked how long it will be going on for they said 2020.  



LegoMom3 said:


> Disney playlist =
> ANYone kicking your seat =







LegoMom3 said:


> Ah, spoken like a true Hobbit.



Exactly!



LegoMom3 said:


> Sounds like a prison sentence!!



I felt like it. Getting a second glass of water was like pulling teeth.



LegoMom3 said:


> It's a cool effect, actually!



Thanks! I picked the least blurry of the lot.



LegoMom3 said:


> First I'm thinking, No way I could eat that late!! Then I'm remembering, Oh yeah, it's still only like 8pm for you!



Even then, we usually have second dinner on Tuesday nights after we come home from band.



LegoMom3 said:


> He looks like such a sad, lonely little half-sandwich....



I thought it looked rather yummy! And not even squished.



LegoMom3 said:


> Oh the irony of V8 juice next to jugs of Mountain Dew!!



Everything you need to get going in the morning, V8 for balance, and Mtn Dew for a jolt. Fran drinks it, I have coffee.



LegoMom3 said:


> Well, you finally made it after quite an interesting travel day! Great place to come "home" to!! I've walked through SSR (I love all things horses....) on my way to "The entertainment area formerly known as DTD".
> 
> Looking forward to more!



It felt good to finally get into the tub and relax.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Well, that only means standing in line for 37 days.



Fran gets to bypass the line, courtesy of her disability.



pkondz said:


> Cats _and_ cougars! Wow! We should have come to your place instead of the petting zoo.



Don't forget the coyotes! Oh yeah, and racoons and possums too!



pkondz said:


> I know. Was kidding. Don't forget that's (roughly) when we were there this year.



It was two weeks earlier, there will be a HUGE difference!





Or not


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Fran gets to bypass the line, courtesy of her disability.



Ah.

Nevermind, then.



franandaj said:


> Don't forget the coyotes! Oh yeah, and racoons and possums too!



I've never seen a real live possum.
Closest I've come is when Granny (On Beverly Hillbillies) would make her possum stew.



franandaj said:


> It was two weeks earlier, there will be a HUGE difference!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Or not



You're trying to dissuade me?


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Guess I won't win my bid, then.



No contests on this TR.....



pkondz said:


> I usually find going inside is quicker. Especially if the weather _outside_ is poor.



What do you mean? Like a rainy mist or 106°....  



pkondz said:


> You should have, though.
> Think of the time saved!
> 
> Look into that.



Did you hear that Elon Musk is designing a complex system of tunnels beneath LA where cars will be propelled along something akin to a _really_ fast conveyor belt. It will be underground and supposedly reduce congestion as well as get folks across town fast.



pkondz said:


> Mine had an on/off setting just for noise cancellation.
> Maybe with music on... but... wouldn't _any_ headphone drown out stuff then?



Not the cheapie ones that came with my walkman.



pkondz said:


> Not from me.
> Before we had our own, I didn't get it either.
> I still don't, really.
> But sometimes, a cute toddler reminds me of my own at that age and I'll smile.
> 
> A screaming toddler does not elicit a smile.



I can possibly see if you made the kid yourself. I had no desire to go through all the trials and tribulations involved. That's why I have million dollar kittens. Kahlua is now at the vet getting a transfusion, her red blood cells were between 9-10%. Amelia was in the normal range which is 30-45%.



pkondz said:


> What was the USB for?



You put it in your computer to computer to communicate wirelessly to the headphones. You know for watching movies and stuff. If you've ever had a wireless mouse, they have the same little sort of doodad.



pkondz said:


> Just... no. That is _not_ milk.



No it is not. Now I know if I want my cereal, I have to buy milk in the airport.



pkondz said:


> Well, actually... That's how all us foreign devils do it. They don't mail MBs out of the US.



But don't you have your MB from last year? I declined a MB this year.



pkondz said:


> I can see that (considering your attire) that you'd be chilled.



It wasn't the last time on this trip.



pkondz said:


> Do you dare???



If an alcoholic drink was placed in front of me, I would taste it. But it would have to be that easy. When I have to make it myself I chicken out!



rentayenta said:


> So far so good, no scooter issues but I know it's coming.



A few more updates, but the foreshadowing starts in about 3-4 more updates. Not exactly sure how I'm going to break up the days after days 2 & 3. Those are already written and waiting to post.



rentayenta said:


> Ugh on getting luggage so late.



Considering we arrived just after 6PM, it took quite a long time.



rentayenta said:


> We still haven't stayed at SSR yet aside from the Treehouses and it's our home resort. Michael is really wanting to go back to WDW; its been 4 years I think.



That was the year you and I were supposed to meet for the first time. Actually I think it was 2012, so five years. Didn't we meet on your birthday in 2013? And you loved Fran right from the start when she had a baggie in her pocket. 



pkondz said:


> I've never seen a real live possum.



Seriously?  They're like giant rats. We had them all over at the old house, they'd run along the top of the fence.  People put cat food out for the strays and they'd come by to eat that. Raccoons too. We stopped putting cat food outside when I opened the front door and two 30lbs raccoons were chowing down and they hissed at me!

We had baby possums living in a drawer in the workbench in our garage. They moved when we found them out! 



pkondz said:


> Closest I've come is when Granny (On Beverly Hillbillies) would make her possum stew.







pkondz said:


> You're trying to dissuade me?



No, just messin' with ya! And trying to be a smart a$$.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> No contests on this TR.....



So we're all winners because we get to read it!



franandaj said:


> Did you hear that Elon Musk is designing a complex system of tunnels beneath LA where cars will be propelled along something akin to a _really_ fast conveyor belt. It will be underground and supposedly reduce congestion as well as get folks across town fast.



I think that's a really good idea in a tectonically stable area such as where you are.



franandaj said:


> Not the cheapie ones that came with my walkman.



Well, no... but maybe _any_ over the ear headphones?



franandaj said:


> I can possibly see if you made the kid yourself. I had no desire to go through all the trials and tribulations involved. That's why I have million dollar kittens. Kahlua is now at the vet getting a transfusion, her red blood cells were between 9-10%. Amelia was in the normal range which is 30-45%.



Oh, no! Poor kitty!



franandaj said:


> You put it in your computer to computer to communicate wirelessly to the headphones. You know for watching movies and stuff. If you've ever had a wireless mouse, they have the same little sort of doodad.



Ah! Didn't realize they were wireless.



franandaj said:


> But don't you have your MB from last year? I declined a MB this year.



I always get a new one.



franandaj said:


> If an alcoholic drink was placed in front of me, I would taste it. But it would have to be that easy. When I have to make it myself I chicken out!



Then I guess I'll just have to make some for you. 



franandaj said:


> Seriously? They're like giant rats. We had them all over at the old house, they'd run along the top of the fence. People put cat food out for the strays and they'd come by to eat that. Raccoons too. We stopped putting cat food outside when I opened the front door and two 30lbs raccoons were chowing down and they hissed at me!



 Well, that's what you get for forgetting the tartar sauce!



franandaj said:


> We had baby possums living in a drawer in the workbench in our garage. They moved when we found them out!



Well, you were rude to intrude, you know.



Had a similar thing in our backyard at the old place. I mowed the lawn and... what's that? Looks like a tuft of fur. I pick it up and there's a half dozen or so baby bunnies.
I put the fur back.
I went back to check on them later and.... gone.



franandaj said:


> No, just messin' with ya! And trying to be a smart a$$.


----------



## rentayenta

You know how I feel about baggies and foil!  And old Cool Whip containers. 

Yes, I think it was 2012. WAY. TOO. LONG. But I feel like we have been friends forever.  Lunch Thursday right?


----------



## tch121

More! More! More! You write the greatest TRs!


----------



## Flossbolna

@pkondz I agree with your Elon Musk comment! But on the MB: regardless if you get a new one or not, all your old MBs still work for all necessary functions, like park entry, room key and DME identification. The only function that can be lost over time (after about two years) is the long range readability. That is used for some on ride photos, to display your name at the end of It’s a Small World and other fun little extras.


----------



## pkondz

Flossbolna said:


> @pkondz I agree with your Elon Musk comment! But on the MB: regardless if you get a new one or not, all your old MBs still work for all necessary functions, like park entry, room key and DME identification. The only function that can be lost over time (after about two years) is the long range readability. That is used for some on ride photos, to display your name at the end of It’s a Small World and other fun little extras.



I figured it'd still work... but I want a new one! I paid for one, darn it!



and yes.... I know I could use an old one and _still_ get a new one after I get there.
But... I'm just stubborn that way!


----------



## Flossbolna

pkondz said:


> I figured it'd still work... but I want a new one! I paid for one, darn it!
> 
> 
> 
> and yes.... I know I could use an old one and _still_ get a new one after I get there.
> But... I'm just stubborn that way!



See, as woman I bring all my magic bands so I can accessorize according to what I am wearing that day!!! So, I need the old ones!


----------



## pkondz

Flossbolna said:


> See, as woman I bring all my magic bands so I can accessorize according to what I am wearing that day!!! So, I need the old ones!


That wouldn't work for me.
I always get green!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> I ended up at the Coffee Bean and Tea leaf, where I got an Americano, an everything bagel, lemon loaf and an almond croissant for Fran.



That sounds like a nice enough breakfast.



franandaj said:


> It turns out that we must have sat on the Tarmac for over an hour or so because partway into the flight they made an announcement that they would be holding the flights in Houston (where we changed planes) for both Belize and Orlando. I was amazed that they held the plane over an hour and by the time we got off the first plane they were boarding our connecting flight.



That was good of them to hold the connections.



franandaj said:


> I found that at row 24 and tried to get her attention when she boarded the plane, but evidently they had saved her seats in the second row.



How nice that they saved some seats for Fran.



franandaj said:


> Now if they could have done something about the kicking of my seat that would have been great!



I hear you.



franandaj said:


> We waited a while for Fran’s scooter and it didn’t come up, so I went up top to see if they were bringing it that way.



Oh, oh.



franandaj said:


> It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston. The flight crew only remembered waiting for one scooter before we left Houston. So now we had to go to the claims office in Baggage Claim on the opposite side of the airport as Magical Express.



What a pain.



franandaj said:


> When we got to the claims office, it turns out that the folks at the Houston Airport had contacted the folks in Orlando and planned to send the scooter on the next flight.



At least they were proactive.



franandaj said:


> It turns out that the MB scanner was down, and they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!



That does not sound like a lot of fun.



franandaj said:


> However it did become tedious to have to ride through the entire resort every time that we went somewhere.



I can imagine.



franandaj said:


> In the room, I unpacked food and stuff and it wasn’t until 11PM that our suitcases arrived. This was an annoyance because the spaghetti and sauce were in there.



Goodness, that was late.



franandaj said:


> Maintenance came and fixed the tub before our luggage arrived.



That is what I call speedy service.



franandaj said:


> I'm not sure if it got water in the tube or what, but he was using the blow dryer to fix it.



That seems to be a novel idea. I never appreciate how many uses a blow dryer has.

Corinna


----------



## Pinkocto

Oh my about Kahlua, I hope she's ok.  

I had a possum in the backyard earlier this week.  It played dead and was thankfully gone in the morning.  Poor little guy must have been terrified of the boys.


----------



## Mom2m&k

Love that you have a new trip report! Sorry it started rough... we had a similar issue years back with a double stroller and they didn’t offer to deliver it! Such a  pain!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So we're all winners because we get to read it!



There you go!



pkondz said:


> I think that's a really good idea in a tectonically stable area such as where you are.







pkondz said:


> Well, no... but maybe _any_ over the ear headphones?



My walkman had over the ear headphones...



pkondz said:


> Oh, no! Poor kitty!



It seems to have helped her, she's running around, playing and behaving like a kitten.



pkondz said:


> Ah! Didn't realize they were wireless.



Isn't pretty much everything nowadays?



pkondz said:


> I always get a new one.



I used to do that...this picture is without my purple one and my Marie one (which I pretty much used exclusively on this trip.)








pkondz said:


> Then I guess I'll just have to make some for you.



I have all the ingredients, well except for the vodka....



pkondz said:


> Well, that's what you get for forgetting the tartar sauce!



Raccoons like Tartar Sauce? : confused3



pkondz said:


> Well, you were rude to intrude, you know.



I just opened the drawer looking for tools....



pkondz said:


> Had a similar thing in our backyard at the old place. I mowed the lawn and... what's that? Looks like a tuft of fur. I pick it up and there's a half dozen or so baby bunnies.
> I put the fur back.
> I went back to check on them later and.... gone.



I'm surprised they didn't scatter when you initially approached them.



rentayenta said:


> You know how I feel about baggies and foil!  And old Cool Whip containers.







rentayenta said:


> Yes, I think it was 2012. WAY. TOO. LONG. But I feel like we have been friends forever.







rentayenta said:


> Lunch Thursday right?



Totally! Can't wait! The news just said there is a chance of sprinkles late wed/early Thurs. I may take a vat of chicken noodle soup togo! It's so yummy!



tch121 said:


> More! More! More! You write the greatest TRs!


----------



## rentayenta

Katella Deli will be perfect!!!


----------



## franandaj

Flossbolna said:


> @pkondz I agree with your Elon Musk comment!



I hadn't thought of earthquakes and such, probably not the best idea afterall.



Flossbolna said:


> But on the MB: regardless if you get a new one or not, all your old MBs still work for all necessary functions, like park entry, room key and DME identification. The only function that can be lost over time (after about two years) is the long range readability. That is used for some on ride photos, to display your name at the end of It’s a Small World and other fun little extras.



Huh.  All my MBs are at least two years old or older, or will be by my next trip. The picture above was taken in 2016. My last two trips I've declined MBs. All mine are the old version not the new one with the wide disc in it.



pkondz said:


> I figured it'd still work... but I want a new one! I paid for one, darn it!
> 
> 
> 
> and yes.... I know I could use an old one and _still_ get a new one after I get there.
> But... I'm just stubborn that way!



So you're going to show your old school paperwork when you could easily participate in the 21st century technology?  



Flossbolna said:


> See, as woman I bring all my magic bands so I can accessorize according to what I am wearing that day!!! So, I need the old ones!



   this^^^^  Although on my last trip I had all the choices and still went with my Marie band every day.



pkondz said:


> That wouldn't work for me.
> I always get green!



:


----------



## Flossbolna

franandaj said:


> Huh. All my MBs are at least two years old or older, or will be by my next trip. The picture above was taken in 2016. My last two trips I've declined MBs. All mine are the old version not the new one with the wide disc in it.



If you want your MB to capture all the onride pictures in the future, you might want to start upgrading them. All vital uses are still ok, just the extras will stop working. There are two chips in the MB. One is a passive chip. That is the one that you need to touch to the tapstile or the room door and such. The other one is an active one that sends a very weak radio signal (not very far, but at least 10 feet or so I think) and therefore there is a tiny battery in them. Once the battery has run out, the signal won't be broadcast, so only the passive chip will still be useable.

Hope the kitten is feeling better!!


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> That sounds like a nice enough breakfast.



There was a La Brea Bakery there last summer and I got a Ham & Cheese Panini which to me was a heartier choice. I was hoping for something more like that.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That was good of them to hold the connections.



I was astonished that they held it!  I'm sure the people who were not on our plane were not as happy.



dolphingirl47 said:


> How nice that they saved some seats for Fran.



That was really nice, next time I will ask when I board if I am ahead of her.  I thought we were on our own which was why I ran ahead to grab seats.



dolphingirl47 said:


> At least they were proactive.



Again, I was very impressed that they were already apprised of the situation.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That does not sound like a lot of fun.



No it wasn't.  



dolphingirl47 said:


> Goodness, that was late.



Yeah, usually they are within the 4 hours of landing deadline, this time it was 5 hours.  I was starting to panic!  Especially after the scooter problem.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is what I call speedy service.



I am continually impressed with the Disney maintenance team.  Well except for the time that the guy put our stained clothes in the dryer



dolphingirl47 said:


> That seems to be a novel idea. I never appreciate how many uses a blow dryer has.



Funny thing is that my blow dryer hasn't been used to dry hair in years, but it does get regular use.



Pinkocto said:


> Oh my about Kahlua, I hope she's ok.
> 
> I had a possum in the backyard earlier this week.  It played dead and was thankfully gone in the morning.  Poor little guy must have been terrified of the boys.



Well she was running around playing and wrassling with all the others this morning so she must be feeling better!

At the old house the kitties would mess with the baby possums, but they know to steer clear of the adults!



Mom2m&k said:


> Love that you have a new trip report! Sorry it started rough... we had a similar issue years back with a double stroller and they didn’t offer to deliver it! Such a  pain!





That's not right, if they lost it, they should fix it.



rentayenta said:


> Katella Deli will be perfect!!!



I can't wait!


----------



## franandaj

Flossbolna said:


> If you want your MB to capture all the onride pictures in the future, you might want to start upgrading them. All vital uses are still ok, just the extras will stop working. There are two chips in the MB. One is a passive chip. That is the one that you need to touch to the tapstile or the room door and such. The other one is an active one that sends a very weak radio signal (not very far, but at least 10 feet or so I think) and therefore there is a tiny battery in them. Once the battery has run out, the signal won't be broadcast, so only the passive chip will still be useable.



Maybe I'll get a new one and just put it in my purse for the picture functions. It worked fine this last trip as it took pictures of me on at least one ride 



Flossbolna said:


> Hope the kitten is feeling better!!



She seems to be! She's running around and playing again.


----------



## franandaj

Day 2

This morning, I woke up 5AM couldn't go back to sleep so I took a bath. After that I was able to go back to sleep until about 8:30 with some very weird dreams. I can’t remember what they were now, but I was glad to wake up! I finished unpacking the suitcases and woke Fran up around 9AM. I had called Bell services just after I woke up and they said didn't have the scooter. We were prepared to go about our day without the other scooter, I would just have to walk, and I would probably be OK with walking until about the 3rd day of the trip.

I went to make coffee and realized that the coffee I had brought along with me was not already ground, but whole beans. So Fran quickly got online to see about ordering some coffee from Amazon Prime and it turned out to be cheaper to order me a coffee grinder than to order coffee!

That accomplished, we prepared to leave the room. We were going to leave at 10AM but she took too long doing her online ordering and such. At 10:15 we got a call that Bell  Services had the scooter, but it was in the “barn”. They needed the key to retrieve it and we had the key, so we met the guy downstairs, gave him the key and he brought the scooter to us up near registration. While Fran waited for the scooter, I went into Artist's Palette and got myself some coffee. She was cranky because it was way colder than we expected. She had worn shorts and was not at all comfortable. I didn't want to deal with her being cold and cranky so I gave up my FP+ for Mission Space and went back to the room so she could put long pants on. I don’t think she wore her shorts once during the whole trip!

By the time we got to Epcot it was 10 to noon, and our lunch started at noon. We got to La Haceinda and were 2nd to last in line. No worries we got a good seat near the window.











This was our place setting. Sorry the tequila is blurry, my camera liked the napkin better!











Salud! The watermelon sangria they served us was very tasty!






Here is the menu:






Our hostess was Hilda, but she said after a few shots of Tequila it was OK for us to call her Maria.






Our first course was a salad. The menu said that it was Hearts of Palm salad and that worried me because I’m not a huge fan of Hearts of Palm. Luckily it was more of a salad with a few Hearts of Palm thrown on top. It was OK. I ate it all because I knew we’d be drinking a bit of Tequila. This dish was paired with the Blanco






It seems like this happens to us a lot, but the people next to us never showed up. Fran kept saying that she was going to steal their Tequila and when they weren’t there for the first course she was like, “Ok, they snoozed they lost!” And grabbed the first glass. After a couple minutes, she said to me, “If you don’t take the other one, I will!” So I took it!

Our second course was Grilled Octopus with black mole and butternut squash puree. I liked the mole sauce better than the squash puree.  The octopus was perfectly cooked and really tasty. This was paired with the Reposado, and that’s my favorite style of Tequila, so I quickly grabbed the extra glass!

The Octopus was really tender and very good. I wasn't a fan of the butternut squash puree, but liked the mole sauce.






Our next course was a Beef Tenderloin with a Poblano Cream Sauce atop a plantain puree. There were fingerling chips on the side  






The Poblano Cream sauce was OK.  I didn’t care for the plantain puree, but Fran loved it and ate mine after I finished the steak.  The chips were really good and I ate all of those.

I don't quite remember the order here, they had given us a shot of vodka as a palette cleanser which we were supposed to be sipping inbetween the different tequilas, I'm not sure if it was before or after dessert that they had us take the shot of Mezcal. After all the tasty and smooth tequilas it was obvious how harsh and smoky the Mezcal tasted. 

With our dessert we drank the coffee flavored tequila. The dessert was a Mamey Flan and I didn't care for it at all. I took one bite and let Fran have it, she didn't seem to mind it.






We did have a nice waterfront view during our meal.






I'm not sure if these were the tequilas that we tasted, but I thought I might as well take a picture of it.






Since I felt gypped on the dessert front, I went to Karamel Kuche while she bought some pins and stuff. This picture was taken a day or two later in the villa, but Fran and I split the other caramel covered s’more on our way to the bus stop.






We met back up at the pin store in Future World and headed out of the park. It was 2:07 and I had a TT FP+ at 2:35, but I didn't want to wait around that long just for a ride. We had plans for the early afternoon/evening and it was becoming apparent that we needed a power nap.

We were back in the room by 3:08 and after half an hour I started waking Fran up. We got dressed and headed out a little after 4PM. It took until 4:40 before we got on a bus. We decided to play bus roulette, we would take either the first bus to Epcot or to MK and then take a monorail from either one. The Epcot bus came first so we took that. When we got there we had to go through security to get to the monorail to the TTC. We just missed one so we caught the next one. By 5:30 we were on our way to the Poly and Trader Sams to meet up with Magdalene & Michael, they had just scored a table inside and ordered drinks.

Fran got a Nautilus, and I got a HippoMaiTai. 






I liked my drink better than hers, and it was definitely potent!

When we ordered our second drinks we got an order of potstickers






and some pork sliders. 






I ate most of the potstickers and didn't care so much for the sliders. We gave Michael one of the sliders, so here you can see him with it.






After a while we had to say goodbye as they had a dinner reservation at O’hana. I'll let M explain that one in her own TR, whenever she gets there.

Pretty soon we settled our check, collected our souvenir mugs and headed to the monorail. There were people all dressed up for MNSSHP on the monorail and some great costumes as well. Then we caught the bus to SSR, it took a while for the bus to arrive and I was falling asleep on my tiller or my scooter. I think I slept for most of the bus ride as well, but when I got back to the room, I was awake. Fran went right to sleep, but I was still hungry. Three potstickers and half a slider just didn't cut it for me, so I heated up up a small bowl of the leftover spaghetti and sauce and that hit the spot. After a nice relaxing bath I went to sleep around 11PM. It had been a long and eventful day.


----------



## Pinkocto

Awesome news about Kahlua 

Thank goodness they found the scooter sooner rather than later.  

That was the funkiest weather week.  Its back up to high 70s low 80s and 60s at night. 


Your lunch looks tasty. I saw hearts of palm on the menu and was excited! They’re one of my favorite things 

Karamel Kuche 


Looks like a lovely evening. I know we talked about it already but I still hate that I missed Trader Sams. It was the smart thing to do but I’m still disappointed I missed Magdalene.


----------



## LegoMom3

Interesting lunch options!  But a great view.

Ah yes, buses at WDW......good times, good times.  

Trader Sam's looks like fun.  The Poly is my dream resort and where I will stay someday when I win the lottery.   
But seriously, I love it there.  Will have to at least check out TS when I next get over there!

.


----------



## Flossbolna

It is so funny to read your report after I already had the oral report when we had drinks at Trader Sam! We both really loved meeting up with you there and then on Saturday. I was actually a bit mad at Michael for getting us that meal at Ohana because it made the evening a bit stressful. I would have enjoyed more leisurely drinks...

And I had no idea that you did not like the sliders! I actually thought it was very tasty! And it was very nice of you to share since I really could use some food at that point! I totally forgot what I had to drink. I know that Michael had the same drink as you because of the mug that he ended up getting...


----------



## rentayenta

Great view! Not sure how I feel about the meal. I'm not a fan of octopus, mole, or sweet potatoes. 

Love your pink nails! 

Is the seating at Trader Sam's at WDW as disastrous as it is in DL? We got lucky the other day......because we got there at opening. Our bartender sucked again. It just can't be that difficult.


----------



## PrincessInOz

I made it!!!

Nice to see another TR and what an awesome start so far.
Pity about the long travel day; and the scooter.
But that food porn and drinks are great so far.


----------



## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> So Fran quickly got online to see about ordering some coffee from Amazon Prime and it turned out to be cheaper to order me a coffee grinder than to order coffee!


And now you have a coffee grinder for when you're at Disney World.  



franandaj said:


> We were going to leave at 10AM but she took too long doing her online ordering and such. At 10:15 we got a call that Bell Services had the scooter, but it was in the “barn”. They needed the key to retrieve it and we had the key, so we met the guy downstairs, gave him the key and he brought the scooter to us up near registration.


And my first thought:  How low is the charge?  



franandaj said:


> Our hostess was Hilda, but she said after a few shots of Tequila it was OK for us to call her Maria.






franandaj said:


> Fran kept saying that she was going to steal their Tequila and when they weren’t there for the first course she was like, “Ok, they snoozed they lost!” And grabbed the first glass. After a couple minutes, she said to me, “If you don’t take the other one, I will!” So I took it!


Heck yeah!  



franandaj said:


> With our dessert we drank the coffee flavored tequila


Well, if I was there, Fran could have mine.  I don't do coffee flavored anything. 



franandaj said:


> Then we caught the bus to SSR, it took a while for the bus to arrive and I was falling asleep on my tiller or my scooter. I think I slept for most of the bus ride as well, but when I got back to the room, I was awake.


Of course you were awake once you got back.


----------



## jedijill

Amazon to the rescue with the coffee grinder!  That's a lot of tequila!  The food looks really tasty.  

Ah, Traders Sams is one of my happy places!  Can't wait to see everyone next month at the original Trader Sams!

Jill in CO


----------



## Flossbolna

rentayenta said:


> Is the seating at Trader Sam's at WDW as disastrous as it is in DL?



Since I am the one who got us the table, I feel qualified to answer this: It sucks, but not as much as in DL. It is slightly larger, but not by much. They also give out pagers when they are full, so when a table opens up, you are getting paged. However, when we were there I was the first to arrive and while all the tables were taken, there was the odd chair here and there. And because of that they were not giving out pagers, they only do that when they are at full capacity. They do keep an accurate head count, I think 54 guests are allowed inside. So, i hovered for a while, then felt uncomfortable and went outside, then Michael came and we went back inside, nearly were not allowed in because now they were at 54 guests. But two people left and then we were allowed in, got a tiny table for two and pounced once a larger table became available. So, it is a hassle. But it is not as impossible as in DL.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> I had called Bell services just after I woke up and they said didn't have the scooter.



That did not sound good. I am glad that they had it before you left.



franandaj said:


> So Fran quickly got online to see about ordering some coffee from Amazon Prime and it turned out to be cheaper to order me a coffee grinder than to order coffee!



This is just crazy.



franandaj said:


> The watermelon sangria they served us was very tasty!



This sounds great, but the menu would not have been a hit with me.

Corinna


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> We woke up at 5AM or was it 4:15?



When it's that early, does it matter?



franandaj said:


> It turns out that we must have sat on the Tarmac for over an hour or so because partway into the flight they made an announcement that they would be holding the flights in Houston (where we changed planes) for both Belize and Orlando.



 Nothing beats an hour of going nowhere!



franandaj said:


> Of course it was pretty much as far from the first gate as it could be.



This falls under the Law of Airports.  When you have to make a connection, it will always be at the gate that is furthest from yours.



franandaj said:


> We waited a while for Fran’s scooter and it didn’t come up, so I went up top to see if they were bringing it that way.
> 
> Nope.
> 
> It turns out the gate agent in LA booked it through to Houston.



Well, I'm sure it was doing a lot of good in Houston!



franandaj said:


> It turns out that the MB scanner was down, and they were working with paper confirmations that were handwritten with paper and a pen!



 

And then we boarded our horse carriage.



franandaj said:


> Sorry about the blurry picture, it was dark and the bus was moving, so hard to photograph with the point and shoot.



Your bus was going at warp speed!



franandaj said:


> However it did become tedious to have to ride through the entire resort every time that we went somewhere. The trip to pick up all the passengers sometimes took as long as 20 minutes before we even left the resort.



That's always a pain at just about every resort.



franandaj said:


> I had called Bell services just after I woke up and they said didn't have the scooter.



We're taking it for a joyride, Ferris Bueller style!



franandaj said:


> So Fran quickly got online to see about ordering some coffee from Amazon Prime and it turned out to be cheaper to order me a coffee grinder than to order coffee!



 So they were giving you Disney prices.



franandaj said:


> She was cranky because it was way colder than we expected.



You'd think Disney would do a better job of controlling the temps for their guests.



franandaj said:


> This was our place setting. Sorry the tequila is blurry, my camera liked the napkin better!



It looks like a very nice napkin.



franandaj said:


> Our hostess was Hilda, but she said after a few shots of Tequila it was OK for us to call her Maria.







franandaj said:


> It seems like this happens to us a lot, but the people next to us never showed up. Fran kept saying that she was going to steal their Tequila and when they weren’t there for the first course she was like, “Ok, they snoozed they lost!” And grabbed the first glass. After a couple minutes, she said to me, “If you don’t take the other one, I will!” So I took it!



Are you sure you guys don't plan it this way?  Book your table with a couple of non-existent "guests"?



franandaj said:


> I don't quite remember the order here



After all that tequlia, few would.



franandaj said:


> By 5:30 we were on our way to the Poly and Trader Sams to meet up with Magdalene & Michael, they had just scored a table inside and ordered drinks.



Hooray!



franandaj said:


> I ate most of the potstickers and didn't care so much for the sliders. We gave Michael one of the sliders, so here you can see him with it.



I see he's looking as handsome as ever.


----------



## disney ny

So glad to find your newest report. I haven’t been on in quite a while and I always love your reports. I can’t even count how many years I’ve been reading them now!


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> Awesome news about Kahlua



She's doing much better now.  If only she could learn to use the litter box.  It's really annoying.



Pinkocto said:


> Thank goodness they found the scooter sooner rather than later.



Well.....maybe.....



Pinkocto said:


> That was the funkiest weather week. Its back up to high 70s low 80s and 60s at night.



The temperatures were not at all what I expected, totally packed wrong.



Pinkocto said:


> Your lunch looks tasty. I saw hearts of palm on the menu and was excited! They’re one of my favorite things



That's the one thing that I wasn't thrilled with!  



Pinkocto said:


> Karamel Kuche



I must go there on the first day and stock up for the rest of the trip!



Pinkocto said:


> Looks like a lovely evening. I know we talked about it already but I still hate that I missed Trader Sams. It was the smart thing to do but I’m still disappointed I missed Magdalene.



I know, but it worked out for the best as Fran and I were both really tired and left shortly after M&M left.



LegoMom3 said:


> Interesting lunch options! But a great view.



It definitely was!  



LegoMom3 said:


> Ah yes, buses at WDW......good times, good times.







LegoMom3 said:


> Trader Sam's looks like fun. The Poly is my dream resort and where I will stay someday when I win the lottery.



I really enjoy Trader Sams, although when you're trying to have a conversation it can sometimes be annoying.



LegoMom3 said:


> But seriously, I love it there. Will have to at least check out TS when I next get over there!



I like the one in Anaheim just a little better.  The only thing is that you can't get a Nautilus in Anaheim.



Flossbolna said:


> It is so funny to read your report after I already had the oral report when we had drinks at Trader Sam! We both really loved meeting up with you there and then on Saturday. I was actually a bit mad at Michael for getting us that meal at Ohana because it made the evening a bit stressful. I would have enjoyed more leisurely drinks...



I would have loved to go to Ohana with you two, it's one of my favorite restaurants.  Fran thinks it's just OK.



Flossbolna said:


> And I had no idea that you did not like the sliders! I actually thought it was very tasty! And it was very nice of you to share since I really could use some food at that point! I totally forgot what I had to drink. I know that Michael had the same drink as you because of the mug that he ended up getting...



There was something in there that the texture was off for me, and the sauce was just sort of meh for me.  It was OK cause the pasta I had in the room hit the spot.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Great view! Not sure how I feel about the meal. I'm not a fan of octopus, mole, or sweet potatoes.



Yeah, you have to have the kind of palate that you aren't afraid to try just about anything when you go to these kind of lunches.



rentayenta said:


> Love your pink nails!



Thanks!  They matched my tablet and my overflannel perfectly!



rentayenta said:


> Is the seating at Trader Sam's at WDW as disastrous as it is in DL? We got lucky the other day......because we got there at opening. Our bartender sucked again. It just can't be that difficult.



I see that Magdalene already answered this.  Maybe in December we might want to consider sitting outside.  As much as the fun antics inside can be, I have a feeling that we're going to want to talk to each other and every time a new antic starts up, the conversation has to halt because we can't hear each other!



PrincessInOz said:


> I made it!!!







PrincessInOz said:


> Nice to see another TR and what an awesome start so far.
> Pity about the long travel day; and the scooter.
> But that food porn and drinks are great so far.



The trip really was sheer fun for the first couple days!



afwdwfan said:


> And now you have a coffee grinder for when you're at Disney World.



That is not a bad thing! Before I got a Kueurig at home I ground my own coffee every day. I don't mind doin it on vacation as that means I get a superior cup of coffee!



afwdwfan said:


> And my first thought: How low is the charge?



We didn't even think about that! Luckily it wasn't an issue!



afwdwfan said:


> Heck yeah!



In hindsight we really do have no problems stealing other people's booze!



afwdwfan said:


> Well, if I was there, Fran could have mine. I don't do coffee flavored anything.



Actually the girls at the table on the other side got in on it and asked for the coffee flavored tequila.  They gave us back one thinking I think was the b vodka but it was actually the Mezcal.



afwdwfan said:


> Of course you were awake once you got back.







jedijill said:


> Amazon to the rescue with the coffee grinder! That's a lot of tequila! The food looks really tasty.



Amazon is a life saver! Even on vacation!



jedijill said:


> Ah, Traders Sams is one of my happy places! Can't wait to see everyone next month at the original Trader Sams!



It will be a total blast! Only 20 days left!


----------



## franandaj

Flossbolna said:


> Since I am the one who got us the table, I feel qualified to answer this: It sucks, but not as much as in DL. It is slightly larger, but not by much.



Thank you for answering and thank you for securing the table! It is easier to get one in WDW than DL, but like you said, not by much!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That did not sound good. I am glad that they had it before you left.



It was nice that I didn't have to walk that day.



dolphingirl47 said:


> This is just crazy.



The coffee grinder was less than $10. All the coffee they had just have been gourmet, and you probably had to buy several pounds.



dolphingirl47 said:


> This sounds great, but the menu would not have been a hit with me.



You need to be fairly omnivorous to enjoy these special meals. They only make substitutions for actual allergies not dining preferences.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> When it's that early, does it matter?



Exactly.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nothing beats an hour of going nowhere!



At least I was amused by my tablet so I didn't notice. Ignorance is bliss.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This falls under the Law of Airports. When you have to make a connection, it will always be at the gate that is furthest from yours.



Yup pretty much.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, I'm sure it was doing a lot of good in Houston!



Yeah, but maybe it would have been a blessing in disguise. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> And then we boarded our horse carriage.



Felt that way.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Your bus was going at warp speed!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> That's always a pain at just about every resort.



Most DVC resorts have one central bus stop, but SSR is just so huge. I'll remember that for the future.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> We're taking it for a joyride, Ferris Bueller style!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> So they were giving you Disney prices.



I guess they knew where we were staying.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You'd think Disney would do a better job of controlling the temps for their guests.



That's what I was thinking as well!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It looks like a very nice napkin.



It was expertly folded!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Are you sure you guys don't plan it this way? Book your table with a couple of non-existent "guests"?



You may have something there....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> After all that tequlia, few would.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I see he's looking as handsome as ever.



Doesn't age a day....



disney ny said:


> So glad to find your newest report. I haven’t been on in quite a while and I always love your reports. I can’t even count how many years I’ve been reading them now!





I'm glad you made it over here!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It seems to have helped her, she's running around, playing and behaving like a kitten.



Yay!



franandaj said:


> Isn't pretty much everything nowadays?



Not mine!

And I should get some.
When I'm on my bike, listening to tunes, I pull them out of my ears when I turn my head too far. Then I can't put them back in without stopping and taking off my gloves and helmet.



franandaj said:


> I used to do that...this picture is without my purple one and my Marie one (which I pretty much used exclusively on this trip.)



You should bring them to the parks like that.



franandaj said:


> I have all the ingredients, well except for the vodka....



I might still have the two little bottles I'd originally brought.



franandaj said:


> Raccoons like Tartar Sauce? : confused3



They wouldn't have hissed if you'd brought it.
And some fine linens and perhaps a nice Chianti.



franandaj said:


> I'm surprised they didn't scatter when you initially approached them.



I think they were too young to do any scattering.
Then again, I didn't want to disturb them any more than I already had.



franandaj said:


> So you're going to show your old school paperwork when you could easily participate in the 21st century technology?



I did! 



franandaj said:


> :



Since I only get green, it wouldn't help me to bring any others to accessorize with.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Not mine!
> 
> And I should get some.
> When I'm on my bike, listening to tunes, I pull them out of my ears when I turn my head too far. Then I can't put them back in without stopping and taking off my gloves and helmet.



True. I do have a set of ear buds that also have a voice speaker on it and I use that when I talk to my mother on the phone so that I can chop veggies and work on dinner when I talk to her.



pkondz said:


> You should bring them to the parks like that.



Nah. I just wrap them around my purse strap.



pkondz said:


> I might still have the two little bottles I'd originally brought.



Bring em next year and I can try the drink!



pkondz said:


> They wouldn't have hissed if you'd brought it.
> And some fine linens and perhaps a nice Chianti.



Somehow I think you might be referring to the movie "The Silence of the lambs" and I will not watch movies of that genre.



pkondz said:


> Since I only get green, it wouldn't help me to bring any others to accessorize with.



No, the question was "why do you always  choose green?"


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> This morning, I woke up 5AM couldn't go back to sleep so I took a bath. After that I was able to go back to sleep until about 8:30



You do this quite a lot.
Would taking a bath before you go to bed help or hinder?



franandaj said:


> with some very weird dreams.



Are you sure they were dreams? Maybe mousekeeping snuck in and were tickling your tootsies.



franandaj said:


> We were prepared to go about our day without the other scooter, I would just have to walk, and I would probably be OK with walking until about the 3rd day of the trip.



But... I'm sure you would prefer _not_ to do that.



franandaj said:


> I went to make coffee and realized that the coffee I had brought along with me was not already ground, but whole beans. So Fran quickly got online to see about ordering some coffee from Amazon Prime and it turned out to be cheaper to order me a coffee grinder than to order coffee!



Really! Surprising.
And... next day delivery?



franandaj said:


> At 10:15 we got a call that Bell Services had the scooter, but it was in the “barn”.



Get it out! Otherwise it'll smell like H + H.
(Horses and hogs)



franandaj said:


> They needed the key to retrieve it and we had the key, so we met the guy downstairs, gave him the key and he brought the scooter to us up near registration.



Nah. He just wanted the key so he could do some donuts and pop a few wheelies.



franandaj said:


> She was cranky because it was way colder than we expected.



How cold was it? 50s or so?



franandaj said:


> We got to La Haceinda and were 2nd to last in line. No worries we got a good seat near the window.



Score!



franandaj said:


> This was our place setting. Sorry the tequila is blurry, my camera liked the napkin better!



I actually really like that photo! 



franandaj said:


> Our hostess was Hilda, but she said after a few shots of Tequila it was OK for us to call her Maria.







franandaj said:


> Our first course was a salad. The menu said that it was Hearts of Palm salad and that worried me because I’m not a huge fan of Hearts of Palm.



I wouldn't know.
Pretty sure I've never had them.



franandaj said:


> It seems like this happens to us a lot, but the people next to us never showed up. Fran kept saying that she was going to steal their Tequila and when they weren’t there for the first course she was like, “Ok, they snoozed they lost!” And grabbed the first glass.



 Go Fran!



franandaj said:


> After a couple minutes, she said to me, “If you don’t take the other one, I will!” So I took it!



and... Go Alison!



franandaj said:


> I liked the mole sauce better than the squash puree.



I would probably have said the same.



franandaj said:


> The Poblano Cream sauce was OK. I didn’t care for the plantain puree



Hmmm..
Can't say about the Poblano, but I probably wouldn't care for the plantain puree either.
Then again, I've been surprised before.



franandaj said:


> After all the tasty and smooth tequilas it was obvious how harsh and smoky the Mezcal tasted.



I know zero about tequilas.
This interests me.



franandaj said:


> The dessert was a Mamey Flan and I didn't care for it at all.



Well, that sucks, but...



franandaj said:


> I'm not sure if these were the tequilas that we tasted, but I thought I might as well take a picture of it.



I recognize the Avion and the Mezcal from your descriptions.



franandaj said:


> Since I felt gypped on the dessert front, I went to Karamel Kuche



... this is a much better option!



franandaj said:


> Fran and I split the other caramel covered s’more on our way to the bus stop.



How was it?



franandaj said:


> We got dressed and headed out a little after 4PM. It took until 4:40 before we got on a bus.



Long wait! Especially considering you were waiting for either of two busses.



franandaj said:


> By 5:30 we were on our way to the Poly and Trader Sams



An hour and a half. Yup. Long.



franandaj said:


> When we ordered our second drinks we got an order of potstickers
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and some pork sliders.



They must really like their shredded carrot there.



franandaj said:


>



Oh, sure! Now I recognize him!



franandaj said:


> There were people all dressed up for MNSSHP on the monorail and some great costumes as well.



Love MNSHHP.
Would definitely go again. 



franandaj said:


> Three potstickers and half a slider just didn't cut it for me



No. That's not really enough.



franandaj said:


> After a nice relaxing bath I went to sleep around 11PM. It had been a long and eventful day.



Certainly was!
Nighty, night Alison!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> True. I do have a set of ear buds that also have a voice speaker on it and I use that when I talk to my mother on the phone so that I can chop veggies and work on dinner when I talk to her.



Hmmm... I wonder if that would work over the noise of the wind/bike. It's.... loud, to say the least.



franandaj said:


> Nah. I just wrap them around my purse strap.



Ah!



franandaj said:


> Bring em next year and I can try the drink!



Okay! Deal!



franandaj said:


> Somehow I think you might be referring to the movie "The Silence of the lambs" and I will not watch movies of that genre.



Only incidentally. I could have said a nice Pinot or Merlot or.... beer.



franandaj said:


> No, the question was "why do you always choose green?"



Oh! Favourite colour of course!


----------



## franandaj

Day 3


I woke up at 3:15AM and was really afraid I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, but it all worked out and next thing I know I woke up at 5:15. Still that was too early, so I rolled over and the next thing I know it was 7AM! Perfect! A full 8 hours of sleep. 

I got in the tub and enjoyed a good soak before I showered to wash my hair and such. I love Florida since there is no drought!  I poured us each a glass of V8 in hopes that it would start to wake Fran up by putting some food in her tummy.

The night before, Fran received notification that my coffee grinder had arrived, but I was too tired when we got off the bus to pick it up so I went up this morning and got it. Finally I could make my own coffee.

Fran was ready for her shower too and I drank my coffee while handing her various shampoo, conditioner, face cloths etc.

We got her dressed and scarfed down some English Muffins before darting out the door. I also threw in a load of laundry just for good measure.

I had already missed my Mission Space FP when we left at 10:10, but I did have TT at 10:20. We waited the full 20 minutes as the Epcot bus didn't get there until 10:30. After making the SSR loop we got to Epcot at 10:55.

I made it through security and to TT at 11:14, six minutes to spare! I tapped my MB and pretty much was being assigned my number to stand on in the pre-designing car room.

I designed my car with nothing but power and fashion involved.











There was a delay in boarding so I didn't actually ride until 11:37. My car won three out of four tests, only losing the second one, and overall I got 1st place. I don't think this has been my highest rated car, but I think I did pretty good.






I look like I was passed out on the ride.






It was getting close to the time for our noon reservation, Fran had been shopping and bought one of those cards that you can use the tabs to pay for kiosk items. 











We decided to meet at Monsieur Paul, and just like the day before we were second to last in the line to get in. No worries though, seats were assigned and we were seated at a table with some very nice folks. They were all Florida residents and we had a great time chatting during the meal.





















I posted this pic on FB before we had too much to drink.






The Amuse Bouche was fantastic and a great indicator of how good things would be.
















As soon as they started pouring the wine, they were generous with the refills. Anytime your glass was less than about 5oz full they topped it off. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	









The Saucisson in Brioche was excellent, the mustard was light and not overpowering. I ate all of this.






This was my favorite wine of the day. It was sweet and crisp, I'd buy it if I found it in a store.






This fish stew contained salmon, halibut and snapper. I gave Fran my piece of salmon and she let me take some of her halibut. I should have just left it with giving her a piece of my fish. She joined the clean plate club while I struggled to eat most of it. Not that it was difficult to eat, it was absolutely delicious! But it was so rich that it was easily filling. 






Fran liked it so much she asked the Maitre ‘D for the recipe and he had me fill out a card with our contact info.

No French Lunch would be complete without cheese and this Blue Cheese slice was really flavorful and nicely complimented by all the different items on the plate. I ate almost all of this.











The final dish was this chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream served with a champagne. I ate every bite of the ice cream and about half the cake. Fran didn't let me send it to back the kitchen and offered to take care if anything I couldn't finish.











After receiving our gift, we made our way downstairs and back to our scooters. Fran wanted to visit the Festival Center and I sat at the top of the landing resting my head on my tiller. Without buying anything she woke me up and we headed back to the bus. 

Back in the room, I crawled right into bed noticing that it was almost 5PM. When I woke at 7:30PM I was so disoriented I didn't know if it was morning or night. We had talked about getting dinner at Disney Springs if we were up to it, but Fran was the voice of reason this time. We had the bag o Caesar salad in the fridge and I had the makings for grilled cheese. She ate another half of the Roast beef sandwiches to hold her over while I made the rest of dinner. 

This was my plate.






And this was hers.






We hung out watching a marathon of Triple D repeats while she listed pins that she had bought on eBay. We had dirtied a number of dishes by this time, so I loaded up the dishwasher and ran it.

Then I took a bath and crawled into bed. I ended up texting with friends a while longer and ended up not falling asleep until well into the Stephen Colbert show. But once I drifted off it was a generally relaxing deep sleep.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I woke up at 3:15AM



Go back to bed!!!!



franandaj said:


> but it all worked out and next thing I know I woke up at 5:15. Still that was too early, so I rolled over and the next thing I know it was 7AM! Perfect! A full 8 hours of sleep.



You and I have different definitions of "full".



franandaj said:


> I got in the tub and enjoyed a good soak



Love your tubs when in hotels, don't you?

(so do I!)



franandaj said:


> before I showered to wash my hair and such



and.... such?



franandaj said:


> The night before, Fran received notification that my coffee grinder had arrived



Whoa! That was super fast!



franandaj said:


> I went up this morning and got it. Finally I could make my own coffee.



Do you bring a small drip or French press with you? Or just use the hotel's?



franandaj said:


> Fran was ready for her shower too and I drank my coffee while handing her various shampoo, conditioner, face cloths etc.



Service! How do I sign up for this?



franandaj said:


> I also threw in a load of laundry just for good measure.



Just for good measure.... 



franandaj said:


> I had already missed my Mission Space FP when we left at 10:10



Again?? MS is just not gonna happen on this trip.



franandaj said:


> I made it through security and to TT at 11:14, six minutes to spare!



Woot!



franandaj said:


>



Very pretty.



franandaj said:


> My car won three out of four tests, only losing the second one, and overall I got 1st place



Nice! I usually do..... poorly.



franandaj said:


> I look like I was passed out on the ride.



It's all those G's.



franandaj said:


> Fran had been shopping and bought one of those cards that you can use the tabs to pay for kiosk items.



Does that pay off in the end (provided you use all the tabs)?



franandaj said:


> seats were assigned and we were seated at a table with some very nice folks



Too bad. Can't steal their wine.



franandaj said:


> I posted this pic on FB before we had too much to drink.



So.... while you were still functional. 



franandaj said:


> The Amuse Bouche was fantastic and a great indicator of how good things would be.



I had to go back to read.
It doesn't look like puff pastry. Interesting!



franandaj said:


> As soon as they started pouring the wine, they were generous with the refills. Anytime your glass was less than about 5oz full they topped it off.



Whoa. Dangerous.



franandaj said:


> The Saucisson in Brioche was excellent, the mustard was light and not overpowering. I ate all of this.



That looks like, what... 2 bites? Or was it bigger than it looks?



franandaj said:


> This was my favorite wine of the day. It was sweet and crisp, I'd buy it if I found it in a store.



You can find it online for $16, shipped to CA.
https://www.wine.com/product/pierre-sparr-alsace-one-2015/213283



franandaj said:


>



Man that looks amazing! Yum!



franandaj said:


> Fran liked it so much she asked the Maitre ‘D for the recipe and he had me fill out a card with our contact info.



Nice!
I'd ask too, but.... I'd never make it. Not with Ruby's allergy.



franandaj said:


> The final dish was this chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream served with a champagne. I ate every bite of the ice cream and about half the cake. Fran didn't let me send it to back the kitchen and offered to take care if anything I couldn't finish.



mmmmm..... chocolate.
I'll help you finish it!



franandaj said:


> When I woke at 7:30PM I was so disoriented I didn't know if it was morning or night.



I've only done that once or twice.
There's a video I saw of a dad who drove his kid all the way to school (after he had "breakfast") at 7pm.



franandaj said:


> We hung out watching a marathon of Triple D repeats



Love that show. I try to watch episodes of places I'm going to.
I think I had at least one on my road trip. One for sure, anyway.... wait... maybe it was a different show...
Oy. From their website, but it lists places from a few different shows, so...


----------



## Dis_Yoda

You wake up at 3:15am on the east coast and I wake up at 3:30AM when I'm on the west coast.  Neither of us like time change do we?  

Glad you got to at least enjoy your ride on Test Track!  

The French Family Meal looks like it was a good event!  That entree does look really rich!  Smart move on the easy dinner that night!


----------



## afwdwfan

franandaj said:


> Perfect! A full 8 hours of sleep


Well, with only a few breaks in between.  



franandaj said:


>


This almost looks like something I'd design.  Only your power could be higher and your responsiveness lower... Pretty good all around scores.  Efficiency is overrated anyway. 



franandaj said:


> As soon as they started pouring the wine, they were generous with the refills. Anytime your glass was less than about 5oz full they topped it off.


So Fran didn't even need to steal anyone else's drinks!  



franandaj said:


> The final dish was this chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream served with a champagne. I ate every bite of the ice cream and about half the cake. Fran didn't let me send it to back the kitchen and offered to take care if anything I couldn't finish.


Well yeah... you can't let a good piece of cake like this go to waste! 



franandaj said:


> We had the bag o Caesar salad in the fridge and I had the makings for grilled cheese.


I'm never one to reach for the salad first, but a good grilled cheese sandwich is one of life's simple pleasures.


----------



## dizneeat

*What a day!
I can relate to running late  we both have a hard time getting out of the room in time, but that is what we call perfect timing if you made it to Test Track with 6 minutes to spare. 

Lunch looks VERY yummy with LOTS of wine. The stew doesn't look like a huge portion, but I guess the cream makes it pretty filling. The cake looks delish!!! And no wonder you had to go back to the room - an experience like this makes you "tired". 

Good idea to have dinner in the room and I love your combo of Caesar Salad and Grilled Cheese. Yum.*


----------



## rentayenta

I agree, let's sit outside at Trader Sam's in December. There may be a bunch of us and I hate navigating their system....or lack thereof.   

This French meal looks amazing!!! Love how they are not stingy with the wine.


----------



## jedijill

rentayenta said:


> I agree, let's sit outside at Trader Sam's in December. There may be a bunch of us and I hate navigating their system....or lack thereof.



Agree with sitting outside!

I love Monsieur Paul!  The French lunch looks amazing...I'm still sad I couldn't get it last year.  I love the fact that they are not stingy on the refills...Viva la France!

Fran left without buying anything?  I'm proud and amazed!  LOL

Your dinner looks delicious! Grilled cheese is one of my favorites!

Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You do this quite a lot.
> Would taking a bath before you go to bed help or hinder?



I did take a bath before going to bed that night. 



pkondz said:


> Are you sure they were dreams? Maybe mousekeeping snuck in and were tickling your tootsies.



I know the dreams had nothing to do with a foot fetish!



pkondz said:


> But... I'm sure you would prefer _not_ to do that.



True



pkondz said:


> Really! Surprising.
> And... next day delivery?



Actually same day....



pkondz said:


> Get it out! Otherwise it'll smell like H + H.
> (Horses and hogs



At Disney it would be more like Hummingbirds and Hamsters!



pkondz said:


> Nah. He just wanted the key so he could do some donuts and pop a few wheelies.



That may also explain how things unfold...



pkondz said:


> How cold was it? 50s or so?



I think it was in the 50s. I was wearing a sleeveless dress with an overshirt, and i was chilly. I'm OK with a sleeveless shirt when it's in the 60s, but being cold when wearing an overshirt makes me think it was pretty cool out (for Orlando).



pkondz said:


> I actually really like that photo!



Thanks! 



pkondz said:


> I wouldn't know.
> Pretty sure I've never had them.



I've never been a big fan. They have a weird texture.



pkondz said:


> Go Fran!
> 
> and... Go Alison!



We're quick like that!



pkondz said:


> I would probably have said the same.



Mole is pretty good. I don't care for orange squash.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm..
> Can't say about the Poblano, but I probably wouldn't care for the plantain puree either.
> Then again, I've been surprised before.



That's half the fun of these meals, is trying new stuff!



pkondz said:


> I know zero about tequilas.
> This interests me.



We have done so many tequila tastings that I could probably teach you a class in it!



pkondz said:


> ... this is a much better option!



Karamel Kuche is always a better option!



pkondz said:


> How was it?



It was sweet, but very good. I could totally feel my blood sugar rising!



pkondz said:


> Long wait! Especially considering you were waiting for either of two busses.



It was pretty much the story of our trip, well that and scooter stuff....



pkondz said:


> An hour and a half. Yup. Long.



Actually that is what I allot when going from resort to resort at WDW, when relying on the bus system, so it wasn't unexpected.



pkondz said:


> They must really like their shredded carrot there.



I was thinking the same thing looking at those pictures.



pkondz said:


> Oh, sure! Now I recognize him



Unmistakable, huh?



pkondz said:


> Certainly was!
> Nighty, night Alison!







pkondz said:


> Hmmm... I wonder if that would work over the noise of the wind/bike. It's.... loud, to say the least.



I have no idea. It's been decades since I've been on the back of a bike.



pkondz said:


> Only incidentally. I could have said a nice Pinot or Merlot or.... beer.



I'll take the Pinot!



pkondz said:


> Oh! Favourite colour of course!



I can never really decide on the favorite color. Sometimes it's pink, or maybe purple, or yellow....



pkondz said:


> You and I have different definitions of "full".



It seems you have different definitions of things than several of us here!



pkondz said:


> Love your tubs when in hotels, don't you?
> 
> (so do I!)



Only when in DVC one bedroom units. Regular hotel rooms not so much.



pkondz said:


> and.... such?



Hey this is a family board! I can't get much more specific!



pkondz said:


> Whoa! That was super fast!



Amazon Prime baby!



pkondz said:


> Do you bring a small drip or French press with you? Or just use the hotel's?



Actually all DVC units have a coffee maker. I keep the filters in my Owner's Locker.



pkondz said:


> Service! How do I sign up for this?



Only available to my wife!



pkondz said:


> Just for good measure....



Well remember we miscalculated on the weather, we only had so many warmish clothes!



pkondz said:


> Again?? MS is just not gonna happen on this trip.



You'll see!



pkondz said:


> Nice! I usually do..... poorly.



I was pleased this time.  Usually I don't do so good because I try to make my car all things.



pkondz said:


> Does that pay off in the end (provided you use all the tabs)?



As long as you use them for things that are $8 and above.



pkondz said:


> Too bad. Can't steal their wine.



No need, as you will see.



pkondz said:


> So.... while you were still functional.



We functioned later, just maybe not as efficiently!  



pkondz said:


> I had to go back to read.
> It doesn't look like puff pastry. Interesting!



I think they poked it with a fork so that it wouldn't puff quite so much.  I have a tart recipe where you do that to the center so that the edges puff up and the middle where you put the tomatoes and cheese is more flat.



pkondz said:


> That looks like, what... 2 bites? Or was it bigger than it looks?



No, it was pretty big.  The sausage was about 3 inches in diameter.  It was quite a few bites. The sausage was just a little smaller than the base of the wine glasses.  It was a healthy portion.



pkondz said:


> You can find it online for $16, shipped to CA.
> https://www.wine.com/product/pierre-sparr-alsace-one-2015/213283



Hmmm......thanks for the link.  That would be a special occasion wine for me. Generally that's how much I pay for 5 liters of my house wine!



pkondz said:


> Man that looks amazing! Yum!



It was very good, but the cream sauce was very rich.



pkondz said:


> Nice!
> I'd ask too, but.... I'd never make it. Not with Ruby's allergy.



Well we don't have to worry yet, haven't heard anything from them with the recipe!



pkondz said:


> mmmmm..... chocolate.
> I'll help you finish it!



You'll have to fight off Fran!



pkondz said:


> I've only done that once or twice.
> There's a video I saw of a dad who drove his kid all the way to school (after he had "breakfast") at 7pm.



Since I rarely take naps, I haven't done it too many times either.



pkondz said:


> Love that show. I try to watch episodes of places I'm going to.
> I think I had at least one on my road trip. One for sure, anyway.... wait... maybe it was a different show...
> Oy. From their website, but it lists places from a few different shows, so...



I've been to a few places that he's featured on the show and they've all been pretty good!


----------



## Nhebron

Wow that French meal looks amazing!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I did take a bath before going to bed that night.



Oops. Nevermind!



franandaj said:


> I know the dreams had nothing to do with a foot fetish!



Boring!



franandaj said:


> Actually same day....



I saw that. Wow!



franandaj said:


> At Disney it would be more like Hummingbirds and Hamsters!



 Okay. Then no rush.



franandaj said:


> That may also explain how things unfold...



dun dun dunnnnnnn!!!



franandaj said:


> I think it was in the 50s. I was wearing a sleeveless dress with an overshirt, and i was chilly. I'm OK with a sleeveless shirt when it's in the 60s, but being cold when wearing an overshirt makes me think it was pretty cool out (for Orlando).



50s would be jacket or sweater weather. 



franandaj said:


> We're quick like that!



 Okay!



franandaj said:


> That's half the fun of these meals, is trying new stuff!







franandaj said:


> We have done so many tequila tastings that I could probably teach you a class in it!



I don't think I'd be able to really appreciate it though, tbh.



franandaj said:


> Karamel Kuche is always a better option!







franandaj said:


> It was sweet, but very good. I could totally feel my blood sugar rising!



So... good, then!



franandaj said:


> It was pretty much the story of our trip, well that and scooter stuff....



Ouch. Sorry, totally foreign to me.



franandaj said:


> Actually that is what I allot when going from resort to resort at WDW, when relying on the bus system, so it wasn't unexpected.



Ah. Don't recall that I've ever gone resort to resort... seems I must have?



franandaj said:


> I'll take the Pinot!



I'll take a Coke.



franandaj said:


> I can never really decide on the favorite color. Sometimes it's pink, or maybe purple, or yellow....



Green. Always green.



franandaj said:


> It seems you have different definitions of things than several of us here!



It seems _I_ am very different. 



franandaj said:


> Only when in DVC one bedroom units. Regular hotel rooms not so much.



I get that.

Stupid overflow hole. Need to figure out how to plug that.



franandaj said:


> Hey this is a family board! I can't get much more specific!



Boring!!







franandaj said:


> Amazon Prime baby!



So I see!



franandaj said:


> Actually all DVC units have a coffee maker. I keep the filters in my Owner's Locker.



Ah. Just when you said you had to order coffee and a grinder was cheaper, I wondered if you needed a different coffee maker as well.



franandaj said:


> Only available to my wife!



Shoot. Don't think I'm going to convince my lady to do that for me.



franandaj said:


> As long as you use them for things that are $8 and above.



Ah. Got it.
I'm sure we've had this conversation before.



franandaj said:


> No need, as you will see.



Oh? Standing by.



franandaj said:


> We functioned later, just maybe not as efficiently!







franandaj said:


> I think they poked it with a fork so that it wouldn't puff quite so much. I have a tart recipe where you do that to the center so that the edges puff up and the middle where you put the tomatoes and cheese is more flat.



so that's how! Okay!



franandaj said:


> No, it was pretty big. The sausage was about 3 inches in diameter. It was quite a few bites. The sausage was just a little smaller than the base of the wine glasses. It was a healthy portion.



Ah. Looked smaller in the photo.



franandaj said:


> Hmmm......thanks for the link. That would be a special occasion wine for me. Generally that's how much I pay for 5 liters of my house wine!



Oh, really. You get good discounts then, yes?
Or maybe prices are just that much different from ours.



franandaj said:


> You'll have to fight off Fran!



She's probably stronger, but I'm quick! (when I haven't thrown out my back)



franandaj said:


> I've been to a few places that he's featured on the show and they've all been pretty good!



I've been to a few and only one was a disappointment.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> I had already missed my Mission Space FP when we left at 10:10, but I did have TT at 10:20. We waited the full 20 minutes as the Epcot bus didn't get there until 10:30. After making the SSR loop we got to Epcot at 10:55.
> 
> I made it through security and to TT at 11:14, six minutes to spare!



20 minutes in the security line! 



franandaj said:


> I designed my car with nothing but power and fashion involved.



Very sparkly!



franandaj said:


> I posted this pic on FB before we had too much to drink.



Probably a wise choice.



franandaj said:


> The Saucisson in Brioche was excellent, the mustard was light and not overpowering. I ate all of this.



Hey, look at that!  I'd probably eat that.



franandaj said:


> Back in the room, I crawled right into bed noticing that it was almost 5PM. When I woke at 7:30PM I was so disoriented I didn't know if it was morning or night. We had talked about getting dinner at Disney Springs if we were up to it, but Fran was the voice of reason this time. We had the bag o Caesar salad in the fridge and I had the makings for grilled cheese. She ate another half of the Roast beef sandwiches to hold her over while I made the rest of dinner.



Seems like it was a calm, relaxing day.  Nothing wrong with that.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> My car won three out of four tests, only losing the second one, and overall I got 1st place.



Wow, that is what I call result. It looks pretty cool, too.



franandaj said:


> The Amuse Bouche was fantastic and a great indicator of how good things would be.



I would have been all over this. I love anything with goats cheese. The rest of the menu looked pretty good to me, too apart from the fish.

Corinna


----------



## skier_pete

WE did the same lunch just a week (and 2 days) later than you. The menu as you know was significantly different, except the first pastry dish was very similar as was the Lillet wine, and of course they used the little pot for the main course. We also got extremely drunk - hard not to with 3 hours of free pours - I think I probably had 12-15 glasses of wine myself. We actually bummed an uber ride with our tablemates - who were ubering from BCV over to Animal Kingdom. We slipped the driver an extra $10 to drop us at AKV - which was probably overly generous. While I wasn't so drunk that I don't remember the trip, I do have to say I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow in our room, and when I woke up two hours later I was still drunk - which is a pretty rare event for sure.  DW still talks about how much she enjoyed that meal - I don't know for sure if we will do it again next year or try a different one, but it certainly would be hard to top.  You've done a lot more of these than we have - is this your favorite?


----------



## tiggrbaby

That meal was fabulous!  How nice that they were generous with the wine!


----------



## Pinkocto

Your French lunch looked divine, and how lovely about the generous pours. 

I’m pretty sure it was even in the 40s that week, with some nights dipping into the 30s. It was way too cold!

Fran had an excellent idea, sometimes its so nice just to have a calm evening in the room.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> You wake up at 3:15am on the east coast and I wake up at 3:30AM when I'm on the west coast. Neither of us like time change do we?



I Think it has to do with a strange bed as well, at least for me.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad you got to at least enjoy your ride on Test Track!



It's definitely a fun ride, and I can't do it in CA!



Dis_Yoda said:


> The French Family Meal looks like it was a good event! That entree does look really rich! Smart move on the easy dinner that night!



The French Family Meal is our favorite event of the festival!  We always have the fixins for grilled cheese in our grocery order so it's always a good fall back!



afwdwfan said:


> Well, with only a few breaks in between



They were short enough so as not to count.



afwdwfan said:


> This almost looks like something I'd design. Only your power could be higher and your responsiveness lower... Pretty good all around scores. Efficiency is overrated anyway







afwdwfan said:


> So Fran didn't even need to steal anyone else's drinks!



Not today!



afwdwfan said:


> Well yeah... you can't let a good piece of cake like this go to waste!



I just wish I had the appetite that I had when I was a kid on the swim team!



afwdwfan said:


> I'm never one to reach for the salad first, but a good grilled cheese sandwich is one of life's simple pleasures.



Truer words were never spoken.



dizneeat said:


> What a day!
> I can relate to running late  we both have a hard time getting out of the room in time, but that is what we call perfect timing if you made it to Test Track with 6 minutes to spare.



And Pam says they give you a 15 minute grace period after and 5 mins before so it's actually a 1 hour and 20 minute window.



dizneeat said:


> Lunch looks VERY yummy with LOTS of wine. The stew doesn't look like a huge portion, but I guess the cream makes it pretty filling. The cake looks delish!!! And no wonder you had to go back to the room - an experience like this makes you "tired".



Yes the lunch was so filling because of the cream sauce on the fish, but also the fact that they just kept pouring the wine. I find I get more full when I drink a ton of wine!



dizneeat said:


> Good idea to have dinner in the room and I love your combo of Caesar Salad and Grilled Cheese. Yum.



Last year we had tomato soup and grilled cheese after the French lunch. This year we just happened to skip the Caesar salad the first night so it was perfect to go with the grilled cheese.



rentayenta said:


> I agree, let's sit outside at Trader Sam's in December. There may be a bunch of us and I hate navigating their system....or lack thereof.



Besides it's been so mild lately, outside may be nice!



rentayenta said:


> This French meal looks amazing!!! Love how they are not stingy with the wine.



That's one of the reasons the $99 price tag is so reasonable. Not only is it a great "destination meal" for the day, you can really get your drunk on. Rarely do I do that much day drinking, but evidently it's a thing for the French!


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Agree with sitting outside!



Two weeks from today! 



jedijill said:


> I love Monsieur Paul! The French lunch looks amazing...I'm still sad I couldn't get it last year. I love the fact that they are not stingy on the refills...Viva la France!



It was totally amazing! I wonder if they don't take parties of odd numbers and that's why we couldn't get in last year.



jedijill said:


> Fran left without buying anything? I'm proud and amazed! LOL



I know! That's why I had to include that little piece of information.



jedijill said:


> Your dinner looks delicious! Grilled cheese is one of my favorites!



That might be our dinner tonight!



Nhebron said:


> Wow that French meal looks amazing!





It was totally amazing!



pkondz said:


> I saw that. Wow!



We love our Amazon!  And just now sitting in the vet's waiting room she ordered me additional charging cords for the new phone i got last weekend. The first one will arrive by 9PM tonight and its noon now.



pkondz said:


> 50s would be jacket or sweater weather.



Which is why I never get to wear sweaters or jackets. The only time it gets in the 50s is at night and we rarely go out at night anymore. And if we do it's just to go in and out of the car and into a restaurant or band practice.



pkondz said:


> I don't think I'd be able to really appreciate it though, tbh.



It is an acquired taste.



pkondz said:


> Ouch. Sorry, totally foreign to me.



Yeah, we can't seem to figure out how to get your express bus pass!



pkondz said:


> Ah. Don't recall that I've ever gone resort to resort... seems I must have?



Not necessarily. You spend more time in parks than dining. Although the time you and Kay had ice cream at Beaches and Cream you must have gone back to your resort afterwards. It was late enough that the parks were probably closed.



pkondz said:


> It seems _I_ am very different.



You said it, not me!



pkondz said:


> I get that.
> 
> Stupid overflow hole. Need to figure out how to plug that.



Fran got me one of these to counteract that.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00314WHW...t=&hvlocphy=9031067&hvtargid=pla-308999035805



pkondz said:


> Ah. Just when you said you had to order coffee and a grinder was cheaper, I wondered if you needed a different coffee maker as well.



You really know nothing about coffee, do you?



pkondz said:


> Shoot. Don't think I'm going to convince my lady to do that for me.



Well if you had severe RA and she wasn't able to book you an accessible room, maybe she would consider it. Perhaps if you were terrified of the shower....



pkondz said:


> Ah. Got it.
> I'm sure we've had this conversation before.



I think every time we buy one.



pkondz said:


> Ah. Looked smaller in the photo.



The plate was deceiving. It was a full sized dinner plate, but I can see where it looked like a smaller plate.



pkondz said:


> Oh, really. You get good discounts then, yes?
> Or maybe prices are just that much different from ours



Or I just drink cheap boxed wine! 



pkondz said:


> She's probably stronger, but I'm quick! (when I haven't thrown out my back)



Speed and agility are not her strong points!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> 20 minutes in the security line!



Epcot is always the worst!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Very sparkly!



I added that touch at the last minute.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Probably a wise choice.



I've learned that I'm not very photogenic after a few glasses of wine.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, look at that! I'd probably eat that.



Is that the first thing you've seen so far that you would eat?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Seems like it was a calm, relaxing day. Nothing wrong with that.



Good food, good wine, a nap and chilling in the room. Yeah it was a pretty good day.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, that is what I call result. It looks pretty cool, too.



Thanks!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I would have been all over this. I love anything with goats cheese. The rest of the menu looked pretty good to me, too apart from the fish.



There was pretty much enough food that if you didn't care for one course, you could have skipped and still been OK. Besides there is always bread and butter.



********** said:


> WE did the same lunch just a week (and 2 days) later than you. The menu as you know was significantly different, except the first pastry dish was very similar as was the Lillet wine, and of course they used the little pot for the main course.



Yeah, Le Creuset is a sponsor of the meal so all the mains are served in those. I saw your pictures on FB and I was back at home. I was rather envious!



********** said:


> We also got extremely drunk - hard not to with 3 hours of free pours - I think I probably had 12-15 glasses of wine myself.



There was no way I could have counted because they just kept filling the glass. Last year I had nine glasses and they let the glasses get close to empty before refilling.



********** said:


> While I wasn't so drunk that I don't remember the trip, I do have to say I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow in our room, and when I woke up two hours later I was still drunk - which is a pretty rare event for sure.



That's pretty much how I felt, except I'm not sure if I was still drunk when I woke.



********** said:


> DW still talks about how much she enjoyed that meal - I don't know for sure if we will do it again next year or try a different one, but it certainly would be hard to top.



There are others that are good, but we really like this one!



********** said:


> You've done a lot more of these than we have - is this your favorite?



Absolutely! The Mediterranean Lunch is my second favorite. I need to try an Italian one, but no beer.



tiggrbaby said:


> That meal was fabulous!  How nice that they were generous with the wine!



It was so wonderful and so filling! The wine was awesome.



Pinkocto said:


> Your French lunch looked divine, and how lovely about the generous pours.



It was fabulous and fun too!



Pinkocto said:


> I’m pretty sure it was even in the 40s that week, with some nights dipping into the 30s. It was way too cold!



I did remember seeing lows in the 40s, but we didn't leave the room at that time of day on those days.



Pinkocto said:


> Fran had an excellent idea, sometimes its so nice just to have a calm evening in the room.



Especially after all that wine. I think we had an early evening.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Which is why I never get to wear sweaters or jackets. The only time it gets in the 50s is at night and we rarely go out at night anymore. And if we do it's just to go in and out of the car and into a restaurant or band practice.



Ah. Well, that does make sense.
I tend to be outside a bit more.......... shoveling.



franandaj said:


> Yeah, we can't seem to figure out how to get your express bus pass!



It's a perk for being the wonderful, amazing me that I am.








franandaj said:


> Not necessarily. You spend more time in parks than dining. Although the time you and Kay had ice cream at Beaches and Cream you must have gone back to your resort afterwards. It was late enough that the parks were probably closed.



I'm almost positive that that was the one and only time that..... I took a cab.



franandaj said:


> Fran got me one of these to counteract that.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00314WHW...t=&hvlocphy=9031067&hvtargid=pla-308999035805



Dang! Does it work???



franandaj said:


> You really know nothing about coffee, do you?



No, I meant: Are you one of those purists that must have a French press, or their own coffee machine that has the perfect temperature or...


Although... you are correct. I know nothing of coffee.



franandaj said:


> Well if you had severe RA and she wasn't able to book you an accessible room, maybe she would consider it. Perhaps if you were terrified of the shower....



Well, I _am_ afraid of water, so....... Hmmm.....



franandaj said:


> Or I just drink cheap boxed wine!



Okay!


----------



## PrincessInOz

Wow!  What an amazing Day 3.  That food is just fantastic.  I've just had a sandwich for lunch and your pics have made me hungry again.

Are you on strict water restrictions in Cali?


----------



## rentayenta

I'm ready for an update just an FYI.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ah. Well, that does make sense.
> I tend to be outside a bit more.......... shoveling.



Huh. Shoveling what? Do you have a garden?  



pkondz said:


> It's a perk for being the wonderful, amazing me that I am.







pkondz said:


> I'm almost positive that that was the one and only time that..... I took a cab.



We have done that before on occasion.



pkondz said:


> Dang! Does it work???



Yes it does. It gives you a  couple more inches of water.



pkondz said:


> No, I meant: Are you one of those purists that must have a French press, or their own coffee machine that has the perfect temperature or...



I kinda used to be. I used to grind my beans every day and I had a pot with a manual filter, I would boil my water and then pour it into the filter making sure to soak the beans just right....somewhere along the way (while I still lived in the old house) I gave up and had Fran buy me a Keurig machine.



pkondz said:


> Although... you are correct. I know nothing of coffee.







pkondz said:


> Well, I _am_ afraid of water, so....... Hmmm.....



I don't think that counts. You don't bathe in the ocean...or at least I wouldn't think so.



PrincessInOz said:


> Wow! What an amazing Day 3. That food is just fantastic. I've just had a sandwich for lunch and your pics have made me hungry again.



It was amazing. I have not been eating very fancy for the past couple weeks. Fairly some dinners. I miss nice food.  



PrincessInOz said:


> Are you on strict water restrictions in Cali?



We used to be. They lifted the drought restrictions after the heavy rains last year, but are still encouraging people to relandscape with drought resistant plants and more gardens than lawns.



rentayenta said:


> I'm ready for an update just an FYI.



OK. It's been ready for weeks now. Just waiting for folks to get caught up!


----------



## franandaj

Day 4

I woke up just before 4AM and my body really hurt, so much that it didn't want to go back to sleep. I did some deep tissue massage on my forearms, and then did some heavy stretching for my thighs and calves, and eventually my chronically injured shoulder. After about an hour I could feel the blood flowing and laid back down to try and get a little more sleep. I did some deep breathing and while it didn't really feel like I drifted off to sleep, I must have been in a light sleep because the next thing I knew it was 6:30. At that point I felt up to waking up. We needed to be out the door early this morning because it was Strawberry Soup day!

We were up and dressed and both had some V8 while we messed around on our computers waiting for time to go. I also had a cup of coffee, guess I forgot to take pictures, well it's just coffee and V8, I could probably dig up an old one if you really wanted to see it.

We left just a little before 9AM and soon after the bus to the MK arrived. We were boarded and on our way. We made it on plenty of time for our ADR at 1900 Park Fare. It was an annoyance to have to go through security to get to the monorail, but it was nice on the way back to MK to go through it at the Grand Floridian and not have to again once we got to MK. There were no delays on the monorail and we hardly had to wait long for our table.

They had the standard fare on offer.









































Cooked to order omelet station.






Some more stuff that you can have anywhere..
















Behold the Strawberry soup! Fran had me bring her a bowl of this right off.











I made myself a little breakfast burrito from this section for my first trip.
















Then Fran went back and got a plateful of stuff.






I got myself a bowl of Strawberry Soup.






And she got herself another bowl of the Strawberry Soup.






I got a Mickey Waffle, and was stuffed. You notice how my plates are all stacked on top of each other.  I was not impressed with our server who didn’t clear any of my plates.






We met with only a few characters, seems Tigger doesn't come around anymore.
















We paid our bill and headed out to MK. Just as we walked onto Main Street the Vamos Parade was going on so we stopped to watch for a bit.









































I think I'll wrap it up there for now.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Huh. Shoveling what? Do you have a garden?



I have a brown thumb.
I kill everything I touch.
So.... no.

And I have to shovel today again. yay.



franandaj said:


> Yes it does. It gives you a couple more inches of water.



Well, I'll be!
A couple of inches... in those tubs... is huge.



franandaj said:


> I kinda used to be. I used to grind my beans every day and I had a pot with a manual filter, I would boil my water and then pour it into the filter making sure to soak the beans just right....somewhere along the way (while I still lived in the old house) I gave up and had Fran buy me a Keurig machine.



Ah. Convenience trumps all. 



franandaj said:


> I don't think that counts. You don't bathe in the ocean...or at least I wouldn't think so.



Nope. I like things to _not_ be bitten off.


I'll come back to read the update a bit later.


----------



## pkondz

Or..... maybe I'll read it now after all. 
Feeling a bit down and needed the pick-me-up.



franandaj said:


> I woke up just before 4AM





Sleep! Just sleep!!!


(I'm one to talk! )



franandaj said:


> and my body really hurt, so much that it didn't want to go back to sleep. I did some deep tissue massage on my forearms, and then did some heavy stretching for my thighs and calves, and eventually my chronically injured shoulder.



I'm sorry if I'm forgetting something here.
_Why_ were you so sore, Alison?



franandaj said:


> I did some deep breathing and while it didn't really feel like I drifted off to sleep, I must have been in a light sleep because the next thing I knew it was 6:30.



Good. That's a more respectable time.



franandaj said:


> We needed to be out the door early this morning because it was Strawberry Soup day!



Nothing to get hung about...



franandaj said:


> I also had a cup of coffee, guess I forgot to take pictures, well it's just coffee and V8, I could probably dig up an old one if you really wanted to see it.



I _almost_ feel like saying "yes"
just to make you do it.

But... then you'd do it to me! 



franandaj said:


> We left just a little before 9AM and soon after the bus to the MK arrived. We were boarded and on our way. We made it on plenty of time for our ADR at 1900 Park Fare. It was an annoyance to have to go through security to get to the monorail, but it was nice on the way back to MK to go through it at the Grand Floridian and not have to again once we got to MK. There were no delays on the monorail and we hardly had to wait long for our table.



Interesting.
I wonder... you must have to go through bag check at the TTC then. Don't think I knew that.



franandaj said:


> They had the standard fare



Uh, huh.
I wouldn't consider Mickey shaped waffles as standard fare. 
(Well... I guess at Disney it is.)



franandaj said:


>



Nope. 
Made it. Tried it.
While I don't dislike it (like I thought I would, actually), it's just not my thing.



franandaj said:


>



What is that?



franandaj said:


>



Now we're talking! Hello, Bennies!



franandaj said:


> Some more stuff that you can have anywhere..



I just ran upstairs.

Nope.

I can't have it here.
Well... not without a lot of work.



franandaj said:


> Behold the Strawberry soup! Fran had me bring her a bowl of this right off.




No surprise there!



franandaj said:


> I made myself a little breakfast burrito from this section for my first trip.



Huh! I never would've thought of that and...



franandaj said:


>



... never would've thought about putting a sausage (and tater tots?) in there either.


franandaj said:


>



Benny. 11 o'clock.



franandaj said:


> I got myself a bowl of Strawberry Soup.
> 
> And she got herself another bowl of the Strawberry Soup.



...strawberry soup forever



franandaj said:


> You notice how my plates are all stacked on top of each other. I was not impressed with our server who didn’t clear any of my plates.



 Even the crappiest little buffet places clear your plates fairly quickly.
I would've expected much better.



franandaj said:


> Just as we walked onto Main Street the Vamos Parade was going on so we stopped to watch for a bit.



?? Don't know this one. Maybe I just walked by it thinking it was the Move it (or whatever) annoying parade.



franandaj said:


>



Interesting angle. Don't think I've seen that one before. I know _where_ it is... just the angle it was taken from is new to me.


----------



## rentayenta

Yay!!!! Great update.

Why was your body so sore? 

I need to try that strawberry soup. I also need to get back to WDW! 

The parade looks cute and I LOVE your pics at breakfast; especially the one with the Mad Hatter. I really enjoy when the characters get really into the part.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I have a brown thumb.
> I kill everything I touch.
> So.... no.
> 
> And I have to shovel today again. yay.



Really?  It's warmer outside here than the temperature inside our house. We refuse to turn on the heat unless it gets really really cold.



pkondz said:


> Or..... maybe I'll read it now after all.
> Feeling a bit down and needed the pick-me-up.







pkondz said:


> Sleep! Just sleep!!!
> 
> 
> (I'm one to talk! )



I have no problems at home.  I don't know what is wrong with me at Disney!



pkondz said:


> I'm sorry if I'm forgetting something here.
> _Why_ were you so sore, Alison?



I'm guessing from all the wine that I drank! 



pkondz said:


> Good. That's a more respectable time.







pkondz said:


> Nothing to get hung about...



Strawberry Soup forever.



pkondz said:


> I _almost_ feel like saying "yes"
> just to make you do it.
> 
> But... then you'd do it to me!



But I'm feeling lazy today.



pkondz said:


> Interesting.
> I wonder... you must have to go through bag check at the TTC then. Don't think I knew that.



Probably, they switched everything up last December at both WDW and DL.



pkondz said:


> Uh, huh.
> I wouldn't consider Mickey shaped waffles as standard fare.
> (Well... I guess at Disney it is.)



It sure is.



pkondz said:


> Nope.
> Made it. Tried it.
> While I don't dislike it (like I thought I would, actually), it's just not my thing.



Not everyone likes it.  I think it's OK although we found a place near our house that makes really good Biscuits and Gravy.  Fran really likes them.



pkondz said:


> What is that?



Cheese blintzes.



pkondz said:


> Now we're talking! Hello, Bennies!



I don't know why I didn't have one.



pkondz said:


> I just ran upstairs.



Is your kitchen upstairs?



pkondz said:


> Nope.
> 
> I can't have it here.
> Well... not without a lot of work.



Yeah, but if you went to a breakfast buffet I bet you could.



pkondz said:


> No surprise there!







pkondz said:


> Huh! I never would've thought of that and...
> 
> ... never would've thought about putting a sausage (and tater tots?) in there either.



Well Breakfast Burritos are big in California.  I made one last time I was there and when I showed it to Fran she said, "why didn't you put Tater Tots in it?"  So I made sure to right that wrong this time.



pkondz said:


> Benny. 11 o'clock.







pkondz said:


> ...strawberry soup forever



Haven't I heard that somewhere before?   ECHO....Echo.....echo



pkondz said:


> Even the crappiest little buffet places clear your plates fairly quickly.
> I would've expected much better.



Yup. She didn't even come round to ask if we wanted anything else.



pkondz said:


> ?? Don't know this one. Maybe I just walked by it thinking it was the Move it (or whatever) annoying parade.



I think you're right, it's the Move It, Shake It Parade.  But it's so short, I didn't even know it really had a name.  I thought they called it Vamos because it was gone so quick!



pkondz said:


> Interesting angle. Don't think I've seen that one before. I know _where_ it is... just the angle it was taken from is new to me.



It's my "I just went under the train tracks at MK" shot.



rentayenta said:


> Yay!!!! Great update.
> 
> Why was your body so sore?



  All the wine I drank the day before?



rentayenta said:


> I need to try that strawberry soup. I also need to get back to WDW!



I could make it for Christmas Day (whatever we are going to be doing.....)



rentayenta said:


> The parade looks cute and I LOVE your pics at breakfast; especially the one with the Mad Hatter. I really enjoy when the characters get really into the part.



The ones at this buffet are great!  I think next time we'll do dinner again, the Stepsisters are a riot!


----------



## disneyseniors

Hi I'm in,and enjoying your sense of humor  LOL!
Why does one cat get green beans????? 
Anyway, can't wait to experience Disney through your eyes.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Really? It's warmer outside here than the temperature inside our house. We refuse to turn on the heat unless it gets really really cold.



Well... it's 68 in the house.... and 5 outside.

So...



franandaj said:


> I have no problems at home. I don't know what is wrong with me at Disney!



Adrenaline. 



franandaj said:


> I'm guessing from all the wine that I drank!



Oh! 



franandaj said:


> Strawberry Soup forever.







franandaj said:


> But I'm feeling lazy today.



Nothing wrong with taking a lazy day. 



franandaj said:


> Not everyone likes it. I think it's OK although we found a place near our house that makes really good Biscuits and Gravy. Fran really likes them.



Hmmm... maybe I should try it.
Maybe I'll come around.



franandaj said:


> Cheese blintzes.



Oh! So _that's_ what they look like.
Are they good?
(Another thing I've never had.)



franandaj said:


> I don't know why I didn't have one.







franandaj said:


> Is your kitchen upstairs?



No. We have a bungalow, but the desktop 'puter is in the basement.



franandaj said:


> Well Breakfast Burritos are big in California. I made one last time I was there and when I showed it to Fran she said, "why didn't you put Tater Tots in it?" So I made sure to right that wrong this time.



I remember that!



franandaj said:


> Yup. She didn't even come round to ask if we wanted anything else.




Not good. At all.



franandaj said:


> I think you're right, it's the Move It, Shake It Parade. But it's so short, I didn't even know it really had a name. I thought they called it Vamos because it was gone so quick!



As far as I'm concerned, they can Vamos that whole "parade". It gets in the way.


----------



## jedijill

So, do you think Fran likes the strawberry soup or something?????

Looks like a great breakfast!

Jill in CO


----------



## Dis_Yoda

jedijill said:


> So, do you think Fran likes the strawberry soup or something?????
> 
> Looks like a great breakfast!
> 
> Jill in CO



I think she secretly hates it .


----------



## rentayenta

I have the girls' schedules for Christmas Eve, just waiting on Michael's. We will have his Christmas Eve schedule Dec 14. We won't have his Christmas Day schedule until Dec 21.


----------



## franandaj

disneyseniors said:


> Hi I'm in,and enjoying your sense of humor LOL!







disneyseniors said:


> Why does one cat get green beans?????



One of their Chicken Stew cans has peas in it, but none of them get green beans....



disneyseniors said:


> Anyway, can't wait to experience Disney through your eyes.



I try not to update too quickly and give people a chance to stay caught up, but I'm already a couple days ahead of online.



pkondz said:


> Well... it's 68 in the house.... and 5 outside.
> 
> So...



Well yesterday it was 65 in the house and 71 outside. We contemplated turning on the heat, but I just out on a courdoroy overshirt. Today it's supposed to be 80 in Long Beach.



pkondz said:


> Adrenaline.



Probably 



pkondz said:


> Nothing wrong with taking a lazy day.



I didn't say I had a lazy day. I accomplished 28 of the 53 things on my list.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... maybe I should try it.
> Maybe I'll come around.



What time do you get into LB in April? The place serves breakfast and lunch until 2PM. We could split an order for the table and order something you know you'll like.



pkondz said:


> Oh! So _that's_ what they look like.
> Are they good?
> (Another thing I've never had.)



I've never had them either. Fran seems to like them.



pkondz said:


> No. We have a bungalow, but the desktop 'puter is in the basement.



Basements. Another thing you don't see in California.



pkondz said:


> As far as I'm concerned, they can Vamos that whole "parade". It gets in the way.







jedijill said:


> So, do you think Fran likes the strawberry soup or something?????
> 
> Looks like a great breakfast!
> 
> Jill in CO



She doesn't often make requests, but she makes this one every time.



Dis_Yoda said:


> I think she secretly hates it .







rentayenta said:


> I have the girls' schedules for Christmas Eve, just waiting on Michael's. We will have his Christmas Eve schedule Dec 14. We won't have his Christmas Day schedule until Dec 21.



We're flexible. We won't do anything if we don't hang out with you guys. Maybe I'll make a Prime Rib or something but that I can choose to do once you have his schedule.


----------



## rentayenta

That sounds perfect! I'll let you know when I know. Not being able to plan is painful.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well yesterday it was 65 in the house and 71 outside. We contemplated turning on the heat, but I just out on a courdoroy overshirt. Today it's supposed to be 80 in Long Beach.



Just open a window!



franandaj said:


> I didn't say I had a lazy day. I accomplished 28 of the 53 things on my list.




That is _not_ a lazy day!



franandaj said:


> What time do you get into LB in April? The place serves breakfast and lunch until 2PM. We could split an order for the table and order something you know you'll like.



I'm not sure. I fly into LAX, so the time I land vs the time I get to LB could be a bit apart. 



franandaj said:


> I've never had them either. Fran seems to like them.



Hmmm... so we should _both_ try them. 



franandaj said:


> Basements. Another thing you don't see in California.



Pretty much every home here does.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> I woke up just before 4AM and my body really hurt, so much that it didn't want to go back to sleep.



Yuck.  That sounds awful.



franandaj said:


> I also had a cup of coffee, guess I forgot to take pictures, well it's just coffee and V8, I could probably dig up an old one if you really wanted to see it.



I think I can figure it out.



franandaj said:


> There were no delays on the monorail



WHAT????  Go buy a lottery ticket!



franandaj said:


> Behold the Strawberry soup! Fran had me bring her a bowl of this right off.



Shocking.  Truly, it's shocking.



franandaj said:


> You notice how my plates are all stacked on top of each other. I was not impressed with our server who didn’t clear any of my plates.



Yeah, I can see where that would become very inconvenient.



franandaj said:


> Just as we walked onto Main Street the Vamos Parade was going on so we stopped to watch for a bit.



There's a "Vamos" parade?  I guess that goes to show how little I pay attention to the parades.


----------



## Pinkocto

Yummy breakfast  Great character pictures  

It's annoying at first about the bag checks, but really nice not to have to do it at MK gates now.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We needed to be out the door early this morning because it was Strawberry Soup day!


WOOT!

I am caught up, but making a quick pass at all the threads I'm on rather than doing a HUGE multi quote on every one. But, a DID notice several things from brekkie: corned beef hash- YUM!; cheese blintzes: YUMMER!; biscuits and gravy: YUMMIEST!

Someday... 

Yes, security at EPCOT just super sucks. I don't get it! The lines are consistently 10 times longer there than any other park. 

Good to finally be back reading again!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> I woke up just before 4AM and my body really hurt, so much that it didn't want to go back to sleep. I did some deep tissue massage on my forearms, and then did some heavy stretching for my thighs and calves, and eventually my chronically injured shoulder.



I was sorry to read that you had such a rough night.

Breakfast looked great again, but that is really not on that they did not clear the used plates.

The parade looked very cute.

Corinna


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> That sounds perfect! I'll let you know when I know. Not being able to plan is painful.



Well at least we've worked out a basic plan....unless it changes on Thursday.  



pkondz said:


> Just open a window!



Well "a window" is all we can open! There is only one with a screen! 



pkondz said:


> That is _not_ a lazy day!



Which is why I didn't bother to find a picture of V8 and a bowl of cereal!



pkondz said:


> I'm not sure. I fly into LAX, so the time I land vs the time I get to LB could be a bit apart.



I think we've mostly worked this one out.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... so we should _both_ try them.



Someday, they're not that high on my list. There's a bunch of things I'm craving before that. Besides I don't even know what dinner will be tonight!



pkondz said:


> Pretty much every home here does.



Yeah, same with New England where my Grandparents lived.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yuck. That sounds awful.



For whatever reason I'm slightly used to muscle pain, which is why I knew what muscles to work.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I think I can figure it out.



Good for you! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Shocking. Truly, it's shocking.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yeah, I can see where that would become very inconvenient.



I was surprised to have bad service at Disney. That almost _never_ happens!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> There's a "Vamos" parade? I guess that goes to show how little I pay attention to the parades.



Well as @pkondz and I seem to have worked out, it's the _Move it! Shake it_ parade. I just never pay attention to parades unless they are electrified and at night, so every time I saw it the word "Vamos" was on the display screen. I just assumed it was the "Vamos" parade! 



Pinkocto said:


> Yummy breakfast  Great character pictures
> 
> It's annoying at first about the bag checks, but really nice not to have to do it at MK gates now.



Boy, would I love to do that breakfast again about now! There's fun ones at DL, but not quite that one.

I'm loving the new bag check at DL (except when the lines are long), but once yoyre in, you're in and no more bag check when you go back and forth from DL to DTD to DCA.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> WOOT!
> 
> I am caught up, but making a quick pass at all the threads I'm on rather than doing a HUGE multi quote on every one. But, a DID notice several things from brekkie: corned beef hash- YUM!; cheese blintzes: YUMMER!; biscuits and gravy: YUMMIEST!
> 
> Someday...



I'm probably going to have to do the same with yours as you've posted several updates including a major life one. And I noticed you just put up another that I need read when I'm done here.



Steppesister said:


> Yes, security at EPCOT just super sucks. I don't get it! The lines are consistently 10 times longer there than any other park.
> 
> Good to finally be back reading again!



Yeah, I don't know what's up with Epcot security. They have a ton of lines and still it's always backed up.

I hope you're starting to reacclimate to life at home...I need to check out the email you sent me.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I was sorry to read that you had such a rough night.



I'm sort of used to it, doesn't happen all the time, but with all the furniture and boxes we move, it happens somewhat often.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Breakfast looked great again, but that is really not on that they did not clear the used plates.



It was very tasty. I usually expect better service from Disney.



dolphingirl47 said:


> The parade looked very cute.



Since I'm not a big parade person, I'm glad it was short!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well "a window" is all we can open! There is only one with a screen!



Door it is.



franandaj said:


> Which is why I didn't bother to find a picture of V8 and a bowl of cereal!







franandaj said:


> I think we've mostly worked this one out.



We have? Oh, good!



franandaj said:


> Someday, they're not that high on my list. There's a bunch of things I'm craving before that. Besides I don't even know what dinner will be tonight!



Last night I bought... a $75 bone on, prime rib roast.

God it was good. Was even better tonight.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> We have? Oh, good!



Well, we're doing dinner after you get settled in your hotel.



pkondz said:


> Last night I bought... a $75 bone on, prime rib roast.
> 
> God it was good. Was even better tonight.



I hope it was about 5kg for that price!  I just noticed that Choice Rib is on sale right now. We should maybe stock up.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well, we're doing dinner after you get settled in your hotel.





Don't know _where_ yet... for sure... but plenty of time to iron that out. 



franandaj said:


> I hope it was about 5kg for that price!



Half that. Almost exactly.



franandaj said:


> I just noticed that Choice Rib is on sale right now. We should maybe stock up.



Choice Rib?


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Don't know _where_ yet... for sure... but plenty of time to iron that out.



I like the Crab Pot!



pkondz said:


> Half that. Almost exactly.



  We buy them when they are $4.77 per lb. Usually a 5lb roast runs us about $25. And then they last for at least 2-3 more meals for the two of us.



pkondz said:


> Choice Rib?



Well in the US there are designations. Prime, almost only available in restaurants and Costco. Choice, the only beef carried by Ralph's supermarket where I shop. Select, the lowest grade, and then there is upgraded beef. You get that at Food 4 Less. Since I get my standing rib roasts at Ralph's they are choice beef not prime.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I like the Crab Pot!



Me too! But I may be outvoted! 



franandaj said:


> We buy them when they are $4.77 per lb. Usually a 5lb roast runs us about $25. And then they last for at least 2-3 more meals for the two of us.



This one was..... more.



franandaj said:


> Well in the US there are designations. Prime, almost only available in restaurants and Costco. Choice, the only beef carried by Ralph's supermarket where I shop. Select, the lowest grade, and then there is upgraded beef. You get that at Food 4 Less. Since I get my standing rib roasts at Ralph's they are choice beef not prime.



Ah! Okay, following you now. This was Prime. It's from a local butcher not far from where I live. Never been disappointed with the cuts there, but.... not cheap, either.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Me too! But I may be outvoted!



By who? That night it might be just me, you and Fran. I think Liesa wants to spend some time with her family locally. I know we are talking about Friday night dinner in Anaheim, but I believe it's just the three of us Thursday.



pkondz said:


> This one was..... more.



I don't doubt it....



pkondz said:


> Ah! Okay, following you now. This was Prime. It's from a local butcher not far from where I live. Never been disappointed with the cuts there, but.... not cheap, either.



I was just at the store where we purchased the first two of our Rib Roasts for the next year. Prime was either $19.99 a pound for bone in or $24.99 a pound for dry aged boneless roast.  I got my two two-bone roasts for like $4.77 per lb. They were less than $25 each and the list price was like $75 "without Club Card".  Now we're off to a different store to get two more as there was a limit of one per person!


----------



## franandaj

Before I get to this next update I thought I'd let you folks in on what's been going on around here.  When we left on this trip, we had three vacant apartments. Two were on the market and one was being fixed back up (smelled like cigarette smoke, really bad in the Master bedroom).    Well we are down to one vacant apartment and it's the one that they were fixing up while we were gone!  Still haven't cleaned out the front unit, but we did sell one of the four pieces of furniture that are listed on eBay and Craigslist.  The folks came by and picked it up and we did some tossing, packing up, and the like while waiting for them to arrive and while they carried out the furniture.  We're hoping to get the contractor in there close to the New Year.

You also may know that we have been hoping to get a new car for a few years now, and it might be happening before the end of the year.  With all the incentives that the are offering to get their numbers up, we might be able to get 0.00% financing on a spiffy new model of a Ford Escape.  We'll see if that turns out.  

The kittens are growing and all of them are nice and healthy. They just finished their kitten plan and have all their shots and stuff. They have a Pre-op appointment next month to get them all set up for the spay and neutering. My little Tesla (who's actually the biggest boy of the bunch) looks at them as they wrassle and play with envy. He's tried to play with the two spunky Ginger colored cats, but since he's three times their size, they're still not quite sure what to make of him. He is playing very gently though (cause you should see him when he lays into his sister/cousin, the other cat that came with him!) Natasha (momma to the kittens) has already gone into a cycle of heat since giving birth so she has an appointment next week to finish up her shots and get her a pre-op for spaying so we don't go through this again!

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or I hope that you had a Happy Hannukah, and whatever else you might celebrate, I hope that you aired all your grievances for Festivus, and not sure about Kwanza, but I hope that's Happy too for all who celebrate!

Now back to the TR!

Day 4 (continued)


We had some time to kill before our FP+ with what was supposed to be talking Mickey. So we looked in a few shops and then headed over to the queue when our FP window opened.














































They said the weather made him have to save his voice for shows and such so he wasn't talking. I was slightly bummed, but we had met talking Mickey at the Studios a while back when he was first introduced so I wasn't that upset.

We checked out a few more stores. There was a special dress designed for the holidays that had been released in a dress shop in DTD CA that I did not have time to pick up before we left, but they didn't seem to have it here. I asked and they said that they would not have Christmas merchandise until November 1st. Not sure if we would make it here on that day. Have to hope that DTD in CA isn't sold out when we get back.  (It wasn't and I got it before Thanksgiving weekend.)

Our next FP was for 7DMT, and since Fran doesn't ride it, I got to go twice!











Evidently I knew where the picture happened, but not where the camera was!






It was still another half an hour until my FP+ for PP. It was getting humid and rain was eminent so we headed out through the jewelry store, Disneyana, and the candy shop. They were giving samples of caramel apples and that was unfortunate. I had never had one before and it was really good. Now that is a treat you can argue is healthy since there is an apple underneath the caramel!

I took a few random shots before heading to the bus stop.
















We headed out to the bus stop and it didn't take long for the bus to arrive. I didn't time it. It wasn't quick, but it wasn't excessive. When we got back to the room just before 3PM Fran passed out immediately. We had a dinner reservation in Epcot and I was determined to catch up a little but on the DIS, so I spent an hour posting before I succumbed to sleepiness and laid down for a nap. I got about an hour of sleep in before I woke up and tried to see how bad the rain was going to be.

At first it was just a slight drizzle, but by the time we actually got going to Epcot for our dinner reservation it was a definite drizzle. The bus dropped us off at 6:40 and while it wasn't cold out, it was somewhat wet. Since I had given up my FP for Mission Space two days in a row, I wanted to ride it that night. I got there at 6:53. The posted wait was 30 minutes for Orange Team, but I was off the ride by 7:11 and on my way to Mexico for our dinner. 

I got the San Angel Inn Margarita and it was good. 






We split queso for the table.






Fran and I got carnitas tacos.  






M got Chicken enchiladas and Michael got the combination plate with chile relleno, short ribs and chicken enchilada, but I didn't get any pictures.  We all declined dessert as we were too stuffed.

They were leaving the next day to continue their adventure after a full day at a different park than us, so we said our goodbyes. It was raining now. Not pouring but enough that Fran put on the one poncho we had and I decided to just brave the elements. We had plastic bags covering our tillers and scooter bags, so we were sheltered (or so we thought). I told Fran that I didn't need a poncho, I would just go fast and beat the rain. So I sped on to future world and since it was raining the crowds were light and I made it under the golf ball to shelter. I decided to put on Fran's hoodie as the rain had started to come down harder. I expected to see Fran coming along right behind me, and when she didn't I picked up the phone to call her. She was calling me. She had gotten lost in the dark, her scooter had stalled and she had no idea where she was. She could see Mouse Gears, but was nowhere near the store. After driving all over the place, I finally found her down one of the little paths on the way to Imagination and the Land. I pushed her “reset” button and we were back in business. I told her that I thought her scooter was wearing out. When she first got it, hers could go twice as fast as mine. She said it's because I've lost weight and she's gained weight, but she uses hers a lot more than I do. I only use mine at WDW and long days at DL, so hers gets a lot more wear and tear.

Regardless, we made it to the bus stop and this time our bus mojo was spot on. The bus pulled up just as we arrived and we were happy to get inside a dry bus. While the driver tied down our scoots, other passengers showed up and the bus filled up some. We made it back to the room and I put my over shirt and her hoodie in the dryer and they were dry in about 10 minutes. We chalked the scooter mishap up to the rain and a lack of charge and never gave it a second thought. She went right to sleep, but I stayed up for a little catching up on some of your TRs.

Since we declined dessert the night before, I felt like something sweet, but not cookies or caramel, which is what we had. I settled on a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and that hit the spot. I was ready for bed right around midnight.


----------



## rentayenta

How did I not know you are getting a new car? I love the Escapes!

Ciute cute pics with Mickey.

I like cereal for dessert too. Lucky Charms are my favorite with whole milk.

See ya Christmas Day. At 11 or 10:30 or 10.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Oh no!  Is there more scooter trouble in your future?

Happy Christmas to you as well!


----------



## dolphingirl47

The real life updates sound really promising. I hope everything falls into place for you.



franandaj said:


> They said the weather made him have to save his voice for shows and such so he wasn't talking.



I have read a lot recently that Mickey was not talking. Fortunately he always talked when I was there.

Oh no about Fran getting lost and her scooter playing up. I am glad that you managed to fix it and got back to the bus.

I wish Fran and you a magical Christmas.

Corinna


----------



## Dis_Yoda

I think you are being very ominous with what is going to end up happening with your scooter.  That is no fun!  

Sorry Mickey didn't talk! We haven't visited him yet at Magic Kingdom (we've barely done MK the last few trips!). 

Glad your meal was nice at San Angel!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> By who? That night it might be just me, you and Fran. I think Liesa wants to spend some time with her family locally. I know we are talking about Friday night dinner in Anaheim, but I believe it's just the three of us Thursday.



We should probably think about getting everyone on the same email chain.
I thought Liesa was with us on Thursday and Friday was a girl's night out.

Yeah.... We, should probably all be on the same email.



franandaj said:


> I was just at the store where we purchased the first two of our Rib Roasts for the next year. Prime was either $19.99 a pound for bone in or $24.99 a pound for dry aged boneless roast. I got my two two-bone roasts for like $4.77 per lb. They were less than $25 each and the list price was like $75 "without Club Card". Now we're off to a different store to get two more as there was a limit of one per person!



Ah! Well, there you go. I think it was about 5lbs, so $75 doesn't sound so far off now.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Before I get to this next update I thought I'd let you folks in on what's been going on around here. When we left on this trip, we had three vacant apartments. Two were on the market and one was being fixed back up



Oh, good!
If you hadn't posted this, you were about to get an email asking what was going on. 



franandaj said:


> Well we are down to one vacant apartment and it's the one that they were fixing up while we were gone!



Great news! I'm sure you are very relieved.



franandaj said:


> You also may know that we have been hoping to get a new car for a few years now,



Umm.... I'm not sure. I'm going to go with a very firm "maybe?"



franandaj said:


> we might be able to get 0.00% financing on a spiffy new model of a Ford Escape. We'll see if that turns out.



Nice! Good luck!



franandaj said:


> The kittens are growing and all of them are nice and healthy.



That was my next question.
You'd mentioned on my TR that you were at the vet.
I was going to ask if everything was okay.
Looks like it is. 



franandaj said:


> I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or I hope that you had a Happy Hannukah, and whatever else you might celebrate,



Merry Christmas Alison (and Fran! Say Merry Christmas to Fran too! and Kay_ specifically_ said to wish you a Merry Christmas.)



franandaj said:


> I hope that you aired all your grievances for Festivus,



At one of the specialties at work they have a Festivus pole. 


I'll read the update later, just came on to wish you a Merry Christmas!
I'll probably catch up tomorrow.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We had some time to kill before our FP+ with what was supposed to be talking Mickey.



I've never seen him. That's in the first building to the right as you enter the park, isn't it?



franandaj said:


>



That's cool. Love that touch.



franandaj said:


>



Awwwww.... 



franandaj said:


> They said the weather made him have to save his voice for shows and such so he wasn't talking.



Uh, huh.

I want my money back!



franandaj said:


> I was slightly bummed, but we had met talking Mickey at the Studios a while back when he was first introduced so I wasn't that upset.



well... okay. 



franandaj said:


> Have to hope that DTD in CA isn't sold out when we get back. (It wasn't and I got it before Thanksgiving weekend.)



Good!



franandaj said:


> Our next FP was for 7DMT, and since Fran doesn't ride it, I got to go twice!



Sweet. Maybe next time, Fran can come with_ me. _



franandaj said:


>



Second last row. Beside the woman with the camera.
 Zombies ride rides?



franandaj said:


> Evidently I knew where the picture happened, but not where the camera was!



 No! Alison! Over here!
(I have no idea where it is either.)



franandaj said:


> They were giving samples of caramel apples and that was unfortunate. I had never had one before and it was really good. Now that is a treat you can argue is healthy since there is an apple underneath the caramel!




I_ love_ caramel (and candy) apples.

Why unfortunate, though?



franandaj said:


> We headed out to the bus stop and it didn't take long for the bus to arrive. I didn't time it.



What???? What kind of TR writer are you! 



franandaj said:


> Fran passed out immediately



Didn't even make it to the bed, huh?



franandaj said:


> At first it was just a slight drizzle, but by the time we actually got going to Epcot for our dinner reservation it was a definite drizzle.



Which is better than an indefinite drizzle.



franandaj said:


> I got there at 6:53. The posted wait was 30 minutes for Orange Team, but I was off the ride by 7:11



Not bad at all! so.... zero wait (or close enough)



franandaj said:


> We split queso for the table.



Yum!



franandaj said:


> She had gotten lost in the dark, her scooter had stalled and she had no idea where she was.



 Poor Fran. That doesn't sound like fun.



franandaj said:


> She said it's because I've lost weight and she's gained weight, but she uses hers a lot more than I do.



Hmm... could both reasons be accurate?
But I suspect usage is the main culprit.



franandaj said:


> The bus pulled up just as we arrived



Now_ that's_ more like it!



franandaj said:


> We chalked the scooter mishap up to the rain and a lack of charge and never gave it a second thought.



Oh, oh. Foreshadowing?



franandaj said:


> Since we declined dessert the night before, I felt like something sweet, but not cookies or caramel, which is what we had. I settled on a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and that hit the spot.



That's not dessert!!! Unless you ate it with ice cream.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> How did I not know you are getting a new car? I love the Escapes!



I didn't know we were looking at getting a new car until we were sitting at the vet last Thursday and she told me that she was texting with the Internet sales guy at the Ford Dealership!  



rentayenta said:


> Ciute cute pics with Mickey.



Thanks 



rentayenta said:


> I like cereal for dessert too. Lucky Charms are my favorite with whole milk.



We always have whole milk now. That's the first time I'd done that in a long time.



rentayenta said:


> See ya Christmas Day. At 11 or 10:30 or 10.







tiggrbaby said:


> Oh no!  Is there more scooter trouble in your future?
> 
> Happy Christmas to you as well!



Well, the title of the TR should give you some insight into the first question.  

I hope that had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!



dolphingirl47 said:


> The real life updates sound really promising. I hope everything falls into place for you.



Thanks. Hopefully soon after the new year the last apartment will rent.  No one moves over Christmas.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I have read a lot recently that Mickey was not talking. Fortunately he always talked when I was there.



It was a slight disappointment but it didn't ruin the day.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh no about Fran getting lost and her scooter playing up. I am glad that you managed to fix it and got back to the bus.



That was probably the scariest moment of the trip.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I wish Fran and you a magical Christmas.



Thank you and I hope you enjoyed your holiday. Have a Happy New Year!



Dis_Yoda said:


> I think you are being very ominous with what is going to end up happening with your scooter. That is no fun!



That's half the fun of the TR! 



Dis_Yoda said:


> Sorry Mickey didn't talk! We haven't visited him yet at Magic Kingdom (we've barely done MK the last few trips!).



We really don't do much at MK either. Epoch is by far my favorite park.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad your meal was nice at San Angel!



I've never had a bad meal there!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> We should probably think about getting everyone on the same email chain.
> I thought Liesa was with us on Thursday and Friday was a girl's night out.
> 
> Yeah.... We, should probably all be on the same email.



Taken care of!  



pkondz said:


> Ah! Well, there you go. I think it was about 5lbs, so $75 doesn't sound so far off now.



We are just cheap, and don't want to spend that kind of money when we can stock up at this time of year. That reminds me. I have half a dozen roasts that I need to vacuum seal and put in the freezer.



pkondz said:


> Oh, good!
> If you hadn't posted this, you were about to get an email asking what was going on.



Yeah, well no one wants to move over Christmas and New Years, so I'm hoping it rents in early January.



pkondz said:


> Great news! I'm sure you are very relieved.



Actually, I'll be relieved when we have no vacancies!



pkondz said:


> Umm.... I'm not sure. I'm going to go with a very firm "maybe?"



Were you around when we had to redo our pool due to leaks? That's when we were considering buying a Chrysler Mini Van, but the pool and spa remodel cost the equivalent of paying up front for a new car so it went on the back burner. Fran doesn't believe in paying interest (except on mortgages, which is now no longer deductible ) so we've always bought our vehicles on cash, not financed. She's willing to finance with 0% interest.



pkondz said:


> Nice! Good luck!



Thanks! Fran sent out a bunch of emails inquiring and now she's feeling under the weather and isn't answering their phone calls!  



pkondz said:


> That was my next question.
> You'd mentioned on my TR that you were at the vet.
> I was going to ask if everything was okay.
> Looks like it is.



That visit was the final "routine" visit for the kittens. You see before we left on this trip we signed them up for the "kitten plan". It's around $350 and it includes all their shots, deworming, a dose of flea medication, a bag of food, and their Sapy/neuter. They have been going every three weeks, and each time they get certain vaccines, a check up, etc. Now they have all their shots and in January they go in for their pre-op appt.



pkondz said:


> Merry Christmas Alison (and Fran! Say Merry Christmas to Fran too! and Kay_ specifically_ said to wish you a Merry Christmas.)



How sweet. Tell her thank you and Happy New Year to you and your family!



pkondz said:


> At one of the specialties at work they have a Festivus pole.



I'm not sure exactly what you meant by this, but it's funny they have a Festivus pole!



pkondz said:


> I'll read the update later, just came on to wish you a Merry Christmas!
> I'll probably catch up tomorrow.



I'm a little late to say Merry Christmas, but I see you made it back to read the update! Be back to reply.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I've never seen him. That's in the first building to the right as you enter the park, isn't it?



Yep, it's that first building and you can meet Mickey or Tinkerbell.



pkondz said:


> That's cool. Love that touch.



The room was very cute as was the other details leading up to the meet and greet room.



pkondz said:


> Awwwww....







pkondz said:


> Uh, huh.
> 
> I want my money back!



I know.  Really.



pkondz said:


> well... okay.



It was mainly a FP+ that Fran would enjoy which was why I picked it.



pkondz said:


> Sweet. Maybe next time, Fran can come with_ me. _



And this was the one that I would enjoy!



pkondz said:


> Second last row. Beside the woman with the camera.
> Zombies ride rides?



 I didn't even see her until you pointed her out!  



pkondz said:


> No! Alison! Over here!
> (I have no idea where it is either.)



And clearly I didn't either!  



pkondz said:


> I_ love_ caramel (and candy) apples.
> 
> Why unfortunate, though?



Because I had not idea that I liked them.  I've already had one at DL when we "needed" a snack.  Now that I know how good they are, I will be getting more of them in the future, and they're probably not as good for you as I'm hoping! 



pkondz said:


> What???? What kind of TR writer are you!



 One who never gets the VIP bus package.  



pkondz said:


> Didn't even make it to the bed, huh?



Of course she did.  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get her up off the floor!



pkondz said:


> Which is better than an indefinite drizzle.



Since that is pretty much what rain in Southern California consist of.



pkondz said:


> Not bad at all! so.... zero wait (or close enough)



Pretty much.  I went through the line and they were looking for single riders so they took me immediately!  



pkondz said:


> Poor Fran. That doesn't sound like fun.





pkondz said:


> Hmm... could both reasons be accurate?
> But I suspect usage is the main culprit.



Stay tuned. There is an alternate theory.....



pkondz said:


> Now_ that's_ more like it!



And it's not the norm for us, as you will see...



pkondz said:


> Oh, oh. Foreshadowing?



Maybe.  



pkondz said:


> That's not dessert!!! Unless you ate it with ice cream.



I didn't say it was dessert...I just felt like I wanted something sweet, but the cookies and caramel we had in the room sounded like a bit much, cereal seemed perfect not to shoot my blood sugar up tremedously but still give me a little boost.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I've never seen him. That's in the first building to the right as you enter the park, isn't it?



Yep, it's that first building and you can meet Mickey or Tinkerbell.



pkondz said:


> That's cool. Love that touch.



The room was very cute as was the other details leading up to the meet and greet room.



pkondz said:


> Awwwww....







pkondz said:


> Uh, huh.
> 
> I want my money back!



I know.  Really.



pkondz said:


> well... okay.



It was mainly a FP+ that Fran would enjoy which was why I picked it.



pkondz said:


> Sweet. Maybe next time, Fran can come with_ me. _



And this was the one that I would enjoy!



pkondz said:


> Second last row. Beside the woman with the camera.
> Zombies ride rides?



 I didn't even see her until you pointed her out!  



pkondz said:


> No! Alison! Over here!
> (I have no idea where it is either.)



And clearly I didn't either!  



pkondz said:


> I_ love_ caramel (and candy) apples.
> 
> Why unfortunate, though?



Because I had not idea that I liked them.  I've already had one at DL when we "needed" a snack.  Now that I know how good they are, I will be getting more of them in the future, and they're probably not as good for you as I'm hoping! 



pkondz said:


> What???? What kind of TR writer are you!



 One who never gets the VIP bus package.  



pkondz said:


> Didn't even make it to the bed, huh?



Of course she did.  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get her up off the floor!



pkondz said:


> Which is better than an indefinite drizzle.



Since that is pretty much what rain in Southern California consist of.



pkondz said:


> Not bad at all! so.... zero wait (or close enough)



Pretty much.  I went through the line and they were looking for single riders so they took me immediately!  



pkondz said:


> Poor Fran. That doesn't sound like fun.





pkondz said:


> Hmm... could both reasons be accurate?
> But I suspect usage is the main culprit.



Stay tuned. There is an alternate theory.....



pkondz said:


> Now_ that's_ more like it!



And it's not the norm for us, as you will see...



pkondz said:


> Oh, oh. Foreshadowing?



Maybe.  



pkondz said:


> That's not dessert!!! Unless you ate it with ice cream.



I didn't say it was dessert...I just felt like I wanted something sweet, but the cookies and caramel we had in the room sounded like a bit much, cereal seemed perfect not to shoot my blood sugar up tremedously but still give me a little boost.


----------



## skier_pete

Talk about Fran's scooter sounds very omnious....I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll hear of the scooter. (That and the TR title probably gave it away - dang spoilers!)

I love the two ladies a few rows behind you in the first 7DMT picture - the one with the go-pro - they look like they are on a MUCH wilder ride than you.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Taken care of!



I'll look for it! 



franandaj said:


> We are just cheap, and don't want to spend that kind of money when we can stock up at this time of year. That reminds me. I have half a dozen roasts that I need to vacuum seal and put in the freezer.



You don't have to be "cheap" to balk at those prices.



franandaj said:


> Yeah, well no one wants to move over Christmas and New Years, so I'm hoping it rents in early January.



Yep. Totally get that.



franandaj said:


> Actually, I'll be relieved when we have no vacancies!



I bet!



franandaj said:


> Were you around when we had to redo our pool due to leaks?







franandaj said:


> That's when we were considering buying a Chrysler Mini Van, but the pool and spa remodel cost the equivalent of paying up front for a new car so it went on the back burner. Fran doesn't believe in paying interest (except on mortgages, which is now no longer deductible ) so we've always bought our vehicles on cash, not financed. She's willing to finance with 0% interest.



Smart. I'd do that too... but then I get greedy and _want it now!_



franandaj said:


> Thanks! Fran sent out a bunch of emails inquiring and now she's feeling under the weather and isn't answering their phone calls!



 But.... awww... sorry to hear Fran isn't feeling to good. Tell her I hope she starts feeling better soon.



franandaj said:


> How sweet. Tell her thank you and Happy New Year to you and your family!



I will!



franandaj said:


> I'm not sure exactly what you meant by this, but it's funny they have a Festivus pole!



Our area that we control is pretty big. Think... oh, draw a line down from the Montana/North Dakota border straight down to Mexico. The area west to the Pacific is roughly the size of it.
That area is divided geographically as well as vertically into "specialties", each specialty is further divided into sectors.



franandaj said:


> Yep, it's that first building and you can meet Mickey or Tinkerbell.



Got it. I've met Tinkerbell, so know where it is.



franandaj said:


> It was mainly a FP+ that Fran would enjoy which was why I picked it.



And then you didn't even get talking Mickey.



franandaj said:


> And this was the one that I would enjoy!







franandaj said:


> Because I had not idea that I liked them. I've already had one at DL when we "needed" a snack. Now that I know how good they are, I will be getting more of them in the future, and they're probably not as good for you as I'm hoping!



Oh, they're really good..... er.... for you... Sure.



franandaj said:


> One who never gets the VIP bus package.







franandaj said:


> Of course she did. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get her up off the floor!



Just let her lay.



franandaj said:


> Since that is pretty much what rain in Southern California consist of.



Good! I don't need to worry about watching my race in the rain.



franandaj said:


> Pretty much. I went through the line and they were looking for single riders so they took me immediately!



Nice!



franandaj said:


> Stay tuned. There is an alternate theory.....



Standing by!


----------



## Steppesister

Hmmm, seems there's not one but 2 updates to catch up on. I'll get there, Alison. Promise. Time is a bit scarce right now with a houseful of guests (25) and travel to see my new grandbaby. But... soon.


----------



## Pinkocto

That’s great news about the apartments! 

Fabulous that the kitties are doing well  

I have yet to meet talking Mickey, must do that one of these days. 

Glad you were able to get your dress. 

No fun to get lost in the dark, and rain. That darn scooter!


----------



## franandaj

********** said:


> Talk about Fran's scooter sounds very omnious....I get the feeling this isn't the last we'll hear of the scooter. (That and the TR title probably gave it away - dang spoilers!)



Ya think we're done with this?  



********** said:


> I love the two ladies a few rows behind you in the first 7DMT picture - the one with the go-pro - they look like they are on a MUCH wilder ride than you.



I didn't notice until another person pointed them out, very funny!  



pkondz said:


> I'll look for it!







pkondz said:


> You don't have to be "cheap" to balk at those prices.



But it doesn't hurt.  Four wrapped up, two to go.



pkondz said:


> Yep. Totally get that.



But I do have an appointment to show the place today!  



pkondz said:


> Smart. I'd do that too... but then I get greedy and _want it now!_



She's so sick, I can't even get her to stay awake to watch TV, much less go out and haggle for a car.



pkondz said:


> But.... awww... sorry to hear Fran isn't feeling to good. Tell her I hope she starts feeling better soon.



I hope she starts feeling better soon. Not only is she cranky, but the way she is wheezing and coughing is a little scary.



pkondz said:


> Our area that we control is pretty big. Think... oh, draw a line down from the Montana/North Dakota border straight down to Mexico. The area west to the Pacific is roughly the size of it.
> That area is divided geographically as well as vertically into "specialties", each specialty is further divided into sectors.



Wow!  So you even control areas in the USA?



pkondz said:


> Got it. I've met Tinkerbell, so know where it is.



Oh yeah, I remember that TR.



pkondz said:


> And then you didn't even get talking Mickey.



It was kind of a bummer.



pkondz said:


> Oh, they're really good..... er.... for you... Sure.



Well they say, "An apple a day...."



pkondz said:


> Just let her lay.



Nah, eventually I have to get her up off the ground or it won't be pretty.



pkondz said:


> Good! I don't need to worry about watching my race in the rain.



More than likely, no you will not need to worry about watching the race in the rain.  More likely you will need a hat and sunglasses, possibly a sun shade.  I assume you are in the uncovered bleachers.



pkondz said:


> Standing by!



Just a few more updates.....



Steppesister said:


> Hmmm, seems there's not one but 2 updates to catch up on. I'll get there, Alison. Promise. Time is a bit scarce right now with a houseful of guests (25) and travel to see my new grandbaby. But... soon.



I don't even think I know 25 people that I would invite to my house much less let them stay there!  Sounds rather crazy!  I see you have an update for me as well!


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> That’s great news about the apartments!



Just one more to go!



Pinkocto said:


> Fabulous that the kitties are doing well



Yes they are, but they are a pain in the a**



Pinkocto said:


> I have yet to meet talking Mickey, must do that one of these days.



Whether or not he's talking seems to be a crap shoot!



Pinkocto said:


> Glad you were able to get your dress.



Yes, but I only had one chance to wear it this year.  



Pinkocto said:


> No fun to get lost in the dark, and rain. That darn scooter!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> But it doesn't hurt. Four wrapped up, two to go.



You go, girl!



franandaj said:


> But I do have an appointment to show the place today!



That's great!!!



franandaj said:


> She's so sick, I can't even get her to stay awake to watch TV, much less go out and haggle for a car.




Oh, dear. That doesn't sound so good. Have you taken her to see a doctor yet?



franandaj said:


> I hope she starts feeling better soon. Not only is she cranky, but the way she is wheezing and coughing is a little scary.



That does_ not_ sound good. 



franandaj said:


> Wow! So you even control areas in the USA?



No. That was just to give you a size example.
Our area is all of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario to a point about a little East of Thunder Bay as well as most of Hudson Bay. Up to 29,000 ft. Above that we have the same area East to West, but only Ontario, southern Manitoba and about half of Saskatchewan.



franandaj said:


> Well they say, "An apple a day...."




So it's totally okay, then.



franandaj said:


> Nah, eventually I have to get her up off the ground or it won't be pretty.







franandaj said:


> More than likely, no you will not need to worry about watching the race in the rain. More likely you will need a hat and sunglasses, possibly a sun shade. I assume you are in the uncovered bleachers.



I'm not even sure which way it faces... I think... East.


----------



## Steppesister

I saved yours and pkondz's updates for last to hopefully do on the plane tomorrow.  But, I wanted to comment here so I don't lose them. 



franandaj said:


> Well, we're doing dinner after you get settled in your hotel.



I'm thinking I am free that evening. My family says they have to work so Thursday won't work for them.  



franandaj said:


> I like the Crab Pot!



We've talked about this before and it sounds FUN!!



franandaj said:


> By who? That night it might be just me, you and Fran. I think Liesa wants to spend some time with her family locally. I know we are talking about Friday night dinner in Anaheim, but I believe it's just the three of us Thursday.



See above...

I'd love to join in!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh, dear. That doesn't sound so good. Have you taken her to see a doctor yet?



I don't have to take her to the doctor. I sent the doctor an email with all her symptoms and she called in a prescription for an inhaler. Then she also recommended some OTC meds for us both. Fran is feeling much bbetter today.



pkondz said:


> That does_ not_ sound good.



No, it wasn't, but like I said she's much better today!



pkondz said:


> No. That was just to give you a size example.
> Our area is all of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario to a point about a little East of Thunder Bay as well as most of Hudson Bay. Up to 29,000 ft. Above that we have the same area East to West, but only Ontario, southern Manitoba and about half of Saskatchewan.



You could have said that in the first place. I know where those are. But you mean 29,000 ft UP, right? So at 30,000 ft you have a smaller area?



pkondz said:


> So it's totally okay, then.



Yes, in fact I need one!



pkondz said:


> I'm not even sure which way it faces... I think... East.



Actually I looked up the map of the track and most of the bleachers face North or South. The covered ones appear to face south, but there are some on the curve of the road that face East or west. I was going to post the map, but can't when DISing from the phone. Again...at the vet.



Steppesister said:


> I saved yours and pkondz's updates for last to hopefully do on the plane tomorrow.  But, I wanted to comment here so I don't lose them.



I realize that you're busy being a grandma, but I'm getting an itchy update finger...especially since this one was written weeks ago!



Steppesister said:


> I'm thinking I am free that evening. My family says they have to work so Thursday won't work for them.



I was going to say, well are you interested in putting on a bib, cracking shellfish with a hammer, and eating with your hands?



Steppesister said:


> We've talked about this before and it sounds FUN!!



Well that answers that question!



Steppesister said:


> See above...
> 
> I'd love to join in!



With the four of us, we could probably order two of their "feasts". The one we like has shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, potatoes, and corn cobbettes. Add in a salad to split and we might possibly have room for some dessert. Unlikely though, they bring yummy sourdough bread to the table. I think this sounds like a plan for Thursday night! 

ETA:  I forgot about the andouille sausage!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I don't have to take her to the doctor. I sent the doctor an email with all her symptoms and she called in a prescription for an inhaler. Then she also recommended some OTC meds for us both. Fran is feeling much bbetter today.



Oh, good!! 



franandaj said:


> You could have said that in the first place. I know where those are.



 Sorry. I usually try to use US geography as a reference as a lot of my readers aren't familiar with Canada and I don't like making them pull up a map all the time.



franandaj said:


> But you mean 29,000 ft UP, right? So at 30,000 ft you have a smaller area?



Correct.



franandaj said:


> Actually I looked up the map of the track and most of the bleachers face North or South. The covered ones appear to face south, but there are some on the curve of the road that face East or west. I was going to post the map, but can't when DISing from the phone. Again...at the vet.



I think I'm in 36 or 40... so face North.



franandaj said:


> With the four of us, we could probably order two of their "feasts". The one we like has shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, potatoes, and corn cobbettes. Add in a salad to split and we might possibly have room for some dessert. Unlikely though, they bring yummy sourdough bread to the table. I think this sounds like a plan for Thursday night!



Yum! I'm for that!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Sorry. I usually try to use US geography as a reference as a lot of my readers aren't familiar with Canada and I don't like making them pull up a map all the time.



I was a Canadian rep when I had a day job. I got to go to all the fun places in Canada except MB and SK.



pkondz said:


> I think I'm in 36 or 40... so face North.



Those are on the aquarium side of the track. I'm guessing you'll enter via the yellow ticket gate, which is likely the same distance you walked from the Annabella to DL.



pkondz said:


> Yum! I'm for that!



And I just edited it to add that I forgot the andouille sausage thats in there too!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I was a Canadian rep when I had a day job. I got to go to all the fun places in Canada except MB and SK.



Well.... that's actually fairly accurate.
All the fun places are_ not_ in SK and MB. 



franandaj said:


> Those are on the aquarium side of the track. I'm guessing you'll enter via the yellow ticket gate, which is likely the same distance you walked from the Annabella to DL.



Okay, that's not far. I'm not too concerned. At least I don't have to fight traffic every day. 



franandaj said:


> And I just edited it to add that I forgot the andouille sausage thats in there too!



Even better!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Well.... that's actually fairly accurate.
> All the fun places are_ not_ in SK and MB.



I wouldn't know they sent the other Canadian Rep to those provinces.



pkondz said:


> Okay, that's not far. I'm not too concerned. At least I don't have to fight traffic every day.



It may be a tad bit farther and there is a hill involved, but you'll be very happy about not having to fight the traffic every day.



pkondz said:


> Even better!



This is what @jedijill and I had when we were there, it will be pretty much four years before the day when we are planning to eat there.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I wouldn't know they sent the other Canadian Rep to those provinces.



Poor sod.



franandaj said:


> It may be a tad bit farther and there is a hill involved, but you'll be very happy about not having to fight the traffic every day.







franandaj said:


> This is what @jedijill and I had when we were there, it will be pretty much four years before the day when we are planning to eat there.



Yum! That looks good!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Yum! That looks good!



Sure is!  And I think four of us could eat that much and be totally full.  I took home so many leftovers and Fran and I ate off them for days.  With bread and maybe a Caesar salad, we'd be pretty full.  None of us are contenders in any eating contests so there is plenty of food on that table for all of us, and if we are hungry still I believe that they have some awesome desserts!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Sure is!  And I think four of us could eat that much and be totally full.  I took home so many leftovers and Fran and I ate off them for days.  With bread and maybe a Caesar salad, we'd be pretty full.  None of us are contenders in any eating contests so there is plenty of food on that table for all of us, and if we are hungry still I believe that they have some awesome desserts!


You can stop trying to convince me!


----------



## franandaj

Day 5


I woke up a few times in the night but not enough to notice the time and when I finally woke enough to find Fran out of bed, I asked her what time it was and it was already 8AM! We had talked about leaving at 8:30 and at this point that was not looking likely.

We were meeting Pam at DHS this morning, so I texted her to make sure she would be on her way. Then I made coffee and we got dressed. Fran had toast two ways, and a yogurt, plus some V8. I ate the last of the spaghetti, some with butter and parmesan, and also had some with the rest of the sauce. I couldn't believe that I got four meals between the two of us out of that! I had some V8 as well and at 9AM we were finally ready to leave the room. Today was going to be a high of 68. I didn't plan for weather like this! I didn't bring a jacket on the trip at all because it had been so hot in the two weeks before.

When we got to the bus stop at 9:10 it said that the bus would be there at 9:33AM and when we were finally strapped in it was actually 9:40, and 10:11 before we were actually entering DHS.  At SSR there are five bus stops and luckily we are the first one, so we usually get on the buses, (They can only hold two scooters) but then it takes another 10-15 minutes to pick up the rest of the passengers. We were texting back and forth. She had already arrived and parked and we were taking our own sweet time, or the bus driver was….I wanted to get a picture of the Sorcerer Mickey Topiary.






By the time we met up with Pam inside the park our RnRC FP was already in play. Pam and I rode together.






Then I went back by myself to ride with Fran’s FP. 






Next was ToT and when we decided to head over for the ride, it was down. There wasn't too much else we wanted to do in that park. Both TS and ST are identical in .CA and I can ride them almost any time.

That morning when Fran realized that Pam had a car she was all excited to go off campus. Pam was game for whatever we wanted to do, as she was just here to hang out with us. Fran wanted to go to the Think Geek store at the Florida Mall, she buys a ton of stuff there online at home, but she thought that maybe the physical store would have better stuff.  First we needed food. We were able to cram both scooters into Pam’s car and fit the three of us.






We headed over to DS to get some Fish and Chips at Cooke’s. Fran and I got an order of one piece of fish with chips. It was a huge piece and plenty of protein to split between the two of us.






Fran and I ordered onion rings as well. Cooke’s makes some great onion rings and the serving is very generous. We took a few of these home with us.






They were able to make a Gluten free version for Pam. And no, her tartar sauce is not green, that's Fran’s Mtn Dew bottle shading her plate.






After lunch we had lots of tasty choices for dessert, but we had been sitting in the sun, it wasn't a hot day, but gelato sounded really good.






Pam got coconut and chocolate (I think).






I think Fran got salted caramel.






I got the Trifecta of Tiramisu, Salted Caramel, and Straciatella.






We found a Bench in the shade outside Art Smith’s place and ate our treats, and then we headed back to the parking lot to embark on our adventures for the day.

First we went to the Florida Mall where the Think Geek store was located. We saw lots of neat stuff but a lot of it we already had because Fran had bought it online. Pam found something and then we headed out of the mall. 

While we visited all these stores Fran rode my scooter, but we ended up using her battery as that one was put in after mine.  Since I was loading and unloading the car, and my scooter weighs a few pounds less, I preferred to use the one that weighed less.

Pam mentioned that the Disney Character Warehouse at the Premium Outlets was nearby and Fran was all over that! She ended up with two Jumbo sacks full of stuff and asked me to be proud of her restraint for all the things that she didn’t buy! Some of the stuff had actually already sold on eBay too.

By this time it was getting close to our dinner ADR so we headed back to the Disney bubble. Traffic was horrible and it took almost an hour to go less than 5 miles. We spent over 10 minutes trying to make a right turn!

We unloaded the scooters said our goodbyes to Pam (until Tuesday) and headed off to dinner at Morimoto Asia. On our way, we realized that Fran's battery was almost completely dead. We switched scooters to get there and once we were at the restaurant, we asked if we could bring in the battery to charge while we ate dinner. Luckily they had an out of the way back room and we got a small amount of charging while we ate.

Last time we were here the food was great, but we had service issues possibly due to a language barrier with our server. This time we had an excellent server who was very knowledgeable about sake and he helped me make a great choice, albeit rather expensive. We were seated with a great view of the open kitchen. I learned from our waiter that this side is a classical Chinese kitchen and all the Chinese items are made on this side.






The menu is Pan Asian so all the non Chinese dishes are made on this side.






So our server helped me pick out a nice sake. My biggest peeve last time that I was here was that the server couldn't tell me what portion of sake I was getting for my money. On the menu, three prices were listed but it didn’t say how large a serving they were.  I ended up going with the Watari Bune sake in the medium size which he assured me was similar to 300ml.  I believe it was something like 11oz, why they can’t standardize their drink measurements is beyond me!






I started off with Tuna sushi, Magaro. This is always a good indicator for how fresh the fish is in a restaurant.  It’s one of the most popular and commonly ordered raw fish, if the tuna isn’t good, I would think about ordering cooked food for the rest of the meal. This was the freshest tuna that I think I've ever had!






We decided to split a Tempura shrimp roll, since they are cooked, Fran can eat these.






Our three hot appetizers all arrived at once. At the last moment i decided to add the Tempura Rock Shrimp in spicy aioli. While we did like this and ate almost all of it, I probably wouldn't order this again.






The Pork shumai have been a favorite of mine for a while. These were very good too, Fran only ate one of hers, so we took the other one home. 






The Morimoto Ribs were offered in an Appetizer size and an entree. We got the appetizer of three. These were as good as our server advertised them, we each ate about half of one rib before we started to get full and we decided that the ribs would travel better than the shrimp, so we focused on finishing that.






And here's where the service started to slip. We rounded off our dinner of appetizers with an order of Beef lo mein. Being in such close proximity to the kitchen, I could see the orders when they came up and I sort of made a game of trying to guess what they were. Not sure if you noticed, but in quite a few of the food pictures you can see Fran with her tablet, so I didn't have the most “present" dinner companion that evening.

So when I saw a plate of what looked like Beef Lo Mein come up I was hopeful that would finally have all our food. And it sat there. Several other dishes came up and their servers snatched them away, but the poor lonely plate of Beef Lo Mein was left by itself. 

More dishes came up, and left, yet the poor Beef Lo Mein sat there, just waiting. It was under the warmer, but I kept hoping that it was not ours by this point. I would have said something to our server, if I saw him.

Anywhere. 

Maybe it was his break time.

Eventually he came back and grabbed the plate and whisked it to our table. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't piping hot either. 






It was good, and between the two of us we ate half of it. This was when we decided to concentrate on eating the tempura shrimp, as the noodles, the ribs and shumai were good leftovers. The shrimp would be soggy. So we took the other things home for later.

As we headed towards the bus stop, even though we had charged her battery some her Scooter started acting up on the way home. Twice it stalled and I had to push the reset button to get it started again. Eventually we switched scooters and I rode hers since I would use less battery power. I babied it home, never reaching full speed and was able to get it to the room with no further incident, and immediately put it on the charger. We figured that all it needed was a full charge for the battery and everything would be fine. Right?

I started some more laundry, and waited up to throw it in the dryer, then I took a bath and went to bed.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You can stop trying to convince me!



I must be trying to convince Liesa!    who also eats like a bird!   I just can't wait to go back!  Only 103 days to go!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I asked her what time it was and it was already 8AM!



You slept in!!! Is this a first?



franandaj said:


> We were meeting Pam at DHS this morning, so I texted her to make sure she would be on her way.



Who promptly texted back "I came early because you always wake up at 6am!"



franandaj said:


> Fran had toast two ways



I forgot. What's that again?



franandaj said:


> Today was going to be a high of 68. I didn't plan for weather like this! I didn't bring a jacket on the trip



Jacket?



franandaj said:


> When we got to the bus stop at 9:10 it said that the bus would be there at 9:33AM



That's max time. 20 minutes, no?



franandaj said:


> By the time we met up with Pam inside the park our RnRC FP was already in play. Pam and I rode together.



 Looks like you guys were having fun!



franandaj said:


>



Whooooo!!!! Go Alison!



franandaj said:


> Next was ToT and when we decided to head over for the ride, it was down.



Well, that sucks. Especially since there isn't one at DL.



franandaj said:


> Fran wanted to go to the Think Geek store



oooh.... sounds like my kinda store.



franandaj said:


>



Holy Tetris!



franandaj said:


>



Those look... puffy. In a good way.



franandaj said:


> And no, her tartar sauce is not green, that's Fran’s Mtn Dew bottle shading her plate.



Thank goodness you explained that!



franandaj said:


> it wasn't a hot day, but gelato sounded really good.



Gelato is good on a hot day.
Or a warm day.

Or a cold day.


Any day, really.



franandaj said:


> Pam got coconut and chocolate (I think).



ew. No.



franandaj said:


> Since I was loading and unloading the car, and my scooter weighs a few pounds less, I preferred to use the one that weighed less.



I guess so!



franandaj said:


> Pam mentioned that the Disney Character Warehouse at the Premium Outlets was nearby and Fran was all over that! She ended up with two Jumbo sacks full of stuff and asked me to be proud of her restraint for all the things that she didn’t buy!







franandaj said:


> Traffic was horrible and it took almost an hour to go less than 5 miles. We spent over 10 minutes trying to make a right turn!



So it felt like home, then?





franandaj said:


> we asked if we could bring in the battery to charge while we ate dinner. Luckily they had an out of the way back room and we got a small amount of charging while we ate.



"No, I'm sorry. You can't charge it."
"Well, I guess we'll be here all night then."



franandaj said:


> We were seated with a great view of the open kitchen.



I love that! I love watching them cook.



franandaj said:


> I started off with Tuna sushi, Magaro. This is always a good indicator for how fresh the fish is in a restaurant. It’s one of the most popular and commonly ordered raw fish, if the tuna isn’t good, I would think about ordering cooked food for the rest of the meal.



Interesting!
I don't eat enough sushi to make that determination, I think.



franandaj said:


> This was the freshest tuna that I think I've ever had!



Nice. 



franandaj said:


> Not sure if you noticed, but in quite a few of the food pictures you can see Fran with her tablet, so I didn't have the most “present" dinner companion that evening.



Oh. That's too bad. I promise to not have my phone out. Well.... maybe to take a picture of the food... but then it's put away.



franandaj said:


> Eventually he came back and grabbed the plate and whisked it to our table. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't piping hot either.



 I'm surprised you didn't send it back.
But you did say it was still good.



franandaj said:


> This was when we decided to concentrate on eating the tempura shrimp, as the noodles, the ribs and shumai were good leftovers. The shrimp would be soggy. So we took the other things home for later.



Smart.



franandaj said:


> We figured that all it needed was a full charge for the battery and everything would be fine. Right?



I doubt it.
I find that once a battery starts to go... it goes.



franandaj said:


> I must be trying to convince Liesa!    who also eats like a bird!   I just can't wait to go back!  Only 103 days to go!



 "Only"!


----------



## Pinkocto

I’m glad Fran is feeling better, those symptoms sounded grisly  there’s a nasty bug going around here, I got it for 2 weeks.


----------



## dizneeat

*All caught up! I did read along all the time, but somehow I never got to reply to your thread in quite some time. Sorry for that.

You actually slept in .... well, just a bit. 8am is not late. 

Awesome to spend the morning with Pam at the Studios. She is fun! 

And wow! I would have never believed that you would be able to cram the scooters into the back of the car. That is perfect packing!

We love that Disney outlet, even though the one at Lake Bryant is closer. We have bought a lot of GREAT stuff there, a whole collection of Disneyland's 60th, even before we were on our way to visit the CA parks. 

Food looks yummy at Morimoto. We only went there once and we both enjoyed the food, but if memory serves me right, we did have a little service snag as well. 

And the saga of the scooter continues ............ (I guess )





AND .........


Happy new year to you both!
*
*



*​


----------



## Pinkocto

That was such a fun day!!! 

That gelato was magnificent. Next time I’ll remember to order my fish separately since it takes longer to make. I didn’t think about it since Fran was so generous and treated me to lunch. 

I did find 5 t-shirts at the mall when Fran came out with nothing. Also found some goodies at the Character Warehouse. 

Dinner sounds delicious. Shame on that server though. Somebody else could have brought it over as well. Usually there’s a head server in charge of what comes ready.


----------



## disney212

Love reading your trip reports!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Fran is feeling much bbetter today.



I am glad that Fran is feeling better.



franandaj said:


> I woke up a few times in the night but not enough to notice the time and when I finally woke enough to find Fran out of bed, I asked her what time it was and it was already 8AM!



That is what I call a result.



franandaj said:


> By the time we met up with Pam inside the park our RnRC FP was already in play.



This seems to have all worked out.



franandaj said:


> Fran wanted to go to the Think Geek store at the Florida Mall



Oh, I never saw this on our most recent visit to the Florida Mall. It looks like a store that I would love to browse in.



franandaj said:


> We were able to cram both scooters into Pam’s car and fit the three of us.



Wow, that is some impressive loading.



franandaj said:


> Straciatella.



I love this. It is so simple, yet so tasty.



franandaj said:


> On our way, we realized that Fran's battery was almost completely dead. We switched scooters to get there and once we were at the restaurant, we asked if we could bring in the battery to charge while we ate dinner. Luckily they had an out of the way back room and we got a small amount of charging while we ate.



Oh no. I am glad that you managed to charge it.



franandaj said:


> We decided to split a Tempura shrimp roll, since they are cooked, Fran can eat these.



They look delicious.



franandaj said:


> More dishes came up, and left, yet the poor Beef Lo Mein sat there, just waiting. It was under the warmer, but I kept hoping that it was not ours by this point. I would have said something to our server, if I saw him.



That is not very good.



franandaj said:


> We figured that all it needed was a full charge for the battery and everything would be fine. Right?



I am thinking probably not given the title of this trip report.

Corinna


----------



## pooh'smate

I think your trifecta of gelato choices sounds excellent.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You slept in!!! Is this a first?



I do it at home all the time! 



pkondz said:


> Who promptly texted back "I came early because you always wake up at 6am!"



 I know Pam, she doesn't like to get up early unless she has to.



pkondz said:


> I forgot. What's that again?



One slice with peanut butter and another slice with a piece of pasteurized processed cheese food (microwaved for 10 seconds to melt it).



pkondz said:


> Jacket?



I know. I still haven't worn one yet this year. The night we went out with my parents over Thanksgiving I wore a wrap.



pkondz said:


> That's max time. 20 minutes, no?



Pretty much.



pkondz said:


> Looks like you guys were having fun!



We were!



pkondz said:


> Whooooo!!!! Go Alison!







pkondz said:


> Well, that sucks. Especially since there isn't one at DL.



I know, and we kept checking the app, it was down while we ate lunch too.



pkondz said:


> oooh.... sounds like my kinda store.



Check them out online. It's the place to go if you're looking for a Death Star wafflemaker or a phaser TV remote.



pkondz said:


> Holy Tetris!



I've gotten pretty good at loading the car!



pkondz said:


> Those look... puffy. In a good way.



They are sooooo delish!  



pkondz said:


> Thank goodness you explained that!



And I did it just for you!  



pkondz said:


> Gelato is good on a hot day.
> Or a warm day.
> 
> Or a cold day.
> 
> 
> Any day, really.



Truth.



pkondz said:


> ew. No.



I know, she got that last time too.



pkondz said:


> So it felt like home, then?



Well no. This was surface street congestion. I'm used to freeway congestion.



pkondz said:


> "No, I'm sorry. You can't charge it."
> "Well, I guess we'll be here all night



Well no one would probably care until security cane around to do their final sweep of the place.



pkondz said:


> I love that! I love watching them cook.



You couldn't see a lot because the walls were kind of high, but you could see everything as it came up. I tried to guess what dishes were what as they came up.



pkondz said:


> Interesting!
> I don't eat enough sushi to make that determination, I think.



You'd know if it was spoiled.



pkondz said:


> Oh. That's too bad. I promise to not have my phone out. Well.... maybe to take a picture of the food... but then it's put away.



Good! It will be nice to hold a conversation over dinner.



pkondz said:


> I'm surprised you didn't send it back.
> But you did say it was still good



It was warm, but I like my food piping hot!



pkondz said:


> I doubt it.
> I find that once a battery starts to go... it goes.



Actually not with the scooters. We replace the batteries annually, but scooters last 4-5 years.



pkondz said:


> "Only"!



Day after tomorrow it will be double digits!


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> I’m glad Fran is feeling better, those symptoms sounded grisly  there’s a nasty bug going around here, I got it for 2 weeks.



Ugh. She's on the mend, but it's been a week already.



dizneeat said:


> All caught up! I did read along all the time, but somehow I never got to reply to your thread in quite some time. Sorry for that.



That's OK. You're a busy lady.



dizneeat said:


> You actually slept in .... well, just a bit. 8am is not late



Not early either.



dizneeat said:


> Awesome to spend the morning with Pam at the Studios. She is fun!



We had the whole day with her. 



dizneeat said:


> And wow! I would have never believed that you would be able to cram the scooters into the back of the car. That is perfect packing!



I've had practice. 



dizneeat said:


> We love that Disney outlet, even though the one at Lake Bryant is closer. We have bought a lot of GREAT stuff there, a whole collection of Disneyland's 60th, even before we were on our way to visit the CA parks.



Pam said we went to the closer one. Maybe I got them confused.



dizneeat said:


> Food looks yummy at Morimoto. We only went there once and we both enjoyed the food, but if memory serves me right, we did have a little service snag as well.



The service was much better the second time around.



dizneeat said:


> And the saga of the scooter continues ............ (I guess )



Ya think?  



dizneeat said:


> Happy new year to you both!



And Happy New Year to you and Tom!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I know Pam, she doesn't like to get up early unless she has to.



You are so right 




franandaj said:


> I know, and we kept checking the app, it was down while we ate lunch too.



Hopefully we’ll all be able to ride it together, later this year! 



franandaj said:


> I know, she got that last time too.



You guys are too funny! 




franandaj said:


> Ugh. She's on the mend, but it's been a week already.



 



franandaj said:


> Pam said we went to the closer one. Maybe I got them confused.



It was the larger store closer to Disney. I’d only ever been to the smaller one before so it was nice to see the differences.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I do it at home all the time!



You were _not_ at home.



franandaj said:


> I know Pam, she doesn't like to get up early unless she has to.



 Okay!



franandaj said:


> One slice with peanut butter and another slice with a piece of pasteurized processed cheese food (microwaved for 10 seconds to melt it).



Ah!

My favourite is on a slice of toast, peanut butter and liquid honey over top.



franandaj said:


> I know. I still haven't worn one yet this year. The night we went out with my parents over Thanksgiving I wore a wrap.



I have worn a jacket this year.



And that's a wrap!



franandaj said:


> Check them out online. It's the place to go if you're looking for a Death Star wafflemaker or a phaser TV remote.



I have it open in another tab and will check it out in a few minutes. 



franandaj said:


> I've gotten pretty good at loading the car!



I've noticed! 



franandaj said:


> And I did it just for you!



For l'il ol' me? 



franandaj said:


> Well no. This was surface street congestion. I'm used to freeway congestion.



Ah. So it didn't make you home sick. 



franandaj said:


> Well no one would probably care until security cane around to do their final sweep of the place.



Then they'd walk up to you and you'd be all: "Hah! You have to push us!"

And they would. Right out the door, where they'd abandon you.



Alison sits alone in the dark. Unable to coax her scooter to life.



franandaj said:


> You couldn't see a lot because the walls were kind of high, but you could see everything as it came up.



Oh. Unfortunate.
Ask for a high chair next time.



franandaj said:


> You'd know if it was spoiled.



Well, yes. But I haven't had enough sushi to _really_ know what's good.

Except once.

Went to a sushi place with a friend. I ordered something boring... probably California rolls. Or even teriyaki chicken.
It was okay.

But then the waiter brings us each one piece of nigiri.
He says "Compliments of the chef."
Holy crap that was amazing.



franandaj said:


> Good! It will be nice to hold a conversation over dinner.



That's what dinners are for. Otherwise you can just get the food to go.



franandaj said:


> Actually not with the scooters. We replace the batteries annually, but scooters last 4-5 years.



Ah.



franandaj said:


> Day after tomorrow it will be double digits!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Well we are down to one vacant apartment and it's the one that they were fixing up while we were gone!



Only one vacancy now?  That's great!



franandaj said:


> With all the incentives that the are offering to get their numbers up, we might be able to get 0.00% financing on a spiffy new model of a Ford Escape. We'll see if that turns out.



Always fun to get a new car.  Although I guess you won't be taking that one to any shows.



franandaj said:


>



The lady in blue in the back...



franandaj said:


> Now that is a treat you can argue is healthy since there is an apple underneath the caramel!



I'm convinced! 



franandaj said:


> I told Fran that I didn't need a poncho, I would just go fast and beat the rain.



Wow, you must be really fast.



franandaj said:


> She was calling me. She had gotten lost in the dark, her scooter had stalled and she had no idea where she was.



D'oh!  Did you tell her she was in Epcot?



franandaj said:


> I ate the last of the spaghetti, some with butter and parmesan, and also had some with the rest of the sauce.



Breakfast of champions.



franandaj said:


> We were able to cram both scooters into Pam’s car and fit the three of us.



Wow, that's some next-level Tetris playing there.



franandaj said:


> After lunch we had lots of tasty choices for dessert, but we had been sitting in the sun, it wasn't a hot day, but gelato sounded really good.



Ice cream is always a good idea.



franandaj said:


> She ended up with two Jumbo sacks full of stuff and asked me to be proud of her restraint for all the things that she didn’t buy!







franandaj said:


> Traffic was horrible and it took almost an hour to go less than 5 miles.



Oh my goodness.  I'd say drive the scooter down the shoulder, but it sounds like that wasn't a great option, either.



franandaj said:


> So when I saw a plate of what looked like Beef Lo Mein come up I was hopeful that would finally have all our food. And it sat there. Several other dishes came up and their servers snatched them away, but the poor lonely plate of Beef Lo Mein was left by itself.
> 
> More dishes came up, and left, yet the poor Beef Lo Mein sat there, just waiting. It was under the warmer, but I kept hoping that it was not ours by this point.



The downside of an open kitchen.



franandaj said:


> Eventually we switched scooters and I rode hers since I would use less battery power. I babied it home, never reaching full speed and was able to get it to the room with no further incident, and immediately put it on the charger. We figured that all it needed was a full charge for the battery and everything would be fine. Right?



Oh, sure!  Nothing to worry about.  Nothing to see here, move along.


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> That was such a fun day!!!



It was nice having some time off property.



Pinkocto said:


> That gelato was magnificent. Next time I’ll remember to order my fish separately since it takes longer to make. I didn’t think about it since Fran was so generous and treated me to lunch.



No worries, we weren't in a hurry.



Pinkocto said:


> I did find 5 t-shirts at the mall when Fran came out with nothing. Also found some goodies at the Character Warehouse.



We did laugh about how Fran found nothing and you ended up with a bunch of stuff!



Pinkocto said:


> Dinner sounds delicious. Shame on that server though. Somebody else could have brought it over as well. Usually there’s a head server in charge of what comes ready.



Yeah, I don't know what happened with that.



disney212 said:


> Love reading your trip reports!



Thanks! 



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that Fran is feeling better.



She still has a horrible cough, though.



dolphingirl47 said:


> This seems to have all worked out.



Pretty much.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, I never saw this on our most recent visit to the Florida Mall. It looks like a store that I would love to browse in.



They have really great stuff on their website. I gotten some neat dresses and T-shirts.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, that is some impressive loading.



I've had practice!  



dolphingirl47 said:


> I love this. It is so simple, yet so tasty.



This was the flavor I liked best when I was in Italy and first had gelato many years ago.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh no. I am glad that you managed to charge it.



Too bad it didn't seem to help much.



dolphingirl47 said:


> They look delicious.



It was!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is not very good.



Nope.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am thinking probably not given the title of this trip report.



Foreshadowing.... 



pooh'smate said:


> I think your trifecta of gelato choices sounds excellent.



Thanks! It was yummy!


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> You are so right



You're always the one sleeping in on vacation while everyone else is hitting rope drop!  



Pinkocto said:


> Hopefully we’ll all be able to ride it together, later this year!



Hopefully.  The parks are going to be mobbed that weekend!



Pinkocto said:


> You guys are too funny!



I think you're one of the few here who actually likes coconut!  And Brussel Sprouts!



Pinkocto said:


> It was the larger store closer to Disney. I’d only ever been to the smaller one before so it was nice to see the differences.



I think we had been to that store many many years ago when we rented a car for the week.



pkondz said:


> You were _not_ at home.



And your point is....



pkondz said:


> Ah!
> 
> My favourite is on a slice of toast, peanut butter and liquid honey over top.



Well she buys the peanut butter that has honey mixed in with it.  I have my own which is pure peanut butter.



pkondz said:


> I have worn a jacket this year.
> 
> 
> 
> And that's a wrap!



Bu, dum, chuck!  



pkondz said:


> I have it open in another tab and will check it out in a few minutes.



So did you find anything?



pkondz said:


> For l'il ol' me?



I knew you'd make some sort of remark about the green tartar sauce.



pkondz said:


> Ah. So it didn't make you home sick.



Not at all.



pkondz said:


> Oh. Unfortunate.
> Ask for a high chair next time.



so my feet can dangle?



pkondz said:


> Well, yes. But I haven't had enough sushi to _really_ know what's good.



But you would know if it was really bad.



pkondz said:


> Except once.
> 
> Went to a sushi place with a friend. I ordered something boring... probably California rolls. Or even teriyaki chicken.
> It was okay.
> 
> But then the waiter brings us each one piece of nigiri.
> He says "Compliments of the chef."
> Holy crap that was amazing.



If you could tell it was amazing, you could tell if it was good sushi!



pkondz said:


> That's what dinners are for. Otherwise you can just get the food to go.



Usually we go through the drive through.  Or watch TV at home.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Only one vacancy now? That's great!



Well what would be great is no vacancies!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Always fun to get a new car. Although I guess you won't be taking that one to any shows.



And we missed the window on the new car.  Fran got really sick and then the promotion ended.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The lady in blue in the back...



Everyone seems to like her!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, you must be really fast.



Like the wind....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> D'oh! Did you tell her she was in Epcot?



Yeah, somewhere near Epcot!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Breakfast of champions.



Spaghetti sounds good right now.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, that's some next-level Tetris playing there.



I practice.  A lot.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ice cream is always a good idea.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh my goodness. I'd say drive the scooter down the shoulder, but it sounds like that wasn't a great option, either.



There weren't many options.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The downside of an open kitchen.



You get to see your food getting cold.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh, sure! Nothing to worry about. Nothing to see here, move along.



Move right along.....into the next update.  dun, dun, dun!


----------



## franandaj

Day 6 - The Day The Scooter Hits The Fan!


Now really I could have titled this chapter something similar but perhaps not used the word “scooter” and substituted another word, but as you know this is a family board and language like that is frowned upon. Today started off like any other day in WDW, little did we expect what was to be in store for us today.


I woke up at 6:30. Fran had been up half the night listing pins and stuff (that she purchased the previous day at Character Warehouse) on eBay. I prepped our breakfast and then took another tub. After that I popped the muffins in the oven, started coffee, and began to fry the bacon. I scrambled some eggs, and voila breakfast!  No pictures though.

We had a little time to kill before we had to leave so I posted an update of bonus features on the previous TR that I had nearly completed before we left home.

We left the room around 10AM and miracle of miracles only waited about 5 minutes before an Epcot bus showed up. Good thing too because it was 56° out that morning! Not something you expect in Florida in October!

Today was the first day we arrived in Epcot without having to rush off to a lunch, FP or something so we took a picture at the sign.






Our first stop at Epcot was Mouse Gears. Evidently we weren't the only ones looking for warm clothes as they had a rack of heavy jackets freestanding in the women's department and I found one right away which fit the bill perfectly. Fran got another sweatshirt and a Figment hat to keep her head warm.

Then we went outside to take a few PP pics. 











That morning @chunkymonkey and her DH were flying in for the weekend. Their plan was to head directly to Epcot after dropping off their bags at their resort.  We had been texting and planned to meet up that morning. While we were in line for some of the pictures we met up with them. Fran and I took a few.






Then we all got in on the fun!











We walked along together to the International Gateway and took a couple more pictures and then parted ways. They wanted a Margarita and we were heading towards France.






Unbeknownst to us, this would be the last picture of Fran in her scooter.






We looked through one of the shops and I got a festival T-shirt and then we  stopped in Canada for  cheddar cheese soup. I can't believe this was our first kiosk of the trip!











Oh and we got the Ice Wine too!











We strolled along through Canada and over to the UK where we used the facilities. As we moved on we were rolling along past the Rose and Crown and konk! Fran's scooter stopped. So we switched scooters and I rode about six feet.

Konk!

Hit reset.  Six feet.

Konk!

Hit reset. Hit reset. Hit reset. Click. OK I heard it this time. Three feet.

Konk!

At that point it was getting closer to our reservation at Spice Road Table, so we decided to just park the scoot and come back to get it. Obviously it was going to have problems going over the hill between the UK and France. We got it to limp to the entrance to the bar near Rose & Crown and took all our valuables and parked it.

When we got to France we needed a drink, so she got a Grand Marnier Slush and I got a Gray Goose slushie.






Then we went to see if there was any new Marie merchandise in the store, but there wasn't anything I couldn't live without. It was 20 minutes until our lunch so we decided to head towards Morocco and then we bumped into @chunkymonkey and her DH again.

No pics this time.

When we got to Spice Road Table they started us off with a glass of champagne. 











We waited in the bar/entry area until they were ready to seat us.






When we were seated it turns out the woman next to me recognized us from the DIS! Her name was Martha and she was visiting from NJ.






Fran started looking for a rental scooter and while she was on the phone reserving it, the presentation started.






Since she can’t get up easily, I took her phone into the entry/bar area to finish the call. She was trying to be discreet and was talking on the phone with her hand cupped over the mouthpiece end. I didn’t want her to be “that person on a phone” and it was good I took the call out to the foyer where I could talk freely because the guy on the other end got our CC billing address wrong and I had to correct him. Turns out that wasn't all he got wrong….  Once we were all set for a 4PM delivery at SSR, I went back in to enjoy the luncheon and the wine!






The menu was pretty much identical to the one they served last year, but I was OK with that as it was fantastic! Martha did not eat seafood, so for the first course she was served hummus fries.






I was plenty pleased with mine. The shrimp was delicious!






The second course was a spicy tuna with eggplant, zucchini, capers and basil oil. While I was on the phone with the scooter rental company, she ordered me an eggplant free tuna (last year I chanced it and didn't taste any eggplant) but she said with everything that has gone wrong this trip, she didn't want to chance it. 

Since Martha wasn't eating seafood, they substituted stuffed grape leaves for this course.






This was the dish as it was intended to be served.






This was my portion, they left off the “salad" part.






It was very good! The wine was a temperanillo but without the skin contact on the rose.

We had a nice view out the window during lunch. We lucked out at both this and the Tequila lunch.






Martha's guest was a Pescetarian, so she had a substitution for the thrid course. She was served fried calamari.






Next we were served lamb chops with saffron rice and I couldn't tell if the veggie was cucumber or zucchini. Either way it was good.






The wine was also a temperanillo, but this time the wine spent more time with the skins, hence the rich color. I had to take one chop home as well as some of the rice and veggie.

We were served a nice Muscat with dessert.






Then we had baklava three ways. The long skinny one was almond, there was a pistachio square and a traditional walnut. That last one was my favorite, it tasted like it had cinnamon in it but the chef swore that it did not, only honey and sugar.






As soon as the event was over we darted out of there. However not before stopping at the France kiosk for another slushie.






*[Continued in Post after Next]*


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> And your point is....



Point?
I have to have a point?


I'm sorry, but that's just never going to happen!



franandaj said:


> Well she buys the peanut butter that has honey mixed in with it.



This exists????

Never knew.
Don't think I'd do it anyways.



franandaj said:


> Bu, dum, chuck!










franandaj said:


> So did you find anything?



Nope!
I did look. But I have to be in the right frame of mind.
"You know what I want right now? A shirt with a Porg on it."








franandaj said:


> I knew you'd make some sort of remark about the green tartar sauce.



Wha?
Me?????

I would nev......




Yeah... Okay. Point taken.





franandaj said:


> so my feet can dangle?



I'd pay to see that.



franandaj said:


> But you would know if it was really bad.



Well.... yes.



franandaj said:


> If you could tell it was amazing, you could tell if it was good sushi!



 Good point!

I'm a sushi expert!! Alison says so!



franandaj said:


> Usually we go through the drive through. Or watch TV at home.



Story of my life.



franandaj said:


> Well what would be great is no vacancies!



Any luck? Updates?


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*

During lunch we decided to try and get the scooter to the Beach Club and get some sort of transport from there rather than trying to get back to the front of Epcot. The scooter was right where we left it before lunch and part of us were a little disappointed. Then again there was a bag on the back we wanted to keep, plus a bar under the seat (which makes it easy to attach to the scooter lift on the back of the car) that we also wanted to keep. It seemed to be working a tad bit better and got about ⅓ the way up the hill before it konked out again, and spilled some of my slushie on my knee. The scooter limped along (so to speak) and just before we exited the park, we were told we couldn't take the drink, so we chugged it and pushed forward. It was this point that we realized that we wouldn't make the 4PM meet up to get the new scooter, so we called and postponed it until 5PM.

Luckily the last time we stayed at the Beach Club we learned of a path that bypassed the large hill and we took that. There was a slight hill at the end and that's when everything went totally south. You see we had tried on several occasions to put the scooter in neutral and just push it, but for whatever reason it still seemed to be in gear. It never freewheeled as it should have when not in gear, so easily pushing it wasn't an option. In fact it was somewhere around this point that we realized that one of the back wheels wasn't even spinning any more. So now, instead of just walking the scooter along, I was walking it while leaning it onto one side so that it was two-wheeling it. After much difficulty we got it out to the port cochere and the valet/Bellman called us a cab.

We broke down both scooters into the back of the van and rode back to SSR. Going back to the room, the wheels turned enough that I didn't have to tip the scooter onto two wheels. Here it is back in the room, and you can see the tread has been worn off the wheel from me pushing it when it wouldn't spin.






It was quarter to 5 so we parked the dead scooter in the room and then made our way to the front of the hotel. We were right on time, and by 5:15 Fran was commenting that they were late. At 5:25, I called the scooter company, and while I was on my phone they called on Fran's phone. She told them we were sitting out front.

A few minutes later they called back, she handed me the phone and said, “you talk to them”. It turns out the driver had been sent to someplace called “Saralago” and not our hotel.  So another 20 minutes goes by before we finally see the scooter. At that point I wanted a “drink” drink, so we went to the Turf Club bar. Fran noticed they had mushroom soup so she ordered a cup.






I had a Belvedere martini with a twist of lemon.






She had a Margarita.






While we were waiting for or we were in the cab or whenever we deduced that the scooter got messed up when it fell from the lift (for those who didn’t follow along on the real life updates in the last TR, you can read about that here)

The Last Trip: An (Eastern) Fantasy Food Adventure-And we're home! Return of  D'land Ltd RR 10/30

While we didn’t notice any problems initially, something probably got out of whack and as Fran rode on the scooter, it must have just gotten farther and farther out of alignment until it just wouldn’t work anymore. We had decided to leave the scooter in Florida but there were still a few parts of the scooter that we wanted to keep.

After our drinks, we went back to the room and tried to watch the movie Avatar. You can't connect your own DVD player to a Disney TV as it won't recognize the input, so “two technicians and a trip to community hall to rent a non Blu-ray version” later we were watching the movie.

While watching, I finally got hungry and I heated up our leftovers from the day before. We had the spare ribs and some beef lo Mein. I also had a shaomai. Fran was still hungry after the leftover Chinese, so I made her a bacon sandwich with some of the bacon we had left from breakfast.






Once the movie was over I wanted to take a bath, but I had started a load of white laundry and I added the towels to make it a little larger, with our own clothes I barely had a quarter or a load. Unfortunately they weren't dry yet and I was so tired from pushing the stupid scooter around I just went to bed.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> The Day The Scooter Hits The Fan!



uh, oh...



franandaj said:


> Now really I could have titled this chapter something similar but perhaps not used the word “scooter” and substituted another word, but as you know this is a family board and language like that is frowned upon.



The day the Disney Dragster Hits the Fan!

I really don't see what's wrong with that? 



franandaj said:


> little did we expect what was to be in store for us today.



Dun dun dunnnnnn!!!!!



franandaj said:


> I prepped our breakfast and then took another tub.



Where did you take it? How did you get it out of the bathroom?



franandaj said:


> After that I popped the muffins in the oven,



Is this a euphemism?
OMG! Congrats!!!!



franandaj said:


> voila breakfast! No pictures though.



Meh. Pictures aren't that tasty anyway.
I usually skip pictures for breakfast.



franandaj said:


> Good thing too because it was 56° out that morning! Not something you expect in Florida in October!



How about now?



franandaj said:


>



Look at those smiles!

Little did you know what was in store....



franandaj said:


>



 Nice one!



franandaj said:


>



Hey! I know those people! 



franandaj said:


> They wanted a Margarita and we were heading towards France.



France? What is that?
Don't you mean Grey Goose slush land?



franandaj said:


> Unbeknownst to us, this would be the last picture of Fran in her scooter.



Here it comes.......



franandaj said:


> we stopped in Canada for cheddar cheese soup. I can't believe this was our first kiosk of the trip!



Why?



franandaj said:


> Oh and we got the Ice Wine too!



How did you like it?
Want another?



franandaj said:


> Konk!
> 
> Hit reset. Six feet.
> 
> Konk!
> 
> Hit reset. Hit reset. Hit reset. Click. OK I heard it this time. Three feet.
> 
> Konk!



oy.

Not good.



franandaj said:


> When we got to France we needed a drink, so she got a Grand Marnier Slush and I got a Gray Goose slushie.



See????



franandaj said:


> we bumped into @chunkymonkey and her DH again.



Who got knocked down? I'm betting it was her.



franandaj said:


> When we were seated it turns out the woman next to me recognized us from the DIS! Her name was Martha and she was visiting from NJ.



Cool!
I've never had that happen.
Probably never will. 



franandaj said:


> Since she can’t get up easily, I took her phone into the entry/bar area to finish the call. She was trying to be discreet and was talking on the phone with her hand cupped over the mouthpiece end. I didn’t want her to be “that person on a phone”



I get that.
Kinda bad timing, but.... I get it.



franandaj said:


> the guy on the other end got our CC billing address wrong and I had to correct him. Turns out that wasn't all he got wrong….



Uh, oh.....



franandaj said:


>



mmmm!!!! Want!



franandaj said:


> Since Martha wasn't eating seafood, they substituted stuffed grape leaves for this course.



That looks really interesting.
I wonder what the stuffing was.



franandaj said:


>



Dang that looks good.



franandaj said:


> The wine was a temperanillo but without the skin contact on the rose.



Ah yes. Quite right.
(He says knowingly as he chugs his Coke)



franandaj said:


> I had to take one chop home as well as some of the rice and veggie.



Because now they were your friends?



franandaj said:


> Then we had baklava three ways. The long skinny one was almond, there was a pistachio square and a traditional walnut.



Huh! I had no idea there was more than one way to make baklava.



franandaj said:


> As soon as the event was over we darted out of there. However not before stopping at the France kiosk for another slushie.




Man those things are good.



franandaj said:


> The scooter was right where we left it before lunch and part of us were a little disappointed.







franandaj said:


> spilled some of my slushie on my knee



Nooooo!!!!! 



franandaj said:


> and just before we exited the park, we were told we couldn't take the drink



 Had the same issue when I was there with Kay.



franandaj said:


> So now, instead of just walking the scooter along, I was walking it while leaning it onto one side so that it was two-wheeling it.



Oh, man.... 



franandaj said:


> We broke down both scooters into the back of the van and rode back to SSR.



When you say "we"... you mean "you".



franandaj said:


> Here it is back in the room, and you can see the tread has been worn off the wheel from me pushing it when it wouldn't spin.



Holy smokes. It was _really_ stuck... and.... you must've been just wiped out after that.



franandaj said:


> A few minutes later they called back, she handed me the phone and said, “you talk to them”. It turns out the driver had been sent to someplace called “Saralago” and not our hotel. So another 20 minutes goes by before we finally see the scooter.



Saralago. Of course. Been there many a time. I can see why there'd be some confusion.







franandaj said:


>



That looks soooo good.



franandaj said:


> While we were waiting for or we were in the cab or whenever we deduced that the scooter got messed up when it fell from the lift



Ah!



franandaj said:


> we went back to the room and tried to watch the movie Avatar.



First time?



franandaj said:


> You can't connect your own DVD player to a Disney TV as it won't recognize the input



Really? Odd.



franandaj said:


> I also had a shaomai



A what?



franandaj said:


> I was so tired from pushing the stupid scooter around I just went to bed.



I can imagine.
I can also imagine you are going to be sore the next morning.


----------



## chunkymonkey

Caught up again!



franandaj said:


> Pam was game for whatever we wanted to do, as she was just here to hang out with us. Fran wanted to go to the Think Geek store at the Florida Mall, she buys a ton of stuff there online at home, but she thought that maybe the physical store would have better stuff.



I love Think Geek! Although our NY store is just a small kiosk in the basement of a Gamestop. I too buy stuff online.



franandaj said:


> We were able to cram both scooters into Pam’s car and fit the three of us.



Nice trunk Tetris!



franandaj said:


>



Those onion rings look really good - very light batter!



franandaj said:


> We were seated with a great view of the open kitchen. I learned from our waiter that this side is a classical Chinese kitchen and all the Chinese items are made on this side.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The menu is Pan Asian so all the non Chinese dishes are made on this side.



Ha I didn't realize that! I did notice the Chinese style roast duck hanging though and thought it was cool how it looked like a modern Chinatown.



franandaj said:


> At the last moment i decided to add the Tempura Rock Shrimp in spicy aioli. While we did like this and ate almost all of it, I probably wouldn't order this again.



I've had that before at one of his other Morimoto restaurants and thought it was good but it's a big portion for just two people so think this is a good for group thing.



franandaj said:


>



Mmmm looks delicious!



franandaj said:


> So when I saw a plate of what looked like Beef Lo Mein come up I was hopeful that would finally have all our food. And it sat there. Several other dishes came up and their servers snatched them away, but the poor lonely plate of Beef Lo Mein was left by itself.
> 
> More dishes came up, and left, yet the poor Beef Lo Mein sat there, just waiting. It was under the warmer, but I kept hoping that it was not ours by this point. I would have said something to our server, if I saw him.
> 
> Anywhere.
> 
> Maybe it was his break time.
> 
> Eventually he came back and grabbed the plate and whisked it to our table. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't piping hot either.



OMG I do this too. When I sit near a kitchen and I see a dish I order and it's sitting there I get so anxious!!



franandaj said:


> We figured that all it needed was a full charge for the battery and everything would be fine. Right?



Dun dun dun....



franandaj said:


> Then we all got in on the fun!



Yay! So great finally meeting you guys!!
Can't believe it was so cold! Colder in FL than in Canada, so weird!



franandaj said:


> Unbeknownst to us, this would be the last picture of Fran in her scooter.



RIP Scooter!



franandaj said:


> I was plenty pleased with mine. The shrimp was delicious!



That looks delicious! The shrimp look so plump and juicy!



franandaj said:


> Then we had baklava three ways. The long skinny one was almond, there was a pistachio square and a traditional walnut. That last one was my favorite, it tasted like it had cinnamon in it but the chef swore that it did not, only honey and sugar.



I'm a sucker for pistachio so this looks sooo good!



franandaj said:


> Luckily the last time we stayed at the Beach Club we learned of a path that bypassed the large hill and we took that.



We discovered that this fall too!



franandaj said:


> Fran noticed they had mushroom soup so she ordered a cup.



That soup looks crazy good. I never would have ordered a mushroom soup but it looks so creamy and delish.



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately they weren't dry yet and I was so tired from pushing the stupid scooter around I just went to bed.



Aww you must have been so tired!!


----------



## pkondz

chunkymonkey said:


> Can't believe it was so cold! Colder in FL than in Canada, so weird!



I'm actually okay with that.


----------



## chunkymonkey

pkondz said:


> I'm actually okay with that.



Hahaha


----------



## Pinkocto

I’m glad you’re not here now, its been in the 30s, going up to the 40s/low 50s the last week with nights 28 and 29... I have not left the house much.

Your lunch looks very yummy! We had ‘small plates’ there a couple years ago and everything was really really good.  Can’t say the plates were small though.

Poor poor scooter. And all that work on your part to get it back, whew!

Saralago???  I just mapquested, its 20 minutes from SSR. And doesn’t sound at all the same...


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Good thing too because it was 56° out that morning!



Goodness, this was colder than it was in the UK for much of October.



franandaj said:


> We looked through one of the shops and I got a festival T-shirt and then we stopped in Canada for cheddar cheese soup. I can't believe this was our first kiosk of the trip!



Wow. I suppose with the special lunches you would not have room to sample what was on offer at the kiosks.



franandaj said:


> Martha did not eat seafood, so for the first course she was served hummus fries.



Oh, I like the look of those.



franandaj said:


> Luckily the last time we stayed at the Beach Club we learned of a path that bypassed the large hill and we took that. There was a slight hill at the end and that's when everything went totally south. You see we had tried on several occasions to put the scooter in neutral and just push it, but for whatever reason it still seemed to be in gear. It never freewheeled as it should have when not in gear, so easily pushing it wasn't an option. In fact it was somewhere around this point that we realized that one of the back wheels wasn't even spinning any more. So now, instead of just walking the scooter along, I was walking it while leaning it onto one side so that it was two-wheeling it.



Looks like what could go wrong went wrong.



franandaj said:


> A few minutes later they called back, she handed me the phone and said, “you talk to them”. It turns out the driver had been sent to someplace called “Saralago” and not our hotel.



Oh dear, this does not inspire confidence. I hope their scooters are in better shape than their customer service skills.

Corinna


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I ate the last of the spaghetti, some with butter and parmesan, and also had some with the rest of the sauce.



A most excellent sort of breakfast!! One of my faves!



franandaj said:


>



WHOA!



franandaj said:


> And no, her tartar sauce is not green, that's Fran’s Mtn Dew bottle shading her plate.



LOL!! That DOES look suspicious!!



franandaj said:


> Some of the stuff had actually already sold on eBay too.



Well, that's a bright side!



franandaj said:


> We were seated with a great view of the open kitchen. I learned from our waiter that this side is a classical Chinese kitchen and all the Chinese items are made on this side.



That's pretty cool!



franandaj said:


> This was the freshest tuna that I think I've ever had!



I'm beginning to think I need to try this place. 



franandaj said:


> And here's where the service started to slip. We rounded off our dinner of appetizers with an order of Beef lo mein. Being in such close proximity to the kitchen, I could see the orders when they came up and I sort of made a game of trying to guess what they were. Not sure if you noticed, but in quite a few of the food pictures you can see Fran with her tablet, so I didn't have the most “present" dinner companion that evening.
> 
> So when I saw a plate of what looked like Beef Lo Mein come up I was hopeful that would finally have all our food. And it sat there. Several other dishes came up and their servers snatched them away, but the poor lonely plate of Beef Lo Mein was left by itself.
> 
> More dishes came up, and left, yet the poor Beef Lo Mein sat there, just waiting. It was under the warmer, but I kept hoping that it was not ours by this point. I would have said something to our server, if I saw him.
> 
> Anywhere.
> 
> Maybe it was his break time.
> 
> Eventually he came back and grabbed the plate and whisked it to our table. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't piping hot either.



This is not a good scenario at all. 



franandaj said:


> Right?



Why do I think...no.  ?



franandaj said:


> I started some more laundry, and waited up to throw it in the dryer



I first read that as, "I waited to throw up in the dryer."





franandaj said:


> I must be trying to convince Liesa!  who also eats like a bird!  I just can't wait to go back! Only 103 days to go!



Looks like this is on the docket. And yes, while I do eat on the light side, I prefer quality over quantity. I need to get a countdown app on my phone.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> miracle of miracles only waited about 5 minutes before an Epcot bus showed up



OH don't worry, they're gonna make up for it by making you stand in a security line 5 _hours_ long.



franandaj said:


>


Love this one of you 4. 



franandaj said:


> When we got to France we needed a drink, so she got a Grand Marnier Slush and I got a Gray Goose slushie.



Delicious fraternal twins!!!



franandaj said:


>



And a MORE delicious set of Identical Twins!



franandaj said:


> so for the first course she was served hummus fries.



I loved those last year! Sadly, none for me this one. 



franandaj said:


>



Another set of identical twins. Perfectly slurpable. 



franandaj said:


> During lunch we decided to try and get the scooter to the Beach Club and get some sort of transport from there rather than trying to get back to the front of Epcot. The scooter was right where we left it before lunch and part of us were a little disappointed. Then again there was a bag on the back we wanted to keep, plus a bar under the seat (which makes it easy to attach to the scooter lift on the back of the car) that we also wanted to keep. It seemed to be working a tad bit better and got about ⅓ the way up the hill before it konked out again, and spilled some of my slushie on my knee. The scooter limped along (so to speak) and just before we exited the park, we were told we couldn't take the drink, so we chugged it and pushed forward. It was this point that we realized that we wouldn't make the 4PM meet up to get the new scooter, so we called and postponed it until 5PM.



OY!! The drama. 



franandaj said:


> Fran noticed they had mushroom soup so she ordered a cup.



Good Lord, that looks amazing!! I LOVE mushroom soup. 

The lunch looked equally delicious at Spice Road too. Thanks for sharing that. I've never eaten a meal there and would love to someday!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Finally caught up!  Lovely meals, but oh that scooter trouble!


----------



## skier_pete

Ugh. We knew it was coming - but that scooter issue is terrible.  It's like your car breaking down on the side of the road - nothing good about it!

On the bright side - the meal looked really good. I admit a couple of those courses don't appeal much to me, so I don't think we will try that one in October. (I really want to try the Tequila lunch.)


----------



## jedijill

Finally caught up again!  

The scooter incident just sounds awful!  

All the food looks amazing!

Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Point?
> I have to have a point?
> 
> 
> I'm sorry, but that's just never going to happen!



But you certainly seem to be able to sneak in between my posts in my updates....   



pkondz said:


> This exists????
> 
> Never knew.
> Don't think I'd do it anyways.



I don't care for it.  I have my own peanut butter.  Natural. Just peanut paste and salt with crunchy peanuts in it.  You have to stir it when you want to eat it because it doesn't have all the chemicals that keep it from separating into the oil and peanut solids.  She can't have crunchy peanut butter anymore anyways.



pkondz said:


> Nope!
> I did look. But I have to be in the right frame of mind.
> "You know what I want right now? A shirt with a Porg on it."



And you just reminded me where I can scrape up a few more dollars.  Shop Disney parks App has one....



pkondz said:


> Wha?
> Me?????
> 
> I would nev......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah... Okay. Point taken.



See what I mean?



pkondz said:


> Good point!
> 
> I'm a sushi expert!! Alison says so!



Well I said you could taste the difference between spoiled fish and good fish!



pkondz said:


> Any luck? Updates?



Not yet.  Showed it on the day it rained earlier this week, interviewed a dog, but haven't heard back from anyone.



pkondz said:


> The day the Disney Dragster Hits the Fan!
> 
> I really don't see what's wrong with that?



I don't think you got my inference.  



pkondz said:


> Where did you take it? How did you get it out of the bathroom?







pkondz said:


> Is this a euphemism?
> OMG! Congrats!!!!



If this is a euphemism for what I'm thinking, Congrats would not be the word I would use, it would be the one that you missed in the word change on the title of this update.  Many phones also have an emogi for this in texting.



pkondz said:


> Meh. Pictures aren't that tasty anyway.
> I usually skip pictures for breakfast.



Sometimes, I have a really spectacular breakfast!



pkondz said:


> How about now?



Pam tells me it's REALLY cold there now!



pkondz said:


> Look at those smiles!
> 
> Little did you know what was in store....



And little did you know how photoshopped that photo was! Go back and tell me if you can figure out what all I did!



pkondz said:


> France? What is that?
> Don't you mean Grey Goose slush land?



Well that too...



pkondz said:


> Here it comes.......



There's only so much foreshadowing one can do....



pkondz said:


> How did you like it?
> Want another?



We love Ice Wine! Back when I was the Canadian rep at Alfred Publishing and they sent me all over the country we took a trip to Victoria. We took the ferry from Seattle to get there and back, but while in Victoria we bought way way way over our allotment of alcohol to bring back into the states. We hid the bottles in boots, and every possible crevase of our luggage. When we went through customs I was feeling very guilty, I'm a horrible liar. They asked me, "Do you have Cuban cigars?" And i was so taken aback that i said "of course not!" and they didn't even think to ask "Do you have twice your allotment of ice wine?"

So the answer would be if some of the wine you and Ruby have sitting around that you won't drink is ice wine we'd live it! Don't buy us any on our account as we rarely drink dessert wine.  I just drink table wine and we rarely have special desserts at home with wine.  Only with my parents or special guests, which is rare.



pkondz said:


> Cool!
> I've never had that happen.
> Probably never will.



You never know.  Although it's become so common for Fran and me that she doesn't even flinch anymore.  It could be that we are in the parks more than you so we're more likely to be spotted.



pkondz said:


> I get that.
> Kinda bad timing, but.... I get it.



And since she was talking under wraps, the thi mg I was afraid of (being misunderstood) was exactly what happened. Hence the guy ended up at the wrong resort.



pkondz said:


> That looks really interesting.
> I wonder what the stuffing was.



She offered me one, but I know grape leaves are kind of bitter.  I assume it was a rice based sort of filling.



pkondz said:


> Dang that looks good.



It totally was. I didn't mind that it was the same thing we ate the last year.



pkondz said:


> Ah yes. Quite right.
> (He says knowingly as he chugs his Coke)



Well if you let the skins of the grapes sit in the wine it will become more red, so there you go. The rose doesn't have a lot of skin contact. The red has more skin contact. Now you are edumacated.



pkondz said:


> Huh! I had no idea there was more than one way to make baklava.



Well they are probably made the same way, just different crushed nits in the fillings of each one. Filo can be rolled or stacked in a multitude of ways.

Have you ever worked with Filo? I have done extensive work with Filo (back in college when I had endless time and no money) and it's great, just time consuming.



pkondz said:


> Man those things are good.



I think I liked the ones from the regular kiosk better than the F&W kiosk.



pkondz said:


> Had the same issue when I was there with Kay.



I seem to remember that.



pkondz said:


> When you say "we"... you mean "you".



No, I think the valets and taxi driver helped.



pkondz said:


> Holy smokes. It was _really_ stuck... and.... you must've been just wiped out after that.



I noticed it was really stuck while I was pushing it, but it wasn't until we got back to the room that she pointed out how the tread was worn off the wheels. I was still going on adrenaline since we needed the new scooter, plus after all that i really wanted a real drink (meaning my regular vodka martini).  I was pretty tired and it's good that all we did that night was watch the movie and eat leftovers.



pkondz said:


> Saralago. Of course. Been there many a time. I can see why there'd be some confusion.



Evidently it exists. What I meant by not the only thing the operator got wrong while he talked with Fran.



pkondz said:


> That looks soooo good.



And it was!



pkondz said:


> First time?



 we kept meaning to watch it so we would understand the land.



pkondz said:


> A What?










pkondz said:


> I can imagine.
> I can also imagine you are going to be sore the next morning.



Actually i wasnt at least as far as I remembered.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> But you certainly seem to be able to sneak in between my posts in my updates....



It's a skill I have.
I was on a roll there for a while on another TR. She'd post multiple updates at once. I managed to post in between them (sometimes only a word) several times.



franandaj said:


> I don't care for it. I have my own peanut butter. Natural. Just peanut paste and salt with crunchy peanuts in it. You have to stir it when you want to eat it because it doesn't have all the chemicals that keep it from separating into the oil and peanut solids. She can't have crunchy peanut butter anymore anyways.



I have to have smooth. And I love all the chemicals! 



franandaj said:


> See what I mean?



Yes.



franandaj said:


> Well I said you could taste the difference between spoiled fish and good fish!



See?

Expert. 



franandaj said:


> Not yet. Showed it on the day it rained earlier this week, interviewed a dog, but haven't heard back from anyone.



The dog never got back to you? What a bitc..... uh.... That's too bad.



franandaj said:


> I don't think you got my inference.







franandaj said:


> If this is a euphemism for what I'm thinking, Congrats would not be the word I would use, it would be the one that you missed in the word change on the title of this update. Many phones also have an emogi for this in texting.







franandaj said:


> And little did you know how photoshopped that photo was! Go back and tell me if you can figure out what all I did!



You cloned out someone (or someones) to Fran's right I think. Plus you pasted in the F&W sign.  Also.. you put yourselves in the photo. Unless of course you've learned how to levitate. 



franandaj said:


> We love Ice Wine! Back when I was the Canadian rep at Alfred Publishing and they sent me all over the country we took a trip to Victoria. We took the ferry from Seattle to get there and back, but while in Victoria we bought way way way over our allotment of alcohol to bring back into the states. We hid the bottles in boots, and every possible crevase of our luggage. When we went through customs I was feeling very guilty, I'm a horrible liar. They asked me, "Do you have Cuban cigars?" And i was so taken aback that i said "of course not!" and they didn't even think to ask "Do you have twice your allotment of ice wine?"




Hillarious!



franandaj said:


> So the answer would be if some of the wine you and Ruby have sitting around that you won't drink is ice wine we'd live it! Don't buy us any on our account as we rarely drink dessert wine. I just drink table wine and we rarely have special desserts at home with wine. Only with my parents or special guests, which is rare.



Well... maybe you have special guests coming in April?



franandaj said:


> You never know. Although it's become so common for Fran and me that she doesn't even flinch anymore. It could be that we are in the parks more than you so we're more likely to be spotted.



That's true.



franandaj said:


> Well if you let the skins of the grapes sit in the wine it will become more red, so there you go. The rose doesn't have a lot of skin contact. The red has more skin contact. Now you are edumacated.



Seriously... thank you.



franandaj said:


> Well they are probably made the same way, just different crushed nits in the fillings of each one.



OMG!!!  They put _nits_ in them?????  








franandaj said:


> Have you ever worked with Filo?



Hmmm... maybe... once?



franandaj said:


> I think I liked the ones from the regular kiosk better than the F&W kiosk.



I wouldn't know of course... but I do remember liking it a great deal (the regular one.)



franandaj said:


> No, I think the valets and taxi driver helped.



Good!



franandaj said:


> I was pretty tired and it's good that all we did that night was watch the movie and eat leftovers.







franandaj said:


> we kept meaning to watch it so we would understand the land.



And... what did you think of it?
I will say that the 3D effects are absolutely stunning. More so than any other movie I've seen.
You lose that on the small screen of course.



franandaj said:


>



ah



franandaj said:


> Actually i wasnt at least as far as I remembered.



Good!


----------



## franandaj

chunkymonkey said:


> Caught up again!



Yay!  



chunkymonkey said:


> I love Think Geek! Although our NY store is just a small kiosk in the basement of a Gamestop. I too buy stuff online.



This store in FL was not much bigger than that.  Online has the best stuff!



chunkymonkey said:


> Nice trunk Tetris!



thanks!  I do it all the time!



chunkymonkey said:


> Those onion rings look really good - very light batter!



And now I want some Cooke's onion rings for dinner!



chunkymonkey said:


> Ha I didn't realize that! I did notice the Chinese style roast duck hanging though and thought it was cool how it looked like a modern Chinatown.



I considered ordering the Peking Duck.  I don't think I've ever had it and I really want to try it after @DisYoda's reviews of it.



chunkymonkey said:


> I've had that before at one of his other Morimoto restaurants and thought it was good but it's a big portion for just two people so think this is a good for group thing.



This is the only one of his restaurants I've been to, there must be more on the East Coast.



chunkymonkey said:


> Mmmm looks delicious!







chunkymonkey said:


> OMG I do this too. When I sit near a kitchen and I see a dish I order and it's sitting there I get so anxious!!



Sometimes I don't like being by the kitchen when this happens, but watching the cooks always wins out for me.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yay! So great finally meeting you guys!!
> Can't believe it was so cold! Colder in FL than in Canada, so weird!



It was fun to meet up, too bad we weren't going in the same direction.  We both had our alcohol priorities!  



chunkymonkey said:


> RIP Scooter!



Pretty much.



chunkymonkey said:


> That looks delicious! The shrimp look so plump and juicy!



They were!  So tasty!



chunkymonkey said:


> I'm a sucker for pistachio so this looks sooo good!



I wasn't a fan of Baklava until a few years ago, but now I love it!  All three were really good.



chunkymonkey said:


> We discovered that this fall too!



Pretty convenient!



chunkymonkey said:


> That soup looks crazy good. I never would have ordered a mushroom soup but it looks so creamy and delish.



She loves mushroom soups and orders them every time they're on the menu.



chunkymonkey said:


> Aww you must have been so tired!!



Totally wiped out.



pkondz said:


> I'm actually okay with that.



You would be!  



Pinkocto said:


> I’m glad you’re not here now, its been in the 30s, going up to the 40s/low 50s the last week with nights 28 and 29... I have not left the house much.



I heard, on the news they said that Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach closed a few days about a week ago.



Pinkocto said:


> Your lunch looks very yummy! We had ‘small plates’ there a couple years ago and everything was really really good. Can’t say the plates were small though.



We ate there once when it opened and ate off the menu.  We ended up with about six different dishes between the two of us.  We ordered three and were still hungry so we ordered another three.



Pinkocto said:


> Poor poor scooter. And all that work on your part to get it back, whew!



We couldn't really just leave it in the middle of the park.  That would be littering!



Pinkocto said:


> Saralago??? I just mapquested, its 20 minutes from SSR. And doesn’t sound at all the same...



I had wondered if it actually existed!  But remember she was talking into the phone with her hand over the mouthpiece as she was talking so as to try not to be obvious at the presentation.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> You would be!


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> Goodness, this was colder than it was in the UK for much of October.



I was really surprised.  I didn't even bring a jacket along.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow. I suppose with the special lunches you would not have room to sample what was on offer at the kiosks.



That's pretty much what happened, plus with the scooter trouble on this day we didn't get to do any booths that afternoon either.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, I like the look of those.



I'm not a fan of hummus, so I would not enjoy them, but others who like hummus seem to be all over them!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Looks like what could go wrong went wrong.



Although I never would have guessed that much was going to go wrong!  



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh dear, this does not inspire confidence. I hope their scooters are in better shape than their customer service skills.



Oh.....stay tuned!



Steppesister said:


> A most excellent sort of breakfast!! One of my faves!



I may have something similar for breakfast tomorrow morning, although this is a vegan version (but I add parmesan cheese)



Steppesister said:


> WHOA!



I'ze got skillz!



Steppesister said:


> LOL!! That DOES look suspicious!!



I knew @pkondz would give me crap about it so I had to figure out why it was green.  



Steppesister said:


> Well, that's a bright side!



Yeah, by now almost half the stuff she bought has sold.



Steppesister said:


> That's pretty cool!



I like open kitchens!



Steppesister said:


> I'm beginning to think I need to try this place.



If you like Pan Asian cuisine, it's totally worth it.  A little pricey but everything I've had has been really good!



Steppesister said:


> This is not a good scenario at all.



No it wasn't.



Steppesister said:


> Why do I think...no. ?



I can't imagine....  



Steppesister said:


> I first read that as, "I waited to throw up in the dryer."







Steppesister said:


> Looks like this is on the docket. And yes, while I do eat on the light side, I prefer quality over quantity. I need to get a countdown app on my phone.



Well that's why we can order two meals between the 4 or 5 of us.  There is way way way too much food for one person to eat a full meal.  There is a two meal minimum when you order, so when Jill and I went I took home a ton of food.  I remember making at least two more meals for Fran and I out of the leftovers.  I think I made crab and shrimp cakes out of the seafood that was left, and then country style hash browned potatoes with the andouille tossed in for flavor.  Next night I think we had potato skins and corn cobbettes.  It's a LOT of food, and good food!



Steppesister said:


> OH don't worry, they're gonna make up for it by making you stand in a security line 5 _hours_ long.



Pretty much.



Steppesister said:


> Love this one of you 4.



Thanks!



Steppesister said:


> Delicious fraternal twins!!!



Lots of those going around!



Steppesister said:


> And a MORE delicious set of Identical Twins!



See!



Steppesister said:


> I loved those last year! Sadly, none for me this one.



I'm not a chickpea fan, so not my cup of tea.



Steppesister said:


> Another set of identical twins. Perfectly slurpable.







Steppesister said:


> OY!! The drama.



I could have used less drama.



Steppesister said:


> Good Lord, that looks amazing!! I LOVE mushroom soup.



She said it was really good.  I will remember this for a snack in the future, especially if I want a drinkie-poo.



Steppesister said:


> The lunch looked equally delicious at Spice Road too. Thanks for sharing that. I've never eaten a meal there and would love to someday!



The small plates are really nice because you can order a few and if you're still hungry you can order one or two more.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Finally caught up!  Lovely meals, but oh that scooter trouble!



Yes, it was a pain in the butt.  I'm just glad that we did have such great meals inbetween the trouble.



********** said:


> Ugh. We knew it was coming - but that scooter issue is terrible. It's like your car breaking down on the side of the road - nothing good about it!



And we can't even call AAA.  



********** said:


> On the bright side - the meal looked really good. I admit a couple of those courses don't appeal much to me, so I don't think we will try that one in October. (I really want to try the Tequila lunch.)



Since it's been the same meal for the past two years, it could be the same again.  The Tequila lunch is different every year, and as you know the French one changes every week.



jedijill said:


> Finally caught up again!
> 
> The scooter incident just sounds awful!
> 
> All the food looks amazing!



Pretty much the gist of it.  Good food, bad scooter.



pkondz said:


> It's a skill I have.
> I was on a roll there for a while on another TR. She'd post multiple updates at once. I managed to post in between them (sometimes only a word) several times.



Well I have another update ready to go, but I want to put in some IRL stuff.  I'm torn whether or not to quote this post in case I get around to it tonight, but I probably won't based on the IRL stuff.



pkondz said:


> I have to have smooth. And I love all the chemicals!







pkondz said:


> The dog never got back to you? What a bitc..... uh.... That's too bad.



*He* was not a bitc...



pkondz said:


> You cloned out someone (or someones) to Fran's right I think. Plus you pasted in the F&W sign. Also.. you put yourselves in the photo. Unless of course you've learned how to levitate.



Actually there was a family blocking the sign, I stood there for a few minutes waiting for them to move, but the PP photographer just kept having them do pose after pose after pose.  I remembered you saying something about the more pictures you take the better your choices for when you want to edit.  When they finally left, I got a clean shot of the middle of the sign, but stupid people were walking in the perimeter of the shot.  This was the picture I ended up coming up with and was proud of myself except for the little "jog" in the planter box.








When I showed it to Fran she said, "Why don't you just put us in the picture?"  So I learned how to "cut" an image out of another picture (the one at the end of the International Gateway that @chunkymonkey took of us) and put it in another image.  Then I couldn't resist using the same image on the train at Pike's Peak.



pkondz said:


> Well... maybe you have special guests coming in April?



Yeah but we're drinking Bloody Caesar's and then going to the restaurant.  We could bring the Ice Wine and pay corkage to have it with dessert!  



pkondz said:


> OMG!!!  They put _nits_ in them?????



Can't you tell that by this time I switched to answering this post from my computer to answering it from my phone in bed with a glass of wine?  Multiple typos....Never even heard of a "nit".



pkondz said:


> I wouldn't know of course... but I do remember liking it a great deal (the regular one.)



I like the regular one.  Fran likes the Grand Marnier one.



pkondz said:


> And... what did you think of it?
> I will say that the 3D effects are absolutely stunning. More so than any other movie I've seen.
> You lose that on the small screen of course.



It was a good movie, not spectacular, but we were entertained.  The screen on the TV was so small and we didn't have it in 3D.  Our TV at home is so much bigger, TV at Disney is anticlimactic.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I knew @pkondz would give me crap about it so I had to figure out why it was green.



Excuse me?
I was very concerned for your health.
"Green? Perhaps it sat out too long. Might be moldy."

I am a very caring person.



um... are you buying this?



franandaj said:


> Well I have another update ready to go, but I want to put in some IRL stuff. I'm torn whether or not to quote this post in case I get around to it tonight, but I probably won't based on the IRL stuff.



I'll see if I can post in the middle of it for ya.



franandaj said:


> *He* was not a bitc...



Well, of course not. Actually, bitcoins aren't physically real.

That _is_ what you meant, isn't it?



franandaj said:


> Actually there was a family blocking the sign, I stood there for a few minutes waiting for them to move, but the PP photographer just kept having them do pose after pose after pose. I remembered you saying something about the more pictures you take the better your choices for when you want to edit. When they finally left, I got a clean shot of the middle of the sign, but stupid people were walking in the perimeter of the shot.







franandaj said:


> This was the picture I ended up coming up with and was proud of myself except for the little "jog" in the planter box.



Hmmm... your formatting is right, but there's no photo.



franandaj said:


> When I showed it to Fran she said, "Why don't you just put us in the picture?" So I learned how to "cut" an image out of another picture (the one at the end of the International Gateway that @chunkymonkey took of us) and put it in another image. Then I couldn't resist using the same image on the train at Pike's Peak.



 



franandaj said:


> Yeah but we're drinking Bloody Caesar's and then going to the restaurant. We could bring the Ice Wine and pay corkage to have it with dessert!



Sure!! I don't know if one bottle would be enough? They're not very big. Example below:








franandaj said:


> Can't you tell that by this time I switched to answering this post from my computer to answering it from my phone in bed with a glass of wine? Multiple typos....Never even heard of a "nit".





Well, you know a nit.... well, I'm half of that. More a nitwit.



franandaj said:


> It was a good movie, not spectacular, but we were entertained. The screen on the TV was so small and we didn't have it in 3D. Our TV at home is so much bigger, TV at Disney is anticlimactic.



Yeah, the 3D in that movie really adds to it.
It's definitely one that should be seen in a theatre.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Hmmm... your formatting is right, but there's no photo.



Look now.



pkondz said:


> Well, you know a nit.... well, I'm half of that. More a nitwit.



You said it not me!  



pkondz said:


> Sure!! I don't know if one bottle would be enough? They're not very big. Example below:



They're usually half bottles, but at the prices you don't need a lot!

OK going to pick up dinner now, so no update until later, now maybe Sunday.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Look now.



Got it!



franandaj said:


> You said it not me!





I was going to say I'm a wit.
But I'm also only half of that.



franandaj said:


> They're usually half bottles, but at the prices you don't need a lot!



Would you think that would be the only wine imbibed? After dinner? Or during?
If "only" and "during", I should maybe bring two?



franandaj said:


> OK going to pick up dinner now, so no update until later, now maybe Sunday.



got it!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Would you think that would be the only wine imbibed? After dinner? Or during?
> If "only" and "during", I should maybe bring two?



In my opinion, Ice Wine should only be drank with dessert.  It's much too sweet for drinking with dinner. I will drink Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc with dinner and if we have dessert they will charge us somewhere between $15-25 per bottle of wine to open it.  I think after dinner we will all want to go home rather than back to my house for a dessert.  Although on Friday night at the Melting Pot, we will definitely have dessert because it's pretty much included.  Maybe we might want two bottles.  Fran doesn't drink much but between you Liesa and I we might want more....


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> In my opinion, Ice Wine should only be drank with dessert.  It's much too sweet for drinking with dinner. I will drink Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc with dinner and if we have dessert they will charge us somewhere between $15-25 per bottle of wine to open it.  I think after dinner we will all want to go home rather than back to my house for a dessert.  Although on Friday night at the Melting Pot, we will definitely have dessert because it's pretty much included.  Maybe we might want two bottles.  Fran doesn't drink much but between you Liesa and I we might want more....


You're saying two bottles at the Melting Pot or two bottles, one for each?


----------



## Dis_Yoda

pkondz said:


> You're saying two bottles at the Melting Pot or two bottles, one for each?



I say three bottles!


----------



## pkondz

Dis_Yoda said:


> I say three bottles!


Oh, shush you!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> But you certainly seem to be able to sneak in between my posts in my updates....



SEE?! I'm not the only one! 



franandaj said:


> (but I add parmesan cheese)



Parmesan cheese can go on most anything and make it more delicious. :yes



franandaj said:


> I knew @pkondz would give me crap about it so I had to figure out why it was green.



And he did too. 



franandaj said:


> Yeah, by now almost half the stuff she bought has sold.







franandaj said:


> If you like Pan Asian cuisine, it's totally worth it. A little pricey but everything I've had has been really good!



It's going on my list. 



franandaj said:


> Well that's why we can order two meals between the 4 or 5 of us. There is way way way too much food for one person to eat a full meal. There is a two meal minimum when you order, so when Jill and I went I took home a ton of food. I remember making at least two more meals for Fran and I out of the leftovers. I think I made crab and shrimp cakes out of the seafood that was left, and then country style hash browned potatoes with the andouille tossed in for flavor. Next night I think we had potato skins and corn cobbettes. It's a LOT of food, and good food!



I really am getting excited for this! I won't have leftovers, but what I saw looked so delicious. 



franandaj said:


> She said it was really good. I will remember this for a snack in the future, especially if I want a drinkie-poo.



Good thinking!!! Hmmm, maybe this should be on my make soon list. 



franandaj said:


> The small plates are really nice because you can order a few and if you're still hungry you can order one or two more.



Agreed! Plus it slows the meal down so there's more relaxing and talking.


----------



## Steppesister

pkondz said:


> You're saying two bottles at the Melting Pot or two bottles, one for each?


This plan is sounding better and better.


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> And he did too.



Hey!

Well.... yes.



Steppesister said:


> This plan is sounding better and better.



Note to self: And one bottle for Liesa.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You're saying two bottles at the Melting Pot or two bottles, one for each?



Well I just did a little math.  If you get 375 ml bottles, that's approximately 4 3oz glasses, so perhaps two bottles might be nice. But I don't know what laws are for Canadians coming to the US, but we're only allowed to bring back 1 liter of alcohol when we visit abroad, so technically you can only bring two bottles.  That being said, Customs folks don't look all that closely.  



Dis_Yoda said:


> I say three bottles!







pkondz said:


> Oh, shush you!



I do like the way she thinks!



Steppesister said:


> SEE?! I'm not the only one!



I thought you just stole the top spot on the page.  



Steppesister said:


> Parmesan cheese can go on most anything and make it more delicious. :yes







Steppesister said:


> And he did too.



As expected.



Steppesister said:


> It's going on my list.



As well it should!



Steppesister said:


> I really am getting excited for this! I won't have leftovers, but what I saw looked so delicious.



I just hope we polish it all off that night because we leave for Disney the next day, and won't be eating many leftovers.



Steppesister said:


> Good thinking!!! Hmmm, maybe this should be on my make soon list.



Well this restaurant is at Saratoga Springs, which is pretty out of the way.



Steppesister said:


> Agreed! Plus it slows the meal down so there's more relaxing and talking.



Which is always fun.



Steppesister said:


> This plan is sounding better and better.







pkondz said:


> Hey!
> 
> Well.... yes.





pkondz said:


> Note to self: And one bottle for Liesa.



Hey!  I want one too!


----------



## franandaj

So it’s been a fun new year!  I need to take some pictures of the kittens and post them here, they’re all getting so big.  For the longest time I was afraid because one kitten was a “holdout” on learning to use the litter box. As much as we would put her in the litterbox and try and convince her to use it, she was resisting.  But a couple weeks ago we witnessed her first usage of the litterbox and since then she has been great about it.  Before that she would go on the pads right *next* to the litterbox.  

Anyone who has followed the saga of our lovely home knows that if it can go wrong it will. Last month when I paid our water bill it was two or three times what it normally was. I knew that we must have a leak, but had no idea *where* to start looking for it. Then earlier last week I thought I heard something while I was at my kitchen sink that sounded like a leak. There's construction going on with the street behind my house and I thought perhaps that’s what I heard. But I noticed some puddles near the base of the house, the construction workers had gone home, and the sound was still there.  We called a plumber and he couldnt get there until late in the day. After some digging this is what he found.

https://youtu.be/9Tee4l59xTk

So we turned off the water to the house, and we were pretty much without water for the next 24 hours.  Because it was getting dark when we saw how bad the leak was, he had to come back the next day. He did find the source of the leak and repaired it.  Fun times.

Still no no bites on the apartment for rent. And slowly we are moving stuff out of the old place. Really hoping that Fran gets her game going and we can be finished with our part before the end of the month. If it were up to me, I'd call whoever would take the last of the furniture and get it out of there and it would take less than a day to haul out the rest of the crap.  I think she has some kind of energy blocking her from finishing up. I can't just go ahead and do it because that's the kind of thing her father used to do to her, and I don't want to go to couples therapy. We had another fun apartment related event this week, but since it involved the court, I'll wait until it's resolved to share the details.

And I finally took down my Christmas decorations yesterday. Is it normal to break a sweat while wrapping up lights to box them up?  It was freakin’ 84° today!

That's all that's been going on here!

Day 7

I woke up at 6AM and was definitely ready for a bath. Now that the towels were dry, i enjoyed a good soak.  After the tub, I started a little bit of packing and then made us breakfast of French Toast and bacon.











As we were finishing breakfast we got a call from Pam. I had sent her a text the night before asking if she had any tools. You see, we realized that there was no point in taking the scooter home, but to remove one of the parts we needed a wrench or socket set. Fran had a baby wrench, but we really needed something more substantial. Pam said that she would be on the way soon with a tool set and would help us out.

In the meantime I went to return the DVD and find out if we could get help in shipping the battery home and disposing of the dead scooter. Now at home we would list it on Craigslist for free and it would be gone in a heartbeat, but the gentleman at the front desk told me that we couldn’t do that since they don’t just let anyone on property, especially some shady person from Craigslist.  He said they would toss it in the dumpster for us, so that was the best I could ask for.  He also said that he could help me ship the battery back home, since it was less than six months old and new ones in the case are like $250. A back up would be nice. But we had places to be today!

Pam showed up shortly thereafter and we were able to remove the little bar that goes under the seat to attach the scooter to the lift on the car at home. We even put it on my scooter so at least going home I don’t have to disassemble it and put it in the car.

Then we got ready and headed out. She was originally going to see Hansen at Epcot when we had dinner, but she decided to be a responsible adult and go home instead, so we all opted to ride the bus from SSR and she would just come back to pick up her car.  Boy did she regret that! We told her that the bus trips were hellish, 5 stops later after our scooters were tied down we were on our way and it took 45 minutes to get to AK. She told us that if we ever did this again and she said to ride the bus, tell her “no”!

By the time we got there our Navi River FP had opened up so we went directly to Pandora. But first an obligatory picture of the Tree of Life. 






Then we headed off to Pandora. I was glad that we made the effort to see the movie. None of it would  have made any sense if we hadn't. Here's the funky spitting plant.











I don't know why I took this picture, at the time it looked exotic, but these plants actually grow in Southern California.






The Imagineers nailed it with these floating island thingys.











And then we got into the FP queue.


























And a look back at the island thingy from another angle.
















The ride was interesting, worth a 20 minute wait, not 120 which is what I think was the posted wait at the time. I didn't bring my dark ride lens along so only a few pictures actually came out.
















I can’t resist waterfalls, I’m only showing you a few of the pictures I took.











We headed over towards the gift shop and I kept taking some snaps.





















In front of the gift shop.  It was slightly mobbed.






Amazingly enough we didn’t come away with any souvenirs.











This is the restaurant, but I haven’t heard any reviews that make me want to eat anything that they serve there.






We had decided we were due for a snack, and my ulterior motive worked out!  I was able to convince Fran to try the bar at the Nomad Lounge.  It didn’t hurt that Pam wanted to eat there too!  I took some more snaps on our way over there.





















It was definitely cool and the imagineers did a great job, but I still question, “Why Pandora?” 

*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


It was around 2:00, maybe a little bit later when we headed into the Nomad Lounge.  My ulterior motive of getting Fran in there, so that eventually I could ease her into the thought of trying Tiffins, seems to have worked out.  We did have a Tusker House dinner at 4PM for the Rivers of Light Package so I didn’t want too much, but breakfast was a long time ago and I was already light headed from hunger when we entered the park. First we ordered drinks Fran got the Watermelon Margarita.











I got the mojito combo moscow mule thing











Pam got a diet coke.






Pam was starving and ordered the bread service as well as the vegetarian Pad Thai.











Fran and I split the Poutine.






It was a nice little bar and the company was good.
















Feeling much better we headed off to our next FP+ Expedition Everest. I guess I didn’t remember where the camera was….






We had so much fun, we did it again in the single rider line.






Then it was time to part company, Pam went back home while we went to our dinner at Tusker House.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I thought you just stole the top spot on the page.



Just generally being a PITA 



franandaj said:


> As expected.







franandaj said:


> I just hope we polish it all off that night because we leave for Disney the next day, and won't be eating many leftovers.



This it's probably safest to order the minimum (2) and add appetizers if need be. 



franandaj said:


> Well this restaurant is at Saratoga Springs, which is pretty out of the way.



Uh yeah! That is not an easy or convenient trek.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

That was so nice of Pam to bring over tools for you and your scooter drama!  

I'm with you on Navi River Journey.  No long waits for that one!  FoP would be 45 minutes max for me (but thats my max on any ride at WDW) 

Glad you got Fran to try Nomad's - those drinks are good! I really think she would enjoy Tiffins - especially lunch!  They usually have a couple extra options at that time!  

~~~

Also as a heads up - I realize this is super early for this too but I started my Pre-Trip for France.  Since we're adding Disneyland Paris at the end, that means I can post the whole thing on the boards right?  (It really felt weird not doing a trip report for Italy!). 

https://www.disboards.com/threads/i-know-what-youre-going-to-say-france-sept-2019.3658042/


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We called a plumber and he couldnt get there until late in the day. After some digging this is what he found.
> 
> https://youtu.be/9Tee4l59xTk
> 
> So we turned off the water to the house, and we were pretty much without water for the next 24 hours. Because it was getting dark when we saw how bad the leak was, he had to come back the next day. He did find the source of the leak and repaired it. Fun times.







franandaj said:


> Still no no bites on the apartment for rent.



Dang! So sorry, Alison! 



franandaj said:


> We had another fun apartment related event this week, but since it involved the court, I'll wait until it's resolved to share the details.



Yeah, probably best to keep that one under wraps for a little bit. 



franandaj said:


> And I finally took down my Christmas decorations yesterday.



I'm done except the tree. WE said we were going to do it, but the plan fell apart, and it's still up. 



franandaj said:


> Is it normal to break a sweat while wrapping up lights to box them up? It was freakin’ 84° today!



It was almost 60 here!!! WHOA!!!



franandaj said:


> Pam said that she would be on the way soon with a tool set and would help us out.



NICE! 



franandaj said:


> In the meantime I went to return the DVD and find out if we could get help in shipping the battery home and disposing of the dead scooter. Now at home we would list it on Craigslist for free and it would be gone in a heartbeat, but the gentleman at the front desk told me that we couldn’t do that since they don’t just let anyone on property, especially some shady person from Craigslist. He said they would toss it in the dumpster for us, so that was the best I could ask for. He also said that he could help me ship the battery back home, since it was less than six months old and new ones in the case are like $250. A back up would be nice. But we had places to be today!



The scooter drama is just non-ending! I see why you chose the title you did! 



franandaj said:


> Then we headed off to Pandora. I was glad that we made the effort to see the movie. None of it would have made any sense if we hadn't.



I agree completely! I watched it before my trip too and had I not, I'd have been completely lost. 



franandaj said:


> Here's the funky spitting plant.



... which is just.... odd. 



franandaj said:


> Amazingly enough we didn’t come away with any souvenirs.



Was Fran ill? Distraught over the scooters? I"m worried at this point. 



franandaj said:


> This is the restaurant, but I haven’t heard any reviews that make me want to eat anything that they serve there.



I tried something there- review when I get there. 



franandaj said:


> I was able to convince Fran to try the bar at the Nomad Lounge.



So.... ummm, this is my #1 favorite place now in all of WDW. I can see it as a wonderful place to meet, talk, just have special time. I just love it there. 



franandaj said:


> It was definitely cool and the imagineers did a great job, but I still question, “Why Pandora?”



Again, agreed. I LOVE it, but question the why. 



franandaj said:


>



The menu has changed between our visits. Some is the same, other things are not. I haven't gotten to those photos yet, but I'm sure the poutine wasn't on it.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well I just did a little math. If you get 375 ml bottles, that's approximately 4 3oz glasses, so perhaps two bottles might be nice. But I don't know what laws are for Canadians coming to the US, but we're only allowed to bring back 1 liter of alcohol when we visit abroad, so technically you can only bring two bottles. That being said, Customs folks don't look all that closely.



I checked. I'm allowed to bring in one litre, too.



franandaj said:


> I do like the way she thinks!



Of _course_ you do.



franandaj said:


> I thought you just stole the top spot on the page.







franandaj said:


> As expected.



I'm getting ganged up on!!



franandaj said:


> Hey! I want one too!



Sigh... So that makes... five bottles?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> For the longest time I was afraid because one kitten was a “holdout” on learning to use the litter box. As much as we would put her in the litterbox and try and convince her to use it, she was resisting. But a couple weeks ago we witnessed her first usage of the litterbox and since then she has been great about it. Before that she would go on the pads right *next* to the litterbox.



Oh for the love of.... just go in the box!!!



franandaj said:


> Anyone who has followed the saga of our lovely home knows that if it can go wrong it will. Last month when I paid our water bill it was two or three times what it normally was. I knew that we must have a leak, but had no idea *where* to start looking for it. Then earlier last week I thought I heard something while I was at my kitchen sink that sounded like a leak. There's construction going on with the street behind my house and I thought perhaps that’s what I heard. But I noticed some puddles near the base of the house, the construction workers had gone home, and the sound was still there. We called a plumber and he couldnt get there until late in the day. After some digging this is what he found.



Oh, man.
I can't see the video (At work) but any leak is not a good thing.



franandaj said:


> So we turned off the water to the house, and we were pretty much without water for the next 24 hours. Because it was getting dark when we saw how bad the leak was, he had to come back the next day. He did find the source of the leak and repaired it. Fun times.



Glad it got fixed, but no water for 24 hours is not fun.



franandaj said:


> Still no no bites on the apartment for rent.



Ah, crap. Hope it goes soon. 



franandaj said:


> I can't just go ahead and do it because that's the kind of thing her father used to do to her, and I don't want to go to couples therapy.




Maybe I shouldn't laugh, but your comment struck me as funny.
But... you're a good wife for recognizing that and _not_ doing it.



franandaj said:


> We had another fun apartment related event this week, but since it involved the court, I'll wait until it's resolved to share the details.



Uh, oh.
Okay, I'll wait on hearing that one.



franandaj said:


> And I finally took down my Christmas decorations yesterday.



Me too!
Well, Ruby had done most of it. I just put away the ceramic village, took apart the tree and brought in the church. And lugged it all down to the basement.



franandaj said:


> Is it normal to break a sweat while wrapping up lights to box them up? It was freakin’ 84° today!



Ha! We broke our record then. We are one hundred and _one_ degrees colder. 



franandaj said:


> I woke up at 6AM



Oh for the love of Pete! Sleep in, woman!



franandaj said:


> made us breakfast of French Toast and bacon.



Um.... yum!



franandaj said:


> I had sent her a text the night before asking if she had any tools. You see, we realized that there was no point in taking the scooter home, but to remove one of the parts we needed a wrench or socket set.



Really! It's beyond repair? That just boggles my mind.



franandaj said:


> In the meantime I went to return the DVD and find out if we could get help in shipping the battery home



I'm surprised that it was that easy. A lot of companies won't ship them. Corrosive.



franandaj said:


> and disposing of the dead scooter.



May I suggest burial at sea?



franandaj said:


> Now at home we would list it on Craigslist for free and it would be gone in a heartbeat,



Not surprised. Refurb or scrounged for parts.



franandaj said:


> He said they would toss it in the dumpster for us, so that was the best I could ask for.



"Toss it in the dumpster".... 



franandaj said:


> new ones in the case are like $250



Ouch!



franandaj said:


> Pam showed up shortly thereafter and we were able to remove the little bar that goes under the seat to attach the scooter to the lift on the car at home.



Oh!
I thought you needed the tools to get the battery out.



franandaj said:


> She was originally going to see Hansen at Epcot when we had dinner,



What's that?



franandaj said:


> She told us that if we ever did this again and she said to ride the bus, tell her “no”!







franandaj said:


> But first an obligatory picture of the Tree of Life.



Of course. And a nice one, too!



franandaj said:


> I was glad that we made the effort to see the movie. None of it would have made any sense if we hadn't.



Yes. But it's still a visually interesting area, regardless.

But seeing the movie helps!



franandaj said:


> Here's the funky spitting plant.



That thing is just.... rude.



franandaj said:


> don't know why I took this picture, at the time it looked exotic, but these plants actually grow in Southern California.







franandaj said:


> The Imagineers nailed it with these floating island thingys.



 Incredible job on those.



franandaj said:


>



Not exactly sure why, but I really like this shot.



franandaj said:


> The ride was interesting, worth a 20 minute wait, not 120 which is what I think was the posted wait at the time.



I completely agree. Wait an hour? Even 45 minutes? No.
Let alone two hours.



franandaj said:


> I can’t resist waterfalls, I’m only showing you a few of the pictures I took.



 I may have some waterfall shots of my own. 



franandaj said:


> In front of the gift shop. It was slightly mobbed.



Makes sense. It's the exit for FOP, and I'm _sure_ you didn't miss the line for _that!_



franandaj said:


> Amazingly enough we didn’t come away with any souvenirs.



I'm sorry. I mis-heard. It almost sounded like you didn't buy any souvenirs.



franandaj said:


> This is the restaurant, but I haven’t heard any reviews that make me want to eat anything that they serve there.



Interesting statement.
You won't try a restaurant unless you've read (good) reviews on it first?



franandaj said:


> I was able to convince Fran to try the bar at the Nomad Lounge.



Where is that? Never heard of it.



franandaj said:


>



Another one I particularly like.



franandaj said:


> It was definitely cool and the imagineers did a great job, but I still question, “Why Pandora?”



Why not? I mean they have Dinoland for Pete's sake. And that _sucks._



franandaj said:


> My ulterior motive of getting Fran in there, so that eventually I could ease her into the thought of trying Tiffins, seems to have worked out.



Meaning... you got her in there? Or you got her in Tiffins later?



franandaj said:


>



I don't know if I'd like it, but it sure _looks_ good.



franandaj said:


> I got the mojito combo moscow mule thing



Probably something I'd order.



franandaj said:


> Pam was starving and ordered the bread service as well as the vegetarian Pad Thai.



That Pad Thai looks good.



franandaj said:


> Fran and I split the Poutine.



Did you order it that way? With the gravy on the side?
It looks.... well.... wrong. On several levels.



franandaj said:


> Feeling much better we headed off to our next FP+ Expedition Everest. I guess I didn’t remember where the camera was….







franandaj said:


>



Aw. Poor Alison. All tuckered out from her long day.
The guy beside you is funny. I wonder if he's an accountant or something.
"I am mildly enjoying myself."


----------



## dizneeat

*Sorry to hear about your water issues ......... there is always something to fix around a house.

On a much better note - I was happy to hear that your babies/kittens are doing well and that they all learned to use the litter box. Nothing worse than having to clean up after them. *



franandaj said:


> And I finally took down my Christmas decorations yesterday.



*So did we.  Not happy about it, as we had such a beautiful tree this year. But at least they collect them.*



franandaj said:


> Then we headed off to Pandora. I was glad that we made the effort to see the movie. None of it would have made any sense if we hadn't.



*Clever move to see the movie. We have not ........ tried it, but that is just NOT my kind of movie, so I just don't get it really. *



franandaj said:


> The ride was interesting, worth a 20 minute wait, not 120 which is what I think was the posted wait at the time.



*I didn't think there was much that really excited me and I have no big desire to go back to that ride. We did FoP and it was fine, but as you said, we might have enjoyed it more, had we had seen the movie.* 



franandaj said:


> I can’t resist waterfalls, I’m only showing you a few of the pictures I took.



*Come to Austria, we have LOADS of them! *








franandaj said:


> This is the restaurant, but I haven’t heard any reviews that make me want to eat anything that they serve there.



*Neither have we. I read a few reviews but we are not really sure if there is anything we woud particularly like.*



franandaj said:


> It was definitely cool and the imagineers did a great job, but I still question, “Why Pandora?”



*I second that, well WE do!*



franandaj said:


> Pam was starving and ordered the bread service as well as the vegetarian Pad Thai.



*Food looks really yummy! That bread service looks delicious.*



franandaj said:


> We had so much fun, we did it again in the single rider line.







franandaj said:


> Then it was time to part company, Pam went back home while we went to our dinner at Tusker House.



*Ah, fun times ending too soon. *


----------



## pkondz

dizneeat said:


>



Holy crap, that's beautiful!


----------



## dizneeat

pkondz said:


> Holy crap, that's beautiful!



*Welcome to Austria!*


----------



## pkondz

dizneeat said:


> *Welcome to Austria!*


I've only just touched Austria. And that was years and years ago. 1994?. Salzburg. 
Also took a train from Munich to Venice. Um... 2013. I remember telling DW that Austria was incredibly beautiful. I'd love to explore it in greater detail!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Today was the first day we arrived in Epcot without having to rush off to a lunch, FP or something so we took a picture at the sign.



You seem surprised at this. 



franandaj said:


> Evidently we weren't the only ones looking for warm clothes as they had a rack of heavy jackets freestanding in the women's department and I found one right away which fit the bill perfectly.



Disney knows how to take care of its guests!  ...and make a little cash.



franandaj said:


> Unbeknownst to us, this would be the last picture of Fran in her scooter.







franandaj said:


> Konk!
> 
> Hit reset. Six feet.
> 
> Konk!
> 
> Hit reset. Hit reset. Hit reset. Click. OK I heard it this time. Three feet.
> 
> Konk!



Ugh.  What a nightmare.



franandaj said:


> When we were seated it turns out the woman next to me recognized us from the DIS! Her name was Martha and she was visiting from NJ.



Wow, you guys are celebrities!



franandaj said:


> You see we had tried on several occasions to put the scooter in neutral and just push it, but for whatever reason it still seemed to be in gear. It never freewheeled as it should have when not in gear, so easily pushing it wasn't an option. In fact it was somewhere around this point that we realized that one of the back wheels wasn't even spinning any more. So now, instead of just walking the scooter along, I was walking it while leaning it onto one side so that it was two-wheeling it.



That sounds awful!  You got your workout for the week.



franandaj said:


> Here it is back in the room, and you can see the tread has been worn off the wheel from me pushing it when it wouldn't spin.



I'm guessing that's not good.



franandaj said:


> It turns out the driver had been sent to someplace called “Saralago” and not our hotel.



Isn't that a small island in the Pacific?



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately they weren't dry yet and I was so tired from pushing the stupid scooter around I just went to bed.



I can't blame you there. Sounds exhausting.



franandaj said:


> Last month when I paid our water bill it was two or three times what it normally was. I knew that we must have a leak, but had no idea *where* to start looking for it.



Oh no...



franandaj said:


> If it were up to me, I'd call whoever would take the last of the furniture and get it out of there and it would take less than a day to haul out the rest of the crap.



I know that feeling.  Maybe can you set her a reasonable deadline?



franandaj said:


> And I finally took down my Christmas decorations yesterday. Is it normal to break a sweat while wrapping up lights to box them up? It was freakin’ 84° today!



It's been like 8 degrees here for a couple of weeks.  I have no sympathy!



franandaj said:


> Boy did she regret that! We told her that the bus trips were hellish, 5 stops later after our scooters were tied down we were on our way and it took 45 minutes to get to AK. She told us that if we ever did this again and she said to ride the bus, tell her “no”!







franandaj said:


> Then we headed off to Pandora. I was glad that we made the effort to see the movie. None of it would have made any sense if we hadn't. Here's the funky spitting plant.



Wait, there's homework involved?  Not cool, Disney!



franandaj said:


> The Imagineers nailed it with these floating island thingys.



They do look pretty cool.



franandaj said:


> The ride was interesting, worth a 20 minute wait, not 120 which is what I think was the posted wait at the time.



I have a hard time thinking of anything that is worth a 120 minute wait.



franandaj said:


> I can’t resist waterfalls, I’m only showing you a few of the pictures I took.



I'm a sucker for waterfalls too.



franandaj said:


> Amazingly enough we didn’t come away with any souvenirs.



 And Fran was with you??



franandaj said:


> It was definitely cool and the imagineers did a great job, but I still question, “Why Pandora?”



Because the movie made $$$$$.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Glad to hear that the kitties have all learned to use the box!

How awful to have a leak for so long and not know it!

Fingers crossed that everything goes well with the apartment case and rental.

We were at WDW this past weekend and it was pretty chilly; they had the racks of jackets available in all the shops.

We did wait for a long time for quite a few rides, but there were no children in the group and one member had not been there for more than 10 years.


----------



## Pinkocto

Hooray about the last kitty with the litter box!  

How dreadful about the house leak. What a pain in the rear. 

Very thoughtful of you not to quickly take care of things with the apartment.  I’m sure frustrating though. 

That was Halloween day. I hated missing Hanson but I didn’t want the boys bothered by trick or treaters. Glad I went home because there were tons of them.

Yes, we must never ever ever ever do the 45 minute bus ride again. That was just plain painful!  

The Nomad Lounge was super yummy. I’m so glad we did that. Last month mom and I had an impromptu dinner at Tiffin’s and it’s quickly become one of our favorites. I know Fran would find things to enjoy. 

I didn’t like saying goodbye that day. I was goodbye until next time  It was so wonderful spending time with you and Fran, as always.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> After some digging this is what he found.
> 
> https://youtu.be/9Tee4l59xTk


Finally got a chance to see that.

That is_ not_ a small leak!


----------



## jedijill

Caught up again!

That was a heck of a leak!  

Pam is such a great friend!

I ate at Tiffin's and it was excellent!  I need to try the lounge.

Jill in CO


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Anyone who has followed the saga of our lovely home knows that if it can go wrong it will. Last month when I paid our water bill it was two or three times what it normally was. I knew that we must have a leak, but had no idea *where* to start looking for it. Then earlier last week I thought I heard something while I was at my kitchen sink that sounded like a leak. There's construction going on with the street behind my house and I thought perhaps that’s what I heard. But I noticed some puddles near the base of the house, the construction workers had gone home, and the sound was still there. We called a plumber and he couldnt get there until late in the day. After some digging this is what he found.
> 
> https://youtu.be/9Tee4l59xTk



Oh dear, that looks like a mess. I am glad that he found the source of the leak and was able to fix it.



franandaj said:


> We had another fun apartment related event this week, but since it involved the court, I'll wait until it's resolved to share the details.



That does not sound good. I hope it will be resolved soon.



franandaj said:


> Amazingly enough we didn’t come away with any souvenirs.



That surprises me. I would have expected that at least a banshee would follow you home.

The menu looks really nice and those drinks looked amazing.

Corinna


----------



## Oscar5933

I would love to see an updated photos of the kittens!

I feel the same about the restaurants in Pandora, they just don't sound all that appetizing to me.

I have read some good things about the Edison at Disney Springs; it sounds like a fun place to try.

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

Today it was 28 degrees!!! I have lived in Orlando my entire life and I don't think it has ever been that cold!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> This it's probably safest to order the minimum (2) and add appetizers if need be.



I'm sure two will be plenty. None of us seems to eat very much and we could have dessert!  They have a fresh baked Rhubarb cake served a la mode. I seem to remember that was delicious!



Dis_Yoda said:


> That was so nice of Pam to bring over tools for you and your scooter drama!



She was a life saver. We might have been able to get them from the concierge, but this was more private.



Dis_Yoda said:


> I'm with you on Navi River Journey. No long waits for that one! FoP would be 45 minutes max for me (but thats my max on any ride at WDW)



Maybe once Star Wars land opens, the waits will all move over there...



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad you got Fran to try Nomad's - those drinks are good! I really think she would enjoy Tiffins - especially lunch! They usually have a couple extra options at



I'm going to see about making our lunch reservation after the cruise there. We'll need something to do until the room is ready. Either that or graze at the F&W booths which may open that weekend.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Also as a heads up - I realize this is super early for this too but I started my Pre-Trip for France. Since we're adding Disneyland Paris at the end, that means I can post the whole thing on the boards right? (It really felt weird not doing a trip report for Italy!)



I'm already over there!  Took me a little while though.....



Steppesister said:


> Dang! So sorry, Alison!



Yeah, kinda sucked.



Steppesister said:


> Yeah, probably best to keep that one under wraps for a little bit.



But now it's over!  At least I hope so!



Steppesister said:


> I'm done except the tree. WE said we were going to do it, but the plan fell apart, and it's still up.



Yeah, I did all the outside decorations, but our tree is still up.  It's the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree so it will only take about five minutes



Steppesister said:


> It was almost 60 here!!! WHOA!!!



Sometimes I miss real weather. I mean I have so many nice jackets in my closets that have never seen the light of day...but then it rains and I hate it. I remember when I was younger (think 80s & 90s) it did get cold enough for jackets. Rarely does it ever get cold enough, when I'm out, that I need a real jacket. It used to be on the 40s when I left for work, but now that I don't work it goes to maybe the 50s.



Steppesister said:


> The scooter drama is just non-ending! I see why you chose the title you did!



Well it ends when we leave it in Orlando! 



Steppesister said:


> I agree completely! I watched it before my trip too and had I not, I'd have been completely lost.



Research. It pays off, even at Disney!



Steppesister said:


> Was Fran ill? Distraught over the scooters? I"m worried at this point.



I guess she just didn't really care for the movie or it's souvie's.



Steppesister said:


> I tried something there- review when I get there.



Yeah, nothing sounded good and nothing I heard made me think otherwise that I wanted to eat there, so I set my sights on the Nomad Lounge and Pam totally helped to play into that hand and I didn't even coach her! 



Steppesister said:


> So.... ummm, this is my #1 favorite place now in all of WDW. I can see it as a wonderful place to meet, talk, just have special time. I just love it there.



I totally liked it too!  But I want to try the restaurant as well!



Steppesister said:


> Again, agreed. I LOVE it, but question the why.



Yes, me too!



Steppesister said:


> The menu has changed between our visits. Some is the same, other things are not. I haven't gotten to those photos yet, but I'm sure the poutine wasn't on it.



Interesting, you were only there like two or three weeks after me!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> But now it's over! At least I hope so!



PHEW!!!



franandaj said:


> Yeah, I did all the outside decorations, but our tree is still up. It's the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree so it will only take about five minutes





franandaj said:


> Sometimes I miss real weather. I mean I have so many nice jackets in my closets that have never seen the light of day...but then it rains and I hate it. I remember when I was younger (think 80s & 90s) it did get cold enough for jackets. Rarely does it ever get cold enough, when I'm out, that I need a real jacket. It used to be on the 40s when I left for work, but now that I don't work it goes to maybe the 50s.



That is a shame! I do remember as a kid wearing a jacket growing up in Hemet. I remember many nights they'd fire up the smudge pots for the oranges. I"m afraid those days are long gone because those groves are all gone and the weather has changed I guess. 



franandaj said:


> Well it ends when we leave it in Orlando!



Well, thank goodness!



franandaj said:


> Yeah, nothing sounded good and nothing I heard made me think otherwise that I wanted to eat there, so I set my sights on the Nomad Lounge and Pam totally helped to play into that hand and I didn't even coach her!



Pam is indeed a good friend. LOL!



franandaj said:


> I totally liked it too! But I want to try the restaurant as well!



I do think you'd both like it there. 



franandaj said:


> Interesting, you were only there like two or three weeks after me!



I know! So weird. But I did take a photo of the menu, so will double check.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh for the love of.... just go in the box!!!



Yeah thats what i tried to say!



pkondz said:


> Oh, man.
> I can't see the video (At work) but any leak is not a good thing.



Not only was it bad fir the house, it was costing us a lot of money.



pkondz said:


> Glad it got fixed, but no water for 24 hours is not fun.



Well, i did turn it on twice so that i could wash the cat bowls to feed them. We also flushed all the toilets at that time as well.



pkondz said:


> Ah, crap. Hope it goes soon.



Yeah, me too. It woukd be nice to hace mobey coming in for all the units.



pkondz said:


> Maybe I shouldn't laugh, but your comment struck me as funny.
> But... you're a good wife for recognizing that and _not _doing it.



We had several years of work already, it was difficult and im willing to work hard not to get back to that place.



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh.
> Okay, I'll wait on hearing that one.



Next update.



pkondz said:


> Me too!
> Well, Ruby had done most of it. I just put away the ceramic village, took apart the tree and brought in the church. And lugged it all down to the basement.



I still need to lug it all back to storage, but we've had a busy week with the kitties and band.



pkondz said:


> Ha! We broke our record then. We are one hundred and _one_ degrees colder.



Well today is supposed to be cloudy and the high will only be 66°. I could wear a long sleeve shirt!  



pkondz said:


> Oh for the love of Pete! Sleep in, woman!



I must get excited when on vacation.



pkondz said:


> Um.... yum!



   i should make that again over the weekend. I just discovered they sell special bread in the grocery store just for French Toast.



pkondz said:


> Really! It's beyond repair? That just boggles my mind.



It may not have been beyond repair, but there was no way we were getting it through the airport to take it home.



pkondz said:


> I'm surprised that it was that easy. A lot of companies won't ship them. Corrosive.



Its a non spillable battery. I dont believe it can be shipped "air", but "ground" is OK.



pkondz said:


> May I suggest burial at sea?



We were inland, no sea for miles.



pkondz said:


> Not surprised. Refurb or scrounged for parts.



The seat was still good....



pkondz said:


> "Toss it in the dumpster"....



I wonder what did end up happening to it....



pkondz said:


> Oh!
> I thought you needed the tools to get the battery out.



No the battery pack just pulls right up. Its the easiest part to remove.



pkondz said:


> What's that?



I believe they were an 80s boy band. I dont actually know.



pkondz said:


> Of course. And a nice one, too!



Thank you.



pkondz said:


> Yes. But it's still a visually interesting area, regardless.
> 
> But seeing the movie helps!



Yes, we would have been lost had we not seen it.



pkondz said:


> That thing is just.... rude.



I think they are working with the concept of the spitting Stitch Disney Springs. People seem to love that one.



pkondz said:


> Incredible job on those.







pkondz said:


> I completely agree. Wait an hour? Even 45 minutes? No.
> Let alone two hours.



I have much better things to do with my time than wait two hours for a ride!



pkondz said:


> I may have some waterfall shots of my own.



Which we'll end up seeing in about two years when you get to that TR!  



pkondz said:


> Makes sense. It's the exit for FOP, and I'm _sure_ you didn't miss the line for _that!_



Actually i didnt see the actual line, but it did say the wait was like 180 minutes.



pkondz said:


> I'm sorry. I mis-heard. It almost sounded like you didn't buy any souvenirs.



Let me repeat. We didn't buy any souvenirs. Just not a big interest in Avatar.



pkondz said:


> Interesting statement.
> You won't try a restaurant unless you've read (good) reviews on it first?



Let me rephrase: There was nothing on the menu,  that wowed me and i haven't heard any reviews to change my mind. Tiffins, on the other hand, had a weird sounding menu when it opened, it was challenging to even mine and Fran’s adventurous palates. However, every review that i have heard has praised the restaurant highly, so much so that I'm working on Fran to get her to change her mind.



pkondz said:


> Where is that? Never heard of it.



Its attached to Tiffins, which is on the path to Pandora.



pkondz said:


> Another one I particularly like.



Thanks!



pkondz said:


> Why not? I mean they have Dinoland for Pete's sake. And that _sucks_



True.



pkondz said:


> Meaning... you got her in there? Or you got her in Tiffins later?



I got her in the Nomad Lounge and the food wasnt weird. That gives me leverage to get her to try Tiffins.



pkondz said:


> I don't know if I'd like it, but it sure _looks_ good.



Well it doesn't have rum in it....



pkondz said:


> Probably something I'd order.



I thought it was pretty good. Out of the ordinary for me.



pkondz said:


> That Pad Thai looks good.



I should have taken a bite....



pkondz said:


> Did you order it that way? With the gravy on the side?
> It looks.... well.... wrong. On several levels.



No thats how it came. I don't expect to be served proper Poutine outside of Canada. I think it was between the chicken wings, the sliders or the Poutine. We knew we would be eating a big meal in 2 hours so we just wanted a snack to fill the void.



pkondz said:


> Aw. Poor Alison. All tuckered out from her long day.
> The guy beside you is funny. I wonder if he's an accountant or something.
> "I am mildly enjoying myself."



And i still had more of a day ahead of me.


----------



## pooh'smate

Tiffins was one of our favorite meals when we went last in 2016. In fact Tiffins is the only place dd has asked to repeat on our trip in Sept. The service was excellent and the food was soooo good. I had halibut that was excellent (and I don't generally like fish) the waitress said it was really good and I should try it if I didn't like it she would bring me something else. I am so glad I went out of comfort zone and tried it.


----------



## Pinkocto

You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???


----------



## jedijill

Pinkocto said:


> You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???



I like 2 of those 3. 

Jill in CO


----------



## tiggrbaby

Pinkocto said:


> You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???


Nope, I like them all as well!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I believe they were an 80s boy band. I dont actually know.



They are best known for their catchy and delightful song MMMbop.


----------



## Pinkocto

tiggrbaby said:


> Nope, I like them all as well!



Excellent!


----------



## Pinkocto

jedijill said:


> I like 2 of those 3.
> 
> Jill in CO



I’m glad I’m not completely alone


----------



## dizneeat

Pinkocto said:


> I’m glad I’m not completely alone



*You're NOT! I love brussel sprouts and everything coconut and I can even deal with Dinoland. *


----------



## pooh'smate

Pinkocto said:


> You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???



I like all three too.


----------



## franandaj

dizneeat said:


> Sorry to hear about your water issues ......... there is always something to fix around a house.



This house seems to have had more than it's share of things to fix.



dizneeat said:


> On a much better note - I was happy to hear that your babies/kittens are doing well and that they all learned to use the litter box. Nothing worse than having to clean up after them.



Its bad enough just taking out the "deposits" Fran scoops from their boxes, but finding "presents" around the house is just 



dizneeat said:


> *So did we.  Not happy about it, as we had such a beautiful tree this year. But at least they collect them.*



We have a sad littke fake tree. But i like to go all out on the lights in the house.



dizneeat said:


> *Clever move to see the movie. We have not ........ tried it, but that is just NOT my kind of movie, so I just don't get it really. *



I had a little trouble following the plot and had to keep pausing to check that i was following along.



dizneeat said:


> *I didn't think there was much that really excited me and I have no big desire to go back to that ride. We did FoP and it was fine, but as you said, we might have enjoyed it more, had we had seen the movie.*



I would like to go back with my dark ride lens and see if I could get better pictures.



dizneeat said:


> *Neither have we. I read a few reviews but we are not really sure if there is anything we woud particularly like.*



None of the "bowls" sound good at all. The cheeseburger pods might have been an option had they not been made with ketchup and mustard. I fond that combination gross on a burger.



dizneeat said:


> I second that, well WE do!







dizneeat said:


> Food looks really yummy! That bread service looks delicious.



It was very good!



dizneeat said:


> Ah, fun times ending too soon.



I'm looking forward to our time together this summer!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You seem surprised at this.



It appears that Fran does not have the same idea of getting up early and getting to the parks as i do.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Disney knows how to take care of its guests! ...and make a little cash.



Win/win for everyone!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. What a nightmare.



Totally



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, you guys are celebrities!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> That sounds awful! You got your workout for the week.



No wonder I didn't gain any weight on that trip even with all I ate!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm guessing that's not good.



Nope.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Isn't that a small island in the Pacific?







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I can't blame you there. Sounds exhausting.



Pretty much.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I know that feeling. Maybe can you set her a reasonable deadline?



You see how well it does to get us to the parks on time....  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> It's been like 8 degrees here for a couple of weeks. I have no sympathy!



I don't know how you live like that!  Seriously.  I mean I can deal with weather that gets down in the 40s, but much less than that and I think I would hibernate in my house all winter!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wait, there's homework involved? Not cool, Disney!



There's always homework involved!  How can you appreciate Carsland if you didn't watch Cars?  It's just that the homework is fun with Disney.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> They do look pretty







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I have a hard time thinking of anything that is worth a 120 minute wait.



The only thing I can think of that I wait 120 minutes is at the vet when I don't have an appointment.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm a sucker for waterfalls too.



I think most people are.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> And Fran was with you??



I know!  She just didn't like the movie all that much and didn't think the merchandise had a very good resale factor on eBay.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Because the movie made $$$$$



I guess I missed that since I didn't  get caught up in the hype of the movie when it was out.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah thats what i tried to say!



Cats. The planets great listeners.



franandaj said:


> Well, i did turn it on twice so that i could wash the cat bowls to feed them. We also flushed all the toilets at that time as well.



Ah. Smart. Worth the small amount of leakage.



franandaj said:


> Yeah, me too. It woukd be nice to hace mobey coming in for all the units.



Who doesn't like to hace mobey? 



franandaj said:


> I still need to lug it all back to storage, but we've had a busy week with the kitties and band.



And I thought I was done... then looked up yesterday and "D'oh! Forgot the reindeer on top of the cabinet."



franandaj said:


> Well today is supposed to be cloudy and the high will only be 66°. I could wear a long sleeve shirt!



Me too! Two days ago it got up to 40! Unheard of up here this time of year.



franandaj said:


> I must get excited when on vacation.



Who doesn't! 



franandaj said:


> I just discovered they sell special bread in the grocery store just for French Toast.



They do? I'll have to look for that! 



franandaj said:


> It may not have been beyond repair, but there was no way we were getting it through the airport to take it home.



Ah! Yeah, that would've been a bit tough.



franandaj said:


> Its a non spillable battery. I dont believe it can be shipped "air", but "ground" is OK.



Got it.



franandaj said:


> We were inland, no sea for miles.



The pool has a deep end, no?



franandaj said:


> No the battery pack just pulls right up. Its the easiest part to remove.



Oh, of course.  It'd be the one thing you'd have to replace (usually.)



franandaj said:


> I believe they were an 80s boy band. I dont actually know.



Ah.



franandaj said:


> I think they are working with the concept of the spitting Stitch Disney Springs. People seem to love that one.



True. Just.... you have to rub it to make it "hot" and then it spits.... I dunno... 



franandaj said:


> I have much better things to do with my time than wait two hours for a ride!



Yeah! There are characters to wait for!

:



franandaj said:


> Which we'll end up seeing in about two years when you get to that TR!



Nah. If I write it (IF!) it'll be quicker. Trust me.



franandaj said:


> Let me rephrase: There was nothing on the menu, that wowed me and i haven't heard any reviews to change my mind. Tiffins, on the other hand, had a weird sounding menu when it opened, it was challenging to even mine and Fran’s adventurous palates. However, every review that i have heard has praised the restaurant highly, so much so that I'm working on Fran to get her to change her mind.



Interesting! So the reviews (for that restaurant at least) are what sold it for you.



franandaj said:


> Its attached to Tiffins, which is on the path to Pandora.



Okay. Think I know where that is (and the map showed it, so... now I know.)



franandaj said:


> I got her in the Nomad Lounge and the food wasnt weird. That gives me leverage to get her to try Tiffins.







franandaj said:


> Well it doesn't have rum in it....







franandaj said:


> No thats how it came. I don't expect to be served proper Poutine outside of Canada.



That is _not_ poutine. That's fries with some cheese and gravy on the side.


----------



## pkondz

Pinkocto said:


> You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???





jedijill said:


> I like 2 of those 3.





dizneeat said:


> *You're NOT! I love brussel sprouts and everything coconut and I can even deal with Dinoland. *





pooh'smate said:


> I like all three too



This is proof that there are four people in the world who like Brussels sprouts and coconut.... and no more.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

The only coconut I like is in my pina coladas.


----------



## Pinkocto

dizneeat said:


> *You're NOT! I love brussel sprouts and everything coconut and I can even deal with Dinoland. *





pooh'smate said:


> I like all three too.


----------



## Pinkocto

pkondz said:


> This is proof that there are four people in the world who like Brussels sprouts and coconut.... and no more.


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Glad to hear that the kitties have all learned to use the box!



Its quite a relief, and a lot less clean up.



tiggrbaby said:


> How awful to have a leak for so long and not know it!



I figured it out when I paid last month's water/gas bill, but had no idea where to go looking for it.



tiggrbaby said:


> Fingers crossed that everything goes well with the apartment case and rental.



At least we're over the case, now just need to rent the last place!



tiggrbaby said:


> We were at WDW this past weekend and it was pretty chilly; they had the racks of jackets available in all the shops.



I bet!  I've been hearing about the weather on the news.



tiggrbaby said:


> We did wait for a long time for quite a few rides, but there were no children in the group and one member had not been there for more than 10 years.



I can sort of see that, but how can someone not have gone for 10 years?   



Pinkocto said:


> Hooray about the last kitty with the litter box!



Took long enough!  



Pinkocto said:


> How dreadful about the house leak. What a pain in the rear.



With this house its just been one thing after another.



Pinkocto said:


> Very thoughtful of you not to quickly take care of things with the apartment. I’m sure frustrating though.



Yeah, like today. She said we were going to go through the garage. She slept until 1PM, then we had some food while watching Meet the Press, and she fell asleep during that. I picked up where I left off on The Force Awakens. She woke up at 3:45 and wanted to start on the garage when the sun would be setting in abp ut an hour. 



Pinkocto said:


> That was Halloween day. I hated missing Hanson but I didn’t want the boys bothered by trick or treaters. Glad I went home because there were tons of them.



We just turn the lights off outside. They don't bother with dark houses.



Pinkocto said:


> Yes, we must never ever ever ever do the 45 minute bus ride again. That was just plain painful!



That is a definite drawback to that resort, and especially going to AK, since its the farthest away.



Pinkocto said:


> The Nomad Lounge was super yummy. I’m so glad we did that. Last month mom and I had an impromptu dinner at Tiffin’s and it’s quickly become one of our favorites. I know Fran would find things to enjoy.



Looks like it might have to wait until a future trip, not sure it will work out for September.



Pinkocto said:


> I didn’t like saying goodbye that day. I was goodbye until next time  It was so wonderful spending time with you and Fran, as always.



We'll have a whole week plus this Sumner. 



pkondz said:


> Finally got a chance to see that.
> 
> That is_ not_ a small leak!



I'm afraid to look at this month's water bill.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm afraid to look at this month's water bill.



then don't!

Oh... wait... that won't work.


----------



## Steppesister

I like brussels sprouts, I love coconut, and don't mind Dino. Just putting in my opinions. 



franandaj said:


> Let me rephrase: There was nothing on the menu, that wowed me and i haven't heard any reviews to change my mind. Tiffins, on the other hand, had a weird sounding menu when it opened, it was challenging to even mine and Fran’s adventurous palates. However, every review that i have heard has praised the restaurant highly, so much so that I'm working on Fran to get her to change her mind.



I repeat...  I think this place is right up you two's alley. 



franandaj said:


> Its attached to Tiffins, which is on the path to Pandora.



My favorite oasis in all of Disney. Gorgeous setting, beautiful cocktails, quiet, not crowded, yummy eats. What's not to love?


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> I like brussels sprouts, I love coconut, and don't mind Dino. Just putting in my opinions.



Okay. _Five_ people on the planet who make poor food choices.


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> Yeah, like today. She said we were going to go through the garage. She slept until 1PM, then we had some food while watching Meet the Press, and she fell asleep during that. I picked up where I left off on The Force Awakens. She woke up at 3:45 and wanted to start on the garage when the sun would be setting in abp ut an hour.



Oh my. 




franandaj said:


> We just turn the lights off outside. They don't bother with dark houses.



I had forgotten to turn off the automatic lights. They didn’t knock at all after I did that. 




franandaj said:


> Looks like it might have to wait until a future trip, not sure it will work out for September.



That’s the wonderful thing, there’s always another trip  




franandaj said:


> We'll have a whole week plus this Summer.



I can’t wait!!!!!!!


----------



## Pinkocto

Steppesister said:


> I like brussels sprouts, I love coconut, and don't mind Dino. Just putting in my opinions.



I like your opinion


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Caught up again!
> 
> That was a heck of a leak!



Yeah and i just got the water bill.   I'm  trying to get Fran to call the city and see if they can adjust it.



jedijill said:


> Pam is such a great friend!



She is! So nice that she lives close to Disney now!



jedijill said:


> I ate at Tiffin's and it was excellent! I need to try the lounge.



Most of my foodie friends have given it very high marks!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh dear, that looks like a mess. I am glad that he found the source of the leak and was able to fix it.



Yeah, it was and now we have the bill to contend with. 



dolphingirl47 said:


> That does not sound good. I hope it will be resolved soon.



Yup. All done now. Next update.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That surprises me. I would have expected that at least a banshee would follow you home.



We just weren't all that taken with the movie.



dolphingirl47 said:


> The menu looks really nice and those drinks looked amazing.



The menu was rather accessible which surprised me, because when the restaurant first opened the menu was rather challenging in the dining room.



Oscar5933 said:


> I would love to see an updated photos of the kittens!



I'll try and put some in the next update, theyre getting really big now. Almost time for them to be spayed.



Oscar5933 said:


> I feel the same about the restaurants in Pandora, they just don't sound all that appetizing to me.



I wonder if they'll change the menu eventually.



Oscar5933 said:


> I have read some good things about the Edison at Disney Springs; it sounds like a fun place to try.



We're talking about going there for lunch this summer...I've only heard one review so far.



Oscar5933 said:


> Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.



Working on it. Sad but its almost over.



Oscar5933 said:


> Today it was 28 degrees!!! I have lived in Orlando my entire life and I don't think it has ever been that cold!



We were there in 2010 and it was cold and rainy,  but i dont think it got down to 28°.



Steppesister said:


> PHEW!!!



Details in the next update.



Steppesister said:


> That is a shame! I do remember as a kid wearing a jacket growing up in Hemet. I remember many nights they'd fire up the smudge pots for the oranges. I"m afraid those days are long gone because those groves are all gone and the weather has changed I guess.



I remember it being cold when i moved down for college 25 years ago.  And there were still orange groves in the valley then as well, but they're long gone now.



Steppesister said:


> Well, thank goodness!



And we're still down one scooter.



Steppesister said:


> Pam is indeed a good friend. LOL!



Yes. Yes she is!



Steppesister said:


> I do think you'd both like it there.



Theres a few things on the menu that im not sure about, but I'm sure we'd find something we liked.



Steppesister said:


> I know! So weird. But I did take a photo of the menu, so will double check.



Standing by....



pooh'smate said:


> Tiffins was one of our favorite meals when we went last in 2016. In fact Tiffins is the only place dd has asked to repeat on our trip in Sept. The service was excellent and the food was soooo good. I had halibut that was excellent (and I don't generally like fish) the waitress said it was really good and I should try it if I didn't like it she would bring me something else. I am so glad I went out of comfort zone and tried it.



I generally love Halibut unless it's prepared with an odd sauce, so i would be all over that.



Pinkocto said:


> You mean to say I’m the only one who likes brussel sprouts, coconut, AND Dinoland???



I'm going to stay out of this discussion!  Although I never said I hated Brussel Sprouts, Fran just won't let me bring them in the house!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ah. Smart. Worth the small amount of leakage.



For the flushing alone....



pkondz said:


> And I thought I was done... then looked up yesterday and "D'oh! Forgot the reindeer on top of the cabinet."



I still had my Charlie Brown tree over the oven in a display cabinet. Grabbed that yesterday and took everything back to storage. Completely finished now.



pkondz said:


> Me too! Two days ago it got up to 40! Unheard of up here this time of year.



It gets down to 40 at night here. Sometimes.



pkondz said:


> They do? I'll have to look for that!



Well my big and somewhat fancy grocery store had it. Not sure if they all do.



pkondz said:


> The pool has a deep end, no?



I dont think this one did.



pkondz said:


> Oh, of course.  It'd be the one thing you'd have to replace (usually.)



Actually there are two batteries inside the shell compartment, and depending on how skilled you are with electricity and a wrench, you can buy the batteries yourself and change them. Or you can go to the scooter store and pay twice as much, but they'll install them for you.



pkondz said:


> True. Just.... you have to rub it to make it "hot" and then it spits.... I dunno...



   This is a FAMILY board! 



pkondz said:


> Yeah! There are characters to wait for!
> 
> :



We may be going to a party thus year and i told her about your crazy wait and she said "No Way".



pkondz said:


> Nah. If I write it (IF!) it'll be quicker. Trust me.



Well when i make my way back to your TR, i will be urging you to continue writing...



pkondz said:


> Interesting! So the reviews (for that restaurant at least) are what sold it for you.



Pretty much. And they were from people whose opinions i value highly. Like i know they know good food.



pkondz said:


> Okay. Think I know where that is (and the map showed it, so... now I know.)



Kinda tucked away....



pkondz said:


> That is _not_ poutine. That's fries with some cheese and gravy on the side.



Yeah, I'll have to come to Canada for real poutine.



pkondz said:


> This is proof that there are four people in the world who like Brussels sprouts and coconut.... and no more.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> The only coconut I like is in my pina coladas.



Why i dont like Pina Coladas.



pkondz said:


> then don't!
> 
> Oh... wait... that won't work.



Yeah, almost $1000. 



Steppesister said:


> I like brussels sprouts, I love coconut, and don't mind Dino. Just putting in my opinions.



You're entitled to your opinions. It's a free country, for now.



Steppesister said:


> I repeat... I think this place is right up you two's alley.



I hope so. I think i have her convinced. Maybe on our March 2019 trip with my parents.



Pinkocto said:


> I had forgotten to turn off the automatic lights. They didn’t knock at all after I did that.



Good deal.



Pinkocto said:


> That’s the wonderful thing, there’s always another trip



At least with DVC there is!



Pinkocto said:


> I can’t wait!!!!!!!



You need to get in on the planning group! I know you don't want to do FB, but its so easy to plan stuff when we're all right there and no one else can read it!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> For the flushing alone....



Ew... yes.



franandaj said:


> still had my Charlie Brown tree over the oven in a display cabinet. Grabbed that yesterday and took everything back to storage. Completely finished now.



Me too.
Well... except for the outside lights. But I won't try that until the snow's gone. Too dangerous.



franandaj said:


> It gets down to 40 at night here. Sometimes.



It's dipped a bit today. We were having unseasonably warm weather. It's -6 right now.



franandaj said:


> I dont think this one did.



Inconvenient.

Then again, we know Jimmy Hoffa _isn't_ there.



franandaj said:


> Actually there are two batteries inside the shell compartment, and depending on how skilled you are with electricity and a wrench, you can buy the batteries yourself and change them. Or you can go to the scooter store and pay twice as much, but they'll install them for you.



Pretty sure most people with a smattering of knowledge would be able to change a battery.



franandaj said:


> We may be going to a party thus year and i told her about your crazy wait and she said "No Way".





I won't do _that_ ever again!
That was a once and done for the TR kinda deal.



franandaj said:


> Well when i make my way back to your TR, i will be urging you to continue writing...



All done now.



franandaj said:


> Yeah, I'll have to come to Canada for real poutine.


----------



## jedijill

franandaj said:


> You need to get in on the planning group! I know you don't want to do FB, but its so easy to plan stuff when we're all right there and no one else can read it!



Yes!  You can set your account to private and just join our group.  We aren't very scary! 

Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

Well our next trip to Florida is starting to shape up! We have two nights before the cruise at Bay Lake Tower, and with the two bathrooms we can share the room with friends who will be joining us on the cruise.  After the cruise we have a Grand Villa reserved at SSR and on the 1st of February I hope to change that to OKW. Now all we’re waiting for is Southwest to release their airfare on February 15th!


Still trying to rent apartment #3. Even though it's a nice and spacious place, it has no balcony or patio space and that seems to be a big drawback. But eventually someone will take it. 

The other fun thing two weeks ago was the result of a predatory tenant who moved out last summer.  He gave his 30 day notice, and then two weeks later moved out and turned in the keys. We had our contractor all set up to start work the day after he originally planned to move out and there was nothing we could do to change the schedule. Now I don’t know about other states, but in California a landlord must refund the security deposit or provide a detailed accounting of any deductions over $125 within 21 days of vacating the apartment.

Because this jerk moved out two weeks early, he felt that we needed to provide this two weeks before our planned timing for completing the work. We ended up in Small Claims court a couple weeks ago and the judge said that he would return his decision by mail as he needed to think about the case.  We got a letter five days later that we won. Stupid jerk.

The kitties are really keeping us busy. I promised some pictures so here they are, these are from the last few weeks. Tesla has been wanting to play with the ginger cats for weeks now. Finally they are starting to respond to his efforts to play











The kittens are now big enough that they can’t share spots on the kitty condos.






They really enjoyed “finding Nemo”.






The kittens have completed the “kitten plan" at the vet and are ready to be spayed/neutered, but O’Malley caught a cold, and Amelia came down with pneumonia. She stayed at the vet last night (Fran took her in at around 11PM) and she’s spending tonight there too. O’Malley is taking antibiotics and hopefully his cough will go away.  We brought in Tesla to the vet, cause he has been sneezing, but the vet said other than the sneezing he is healthy so she wants to let the virus run it’s course.  We have a couple other kids who need to go in because they are sneezing too, but we have appointments for the kittens to be spayed/neutered and hopefully we can keep those appointments as they will be healthy when their dates roll around.


We left off saying goodbye to Pam when our pager went off at Tusker House restaurant. I booked this dinner with the RoL package. So far we had done pretty well with respect to ticking off our must do items. We'd eaten three fabulous wine lunches, rode Navi River Journey, and we would see RoL this evening.

But before we went into the restaurant, we needed to find a parking space where Fran could plug in the rental scooter to charge. The battery was dipping really low, which was sad because we didn't leave the room until almost noon and it was only 4 o’clock.

I didn’t want to go take pictures of everything on the buffet, but there was nice mix of African style foods and things for unadventurous Americans. 











We were seated in a room and not too far from the buffet area.






Fran had made a pit stop on the way to our being seated, so I received our tickets for the show while she was still on her way into the room.






On her way into the dining room, Fran had taken a spin around the buffet area to see what they had on offer, she asked me to get her a plate with Mini Corn Dogs, mashed potatoes and gravy.






Before I could go up and get myself a plate Goofy came to visit.


























After that I got myself some roasted chicken, white cheddar mac and cheese, green beans, and chicken curry over rice. The chicken curry was probably my favorite besides the Mac, I ate all of the curry which I can't say for the chicken and beans.






Then the Main Mouse came by the table.
















Daisy came round next.











And then Fran went up and got a plate of who knows what! But it was a big plate of stuff including dessert (which she shared with me).






I went back up to the buffet and this time I got a veggie samosa, some mealie pap, and Israeli cous cous. I didn't want to run out of room before dessert, hence the tiny portions.






The samosa was delicious, as was the mealie pap. The cous cous had too much of an odd tasting herb in it. Then Donald finally came by.
















I went back for some banana bread pudding and an almond cake with raspberry. I loved the zebra coffee cake Fran shared and the chocolate cheesecake was very rich. The bread pudding was excellent too, but we were stuffed and had enough to eat.







*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


We went back to Pandora hoping that the bioluminescent stuff would come on, but no luck.
























































Then we had to take our seats for Rivers of Light. But first we had to find an outlet so that Fran could continue to charge the rental scooter. She rode mine while I walked.

There was a really pleasant surprise in the seating here. Normally handicapped accessible seats are all at the top of the theater, but they had built a walkway with no steps that led to the base of the stadium, and we were able to have a front row seat!











There was a PP photographer hanging out nearby so we went over to get a few pictures with him.











The show started with a “shaman” of sorts boarding a boat. There was another boat on the other side and I have to assume that someone similar came out and boarded that boat.  They sort of met in the middle.
















And then other things started to come out onto the water.











There were lots of projections (which didn’t come out well in my pictures) and lots of music like a masseuse might play for you to help you drift off into a calming sleep.






There were giant animals on the water, and animals on the projections.
















There were laser light shows with water.


























As the ships returned to their docks the show ended. It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again. It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.   

We waited in our seats to let the crowds dissipate and Fran deduced it was better for her to walk up the hill instead of trying to ride the scooter up, it was sort of steep and she thought it might be hard on the scooter.

We retrieved her rental scooter and it didn't seem like it charged at all, so she stayed on my scooter and I rode the rental. By the time we got to the bus stop every station was mobbed. They had folks working each station to make sure enough buses were coming for each resort and they kept track of all the folks in scooters to make sure that they got on the buses in a fair and orderly manner.

Since we were a pair we were at a disadvantage, when we were “up" there was one person in front of us, so we could have either split up or wait for the next bus. We chose to wait. We ended up waiting over an hour for a bus and finally made it back to the room.  I ran the dishwasher and had to do one more load of laundry. I fryed us each a couple pieces of Texas Toast while I waited for the washer to finish. “Dinner" was a long time ago.  After placing the laundry in the dryer, I went to bed.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Glad the judge ruled in your favor!  People suck.

Are you planning on keeping all the kittens or looking at adopting them out once they are spayed/neutered?  We're going to get a puppy in a couple months (litter was just born yesterday!) but the contract won't allow neutering until growth is completed (so about a year)  This is ok though. 

Looks like you had a nice evening at Animal Kingdom.  Your review of River of Lights sounds like most people's reviews.  We haven't seen it yet and I think I'm ok with that.  You got some nice photos of it though!


----------



## ljcrochet

franandaj said:


> We retrieved her rental scooter and it didn't seem like it charged at all, so she stayed on my scooter and I rode the rental.


I can't believe even the rental scooter gave you issues.  You did not have luck with scooters this trip.


Dis_Yoda said:


> We're going to get a puppy in a couple months (litter was just born yesterday!) but the contract won't allow neutering until growth is completed (so about a year) This is ok though.


What type of puppy are you getting?
I have been fostering puppies for a local rescue.  They will not adopt out the dogs until they have been spayed or neutered.  They get a pediatric spay.  I think they like them to be around 12 weeks old but since sometimes they are dumped at the shelter, their is no real clue about their ages.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

ljcrochet said:


> What type of puppy are you getting?
> I have been fostering puppies for a local rescue.  They will not adopt out the dogs until they have been spayed or neutered.  They get a pediatric spay.  I think they like them to be around 12 weeks old but since sometimes they are dumped at the shelter, their is no real clue about their ages.



Rhodesian Ridgeback 

I took me a while to find an excellent breeder and wade past the puppy mills.  Pediatric spays are such a source of debate.  I totally get why rescues do them so early so that they don't add to the pet overpopulation.  With certain breeds though, it can lead to joint problems because of the larger bones.  We can keep it away from girls in heat. 

Since we are planning on running distance with the dog we want to make sure we do what's right for the joints.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well our next trip to Florida is starting to shape up! We have two nights before the cruise at Bay Lake Tower, and with the two bathrooms we can share the room with friends who will be joining us on the cruise. After the cruise we have a Grand Villa reserved at SSR and on the 1st of February I hope to change that to OKW. Now all we’re waiting for is Southwest to release their airfare on February 15th!



Sounds like it's all coming together.



franandaj said:


> Still trying to rent apartment #3. Even though it's a nice and spacious place, it has no balcony or patio space and that seems to be a big drawback. But eventually someone will take it.



Still not rented. Hope it goes soon. 



franandaj said:


> The other fun thing two weeks ago was the result of a predatory tenant who moved out last summer. He gave his 30 day notice, and then two weeks later moved out and turned in the keys. We had our contractor all set up to start work the day after he originally planned to move out and there was nothing we could do to change the schedule. Now I don’t know about other states, but in California a landlord must refund the security deposit or provide a detailed accounting of any deductions over $125 within 21 days of vacating the apartment.
> 
> Because this jerk moved out two weeks early, he felt that we needed to provide this two weeks before our planned timing for completing the work. We ended up in Small Claims court a couple weeks ago and the judge said that he would return his decision by mail as he needed to think about the case. We got a letter five days later that we won. Stupid jerk.



So _that's_ what you were going to court about.
Yeah... that's a dick move. I guess he figured you wouldn't go to court and just not bother. Good for you!



franandaj said:


>



 Love that shot.



franandaj said:


> The kittens are now big enough that they can’t share spots on the kitty condos.



Apartments _and_ condos!



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> the vet



Hope all the kitties will be okay.



franandaj said:


> So far we had done pretty well with respect to ticking off our must do items.



Stop ticking off the must do items! What did they ever do to you?



franandaj said:


> The battery was dipping really low, which was sad because we didn't leave the room until almost noon and it was only 4 o’clock.



That's not very long. Time to replace that sucker.



franandaj said:


> We were seated in a room and not too far from the buffet area.



Oh! I didn't even know Tusker was a buffet.
Not sure why not.



franandaj said:


> she asked me to get her a plate with Mini Corn Dogs, mashed potatoes and gravy.



Interesting first course.



franandaj said:


>



Awwww!



franandaj said:


> The chicken curry was probably my favorite besides the Mac



Really! Would not have guessed. 



franandaj said:


> But it was a big plate of stuff



This is the kind of in depth reporting that keeps us coming back for more.



franandaj said:


> some mealie pap



Ew. No.



franandaj said:


> The bread pudding was excellent too



Looks really good!



franandaj said:


> We went back to Pandora hoping that the bioluminescent stuff would come on, but no luck.



Come on? Isn't it just glow in the dark, mostly?



franandaj said:


>



Huh! I don't remember those.



franandaj said:


>



Nice backlit shot!



franandaj said:


> There was a really pleasant surprise in the seating here. Normally handicapped accessible seats are all at the top of the theater, but they had built a walkway with no steps that led to the base of the stadium, and we were able to have a front row seat!



Nice!!



franandaj said:


>



Cool lighting.



franandaj said:


>



Whoa! Can't get much closer than that!



franandaj said:


>



Beautiful capture.



franandaj said:


>



I started to say that this was a nice shot, but.... geez! They all are!
I could quote every one, but... all your shots are really nice, Alison.



franandaj said:


> It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again.



Hmmm... Not exactly the highest praise.



franandaj said:


> It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.



 That strikes me as really funny.



franandaj said:


> We ended up waiting over an hour for a bus



Aw, man.... that's way too long. Sorry to hear that.


----------



## skier_pete

franandaj said:


> *[*It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again. It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.



Perfect comment - I was thinking something similar. It's nice enough show, but it's like they left off the finale - it just kind wanders around for 20 minutes and then it ends. I could see skipping it most of the time as well. If DD wants to see it in February, we'll do it, but knowing her she won't, and I don't think we'll fight it.


----------



## jedijill

********** said:


> Perfect comment - I was thinking something similar. It's nice enough show, but it's like they left off the finale - it just kind wanders around for 20 minutes and then it ends. I could see skipping it most of the time as well. If DD wants to see it in February, we'll do it, but knowing her she won't, and I don't think we'll fight it.



I totally agree.  It was beautiful but blah.  A real let down from what it could be.

Jill in CO


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Well our next trip to Florida is starting to shape up!



Hooray!  When is that again?



franandaj said:


> Still trying to rent apartment #3. Even though it's a nice and spacious place, it has no balcony or patio space and that seems to be a big drawback.



Also, there was that ax murder, but we're not publicizing that.



franandaj said:


> Because this jerk moved out two weeks early, he felt that we needed to provide this two weeks before our planned timing for completing the work. We ended up in Small Claims court a couple weeks ago and the judge said that he would return his decision by mail as he needed to think about the case. We got a letter five days later that we won. Stupid jerk.



What a pain!  Glad it turned out in your favor.



franandaj said:


> I didn’t want to go take pictures of everything on the buffet, but there was nice mix of African style foods and things for unadventurous Americans.



 My ears are burning!



franandaj said:


> Fran had taken a spin around the buffet area to see what they had on offer, she asked me to get her a plate with Mini Corn Dogs, mashed potatoes and gravy.



Adventurous! 



franandaj said:


> We went back to Pandora hoping that the bioluminescent stuff would come on, but no luck.



Dang.  I've heard that's pretty cool.  Did you ever get to see it?



franandaj said:


> There was a really pleasant surprise in the seating here. Normally handicapped accessible seats are all at the top of the theater, but they had built a walkway with no steps that led to the base of the stadium, and we were able to have a front row seat!



Sweet!  Looks like a good spot!



franandaj said:


> There were lots of projections (which didn’t come out well in my pictures) and lots of music like a masseuse might play for you to help you drift off into a calming sleep.



Uh oh.  After walking several miles through a theme park and dealing with kids on a hot day, this sounds like a bad idea.



franandaj said:


> It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again. It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.



Well, there's a ringing endorsement! 



franandaj said:


> We retrieved her rental scooter and it didn't seem like it charged at all



Oh, for the love of...



franandaj said:


> We chose to wait. We ended up waiting over an hour for a bus and finally made it back to the room.



An hour!  I'm sorry.


----------



## Lesley Wake

franandaj said:


> There was a really pleasant surprise in the seating here. Normally handicapped accessible seats are all at the top of the theater, but they had built a walkway with no steps that led to the base of the stadium, and we were able to have a front row seat!


That's really good that Disney thought ahead like that! I always feel bad when the people with accessibility issues are relegated to the top or farther away.


----------



## pkondz

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Also, there was that ax murder, but we're not publicizing that.



Might actually bring _in_ some clients. 
But you probably don’t want those kinds.


----------



## happymommy

Hi, Allison!  Just wanted to let you know I adore your trip reports!


----------



## Oscar5933

The kittens are so big!  They all look very happy! I adore ginger kitties, they have such fun personalities.

Even though I am a local, I still have not been to Animal Kingdom to check out Pandora. Not sure why it just holds no interest for me. Also I haven't wanted to brave the crowds to go just yet.


----------



## DnA2010

Back  hoping to keep more in the loop from now on!

Oh the kittens - Love! they are so big and look so happy! I so miss having cats, but my DH is allergic so we can't have 

I am very much looking forward to getting back to WDW when the baby is bigger (big ask to fly that far right now) and looking forward to seeing Pandora (Your pictures are fantastic! I must admit I didn't look at them too closely, as I want to be surprised to some degree when I do get there) but I, like you, still think to some degree "Why Pandora?" DD13 is a huge fan though, so I know she will enjoy it, whenever we get there. Yummy food pics though! it was interesting to see Pad Thai and Poutine in the same set of pictures!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Me too.
> Well... except for the outside lights. But I won't try that until the snow's gone. Too dangerous.



This snow phenomenon just boggles my mind. When do you put up your decorations August? I only decorate the exterior since my kitties woukd chew on any interior decorations they could they their mouths on.



pkondz said:


> It's dipped a bit today. We were having unseasonably warm weather. It's -6 right now.



I wouldn't leave the house. I'd have my groceries delivered by Amazon and watch TV all day.



pkondz said:


> Pretty sure most people with a smattering of knowledge would be able to change a battery.



The hardest part is finding the right screwdriver to open the battery pack.



pkondz said:


> I won't do _that_ ever again!
> That was a once and done for the TR kinda deal.



I can understand that. I want to meet Groot, but never want to spend the time waiting.



jedijill said:


> Yes!  You can set your account to private and just join our group.  We aren't very scary!
> 
> Jill in CO







Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad the judge ruled in your favor! People suck.



I know! We wont let ourselves get caught in that one again.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Are you planning on keeping all the kittens or looking at adopting them out once they are spayed/neutered? We're going to get a puppy in a couple months (litter was just born yesterday!) but the contract won't allow neutering until growth is completed (so about a year) This is ok though.



We're keeping them. We're too attached to them to let them go.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Looks like you had a nice evening at Animal Kingdom. Your review of River of Lights sounds like most people's reviews. We haven't seen it yet and I think I'm ok with that. You got some nice photos of it though!



I always like to see things for myself, but i also had not heard any reviews of this show before i saw it.



ljcrochet said:


> I can't believe even the rental scooter gave you issues. You did not have luck with scooters this trip.



I know. Thats why I hate renting them. She always goes with companies who are less expensive and you get what you pay for.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> This snow phenomenon just boggles my mind. When do you put up your decorations August?



I usually try to put them up in October, actually. But this year I couldn't, since I hurt my back I had to wait until November. But... it starts getting dicey. I don't relish falling off the roof. Getting trapped up there this year was bad enough.



franandaj said:


> I only decorate the exterior since my kitties woukd chew on any interior decorations they could they their mouths on.







franandaj said:


> I wouldn't leave the house. I'd have my groceries delivered by Amazon and watch TV all day.



 If I didn't leave when it was cold.... I'd be stuck inside for 4-5 months!



franandaj said:


> The hardest part is finding the right screwdriver to open the battery pack.



Ah. Is it that star shaped one that no one has? Or just a Phillips?



franandaj said:


> I can understand that. I want to meet Groot, but never want to spend the time waiting.



I don't know if I'll ever wait again. I've done Ariel fun photos enough now, I think. What else is there to do?  
I briefly considered Jack Skellington at Christmas, but... nah.

Unless I can think of something mildly amusing and there's not much of a wait... my character photos might be done.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I remember it being cold when i moved down for college 25 years ago. And there were still orange groves in the valley then as well, but they're long gone now.



Yes, sadly almost all of them are. 



franandaj said:


> I hope so. I think i have her convinced. Maybe on our March 2019 trip with my parents.



I'll be interested to hear about that trip!



franandaj said:


> The other fun thing two weeks ago was the result of a predatory tenant who moved out last summer. He gave his 30 day notice, and then two weeks later moved out and turned in the keys. We had our contractor all set up to start work the day after he originally planned to move out and there was nothing we could do to change the schedule. Now I don’t know about other states, but in California a landlord must refund the security deposit or provide a detailed accounting of any deductions over $125 within 21 days of vacating the apartment.



Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid regulations. 



franandaj said:


> Because this jerk moved out two weeks early, he felt that we needed to provide this two weeks before our planned timing for completing the work. We ended up in Small Claims court a couple weeks ago and the judge said that he would return his decision by mail as he needed to think about the case. We got a letter five days later that we won. Stupid jerk.



A choice word for butt pit comes to mind. Good for the judge. He ruled fairly. 



franandaj said:


> I went back up to the buffet and this time I got a veggie samosa, some mealie pap, and Israeli cous cous. I didn't want to run out of room before dessert, hence the tiny portions.



A good strategy! 



franandaj said:


>



That bread pudding looks yummy! Is it as good as the stuff at Raglan Road? 



franandaj said:


>



Love this one!



franandaj said:


> As the ships returned to their docks the show ended. It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again. It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.





I don't think you meant this as funny, but I think it kinda was. 



franandaj said:


> We retrieved her rental scooter and it didn't seem like it charged at all, so she stayed on my scooter and I rode the rental. By the time we got to the bus stop every station was mobbed.



So just like it is whenever I arrive at one on any given WDW evening. 



franandaj said:


> We ended up waiting over an hour for a bus





Holy crap.


----------



## AdamsMum

I very much enjoyed reading your trip report Allison and Fran.  It was great to see all of the pictures.  I always intend to take a lot of pictures, but then in the moment I forget. Thanks for posting this.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Well our next trip to Florida is starting to shape up! We have two nights before the cruise at Bay Lake Tower, and with the two bathrooms we can share the room with friends who will be joining us on the cruise. After the cruise we have a Grand Villa reserved at SSR and on the 1st of February I hope to change that to OKW. Now all we’re waiting for is Southwest to release their airfare on February 15th!



That looks very promising. I am glad that things are falling into place.



franandaj said:


> Still trying to rent apartment #3. Even though it's a nice and spacious place, it has no balcony or patio space and that seems to be a big drawback. But eventually someone will take it.



I continue to keep my fingers crossed for you.



franandaj said:


> Because this jerk moved out two weeks early, he felt that we needed to provide this two weeks before our planned timing for completing the work. We ended up in Small Claims court a couple weeks ago and the judge said that he would return his decision by mail as he needed to think about the case. We got a letter five days later that we won. Stupid jerk.



I am glad that this is over a done with and that the court found in your favour. Some people...



franandaj said:


> The kittens have completed the “kitten plan" at the vet and are ready to be spayed/neutered, but O’Malley caught a cold, and Amelia came down with pneumonia. She stayed at the vet last night (Fran took her in at around 11PM) and she’s spending tonight there too. O’Malley is taking antibiotics and hopefully his cough will go away. We brought in Tesla to the vet, cause he has been sneezing, but the vet said other than the sneezing he is healthy so she wants to let the virus run it’s course. We have a couple other kids who need to go in because they are sneezing too, but we have appointments for the kittens to be spayed/neutered and hopefully we can keep those appointments as they will be healthy when their dates roll around.



I hope that they are all better now. I enjoyed all the photos. They are so cute.



franandaj said:


> But before we went into the restaurant, we needed to find a parking space where Fran could plug in the rental scooter to charge. The battery was dipping really low, which was sad because we didn't leave the room until almost noon and it was only 4 o’clock.



That does not bode well.



franandaj said:


> We went back to Pandora hoping that the bioluminescent stuff would come on, but no luck.



Oh, what a shame.



franandaj said:


> There was a really pleasant surprise in the seating here. Normally handicapped accessible seats are all at the top of the theater, but they had built a walkway with no steps that led to the base of the stadium, and we were able to have a front row seat!



That is a really nice touch.



franandaj said:


> It was nice enough and we enjoyed the show, but don't need to see it again. It was kind if like a combination of Illuminations and World of Color, combining the least interesting facets of each show.



I loved all the photos. What a shame that it was nothing to write home about.



franandaj said:


> They had folks working each station to make sure enough buses were coming for each resort and they kept track of all the folks in scooters to make sure that they got on the buses in a fair and orderly manner.



That is good that they had this organized.



franandaj said:


> We ended up waiting over an hour for a bus and finally made it back to the room.



That seriously stinks.

Corinna


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Sounds like it's all coming together.



At least something is!



pkondz said:


> Still not rented. Hope it goes soon.



Me too! We could use the income!



pkondz said:


> So _that's_ what you were going to court about.
> Yeah... that's a dick move. I guess he figured you wouldn't go to court and just not bother. Good for you!



He was always stupid and a wuss as a tenant. He pissed me off when he gave notice by saying, "on such and such date i paid X amount of deposit. Since the place is in good order, i expect to receive my deposit in full."

Then when I saw the hole in the wall in the bathroom, like someone had punched it, i thought, "this mother...." well...family board.



pkondz said:


> Love that shot.



They are cute!



pkondz said:


> Apartments _and_ condos!



And duplexes too.



pkondz said:


> Hope all the kitties will be okay.



Me too. Amelia is in quarantine.



pkondz said:


> Stop ticking off the must do items! What did they ever do to you?



They wanted their full security deposit back. 



pkondz said:


> That's not very long. Time to replace that sucker.



'cept its a rental, I'm not paying for it.



pkondz said:


> Oh! I didn't even know Tusker was a buffet.
> Not sure why not.



As far as I've known, its been one.



pkondz said:


> Interesting first course.



Sometimes she even starts with dessert.



pkondz said:


> Really! Would not have guessed.



It is actually one of my favorite dishes, in fact it was the first thing i made in my Instant Pot.



pkondz said:


> This is the kind of in depth reporting that keeps us coming back for more.







pkondz said:


> Ew. No.



Why? I thought it was very tasty!



pkondz said:


> Looks really good!



Just about everything i had was.



pkondz said:


> Come on? Isn't it just glow in the dark, mostly?



I don't know since we didn't see it.



pkondz said:


> Huh! I don't remember those.



I don't remember where we found them.



pkondz said:


> Nice backlit shot!



Thats i took like 20 from there, different zooms and I was there for almost 15 minutes watching the sun lower in the sky.



pkondz said:


> Whoa! Can't get much closer than that!



Yeah, it was pretty cool!



pkondz said:


> Beautiful capture.



Thanks!



pkondz said:


> I started to say that this was a nice shot, but.... geez! They all are!
> I could quote every one, but... all your shots are really nice, Alison.



  Aw, so sweet.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... Not exactly the highest praise.



Well i try to be honest....



pkondz said:


> That strikes me as really funny.



I was trying to give the type of description that people could relate to.



pkondz said:


> Aw, man.... that's way too long. Sorry to hear that.



Yeah, i think thats the worst wait ive had to suffer.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Love the kitties!

Tenants can be quite the headache at times!  We have had the most awesome tenant the past two years and are worried what will happen when she is no longer able to live on her own.

Fingers crossed for your empty rental!

Beautiful pics of ROL.  I still have not made it there!


----------



## franandaj

********** said:


> Perfect comment - I was thinking something similar. It's nice enough show, but it's like they left off the finale - it just kind wanders around for 20 minutes and then it ends. I could see skipping it most of the time as well. If DD wants to see it in February, we'll do it, but knowing her she won't, and I don't think we'll fight it.



Yeah, that sums it up perfect.  There really isn't a message to it.  Like with WoC, it's exciting bright and new, then the evil part kicks in and there's fire, death and sadness, and out of that springs hope and joy and comes to a rousing conclusion.  Similar thing for F! but like you said, it sort of meanders around and then ends.



jedijill said:


> I totally agree.  It was beautiful but blah.  A real let down from what it could be.



I was expecting a tad bit more....but not quite sure of what.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hooray! When is that again?



Last week in August through Labor Day weekend.  Not my ideal time to travel to Florida, but friend's schedule sort of dictates the time.  Kind of like you with Julie and the kids.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Also, there was that ax murder, but we're not publicizing that.



   I know that when selling a house you have to disclose that there was a death there if it occurred within three years of the sale. I googled and it was vague about rentals, said the law varied by state.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> What a pain! Glad it turned out in your favor.



I know, it wasn't the money for me, it was the principle. He was a jerk.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> My ears are burning!



Actually I wasn't completely tjinking abput you there....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Adventurous!



See what i mean?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Dang. I've heard that's pretty cool. Did you ever get to see it?



No not this trip. We realized on our last day, trying to do F&W AND see the new stuff at AK was too much for one trip.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sweet! Looks like a good spot!



It was 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Uh oh. After walking several miles through a theme park and dealing with kids on a hot day, this sounds like a bad idea.



I think Andy was smart to go back to the resort in the afternoon before his family saw the show. I could see the potential for meltdowns of tired children.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, there's a ringing endorsement!



Gotta be hpnest!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> , for the love of...


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Me too! We could use the income!



Hope it goes soon!
And considering what you've been telling me.... yes you could!!



franandaj said:


> He was always stupid and a wuss as a tenant. He pissed me off when he gave notice by saying, "on such and such date i paid X amount of deposit. Since the place is in good order, i expect to receive my deposit in full."
> 
> Then when I saw the hole in the wall in the bathroom, like someone had punched it, i thought, "this mother...." well...family board.



lover?
trucker?

But, yeah. What a jerk.



franandaj said:


> And duplexes too.



Oh, my!



franandaj said:


> Me too. Amelia is in quarantine.



How's she doing today?



franandaj said:


> They wanted their full security deposit back.







franandaj said:


> 'cept its a rental, I'm not paying for it.



Ah. Of course.



franandaj said:


> As far as I've known, its been one.



Uh, huh.
"pkondz hears about a restaurant at Disney with chara....." <slams door on way out>


Never been a fan of the character meals. When I brought the kids? 
Absolutely!
But... when I'm solo? I just want to enjoy my meal without the interruptions.



franandaj said:


> Sometimes she even starts with dessert.



I've told you how much I like her, right?



franandaj said:


> It is actually one of my favorite dishes, in fact it was the first thing i made in my Instant Pot.



How spicy was it? 
Just wondering if my fam would like it.... they're real spice wusses.



franandaj said:


> Why? I thought it was very tasty!



Okay... I'll try it then.
It just sounds and looks unappealing.

Stems from reading a novel with "tasteless pap" I presume.



franandaj said:


> I don't know since we didn't see it.



Oh, too bad. That place is so much nicer at night.



franandaj said:


> Thats i took like 20 from there, different zooms and I was there for almost 15 minutes watching the sun lower in the sky.



That's good! A really good photographer will take the time to get the shot they want.



franandaj said:


> Well i try to be honest....



 I do too.



franandaj said:


> I was trying to give the type of description that people could relate to.



It worked! 



franandaj said:


> Yeah, i think thats the worst wait ive had to suffer.


----------



## franandaj

Lesley Wake said:


> That's really good that Disney thought ahead like that! I always feel bad when the people with accessibility issues are relegated to the top or farther away.



It was really nice for them to make several areas for accessible seating, I was pleasantly surprised.



pkondz said:


> Might actually bring _in_ some clients.
> But you probably don’t want those kinds.



Yeah, I don't think someone who would be intrigued would be our ideal tenant.



happymommy said:


> Hi, Allison!  Just wanted to let you know I adore your trip reports!



Thank you!  



DnA2010 said:


> Back  hoping to keep more in the loop from now on!



Glad to have you back!  I only have a few more updates left here.  



DnA2010 said:


> Oh the kittens - Love! they are so big and look so happy! I so miss having cats, but my DH is allergic so we can't have



Amelia just had a big scare at the vet, but everyone else is doing fine. Two of them go in for their spay appointments tomorrow morning.



DnA2010 said:


> I am very much looking forward to getting back to WDW when the baby is bigger (big ask to fly that far right now) and looking forward to seeing Pandora (Your pictures are fantastic! I must admit I didn't look at them too closely, as I want to be surprised to some degree when I do get there) but I, like you, still think to some degree "Why Pandora?" DD13 is a huge fan though, so I know she will enjoy it, whenever we get there.



There is plenty of stuff to be surprised by. Even looking at my pictures, you will still be amazed when you see it in person.



DnA2010 said:


> Yummy food pics though! it was interesting to see Pad Thai and Poutine in the same set of pictures!



I thought it was a rather eclectic menu with quite a few things that were appealing.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, I don't think someone who would be intrigued would be our ideal tenant.



Interesting.


I said "interesting"!! Not intriguing!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I usually try to put them up in October, actually. But this year I couldn't, since I hurt my back I had to wait until November. But... it starts getting dicey. I don't relish falling off the roof. Getting trapped up there this year was bad enough.



OK so there must be a story behind that....spill the beans....



pkondz said:


> If I didn't leave when it was cold.... I'd be stuck inside for 4-5 months!



I think I might be OK with that.



pkondz said:


> Ah. Is it that star shaped one that no one has? Or just a Phillips?



No it's a Phillips, but it's the length of the screwdriver is problematic, it needs to be long enough to access all of the screws.  Some of them have a really long shaft to get to them.



pkondz said:


> I don't know if I'll ever wait again. I've done Ariel fun photos enough now, I think. What else is there to do?
> I briefly considered Jack Skellington at Christmas, but... nah.
> 
> Unless I can think of something mildly amusing and there's not much of a wait... my character photos might be done.



I'm sure you will come up with something eventually.



Steppesister said:


> Yes, sadly almost all of them are.



I think CSUN has a few token orange groves left, but real estate has such a high price and oranges just don't stand up to that.



Steppesister said:


> I'll be interested to hear about that trip!



I'm sure there will be a TR.  We have taken several trips with my parents, Vegas, Cape Cod, WDW in 2010.  It's for March 2019, my Mom likes plants so we're going during F&G.



Steppesister said:


> Stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid regulations.



I can see where they need it for slum lords, but it kinda sucks with honest folks like us.



Steppesister said:


> A choice word for butt pit comes to mind. Good for the judge. He ruled fairly.



I would crack up if he (the tenant) used us as a reference for a future apartment.  He seems that stupid.



Steppesister said:


> That bread pudding looks yummy! Is it as good as the stuff at Raglan Road?



I haven't had the stuff from Raglan Road, so I can't say.



Steppesister said:


> Love this one!



Thanks!  



Steppesister said:


> I don't think you meant this as funny, but I think it kinda was.



I was trying to be funny while putting it in perspective that DIS folks could appreciate.



Steppesister said:


> So just like it is whenever I arrive at one on any given WDW evening.



Well maybe worse.



Steppesister said:


> Holy crap.



Yeah.  Having a scooter sucks.  Only two can ride on any given bus.



AdamsMum said:


> I very much enjoyed reading your trip report Allison and Fran.  It was great to see all of the pictures.  I always intend to take a lot of pictures, but then in the moment I forget. Thanks for posting this.



Thanks!  I still have a day and a half left, and then some bonus features from DL!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That looks very promising. I am glad that things are falling into place.



Yes they are.  We got OKW for the days after the cruise, now its just airfare.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I continue to keep my fingers crossed for you.



Thanks, it's a crappy time of year for people to move.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that this is over a done with and that the court found in your favour. Some people...



I know.  It had me stressing over it for the past couple months.  And it will change the way that I handle tenants vacating foreer.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I hope that they are all better now. I enjoyed all the photos. They are so cute.



Well Amelia is on the mend, but there is a cold going through the house...



dolphingirl47 said:


> That does not bode well.



Nope.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, what a shame.



We decided we need to go back and stay at AKV not during F&W so that we can see it in detail.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is a really nice touch.



Yes, I was very surprised.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I loved all the photos. What a shame that it was nothing to write home about.



I was disappointed that I didn't like it better.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is good that they had this organized.



They sort of have to.  There were so many people with scooters that we saw at least 4 buses leave before we finally got on one.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That seriously stinks.



Yeah, but we did stop to go potty and look in the shops before we left.  Plus we let other people go up the path before we tried to exit the show.  If we had been aggressive about getting to the bus stop we may have had better luck.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> OK so there must be a story behind that....spill the beans....



To put the lights up, the easiest thing to do is pull out the extension ladder, go on the roof, and hang them that way.
Of course if its snowed already, then... no way in heck I'm doing that. I'd just slide right off.

Anyways... So my back is feeling better. I've got a day off.... I better get this done. Cold... but not stupid cold. But.... very windy.
I climb up and start hanging the lights. All of a sudden...

sshshshshshshhhhhhh.... crash!

A really big wind gust came up and blew the ladder over. I have_ never_ seen that before.... um....... how do I get down?
I didn't want to break my phone by accidentally crushing it as I put the lights up, so I left it in the house..... can't call anyone.

Whelp.... guess I have to wait until someone comes by and..... here comes a car now!
I start waving my arms like crazy and...

They don't even slow down.

Um. This might be problematic.

Luckily, a couple minutes later, a couple of young ladies (house cleaners I think) pulled up and saw me waving. They could_ just_ lift the ladder high enough that as I reached down, I could grab it.

Saved.


Was kinda glad the wind didn't blow it over again. Would've been embarrassing (well....._ more_ embarrassing) to be trapped_ again._



franandaj said:


> I think I might be OK with that.



Cabin fever is a real thing.



franandaj said:


> No it's a Phillips, but it's the length of the screwdriver is problematic, it needs to be long enough to access all of the screws.



Ah. Gotcha.



franandaj said:


> Some of them have a really long shaft to get to them.










franandaj said:


> I'm sure you will come up with something eventually.



I don't know.
I do remember thinking in DL when I gave Ariel the fork (that's what she said) that it would probably be the last time I do that.
Kind of a natural progression and end to that series.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I'm sure there will be a TR. We have taken several trips with my parents, Vegas, Cape Cod, WDW in 2010. It's for March 2019, my Mom likes plants so we're going during F&G.



I had lobbied for Spring of that year so I could do F&G, but my daughter and her DH can't until Fall. So I guess F&G will have to wait until next time around. 



franandaj said:


> I can see where they need it for slum lords, but it kinda sucks with honest folks like us.



Yes, it does. And here in Portland they've pretty much regulated the honest folks right out of being property owners at all, thus completely defeating the purpose of creating more affordable housing. Morons in government.  The single owners who rented like us gave up and sold off. 



franandaj said:


> I would crack up if he (the tenant) used us as a reference for a future apartment. He seems that stupid.



It certainly seems that way. 



franandaj said:


> I was trying to be funny while putting it in perspective that DIS folks could appreciate.



It worked! 



franandaj said:


> Yeah. Having a scooter sucks. Only two can ride on any given bus.



Even with that factored in, an hour is a heck of a long time to wait!



pkondz said:


> To put the lights up, the easiest thing to do is pull out the extension ladder, go on the roof, and hang them that way.
> Of course if its snowed already, then... no way in heck I'm doing that. I'd just slide right off.
> 
> Anyways... So my back is feeling better. I've got a day off.... I better get this done. Cold... but not stupid cold. But.... very windy.
> I climb up and start hanging the lights. All of a sudden...
> 
> sshshshshshshhhhhhh.... crash!
> 
> A really big wind gust came up and blew the ladder over. I have_ never_ seen that before.... um....... how do I get down?
> I didn't want to break my phone by accidentally crushing it as I put the lights up, so I left it in the house..... can't call anyone.
> 
> Whelp.... guess I have to wait until someone comes by and..... here comes a car now!
> I start waving my arms like crazy and...
> 
> They don't even slow down.
> 
> Um. This might be problematic.
> 
> Luckily, a couple minutes later, a couple of young ladies (house cleaners I think) pulled up and saw me waving. They could_ just_ lift the ladder high enough that as I reached down, I could grab it.
> 
> Saved.
> 
> 
> Was kinda glad the wind didn't blow it over again. Would've been embarrassing (well....._ more_ embarrassing) to be trapped_ again._












Okay, in all seriousness, that truly sounds very dangerous and frightening. I'm glad the ladder didn't get blown over with you ON it! 



pkondz said:


>





And you tell me about this "Family Board" business on MY thread?!?!!!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Love the kitties!



They are cute, aren't they?



tiggrbaby said:


> Tenants can be quite the headache at times! We have had the most awesome tenant the past two years and are worried what will happen when she is no longer able to live on her own.



For the most part, we have good tenants, we try to screen them well and weed out the ones that are a PIYA.



tiggrbaby said:


> Fingers crossed for your empty rental!



Yeah, this is a bad time of year for people to move.  Except another one of our tenants.



tiggrbaby said:


> Beautiful pics of ROL. I still have not made it there!



It's nice enough, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.



pkondz said:


> Hope it goes soon!
> And considering what you've been telling me.... yes you could!!



Yeah, and another one just gave notice when paying their rent this month.  



pkondz said:


> lover?
> trucker?
> 
> But, yeah. What a jerk.







pkondz said:


> How's she doing today?



She's really getting sick of us squirting stuff down her throat!



pkondz said:


> Uh, huh.
> "pkondz hears about a restaurant at Disney with chara....." <slams door on way out>



I don't see why, but to each his own.



pkondz said:


> Never been a fan of the character meals. When I brought the kids?
> Absolutely!
> But... when I'm solo? I just want to enjoy my meal without the interruptions.



I can see it if you're solo, but I like the photos and it's an easy way to get them without having to wait in a huge line.



pkondz said:


> I've told you how much I like her, right?







pkondz said:


> How spicy was it?
> Just wondering if my fam would like it.... they're real spice wusses.



I could send you my recipe. A friend of another friend posted it on FB and I modified it to take out the peas and the jalapeno so there was pretty much no heat at all in the recipe.



pkondz said:


> Okay... I'll try it then.
> It just sounds and looks unappealing.
> 
> Stems from reading a novel with "tasteless pap" I presume.



Poi, now that's tasteless goo, but this had cheese and something else melted into it.  It was almost like grits, but then we already covered that in great length on your TR!  



pkondz said:


> Oh, too bad. That place is so much nicer at night.



Which is why we have decided to go back at some point and stay at AKL so that we can explore in more detail.



pkondz said:


> That's good! A really good photographer will take the time to get the shot they want.



Well I'm not a really good photographer, but I am nothing if not persistent!



pkondz said:


> Interesting.
> 
> 
> I said "interesting"!! Not intriguing!



I extrapolated.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, and another one just gave notice when paying their rent this month.



what????? 



franandaj said:


> She's really getting sick of us squirting stuff down her throat!



Can you blame her???



franandaj said:


> I can see it if you're solo, but I like the photos and it's an easy way to get them without having to wait in a huge line.



Good point. But... don't need character photos, unless I have some sort of theme or something in mind.



franandaj said:


> I could send you my recipe. A friend of another friend posted it on FB and I modified it to take out the peas and the jalapeno so there was pretty much no heat at all in the recipe.



Sure!



franandaj said:


> Poi, now that's tasteless goo,



I disagree. I don't find it tasteless at all. 



I find it disgusting.



franandaj said:


> but this had cheese and something else melted into it. It was almost like grits, but then we already covered that in great length on your TR!



hmm... Okay. I'll try it.



franandaj said:


> Which is why we have decided to go back at some point and stay at AKL so that we can explore in more detail.



Yay!



franandaj said:


> Well I'm not a really good photographer



I (and others) would disagree.


----------



## franandaj

You gotta love your pets. Last update I mentioned that Amelia had been hospitalized with Pneumonia. She went in around midnight Sunday night and Fran left a deposit equivalent to what you might pay for lodging for a week at WDW in a Moderate Resort. We visited her on Wed and that seemed to improve her spirits. We also left another deposit around what you and your SO would pay for park hoppers for that 7 day trip at a moderate resort.






Even after being in an oxygen chamber and taking two types of Antibiotics, by Thursday she still wasn't really improving to the doctor's liking. The doctor wanted to transfer her to a speciality vet where they handle only emergencies and severe cases. We picked her up and they had put her on a catheter and done a few other procedures to prepare her for the half hour journey to the new vet. I was hoping that with the deposits we had left she would be covered.  

Nope.

Cancel the week at WDW, and the park hoppers. By this point we could have taken a cruise on the Disney Fantasy in a Verandah stateroom! 

So we plotted our GPS to this swanky new state-of-the-art facility with bright lights, a huge parking lot and a waiting room the size of the queue area for the Attraction in the American pavilion. They took her to the back immediately and we filled out forms for admitting. Soon we were in a treatment room talking with a doctor. She explained how she planned to treat Amelia and that her assistant would be back with an estimate so we could leave a deposit. And BOOM! There it was, another cruise on the Fantasy in a Verandah stateroom!  

We visited her the next day and luckily she had improved substantially.






The good news is that Amelia came home two days later after admission to the super vet, and she has been quarantined in the Olga Suite. Fran and I are trading off sleeping with her every night. But since she had her follow up today, she's no longer contagious and can mix back with the rest of the herd. She still has to continue her meds and report back in two weeks.







Other fun news has to do with my health. About a week ago I woke up to find a dull ache in my jaw. It wasn't too bad, and I was hoping that I'd just slept on it wrong. The dentist office is closed Fridays so I  couldn't have done anything about it anyways. I decided that if it didn't go away over the weekend, I'd call the dentist Monday. Turns out the nerve is dying in a tooth that had a crown put on many years ago. So I get to have a root canal next week. Yay me! The pain is getting close to unbearable, so I've been taking some pretty heavy duty pain pills. It's a wonder I was able to write up this little prologue coherently.

The apartment I've been talking about is still available, winter is the worst time to get new tenants, so no luck yet. But to throw more salt in the wounds, another tenant and her brother have chosen to separate their living arrangements and are moving. At least this is one of our most favorable properties. It's one block from the beach and when I say beach I actually mean the Bluff as most of Long Beach has a very high bluff that separates most of the town from the water.






When this place rented in 2015, I must have priced it well below the market price because it rented really quickly, so I'm hoping we can get several hundred dollars more per month for the place. I'm also hoping that they took fairly good care of the place so we don't have to do much to get it ready to rent again.

The only other update is for our trip in August. At the 7 month mark I was able to swap out our existing reservation for an accessible Grand Villa at Old Key West. Since our plans include one evening of hosting a potluck in the Villa with the friends from the cruise, the larger kitchen, dining area, and patio at OKW will come in handy. We'll have more space to eat, relax and have fun!

So back to the Trip Report!

Day 8


We woke up. Today was the last full day. One thing I had to do before we could get going, was to ship the battery from the dead scooter home. We had just purchased new batteries for the inside of the battery pack and those suckers are expensive! And to purchase a new “shell” with batteries inside is over $200.

So after getting dressed, I made coffee and drank half a cup before heading up to the front desk. As I left the room I saw this hanging on the door.






Jeremy, a helpful CM, found me a box, assisted me in wrapping the battery in padding and bubble wrap, before sending me over to the concierge desk to ship it. 

Because I am very familiar with shipping services, I knew that the FedEx service (Express) that they were trying to get me to use would be really expensive. But when I asked about the more affordable service, the lady behind the desk offered to put me on front of a computer and use my own FedEx account to send the battery home! Turns out that it only cost about $41 total to send it home!

That accomplished I went back to the room for more coffee, V8, and cereal. 






Fran was up and moving around and I made her a bacon sandwich, and an English Muffin with American cheese melted on top. We left the room just after 10AM and didn't wait long for an AK bus. 

I had made us both FP+ for Flights of Passage and when we got to the park our FP had just opened up, so we headed directly over there.






When I entered the ride it was 11:15, technically the FP is up at 11:50, but Pam says they give you 15 minutes grace period on the end. So 12:05 would be the very end. The queue was pretty long and a somewhat steep climb. Then once you get placed on the ride there are two rooms with a somewhat lengthy “prep” that get you ready for the ride and what to expect. In the first room, there was a little extra spiel because there was some sort of delay (I know this because that part of the spiel didn't happen the second time I rode). I was afraid that it would take so long I wouldn't get a second ride.

The ride itself was incredible! I won't give away too much for anyone who hasn't been on it yet, but the premise is that you are assuming the body of an Avatar like the humans did in the movie. Then that Avatar takes a ride on an Ikran or Banshee (as we call them).

It's a very unique ride, a bit like Soarin’ but you stay in one place. The motion or action is almost like Star Tours except without the star speeder around you. All in all it was an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it again! Fran would not have been able to ride, she would puke. I even felt a little nauseous after my first ride, but not enough to keep me from a second ride. I was back in the FP+ queue by 11:45. After my second ride I realized that I was hungry even though my stomach was a tad bit queasy. I’m pretty sure that in the week we had been at WDW, I hadn't eaten any burgers, so we decided to go to Restaurantaurus. But before heading over there I did take a few more shots around the area.






We headed to Dinoland.











My Dinosaur!  FP+ was open so I rode that.











Then we went to Restaurantaurus. We split a bacon cheeseburger with fries and Clam chowder. They have an awesome toppings bar with a bunch of things like grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, guacamole, and all the normal things like lettuce, pickles and onions, which is what I added.











The burger was good, ⅓ lb and rather thick. Half the burger was plenty for me! Especially since we planned to go back to Epcot for F&W.


*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*

When we had finished lunch our FP for the safari opened up so we headed back to Africa to ride. Rumors say that the best time to ride is early in the morning when the animals are most active. However I have to say that this 2PM safari was one of the best I have taken. 






The animals were out in force and posing for pics.
















@Steppesister’s guide Shofana was there, but didn't offer to guide me in the same fashion.
























































I'd never seen the cheetah so close on the safari before.











The animatronic lion had new moves programmed and was pretty impressive!
















I don't often see these little fellas. They're usually hiding.











There was a parade of ostriches that wandered by our safari vehicle.











Soon it was over and time to head out of the park.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Poor kitty!  So glad she's finally home!

Fingers crossed that this new rental will go quickly!

Isn't the new ride amazing?  And the the entire land is just so beautiful!

Great safari pics!


----------



## cruisehopeful

I hope your kitty is still on the mend. It is so distressing when our pets get that ill. Thank God you had the resources to cover her medical.  

And sorry to hear about your dental pain. I've been wondering why the updates have been so sparse, but didn't want to ask because I thought maybe something difficult was going on. Sounds like you are able to keep your wits about you in spite of all the real life stress. Keep up the good work!


----------



## ljcrochet

Glad the kitten is on the mend. I can’t imagine the vet bills. 
I spent my morning at the vet with 2 foster puppies. I’m being optimist that I’m getting them back Monday, but last time I had to leave a puppy their it wasn’t good. And I heard 3 different reasons of what was wrong. Once when I called to check on him, one from rescue director and a new reason today.


----------



## dolphingirl47

I am glad that Amelia is feeling better. 

I hope that your painful tooth gets sorted soon.



franandaj said:


> Because I am very familiar with shipping services, I knew that the FedEx service (Express) that they were trying to get me to use would be really expensive. But when I asked about the more affordable service, the lady behind the desk offered to put me on front of a computer and use my own FedEx account to send the battery home! Turns out that it only cost about $41 total to send it home!



That was really nice of the cast member. I am glad that shipping the battery home did not break the bank.

I loved all the safari photos. You really were spoiled that afternoon.

I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to ride Flight of Passage. From what I have read about it, the restraints seem to be the same or at least very similar to Tron Lightcycle Run and I was in absolute agony when they engaged the restraints. I am not going to try that again in a hurry.

Corinna


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> She went in around midnight Sunday night and Fran left a deposit equivalent to what you might pay for lodging for a week at WDW in a Moderate Resort. We visited her on Wed and that seemed to improve her spirits. We also left another deposit around what you and your SO would pay for park hoppers for that 7 day trip at a moderate resort.



Ouch.... sorry to hear that. Both the cost and that she was ill. (And yes, I know I already knew all that... but still... )



franandaj said:


> I was hoping that with the deposits we had left she would be covered.
> 
> Nope.



Double ouch.... You're bleeding cash!



franandaj said:


> Cancel the week at WDW, and the park hoppers. By this point we could have taken a cruise on the Disney Fantasy in a Verandah stateroom!







franandaj said:


> She explained how she planned to treat Amelia and that her assistant would be back with an estimate so we could leave a deposit. And BOOM! There it was, another cruise on the Fantasy in a Verandah stateroom!



Yay! Another cruise! You must've been so happy!!!


No?







franandaj said:


>



Awww.... poor thing... 



franandaj said:


>



Whoa! That doesn't even look like the same cat! She certainly looks much happier!



franandaj said:


> About a week ago I woke up to find a dull ache in my jaw.



"Fran had been less than impressed with my substituting pickles with jalapenos and had slugged me."



franandaj said:


> So I get to have a root canal next week. Yay me!



Yay!
Why are we celebrating?



franandaj said:


> he pain is getting close to unbearable, so I've been taking some pretty heavy duty pain pills. It's a wonder I was able to write up this little prologue coherently.



How do you know it_ is_ coherent?? Hmmmm????



franandaj said:


> But to throw more salt in the wounds, another tenant and her brother have chosen to separate their living arrangements and are moving.



Oh... crap. Hopefully, given the location, it'll go quickly.



franandaj said:


> It's one block from the beach and when I say beach I actually mean the Bluff as most of Long Beach has a very high bluff that separates most of the town from the water.



So_ that's_ what a bluff is! Heard the term for ages, but never really knew.



franandaj said:


> Since our plans include one evening of hosting a potluck in the Villa with the friends from the cruise



Wow! That's really nice of you.... and sounds like it'll be a lot of fun! 



franandaj said:


> We had just purchased new batteries for the inside of the battery pack and those suckers are expensive! And to purchase a new “shell” with batteries inside is over $200.



 But... at least you'll have a reliable scooter.



franandaj said:


>



Nooooooooooooooooo...



franandaj said:


> the lady behind the desk offered to put me on front of a computer and use my own FedEx account to send the battery home! Turns out that it only cost about $41 total to send it home!



Not bad. Any idea what it would've cost otherwise?



franandaj said:


>



Gorgeous shot. 



franandaj said:


> When I entered the ride it was 11:15, technically the FP is up at 11:50, but Pam says they give you 15 minutes grace period on the end. So 12:05 would be the very end.



Had to re-read that... then realized that you'd be riding twice.



franandaj said:


> The ride itself was incredible!



Isn't it??? 



franandaj said:


> I even felt a little nauseous after my first ride, but not enough to keep me from a second ride.



And doesn't_ that_ speak volumes for the ride?



franandaj said:


> we decided to go to Restaurantaurus.



Really! This place has never been close to being on my radar.



franandaj said:


> My Dinosaur! FP+ was open so I rode that.



Is that why you decided on Restaurantasaurus? Location?



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> Then we went to Restaurantaurus. We split a bacon cheeseburger with fries and Clam chowder. They have an awesome toppings bar with a bunch of things like grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, guacamole, and all the normal things like lettuce, pickles and onions, which is what I added.



Holy crap! All that_ and_ clam chowder????

This place is going way up on my list!!



franandaj said:


> The burger was good, ⅓ lb and rather thick. Half the burger was plenty for me!



yum!



franandaj said:


> When we had finished lunch our FP for the safari opened up so we headed back to Africa to ride. Rumors say that the best time to ride is early in the morning when the animals are most active.



That's what I've found, but...



franandaj said:


> However I have to say that this 2PM safari was one of the best I have taken.



... really! Well, I'm certainly glad you had such a great experience!



franandaj said:


> @Steppesister’s guide Shofana was there, but didn't offer to guide me in the same fashion.







franandaj said:


>



Aww! Best photo of the bunch!



franandaj said:


> I'd never seen the cheetah so close on the safari before.



Lucky!!



franandaj said:


> The animatronic lion had new moves programmed and was pretty impressive!







franandaj said:


> There was a parade of ostriches that wandered by our safari vehicle.



Must've been 3pm?



franandaj said:


>



Perfect shot!


----------



## jedijill

Poor Amelia.  I'm glad she is feeling better even though she was expensive!  

Fingers crossed that the root canal goes well!

I can't believe you shipped that heavy battery for only$41!!!  that's amazing.

You got some great pics of the safari!

Jill in CO


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> She went in around midnight Sunday night and Fran left a deposit equivalent to what you might pay for lodging for a week at WDW in a Moderate Resort. We visited her on Wed and that seemed to improve her spirits. We also left another deposit around what you and your SO would pay for park hoppers for that 7 day trip at a moderate resort.





franandaj said:


> Cancel the week at WDW, and the park hoppers. By this point we could have taken a cruise on the Disney Fantasy in a Verandah stateroom!





franandaj said:


> But since she had her follow up today, she's no longer contagious and can mix back with the rest of the herd.



Ugh.  That's crazy how much this has cost you!  I'm glad Amelia has taken a turn for the better.  At least there's a happy ending.



franandaj said:


> Turns out the nerve is dying in a tooth that had a crown put on many years ago. So I get to have a root canal next week. Yay me!



 I'm so sorry.  That must be awful!



franandaj said:


> Turns out that it only cost about $41 total to send it home!



Not too shabby for sending it cross-country.



franandaj said:


>



Neat photo!  That looks pretty cool.



franandaj said:


> The ride itself was incredible!



Can't wait to try it!  I just hope Fastpasses are available when it's my time to book.



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> However I have to say that this 2PM safari was one of the best I have taken.



Wow, go figure.  I didn't think the animals would be that active in the hottest part of the day.



franandaj said:


> The animatronic lion had new moves programmed and was pretty impressive!



 Wow, that's definitely more than sleeping!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

Good luck on the dental work!  Hope it goes smoothly and you're eating what you enjoy soon.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> The good news is that Amelia came home two days later after admission to the super vet, and she has been quarantined in the Olga Suite. Fran and I are trading off sleeping with her every night. But since she had her follow up today, she's no longer contagious and can mix back with the rest of the herd. She still has to continue her meds and report back in two weeks.



Yay for coming home! 



franandaj said:


> It's a wonder I was able to write up this little prologue coherently.



But how do you know? 



franandaj said:


> Since our plans include one evening of hosting a potluck in the Villa with the friends from the cruise, the larger kitchen, dining area, and patio at OKW will come in handy. We'll have more space to eat, relax and have fun!


That sounds like a really fun time! Love this!



franandaj said:


>




The WORST kind of paper work. I'd rather get jury duty. 



franandaj said:


> The ride itself was incredible!



OH it so totally is!!! My new fave hands down!



franandaj said:


>




Gorgeous shot! Love this one!



franandaj said:


> Then we went to Restaurantaurus. We split a bacon cheeseburger with fries and Clam chowder. They have an awesome toppings bar with a bunch of things like grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, guacamole, and all the normal things like lettuce, pickles and onions, which is what I added.



So, they took the (former) amazing toppings bar from Pecos and simply moved it here. If I'm ever in the want of a burger this is now my go-to place!



franandaj said:


>



I wonder if it was one of these that had to have the emergency amputation the other day? I'd have LOVED to have been at Conservation Station when that went down. 



franandaj said:


>



Perfect shot, Alison!!!!


----------



## Pinkocto

What a pain having to go to court. Great news the judge rules in your favor.

The kitties are soooo precious!!! 

I don’t think I’ve seen the inside of Tusker House, its really pretty. Food looked yummy too.  Great character photos. I had no idea they were in cute safari outfits. 

Awesome about the front row seats at RoL. Sounds like you had the same feelings as mom and I about the show.

Gracious about waiting an hour for a bus


----------



## Pinkocto

All caught up. Poor little Amelia. So glad she’s home and on the mend. That must have been beyond stressful  

No good about your tooth, I’m so sorry. A root canal is something I never want to repeat, ever. 

Yay for getting FoP and being able to do it twice!  

That CM was quite nice about letting you use your own Fedex account. 

Such a fabulous safari, wow! When I see the rhinos I’m happy but you got everybody out and posing  

Awesome about OKW!!!


----------



## Pinkocto

jedijill said:


> Yes!  You can set your account to private and just join our group.  We aren't very scary!
> 
> Jill in CO



I wouldn’t know where to start, I don’t have a FB account


----------



## pooh'smate

I hope you are feeling better. I have had some issues with my teeth and have had a few surgeries so I know how painful it can be.


----------



## franandaj

So I know I owe replies to, well, everyone, but at least I think I'm mostly caught up on everyone's threads. That whole tooth thing was not fun, and it's not completely over. They still have to replace the crown on the tooth, but at least the pain meds are over. I don't like feeling that woozy. I don't mind the feeling after a few glasses of wine, but those pain meds are, well, different. My last update was 5 days before the procedure and every day the pain got worse. The day of, I took a sleeping pill an hour beforehand and then a second one half an hour later. He also gave me a local so i didn't feel much. I was totally groggy once I got home and fell asleep in my chair quite a few times. It took two more days for the pain to go away enough to go back to ibuprofen. It's been about a week now since I've been feeling better and playing catch up is tough. Laundry, dishes, and all those other household things that got neglected have been consuming most of my time, but I've been able to squeeze in reading TRs while waiting at the vet or other places, from my phone, of course.

Amelia continues to improve, and O’Malley went back to the vet, he's having xrays as I write this. He was the first of the kittens to develop an upper respiratory condition, but his wasn't as severe as Amelia’s. His cough has really lingered.

The apartment is still vacant. It seems that no included parking is the problem, but until we get the front unit ready, we're kinda stuck. So still crossing fingers.

As far as our August trip, airfare has been booked, and it was free! Southwest gave us 60,000 miles for using their credit card and since we did spend on their card, we had enough miles for a trip less than a year after opening it!

I'll try to get to responses and the next update, but it may be another week or more because a week from today, Fran and I check into the Grand for the opening weekend of DCA F&W festival, and celebrating Jenny’s 21st birthday!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Hope you continue to feel better!

Glad that Amelia has improved and hope that O'Malley gets better.

Fingers crossed that the unit rents soon.

Nice score on the tickets!

Enjoy your upcoming trip; looking forward to pics!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> That whole tooth thing was not fun, and it's not completely over.



That does not sound good at all. I am glad that you are feeling better and I hope this is soon completely resolved.



franandaj said:


> Amelia continues to improve, and O’Malley went back to the vet, he's having xrays as I write this. He was the first of the kittens to develop an upper respiratory condition, but his wasn't as severe as Amelia’s. His cough has really lingered.



I am glad that Amelia is better and I keep my fingers crossed for O'Malley.



franandaj said:


> As far as our August trip, airfare has been booked, and it was free!



That is what I call a result.

Corinna


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So I know I owe replies to, well, everyone, but at least I think I'm mostly caught up on everyone's threads.



Good for you! I'm actually impressed that you did even that much, considering.



franandaj said:


> That whole tooth thing was not fun, and it's not completely over. They still have to replace the crown on the tooth, but at least the pain meds are over.



Oh, that's right. I forgot about that part. It's a two stage process. Hopefully once that's done, it won't bother you for very long.



franandaj said:


> I don't mind the feeling after a few glasses of wine, but those pain meds are, well, different.



 Ya think?



franandaj said:


> He also gave me a local so i didn't feel much. I was totally groggy once I got home and fell asleep in my chair quite a few times.







franandaj said:


> It took two more days for the pain to go away enough to go back to ibuprofen. It's been about a week now since I've been feeling better and playing catch up is tough. Laundry, dishes, and all those other household things that got neglected have been consuming most of my time, but I've been able to squeeze in reading TRs while waiting at the vet or other places, from my phone, of course.



I hate playing catch up. It looks like you're never going to get it all done. Intimidating. But you plug away at it and the next thing you know... all caught up.



franandaj said:


> Amelia continues to improve,



Good!



franandaj said:


> O’Malley went back to the vet, he's having xrays as I write this. He was the first of the kittens to develop an upper respiratory condition, but his wasn't as severe as Amelia’s. His cough has really lingered.



That's too bad. Hope he gets what he needs... without the same hit on the pocketbook, too.



franandaj said:


> The apartment is still vacant. It seems that no included parking is the problem, but until we get the front unit ready, we're kinda stuck. So still crossing fingers.



Good luck with that.

Would you give a break to a Canadian looking to relocate away from the snow?



franandaj said:


> As far as our August trip, airfare has been booked, and it was free! Southwest gave us 60,000 miles for using their credit card and since we did spend on their card, we had enough miles for a trip less than a year after opening it!



Nice!!



franandaj said:


> a week from today, Fran and I check into the Grand for the opening weekend of DCA F&W festival, and celebrating Jenny’s 21st birthday!



Woot!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Poor kitty! So glad she's finally home!
> 
> Fingers crossed that this new rental will go quickly!



One down, one to go!



tiggrbaby said:


> Isn't the new ride amazing? And the the entire land is just so beautiful!
> 
> Great safari pics!



It is really neat, amd yes the ride is amazing! They did a great job with that one. I was amazed that the animals were so photogenic late in the day .



cruisehopeful said:


> I hope your kitty is still on the mend. It is so distressing when our pets get that ill. Thank God you had the resources to cover her medical.



Well we really don't have the resources, other than our savings account (which is rapidly shrinking). We have about 20 days to find money and we have just about everything that is not nailed down on eBay.



cruisehopeful said:


> And sorry to hear about your dental pain. I've been wondering why the updates have been so sparse, but didn't want to ask because I thought maybe something difficult was going on. Sounds like you are able to keep your wits about you in spite of all the real life stress. Keep up the good work!



Nothing anymore difficult than the usual!  Besides the tooth that is. It just seems like there is more of it right now.



ljcrochet said:


> Glad the kitten is on the mend. I can’t imagine the vet bills.



I can't imagine what we would have done if we didn't have money in savings.  I just hope we don't have any more incidents, cause stuff isn't selling quick enough on eBay.



ljcrochet said:


> I spent my morning at the vet with 2 foster puppies. I’m being optimist that I’m getting them back Monday, but last time I had to leave a puppy their it wasn’t good. And I heard 3 different reasons of what was wrong. Once when I called to check on him, one from rescue director and a new reason today.



Oh no!  I hope everything got all sorted out.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that Amelia is feeling better.
> 
> I hope that your painful tooth gets sorted soon.



Well it's as good as it's going to be for the next couple weeks.  We thought Amelia was cleared but the vet just called today and wants us to continue the medicine and bring her back in a month.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That was really nice of the cast member. I am glad that shipping the battery home did not break the bank.



Me too!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I loved all the safari photos. You really were spoiled that afternoon.



I know we definitely were!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to ride Flight of Passage. From what I have read about it, the restraints seem to be the same or at least very similar to Tron Lightcycle Run and I was in absolute agony when they engaged the restraints. I am not going to try that again in a hurry.



From what I have seen in TRs on Shanghai, it sounds like the vehicle is very similar, except in this ride you are stationary, but as I understand it Tron is a full on rollercoaster.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> From what I have seen in TRs on Shanghai, it sounds like the vehicle is very similar, except in this ride you are stationary, but as I understand it Tron is a full on rollercoaster.



Tron is a rollercoaster in the same way as the likes of Space Mountain, Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain are. It is a lot quicker and smoother than any of those, but like the ones mentioned, it has no inversions. It is an absolutely amazing ride. Fortunately there was a plan B. As soon as the restraints were engaged, I could have screamed. It felt like somebody was trying to chop off my right knee with a blunt axe. The cast member disengaged the restraints, asked me to change position and tried again. The result was the same. I do not even want to think what would have happened if I actually had made it onto the track.

Corinna


----------



## Pinkocto

YAY for airfare!    

I hope O’Malley is ok. Poor babies. So glad Amelia is on the mend. 

Gracious about your tooth experience. Glad things are getting back to normal. 

Sounds like a super fun weekend!


----------



## Pinkocto

dolphingirl47 said:


> Tron is a rollercoaster in the same way as the likes of Space Mountain, Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain are. It is a lot quicker and smoother than any of those, but like the ones mentioned, it has no inversions. It is an absolutely amazing ride. Fortunately there was a plan B. As soon as the restraints were engaged, I could have screamed. It felt like somebody was trying to chop off my right knee with a blunt axe. The cast member disengaged the restraints, asked me to change position and tried again. The result was the same. I do not even want to think what would have happened if I actually had made it onto the track.
> 
> Corinna



That sounds awful! I’m sorry you didn’t get to ride. FoP is completely stationary, the screen in front moves. The ride vehicle is not anything as constraining as the Tron one.


----------



## rentayenta

I'm just so behind in your report.  In real life, I'm up to date!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ouch.... sorry to hear that. Both the cost and that she was ill. (And yes, I know I already knew all that... but still... )



Yeah, not one of the best times, but i can't imagine if we couldn't treat her.



pkondz said:


> Double ouch.... You're bleeding cash!



Hemorrhaging.



pkondz said:


> Yay! Another cruise! You must've been so happy!!!
> 
> 
> No?



Coping mechanism. Sarcasm.

I still haven't even paid for the upcoming one yet. 



pkondz said:


> Awww.... poor thing...



She was miserable.



pkondz said:


> Whoa! That doesn't even look like the same cat! She certainly looks much happier!



Shes even better now.



pkondz said:


> "Fran had been less than impressed with my substituting pickles with jalapenos and had slugged me."



Fat chance. Neither of us do jalapenos.



pkondz said:


> Yay!
> Why are we celebrating?



Sarcasm. Like i said, gets me through difficult times.



pkondz said:


> How do you know it_ is_ coherent?? Hmmmm????



True...but you understood it. No?



pkondz said:


> Oh... crap. Hopefully, given the location, it'll go quickly.



I just did the inspection yesterday and she treated it very gently. It won't take much to get it ready to rent again.



pkondz said:


> So_ that's_ what a bluff is! Heard the term for ages, but never really knew.



I guess there arent many bluffs in the prairie...



pkondz said:


> Wow! That's really nice of you.... and sounds like it'll be a lot of fun!



I'm excited to stay in such a nice and spacious room. I've stayed for one night at OKW before. I always said that if we came back,  it should be with a group where we plan to hang out because the rooms are so large, kitchen is very spacious and the balconys are also huge. A grand villa should be really cool!



pkondz said:


> But... at least you'll have a reliable scooter.



She's been looking for an affordable one on Craigslist, but no luck so far.



pkondz said:


> Not bad. Any idea what it would've cost otherwise?



I'm guessing Fed Ex Express Saver would have been at least $75 and any other services would have been more. Overnight could have been several hundred dollars.



pkondz said:


> Had to re-read that... then realized that you'd be riding twice.



One of the benefits that Fran doesn't ride.



pkondz said:


> And doesn't_ that_ speak volumes for the ride?



Yeah cause i didn't even ride Forbidden Journey a second time.



pkondz said:


> Really! This place has never been close to being on my radar.



I've eaten there a couple times. It's mostly a basic burger place, and i hadn't had one all week, you know, fancy F&W meals. The last time i went there, they had a mac n cheese hot dog i wanted to try. Fran made a salad with thousand island (ketchup, mayo, relish) out of the toppings bar. 



pkondz said:


> Is that why you decided on Restaurantasaurus? Location?



That and i was craving a burger.



pkondz said:


> Holy crap! All that_ and_ clam chowder????
> 
> This place is going way up on my list!!



The menu changes fairly often. I remember they had a veggie sandwich with zucchini, onions, and cheese on a hoagie roll a few years ago, it was very popular. But like i said, that time i was there for the mac n cheese hot dog. Now the veggie option is a blck bean burger.



pkondz said:


> That's what I've found, but...
> 
> ... really! Well, I'm certainly glad you had such a great experience!



I was surprised the animals were so active!



pkondz said:


> Aww! Best photo of the bunch!



Thanks! 



jedijill said:


> Poor Amelia. I'm glad she is feeling better even though she was expensive!



We've had expensive kitties before, but i think she takes the cake.



jedijill said:


> Fingers crossed that the root canal goes well!



Well you know how that one came out.



jedijill said:


> I can't believe you shipped that heavy battery for only$41!!! that's amazing.



It was nice that it didnt break the bank.



jedijill said:


> You got some great pics of the safari!



Thanks! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. That's crazy how much this has cost you! I'm glad Amelia has taken a turn for the better. At least there's a happy ending.



I added up what adopting the pregnant cat has cost us and well, there went our new Ford Escape!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm so sorry. That must be awful!



It was tremendouly painful. And trying to find interesting soups to eat was a challenge.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Not too shabby for sending it cross-country.



I'm glad she gave me the more affordable option.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Neat photo! That looks pretty cool.



Thanks! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Can't wait to try it! I just hope Fastpasses are available when it's my time to book.



Best bet is to book it late in your trip, especially if your trip is longer than just a few days.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, go figure. I didn't think the animals would be that active in the hottest part of the day.



Me neither!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, that's definitely more than sleeping!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Good luck on the dental work!  Hope it goes smoothly and you're eating what you enjoy soon.



I think I'm finally back to being able to eat normally. I'm not quite brave enough to try ribs just yet, but i did make a killer burger for dinner last week.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, not one of the best times, but i can't imagine if we couldn't treat her.



Always the issue with pet owners. Where do you draw that line? Never easy.



franandaj said:


> Hemorrhaging.



Triple-ouch.



franandaj said:


> Coping mechanism. Sarcasm.







franandaj said:


> I still haven't even paid for the upcoming one yet.



Oy. Good luck renting the last place!



franandaj said:


> Shes even better now.



Great!



franandaj said:


> Fat chance. Neither of us do jalapenos.



Funny. I tried a new recipe last night (Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas.... sooooo good.) that called for _one_ jalapeno. I used half of one. And even then I was wondering how it'd go over. (No one noticed. Not even me.)



franandaj said:


> Sarcasm. Like i said, gets me through difficult times.



Are you sure? It's not very noticeable.



franandaj said:


> True...but you understood it. No?



Well sure. But did I understand what you _intended_ me to understand? Hmmmmm??? 



franandaj said:


> I just did the inspection yesterday and she treated it very gently. It won't take much to get it ready to rent again.



That's good.



franandaj said:


> I guess there arent many bluffs in the prairie...



Just at the poker tables.



franandaj said:


> I'm excited to stay in such a nice and spacious room. I've stayed for one night at OKW before. I always said that if we came back, it should be with a group where we plan to hang out because the rooms are so large, kitchen is very spacious and the balconys are also huge. A grand villa should be really cool!



Next time you want to adopt a stray Canadian, let me know.
He's mostly house broken.



franandaj said:


> She's been looking for an affordable one on Craigslist, but no luck so far.



Oh? I thought you just needed a new battery. Wait... and a new tire.



franandaj said:


> I'm guessing Fed Ex Express Saver would have been at least $75 and any other services would have been more. Overnight could have been several hundred dollars.



Nice savings then.



franandaj said:


> One of the benefits that Fran doesn't ride.



Benefit? Or one of life's realities?



franandaj said:


> I've eaten there a couple times. It's mostly a basic burger place, and i hadn't had one all week, you know, fancy F&W meals. The last time i went there, they had a mac n cheese hot dog i wanted to try.



I can see how if you're full.... a burger may not be high on your priority list.



franandaj said:


> Fran made a salad with thousand island (ketchup, mayo, relish) out of the toppings bar.



 Brilliant!



franandaj said:


> That and i was craving a burger.



This I understand.



franandaj said:


> The menu changes fairly often. I remember they had a veggie sandwich with zucchini, onions, and cheese on a hoagie roll a few years ago, it was very popular. But like i said, that time i was there for the mac n cheese hot dog. Now the veggie option is a blck bean burger.



If I go and the clam chowder and burger are gone, there's gonna be trouble.


----------



## dolphingirl47

Pinkocto said:


> I’m sorry you didn’t get to ride.



Fortunately there was a plan B and I did get to ride. 

I saw a video showing the restraints on Flight of Passage and they look near identical to the ones on Tron. It is the restraint that comes up behind your legs that caused the issues.

Corinna


----------



## Flossbolna

dolphingirl47 said:


> Fortunately there was a plan B and I did get to ride.
> 
> I saw a video showing the restraints on Flight of Passage and they look near identical to the ones on Tron. It is the restraint that comes up behind your legs that caused the issues.
> 
> Corinna



The restraints are very similar, but I felt like the whole seat was slightly larger on FoP than on Tron. You also sit more upright on FoP, more like a chair than a motorcycle, so the thighs and knees are in a different place. I found FoP seats far more comfortable than Tron. 

Also, there is a seat outside the tide to try out the restraints. So, you can figure out how they are before getting in line.


----------



## dolphingirl47

Flossbolna said:


> The restraints are very similar, but I felt like the whole seat was slightly larger on FoP than on Tron. You also sit more upright on FoP, more like a chair than a motorcycle, so the thighs and knees are in a different place. I found FoP seats far more comfortable than Tron.



That is good to know.



Flossbolna said:


> Also, there is a seat outside the tide to try out the restraints. So, you can figure out how they are before getting in line.



I wish I had made use of this on Tron although if I had, I may never have got as far as the ride.

Corinna


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Yay for coming home!



Shes even happier now that she's not quarantined in Olga's room.



Steppesister said:


> But how do you know?



Well did you understand it?



Steppesister said:


> That sounds like a really fun time! Love this!



And what will make it even more fun is that not only do we have people from all over America bringing dishes to the table, but a couple folks are from Austria, so we'll have an international potluck!



Steppesister said:


> The WORST kind of paper work. I'd rather get jury duty.



I don't know that I'd say I'd go that far!  



Steppesister said:


> OH it so totally is!!! My new fave hands down!



I still would take RnRC over that one, but it is a great ride.



Steppesister said:


> Gorgeous shot! Love this



Thanks!  



Steppesister said:


> So, they took the (former) amazing toppings bar from Pecos and simply moved it here. If I'm ever in the want of a burger this is now my go-to place!



I think Cosmic Rays also has a toppings bar.



Steppesister said:


> I wonder if it was one of these that had to have the emergency amputation the other day? I'd have LOVED to have been at Conservation Station when that went down.



Not me!  



Steppesister said:


> Perfect shot, Alison!!!!



Thanks!



Pinkocto said:


> What a pain having to go to court. Great news the judge rules in your favor.



Yeah, and I learned a totally valuable lesson.



Pinkocto said:


> The kitties are soooo precious!!!



They're also a pain in the a$$.



Pinkocto said:


> I don’t think I’ve seen the inside of Tusker House, its really pretty. Food looked yummy too. Great character photos. I had no idea they were in cute safari outfits.



I enjoyed the food there.  I wouldn't rush back though, there are so many other places I want to try.



Pinkocto said:


> Awesome about the front row seats at RoL. Sounds like you had the same feelings as mom and I about the show.



Yeah, it was pretty and nice, but not really exciting.



Pinkocto said:


> Gracious about waiting an hour for a bus



I know. That pretty much sucked.



Pinkocto said:


> All caught up. Poor little Amelia. So glad she’s home and on the mend. That must have been beyond stressful



I kept thinking that she had to pull through.  There just wasn't another option.



Pinkocto said:


> No good about your tooth, I’m so sorry. A root canal is something I never want to repeat, ever.



The procedure itself was not so bad, he gave me really good drugs, but the days before and after were the worst.



Pinkocto said:


> Yay for getting FoP and being able to do it twice!



It was a fun ride!  Have you been on it yet?



Pinkocto said:


> That CM was quite nice about letting you use your own Fedex account.



It was a very nice touch.



Pinkocto said:


> Such a fabulous safari, wow! When I see the rhinos I’m happy but you got everybody out and posing



Pretty much, I thought it was a nice one.



pooh'smate said:


> I hope you are feeling better. I have had some issues with my teeth and have had a few surgeries so I know how painful it can be.



Thanks for the well wishes.  I'm pretty much OK now.  I hope you don't have to go through more issues either!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I kept thinking that she had to pull through.  There just wasn't another option.








franandaj said:


> It was a fun ride!  Have you been on it yet?



Only twice, first time with Jo, we went at park opening and still waited 90 minutes but so worth it, and the inside queue is very well done. Second time I somehow snagged a FP for mom and I earlier this month. Someone must have just canceled one, I had been checking constantly. My favorite ride is still Guardians. Did you hear they’re making a Guardians ride in Epcot, where Ellen was? No idea what its going to be but I’m excited! Also the Ratatouille ride, both in 2021 I think.


----------



## DnA2010

I have sooo been there with a dying root and needing a root canal and crown- the pain is seriously comparable to to labour contractions!

Happy to hear your little kittie is on the mend...animals, we love em' but they are pricey sometimes.

Wow you had a good ride on the safari as far as animal viewing! So many good photos!

Fingers crossed for the apartment!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Shes even happier now that she's not quarantined in Olga's room.



I can imagine! Poor kitty. 



franandaj said:


> Well did you understand it?



That I did, my friend. YOu're doing well. 



franandaj said:


> And what will make it even more fun is that not only do we have people from all over America bringing dishes to the table, but a couple folks are from Austria, so we'll have an international potluck!



Niiiice!!!! Schnitzel for everyone! 



franandaj said:


> I don't know that I'd say I'd go that far!



OH who doesn't love a long, boring day with no pay? LOL!



franandaj said:


> I still would take RnRC over that one, but it is a great ride.



yeah, sadly, that's not one I overly love. I'll go on it, but can only do it onc



franandaj said:


> I think Cosmic Rays also has a toppings bar.



Even with the fake cheese sauce? How did I not know this?!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> Hope you continue to feel better!



I seem to be pretty much back to normal. Occasionally I'm "aware" of my tooth, but most of the pain is gone.



tiggrbaby said:


> Glad that Amelia has improved and hope that O'Malley gets better.



The day after I typed the last update, the super vet called and put her back on medications for two more weeks and then wanted a follow up a month later.



tiggrbaby said:


> Fingers crossed that the unit rents soon.



Me too! Today we attended a seminar on marketing your property.



tiggrbaby said:


> Nice score on the tickets!



Well i wasn't completely truthful when i said they were free. We had to pay the $10 per seat airport fee.



tiggrbaby said:


> Enjoy your upcoming trip; looking forward to pics!



Thanks! Its still six months away, but tomorrow is ADR day!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That does not sound good at all. I am glad that you are feeling better and I hope this is soon completely resolved.



About two weeks until i get the crown.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that Amelia is better and I keep my fingers crossed for O'Malley.



Amelia is back on meds, and O'Malley is making progress with his meds, except that now he is throwing up. Never a dull moment!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is what I call a result.







pkondz said:


> Good for you! I'm actually impressed that you did even that much, considering.



Well i didnt do much multi quoting and while i think my IRL update was coherent, I'm not so sure my replies were!



pkondz said:


> Oh, that's right. I forgot about that part. It's a two stage process. Hopefully once that's done, it won't bother you for very long.



Two more weeks...



pkondz said:


> I hate playing catch up. It looks like you're never going to get it all done. Intimidating. But you plug away at it and the next thing you know... all caught up.



Except kitties keep puking on the bedsheets so when i think I'm good, then i have to do another load of laundry. We're back at the vet with O'Malley now cause his meds are making hin sick.



pkondz said:


> That's too bad. Hope he gets what he needs... without the same hit on the pocketbook, too.



Well his visit last week was only 10% of Amelia's first visit.



pkondz said:


> Good luck with that.
> 
> Would you give a break to a Canadian looking to relocate away from the snow?



We already cut the rent by $50. Just think you'd be about 4 blocks from the bluff!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well i didnt do much multi quoting and while i think my IRL update was coherent, I'm not so sure my replies were!







franandaj said:


> Except kitties keep puking on the bedsheets so when i think I'm good, then i have to do another load of laundry. We're back at the vet with O'Malley now cause his meds are making hin sick.



 That's not good. Hope he starts feeling better soon.



franandaj said:


> Well his visit last week was only 10% of Amelia's first visit.



10% is better than 110%.



franandaj said:


> We already cut the rent by $50. Just think you'd be about 4 blocks from the bluff!



You have no idea how tempting that is.


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> Tron is a rollercoaster in the same way as the likes of Space Mountain, Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain are. It is a lot quicker and smoother than any of those, but like the ones mentioned, it has no inversions. It is an absolutely amazing ride



I had pretty much gathered this from previous TRs that i had read from Shanghai.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Fortunately there was a plan B.



Did you ride in the disabled vehicle? I was pleased to hear about this as Fran can try it if we ever make it there.



dolphingirl47 said:


> As soon as the restraints were engaged, I could have screamed. It felt like somebody was trying to chop off my right knee with a blunt axe. The cast member disengaged the restraints, asked me to change position and tried again. The result was the same. I do not even want to think what would have happened if I actually had made it onto the track.



Huh. I wonder why it was the right knee.



Pinkocto said:


> YAY for airfare!



Now it seems real! Well except for the paying for the cruise part.



Pinkocto said:


> I hope O’Malley is ok. Poor babies. So glad Amelia is on the mend.



Amelia is improving, she still has another follow up. We're at the vet now with O'Malley as his meds were making him throw up.



Pinkocto said:


> Gracious about your tooth experience. Glad things are getting back to normal.



Slowly but surely. 



Pinkocto said:


> Sounds like a super fun weekend!



It will be! I can't wait! Less than 48 hours now!



rentayenta said:


> I'm just so behind in your report.  In real life, I'm up to date!



  That's OK! We'll make more TR memories in just 50 hours for you!



pkondz said:


> Always the issue with pet owners. Where do you draw that line? Never easy.



Luckily we've never really had to. We follow the advice of the vets and they're usually honest about what they think they can cure and what they can't. 



pkondz said:


> Oy. Good luck renting the last place!



Well i have another appt. tomorrow afternoon. We went to a seminar tjis mirning which gave me some good ideas.



pkondz said:


> Funny. I tried a new recipe last night (Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas.... sooooo good.) that called for _one_ jalapeno. I used half of one. And even then I was wondering how it'd go over. (No one noticed. Not even me.)



This reminds me. I owe you my chicken Tikka Masala recipe. I may never make it again though. I found Sukki's version of it at Costco which was super good and so easy (cut open the bag and heat). My time is of the most importance lately.



pkondz said:


> Are you sure? It's not very noticeable.



I have two answers for you

1. Well sometimes inflections don't come through well when written online.

But more likely....

2.   



pkondz said:


> Well sure. But did I understand what you _intended_ me to understand? Hmmmmm???







pkondz said:


> Just at the poker tables.



Bu-dum-chuck



pkondz said:


> Next time you want to adopt a stray Canadian, let me know.
> He's mostly house broken.



Come join us over Labor Day. I belive there is a bathroom off the living room area. You can sleep on the couch. I know you can cook!



pkondz said:


> Oh? I thought you just needed a new battery. Wait... and a new tire.



And everything else that goes on a scooter.



pkondz said:


> Nice savings then.



I try to ship everything ground. Cheaper and I'm never in that big of a hurry.



pkondz said:


> Benefit? Or one of life's realities?



Benefit. Sometimes she does ride,  but rarely.



pkondz said:


> I can see how if you're full.... a burger may not be high on your priority



Burgers are not often high priorities unless 1. I made it, 2. Or it comes from Dale's Diner or another killer burger joint. So often we have to eat drice through burgers and they're filling but nothing to write home about.



pkondz said:


> Brilliant!



She has her moments!



pkondz said:


> If I go and the clam chowder and burger are gone, there's gonna be trouble.



You better go soon!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Luckily we've never really had to. We follow the advice of the vets and they're usually honest about what they think they can cure and what they can't.



That's good. All of it.



franandaj said:


> Well i have another appt. tomorrow afternoon. We went to a seminar tjis mirning which gave me some good ideas.



Oh, great! On both fronts. Hope it goes.... even though I kinda want it.



franandaj said:


> This reminds me. I owe you my chicken Tikka Masala recipe. I may never make it again though. I found Sukki's version of it at Costco which was super good and so easy (cut open the bag and heat). My time is of the most importance lately.



Hmmm... Well, hold off then. I'll see if I can find it at our Costco.



franandaj said:


> Come join us over Labor Day. I belive there is a bathroom off the living room area. You can sleep on the couch. I know you can cook!



You know you're really tempting me, right?



franandaj said:


> And everything else that goes on a scooter.



So..... you're saying maybe it's time for a new one.



franandaj said:


> I try to ship everything ground. Cheaper and I'm never in that big of a hurry.



Ditto.
Just ordered a couple things off Amazon. "Free" shipping (with Prime membership... which ain't so free... and I don't buy enough there to interest me.) or a week or two free.

Take your time. Two weeks is fine.



franandaj said:


> Burgers are not often high priorities unless 1. I made it, 2. Or it comes from Dale's Diner or another killer burger joint. So often we have to eat drice through burgers and they're filling but nothing to write home about.



Dale's Diner you say? Best shakes in Long Beach, huh? Thanks for the tip! 



franandaj said:


> You better go soon!



 Poop. No plans at all this year.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Did you ride in the disabled vehicle?



I think this is what it probably was. I was just told that they had one train with a car at the end and did we want to ride in this, which we very happily agreed to.



franandaj said:


> Huh. I wonder why it was the right knee.



I did not understand this either. If it was both, I could have understood this.

Corinna


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> Only twice, first time with Jo, we went at park opening and still waited 90 minutes but so worth it, and the inside queue is very well done.



Yikes! 90 minutes is a long time, but at least you had good company! 



Pinkocto said:


> Second time I somehow snagged a FP for mom and I earlier this month. Someone must have just canceled one, I had been checking constantly.



I bet. Thats probabaly the only way they open up.



Pinkocto said:


> My favorite ride is still Guardians.



Mine too at DL.



Pinkocto said:


> Did you hear they’re making a Guardians ride in Epcot, where Ellen was? No idea what its going to be but I’m excited!



I did. Its going to be a rollercoaster. Either the longest or fastest. I can't remember which.



Pinkocto said:


> Also the Ratatouille ride, both in 2021 I think.



I haven't heard about this. Is it like the one in Paris?



DnA2010 said:


> I have sooo been there with a dying root and needing a root canal and crown- the pain is seriously comparable to to labour contractions!



I can't speak for the labor contractions!   



DnA2010 said:


> Happy to hear your little kittie is on the mend...animals, we love em' but they are pricey sometimes.



And time consuming.....



DnA2010 said:


> Wow you had a good ride on the safari as far as animal viewing! So many good photos!



Thanks!



DnA2010 said:


> Fingers crossed for the apartment!



Me too!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> Yikes! 90 minutes is a long time, but at least you had good company!



Indeed! Time goes by fast when you’re chatting. I’d really like to see that inside queue again at some point too.




franandaj said:


> I bet. Thats probabaly the only way they open up.



It seems resort stays with the 60 day window people don’t have a hard time getting them?



franandaj said:


> Mine too at DL.



I’ve been trying to figure out when I get get back there, timings are difficult this year but I’m hoping for next year.



franandaj said:


> I did. Its going to be a rollercoaster. Either the longest or fastest. I can't remember which.



Oooohhhhh! Cool!!!



franandaj said:


> I haven't heard about this. Is it like the one in Paris?



From what I read it will be the same. I’m so excited


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> I can imagine! Poor kitty.



Now if we could only get her to take her meds.



Steppesister said:


> That I did, my friend. YOu're doing well.



Thanks! 



Steppesister said:


> Niiiice!!!! Schnitzel for everyone!



I don't know if that's what they're making, but I would be happy with that!



Steppesister said:


> OH who doesn't love a long, boring day with no pay? LOL!



That's practically every day for me, without the boring!



Steppesister said:


> yeah, sadly, that's not one I overly love. I'll go on it, but can only do it onc



I'm sad I might not get to ride it again.



Steppesister said:


> Even with the fake cheese sauce? How did I not know this?!



It's been a long time since we've eaten there, so I'm not exactly sure.



pkondz said:


> That's not good. Hope he starts feeling better soon.



He's feeling all better.  They didn't tell us that the meds had to be given with food.  Once we started doing that, he kept it down and it started to heal him.



pkondz said:


> 10% is better than 110%.



True.



pkondz said:


> You have no idea how tempting that is.



It would be a loooooooong commute.



pkondz said:


> That's good. All of it.



 



pkondz said:


> Oh, great! On both fronts. Hope it goes.... even though I kinda want it.



Didn't I mention that it would be a long commute?



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... Well, hold off then. I'll see if I can find it at our Costco.



Well, let me know, it's not hard to copy and paste....besides the Instant Pot version one was better, the chicken was more tender, it was just more work than open the bag and heat.



pkondz said:


> You know you're really tempting me, right?



I'm sure we would love to have you join us.  Especially since I know you can cook!  Everyone in the group is "the more the merrier kind" of folks, so I'm sure you would be welcome!



pkondz said:


> So..... you're saying maybe it's time for a new one.



Pretty much, yes.



pkondz said:


> Ditto.
> Just ordered a couple things off Amazon. "Free" shipping (with Prime membership... which ain't so free... and I don't buy enough there to interest me.) or a week or two free.
> 
> Take your time. Two weeks is fine.



Fran tells me that we order enough that Prime is worth our while.  I don't doubt her from the amount of packages that appear outside our door.



pkondz said:


> Dale's Diner you say? Best shakes in Long Beach, huh? Thanks for the tip!



I'm guessing you googled it.  I'm thinking you might really enjoy this place for Saturday night dinner.  It's far enough away from the Race Track that you wouldn't have to wait for a table or be impacted by drunk race patrons (as they don't serve beer, wine or liquor).  It's my favorite place for a great burger, and onion rings.  I haven't tried their shakes, but I would believe them that they are great.  Just don't get the fried chicken, I think they use banquet frozen chicken, but if you stick to their burgers you won't be disappointed!



pkondz said:


> Poop. No plans at all this year.



Bummer, there's always Labor Day weekend!


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> I think this is what it probably was. I was just told that they had one train with a car at the end and did we want to ride in this, which we very happily agreed to.



I'm pretty sure thats what it was. Im reading a TR with some Canadians who hit all three Asian parks in one trip and the boyfriend got fed up with the ride vehicles so the rode in the car their last few times on the ride.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I did not understand this either. If it was both, I could have understood this.



Yeah, thats wierd.



Pinkocto said:


> Indeed! Time goes by fast when you’re chatting. I’d really like to see that inside queue again at some point too.



I'm guessing with the FP that i didnt see much of the queue.



Pinkocto said:


> It seems resort stays with the 60 day window people don’t have a hard time getting them?



I had a hard time. I couldn't get a FP until six days into my trip.



Pinkocto said:


> I’ve been trying to figure out when I get get back there, timings are difficult this year but I’m hoping for next year.



Let me know well in advance when you're thinking, cause I'll make reservations out there as well.



Pinkocto said:


> Oooohhhhh! Cool!!!







Pinkocto said:


> From what I read it will be the same. I’m so excited



I did a virtual ride at Imagineering, it was cool.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Now if we could only get her to take her meds.



I"m sure you've tried ALL the tricks, but did cheese not work? 



franandaj said:


> I don't know if that's what they're making, but I would be happy with that!



good point! Anything Austrian or German works for me!



franandaj said:


> I'm sad I might not get to ride it again.



Why, Alison? 



franandaj said:


> It's been a long time since we've eaten there, so I'm not exactly sure.



Might have to take a quick look see in October.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> I"m sure you've tried ALL the tricks, but did cheese not work?



They're all liquid meds. Fran won't just squirt it down her throat. She does it slowly amd lets her sip it all. Its just that she struggles so much, Fran is a softy and doesn't want to stress her out.



Steppesister said:


> good point! Anything Austrian or German works for me!



Me too! We need to go back to our favorite German restaurant. It's been a while.



Steppesister said:


> Why, Alison?



Well nothing official for DHS's version, but Paris's version is getting a super hero Marvel Makeover.  I guess I'll have an opportunity to ride it in September. They probably won't close it until Star Wars land opens.



Steppesister said:


> Might have to take a quick look see in October.



Let me know!


----------



## franandaj

Nothing new on the IRL front, other than we had a freakin’ blast over the weekend.  It was rainy and cold, the weather sucked, but we were on a total first name basis with the club level staff at the Grand!  All of us have some detoxing to do this week!  


As we left Animal Kingdom, we decided to take a bus to the Beach Club and enter through the International Gateway. Then we would eat our way to the front of the park via the kiosks. We still had six of the little tabs on our F&W festival pass. We had technically only sampled stuff from two of the F&W kiosks all week. Between scooter problems, fantastically filling F&W lunches, and our desire to see the new features at AK, we did not get to visit the F&W kiosks in the manner I had hoped. 

As we entered Epcot, a problem arose when Fran's rental scooter was almost out of battery. We found a plug in France in a hall near the parfumerie, and plugged it in and she rode my scooter.  

Our first stop was in Belgium for the waffle with Berry Compote. 











One of my favorites!






Then I used a tab for a Capirania in Brazil.
















We picked up the scooter and it had charged a tiny bit, so I rode the rental now. We crossed over the bridge and went to Ireland.











We got the sausages, which were fabulous! I wasn't sad that these replaced the Fisherman's Pie, it had gone down in flavor in my eyes and these were a welcome replacement.






We also got the warm chocolate pudding which was now twice the size of the original. It was tasty and chocolatey, but not as molten as it had been in the past. We ate it all nonetheless.






I used another tab for a Kahlua-tini and it was as good as I remembered, but not nearly as potent.






Our second to last stop was the cheese studio.











We got the beef stroganoff, and the cheese, onions and fines herbs tart.






Both were way bigger than I expected. The beef was very good, it was tender and the spaetzle that it was on top of was tasty. The sauce was also yummy.

The Cheese tart, not so much. The pastry was good, but the filling had an odd texture. I used one of the tabs to get a glass of wine to go along with the savory items, probably not the best use as it was only $6.50, but time was running out.

Throughout the day I had been texting Scott of “Scott and Vinny” and when I went to get the chocolate at the Chocolate Studio, I found them looking for us in the area. 











At chocolate studio I got the liquid nitrogen almond tart, it was cool how they made it. They took a spoonful of the chocolate goo.






Then they would dip it in the nitrogen.






And this is what you got.






I also got the raspberry chocolate torte which was incredibly rich.






I used another tab for a glass of Rosa Regale. This made up for the wine as this was $10 per glass.

We chatted with Scott and Vinny for half an hour to 45 minutes while they searched on their phone apps for an available dinner reservation. They were able to snag Coral reef at 6:45, and it was just after 6PM. 

I used our last two tabs for a couple glasses of wine, the Goldie Chardonnay.











Fran and I were stuffed and starting to fade, plus I had to do most of the suitcase packing. I had one suitcase packed with the Nautilus, but I still had the other three suitcases to finish.

Fran went right to sleep, but not before telling me what she was going to wear on the plane. I packed pretty much everything else, except for all the pins she had bought and listed on eBay in the middle of the nights. Then I took my last bath of the trip and faded off to sleep listening to Stephen Colbert’s monologue.


----------



## Flossbolna

Sounds like you had a great time eating your way through the kiosks (and drinking!!). Also happy to hear that you had a great weekend at the West Coast version of this!



franandaj said:


> Well nothing official for DHS's version, but Paris's version is getting a super hero Marvel Makeover. I guess I'll have an opportunity to ride it in September. They probably won't close it until Star Wars land opens.



Actually, the concept art they released for the massive Walt Disney Studios Paris redo shows the original ToT, not a Marvel version one. The Marvel area starts just behind it. The Paris RnRC will be turned into a Marvel themed coaster and there will be an attraction that they are building in Hong Kong coming to Paris. But that is all the Marvel there as far as I know.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It would be a loooooooong commute.



Not if I lived there for oh... 6 months of the year....
Could sub-lease the other 6?



franandaj said:


> Didn't I mention that it would be a long commute?



Didn't I mention the 6 months part? 



franandaj said:


> Well, let me know, it's not hard to copy and paste....besides the Instant Pot version one was better, the chicken was more tender, it was just more work than open the bag and heat.



Then go ahead and copy and paste. I don't mind a bit more work than opening a bag! 



franandaj said:


> I'm sure we would love to have you join us. Especially since I know you can cook! Everyone in the group is "the more the merrier kind" of folks, so I'm sure you would be welcome!



 I'll think on that!



franandaj said:


> Fran tells me that we order enough that Prime is worth our while. I don't doubt her from the amount of packages that appear outside our door.



Sure. Makes sense for you guys. I get that. Not for me. I order from Amazon maybe... 1-2 times a year.



franandaj said:


> I'm guessing you googled it. I'm thinking you might really enjoy this place for Saturday night dinner. It's far enough away from the Race Track that you wouldn't have to wait for a table or be impacted by drunk race patrons (as they don't serve beer, wine or liquor). It's my favorite place for a great burger, and onion rings. I haven't tried their shakes, but I would believe them that they are great. Just don't get the fried chicken, I think they use banquet frozen chicken, but if you stick to their burgers you won't be disappointed!



Ew on the chicken. Hard pass.

The rest sounds good. I don't know if I'll get the chance, but it's on my list.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Nothing new on the IRL front, other than we had a freakin’ blast over the weekend. It was rainy and cold, the weather sucked, but we were on a total first name basis with the club level staff at the Grand! All of us have some detoxing to do this week!



Sounds like you had fun!



franandaj said:


> As we left Animal Kingdom, we decided to take a bus to the Beach Club and enter through the International Gateway.



 I've done that at least once... I like it. No lines. At least not when I went through.



franandaj said:


> We had technically only sampled stuff from two of the F&W kiosks all week.



That's it?!??



franandaj said:


> As we entered Epcot, a problem arose when Fran's rental scooter was almost out of battery.



You guys are having zero luck with the scooters. Your TR title is very apropos.



franandaj said:


> Our first stop was in Belgium for the waffle with Berry Compote.



mmmm.... sounds good...



franandaj said:


>



Looks good, too.
Was it?



franandaj said:


> Then I used a tab for a Capirania in Brazil.



How was that? Do you think I'd like it?



franandaj said:


> We crossed over the bridge and went to Ireland.



Nice! I have to fly across the Atlantic. You have a bridge!



franandaj said:


> We got the sausages, which were fabulous! I wasn't sad that these replaced the Fisherman's Pie, it had gone down in flavor in my eyes and these were a welcome replacement.



Whoa. Those look really good. <mouth starts to water>



franandaj said:


> We also got the warm chocolate pudding which was now twice the size of the original. It was tasty and chocolatey, but not as molten as it had been in the past. We ate it all nonetheless.



So bigger _isn't_ always better. Huh.



franandaj said:


> We got the beef stroganoff



Not a fan of stroganoff. Maybe the sour cream? Not sure.



franandaj said:


> and the cheese, onions and fines herbs tart.



That looks... difficult to eat.



franandaj said:


> I used one of the tabs to get a glass of wine to go along with the savory items, probably not the best use as it was only $6.50, but time was running out.



Then again... better to use it (you say you were running out of time) than to have it at the end, unused.



franandaj said:


> At chocolate studio I got the liquid nitrogen almond tart, it was cool how they made it. They took a spoonful of the chocolate goo.
> 
> 
> 
> Then they would dip it in the nitrogen.
> 
> 
> 
> And this is what you got.



Cool!



franandaj said:


> I had one suitcase packed with the Nautilus


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Nothing new on the IRL front, other than we had a freakin’ blast over the weekend. It was rainy and cold, the weather sucked, but we were on a total first name basis with the club level staff at the Grand! All of us have some detoxing to do this week!



Well, I'm glad you had a great time!



franandaj said:


> As we entered Epcot, a problem arose when Fran's rental scooter was almost out of battery.



You can almost cut and paste that sentence into each chapter.

Food looks yummy!  I think the Ireland booth would have been a big hit with my clan.


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I'm sure we would love to have you join us.  Especially since I know you can cook!  Everyone in the group is "the more the merrier kind" of folks, so I'm sure you would be welcome!



Absolutely!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I'm guessing with the FP that i didnt see much of the queue.



You see part of it through some windows but not very much. 




franandaj said:


> Let me know well in advance when you're thinking, cause I'll make reservations out there as well.



I will. That will be awesome  




franandaj said:


> I did a virtual ride at Imagineering, it was cool.



From the first time Corinna talked about it I’ve wanted to go to DLP. This will be much closer.


----------



## Pinkocto

The new rental had a problem with the batteries???  too much!

Lots of yummies. Mom loved that cheese tart, I’m surprised you didn’t like it. That nitro chocolate truffle is my absolute favorite 

Glad you could spend some time with your friends. Lucky they found an ADR.


----------



## jedijill

Mmm, I'm drooling a bit looking at the food pics.  

I had so much fun this weekend despite the weather!!!  

Jill in CO


----------



## afwdwfan

Wow... rough month for the health of you and your feline family.  I hope everyone is doing much better by now.  

Not a bad day with a couple of rides on FOP and some F&W.  I'm really starting to come around and believe that AK is very underrated for QS food.  I really like Restaurantosaurus but it is hard to even make a case for it against Flame Tree and Satulii Canteen.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> fantastically filling F&W lunches



They did all look incredibly filling! And oh so delicious! 



franandaj said:


> As we entered Epcot, a problem arose when Fran's rental scooter was almost out of battery.



No. Way! 



franandaj said:


> I wasn't sad that these replaced the Fisherman's Pie, it had gone down in flavor in my eyes and these were a welcome replacement.



I was sad it was gone. I reallly loved it the year before, but only had that one to compare to, so wouldn't have known it'd gone downhill. I need to try and make it myself. 



franandaj said:


> The beef was very good, it was tender and the spaetzle that it was on top of was tasty. The sauce was also yummy.



Okay... Yum! 



franandaj said:


>


 $10 a glass for a thimbleful? 

Good Lord.


----------



## rentayenta

Best weekend EVER!!!! Seriously.  I miss Mitchell and our triple Bailey's.


----------



## skier_pete

I really liked that cheese tart! It was massive though and reasonably priced, so you know that will change!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> We had technically only sampled stuff from two of the F&W kiosks all week.



Wow, that was not a lot.



franandaj said:


> As we entered Epcot, a problem arose when Fran's rental scooter was almost out of battery.



I can't believe that this was causing you issues, too.



franandaj said:


> One of my favorites!



That looks absolutely delicious. Maybe I should not have looked at this just before I am due to have my lunch.



franandaj said:


> Then I used a tab for a Capirania in Brazil.



I love a good Caipirinhia.



franandaj said:


> At chocolate studio I got the liquid nitrogen almond tart, it was cool how they made it. They took a spoonful of the chocolate goo.



That was my absolute favourite when I last was there for the Food and Wine Festival.

Corinna


----------



## franandaj

Flossbolna said:


> Sounds like you had a great time eating your way through the kiosks (and drinking!!). Also happy to hear that you had a great weekend at the West Coast version of this!



We did. The west coast version of this, we did not get to many booths, it was more the concierge lounge! 



Flossbolna said:


> Actually, the concept art they released for the massive Walt Disney Studios Paris redo shows the original ToT, not a Marvel version one. The Marvel area starts just behind it. The Paris RnRC will be turned into a Marvel themed coaster and there will be an attraction that they are building in Hong Kong coming to Paris. But that is all the Marvel there as far as I know.



Huh. Interesting to know.



pkondz said:


> Not if I lived there for oh... 6 months of the year....
> Could sub-lease the other 6?



Nope. Sorry. It specifically says no subletting in the rental agreement. But it is month to month tenancy so you could leave after six months. The last guy did, but then we asked him to move.



pkondz said:


> Didn't I mention the 6 months part?



We prefer longer term tenants.



pkondz said:


> Then go ahead and copy and paste. I don't mind a bit more work than opening a bag!



Did you get it?



pkondz said:


> I'll think on that!



Let me know. You have a while to decide. 



pkondz said:


> Sure. Makes sense for you guys. I get that. Not for me. I order from Amazon maybe... 1-2 times a year.



I was going to say we order 1-2 per week, but i think its more than that.



pkondz said:


> Ew on the chicken. Hard pass.
> 
> The rest sounds good. I don't know if I'll get the chance, but it's on my list.



It's kind of far north from where you are staying. Then again the race crowds downtown are huge. Any restaurant in walking distance will be mobbed with people from the race. Well probabaly not the Vegan ones.  

Pine Avenue is often shut down for a block party. That's sort of the "hip" street downtown. There's a lot of great restaurants there. We only go there on Sun thru Thursday nights cause we dont like crowds. It probably will depend on how you feel after the race. Your hotel has a restaurant, bar and room service, so you might just want to chill after a couple days in the sun at the race. But Sunday you're gonna be on the road. Maybe you might want to hit them up on your way to Anaheim.

You can always head down Carson to go to Anaheim instead of taking the freeways.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Nope. Sorry. It specifically says no subletting in the rental agreement. But it is month to month tenancy so you could leave after six months. The last guy did, but then we asked him to move.



Dang. I hope I wouldn't be _that_ guy!



franandaj said:


> We prefer longer term tenants.



Hmmm.... How do you feel about it being vacant for 6mos of the year?



franandaj said:


> Did you get it?



 But, tbh, I haven't even opened my mail in a day or two. I saw it in my inbox, though. Thanks! 



franandaj said:


> Let me know. You have a while to decide.







franandaj said:


> I was going to say we order 1-2 per week, but i think its more than that.







franandaj said:


> It's kind of far north from where you are staying. Then again the race crowds downtown are huge. Any restaurant in walking distance will be mobbed with people from the race. Well probabaly not the Vegan ones.



Probably not!

This should be an interesting experience.



franandaj said:


> Pine Avenue is often shut down for a block party. That's sort of the "hip" street downtown. There's a lot of great restaurants there. We only go there on Sun thru Thursday nights cause we dont like crowds. It probably will depend on how you feel after the race. Your hotel has a restaurant, bar and room service, so you might just want to chill after a couple days in the sun at the race. But Sunday you're gonna be on the road. Maybe you might want to hit them up on your way to Anaheim.



Thanks, Alison! Pine sounds interesting. I didn't know that.



franandaj said:


> You can always head down Carson to go to Anaheim instead of taking the freeways.



Thanks for the tip!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Sounds like you had fun!



OMG!  We had so much fun!  Hanging out in the lounge while it rained outside!  Plus we did some other fun things, but the time in the lounge was the highlight as you can see from Jenny and Jill's comments above!



pkondz said:


> I've done that at least once... I like it. No lines. At least not when I went through.



We've stayed at the Beach Club and I love going in through that entrance, it's just great!



pkondz said:


> That's it?!??



I had planned on hanging out in Epcot after the Mediterranean lunch but since we had a dead scooter, our priority was to get it back to the hotel and get the new one.



pkondz said:


> You guys are having zero luck with the scooters. Your TR title is very apropos.







pkondz said:


> mmmm.... sounds good...
> 
> Looks good, too.
> Was it?



This was my favorite sweet treat of the festival!



pkondz said:


> How was that? Do you think I'd like it?



The liquor in it is Cachaça, and it is often compared to Rum, so I doubt it.  I love them.  Usually they are served on the Rocks at Brazilian Steakhouses, or Churrascarias.

From Wikipedia
_*Cachaça*_ (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈʃasɐ])[1] is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as _aguardente_, _pinga_, _caninha_[2] and other names, it is the most popular spirit among distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil.[3][4] Outside Brazil, cachaça is used almost exclusively as an ingredient in tropical drinks, with the _caipirinha_ being the most famous cocktail.[5]



pkondz said:


> Nice! I have to fly across the Atlantic. You have a bridge!



Well technically we came from France so I guess it was a bridge across the Channel.



pkondz said:


> Whoa. Those look really good. <mouth starts to water>



They were!  I'd get those again easily!



pkondz said:


> So bigger _isn't_ always better. Huh.



I'm not even going to dignify that with a response!  



pkondz said:


> Not a fan of stroganoff. Maybe the sour cream? Not sure.



I don't think this one was made with sour cream.  I think it might have been made with Boursin Cheese.



pkondz said:


> That looks... difficult to eat.



It wasn't so difficult, we used a knife and fork.  The difficult part was that I didn't care for it so much.



pkondz said:


> Then again... better to use it (you say you were running out of time) than to have it at the end, unused.



Exactly.



pkondz said:


> Cool!



It was neat to see her make it!





pkondz said:


>



Wrong Nautilus....








Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, I'm glad you had a great time!



We sure did!  We were so spoiled even if the weather was bad!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You can almost cut and paste that sentence into each chapter.



  You're pretty much correct!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Food looks yummy! I think the Ireland booth would have been a big hit with my clan.



You're probably right.  You guys probably would have like the cheese dip too!



Pinkocto said:


> Absolutely!







Pinkocto said:


> You see part of it through some windows but not very much.



I don't even remember it much I was so afraid that my window would run out and I could't do it a second time I just rushed through.



Pinkocto said:


> I will. That will be awesome



Depending on my situation, I might even be able to get a 2 bedroom at 11 months and save you the hassle of trying to get in a 7 months. Believe me there are advantages to doing that!



Pinkocto said:


> From the first time Corinna talked about it I’ve wanted to go to DLP. This will be much closer.



   Ever since we did the virtual thing in Imagineering it sounded so cool.



Pinkocto said:


> The new rental had a problem with the batteries???  too much!



Yeah, batteries wear down over time and I'm sure the rentals get a lot of mileage.  They probably don't change them often enough thinking people won't notice, but we put a lot of mileage on these things.



Pinkocto said:


> ots of yummies. Mom loved that cheese tart, I’m surprised you didn’t like it. That nitro chocolate truffle is my absolute favorite



It could have been that we were getting full, but then again I didn't care for the texture of the cheese and I ended up taking the weeds off the top.



Pinkocto said:


> Glad you could spend some time with your friends. Lucky they found an ADR.



Yeah, hopefully we will have lunch with them this summer the day before the cruise.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Mmm, I'm drooling a bit looking at the food pics.
> 
> I had so much fun this weekend despite the weather!!!
> 
> Jill in CO



It was so fun!  I hope Mitchell is working weekends in April!



afwdwfan said:


> Wow... rough month for the health of you and your feline family. I hope everyone is doing much better by now.



It's been rough with them since they were born, but they're so precious. We just need to sell a car or two, and maybe some jewelry. 



afwdwfan said:


> Not a bad day with a couple of rides on FOP and some F&W. I'm really starting to come around and believe that AK is very underrated for QS food. I really like Restaurantosaurus but it is hard to even make a case for it against Flame Tree and Satulii Canteen.



I really like Flame Tree and the new place in Africa, was that Satulli Canteen?  The Chicken Tikka Masala was really good there!  It's much better than what there is at MK for QS.



Steppesister said:


> They did all look incredibly filling! And oh so delicious!



I don't regret doing the lunches, it's just that with all the scooter drama we had no time to get to the booths!



Steppesister said:


> No. Way!



yeah, that totally sucked.



Steppesister said:


> I was sad it was gone. I reallly loved it the year before, but only had that one to compare to, so wouldn't have known it'd gone downhill. I need to try and make it myself.



I absolutely loved it in 2009 then I had it again in 2013 and it was still good.  I went back in 2016 and it wasn't nearly as good as it was the two times before.



Steppesister said:


> Okay... Yum!



Yes it was good!



Steppesister said:


> $10 a glass for a thimbleful?
> 
> Good Lord.



Actually the glasses were not thimblesfull they were decent pours.  They may look small, but I believe that they were 5oz pours each.


rentayenta said:


> Best weekend EVER!!!! Seriously.  I miss Mitchell and our triple Bailey's.



If we go back (like we are talking about) I need to make our ADRs so that we can at least spend a tiny bit of time in there before we go to dinner!


----------



## rentayenta

That’s a good idea! I’m in. And Mitchell would be sad if we didn’t spend a tiny bit of time there.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> OMG! We had so much fun! Hanging out in the lounge while it rained outside! Plus we did some other fun things, but the time in the lounge was the highlight as you can see from Jenny and Jill's comments above!







franandaj said:


> We've stayed at the Beach Club and I love going in through that entrance, it's just great!



I've not stayed at the Beach Club, but have used the entrance. There's no one there!



franandaj said:


> I had planned on hanging out in Epcot after the Mediterranean lunch but since we had a dead scooter, our priority was to get it back to the hotel and get the new one.



I can see how that would be a priority.



franandaj said:


> This was my favorite sweet treat of the festival!



Good! 



franandaj said:


> The liquor in it is Cachaça, and it is often compared to Rum, so I doubt it.



Well.... poop.



franandaj said:


> Well technically we came from France so I guess it was a bridge across the Channel.



Still a marvelous feat of engineering.


Heh. Reminds me of the joke about the bridge to Hawaii.



franandaj said:


> I'm not even going to dignify that with a response!



You're taking all the fun out of this!





franandaj said:


> I don't think this one was made with sour cream. I think it might have been made with Boursin Cheese.



Oh? I thought Stroganoff _had_ to have sour cream. Huh.

And... I'm going to try a Stroganoff recipe that Liesa sent me.
Who knows! Maybe I'll even like it. 



franandaj said:


> It wasn't so difficult, we used a knife and fork. The difficult part was that I didn't care for it so much.



Ah! Yeah, that'd do it.



franandaj said:


> Wrong Nautilus....



I know.
And I do love that.

Still sad they got rid of that ride.
I wish they'd updated it instead of tearing it out.


In other news... yours, I mean.
How is Fran feeling now? And... how are you? Did you manage to not get sick?


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I don't even remember it much I was so afraid that my window would run out and I could't do it a second time I just rushed through.



Are we going to try for any FPs on our trip? 




franandaj said:


> Depending on my situation, I might even be able to get a 2 bedroom at 11 months and save you the hassle of trying to get in a 7 months. Believe me there are advantages to doing that!



Oooohhhhh, that sounds like a marvelous idea!!!





franandaj said:


> Yeah, batteries wear down over time and I'm sure the rentals get a lot of mileage.  They probably don't change them often enough thinking people won't notice, but we put a lot of mileage on these things.



Good point, I didn’t think of it like that. 







franandaj said:


> Yeah, hopefully we will have lunch with them this summer the day before the cruise.



Excellent! So you’re flying in Thursday?


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I don't regret doing the lunches, it's just that with all the scooter drama we had no time to get to the booths!



ANd that makes total sense. There just is never enough time to do all you want to is there?



franandaj said:


> I absolutely loved it in 2009 then I had it again in 2013 and it was still good. I went back in 2016 and it wasn't nearly as good as it was the two times before.



Sounds like some (bad) old fashioned complacency had set in.



franandaj said:


> Actually the glasses were not thimblesfull they were decent pours. They may look small, but I believe that they were 5oz pours each.



Okay, 5 oz isn't bad, but I guess I'm used to paying $6 for 6.



pkondz said:


> Oh? I thought Stroganoff _had_ to have sour cream. Huh.
> 
> And... I'm going to try a Stroganoff recipe that Liesa sent me.
> Who knows! Maybe I'll even like it.



And did you? I'm curious if you liked it.



pkondz said:


> How is Fran feeling now? And... how are you? Did you manage to not get sick?



I was wondering the same thing.


----------



## jedijill

I miss Mitchell!

Jill in CO


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> And did you? I'm curious if you liked it.



Not yet. I had a pound of home made sausage meat that had to be used (in a Spaghetti Bolognese which (if I do say so myself) was amazingly good.)
But it's on the menu for tomorrow (have some gr beef that has to be used now. ) followed by Alison's Chicken Tikka Masala.


----------



## Tracy161

I'm joining! I "know" you from so many other TRs I follow, it's high time I made it over to one of your TRs!  Happy to be here at last


----------



## franandaj

********** said:


> I really liked that cheese tart! It was massive though and reasonably priced, so you know that will change!



Yeah we couldn't even finish it, the thing was so huge!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, that was not a lot.



We found that between the special lunches and trying to check out Pandora our booth coverage suffered.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I can't believe that this was causing you issues, too.



Yeah, she needs to rent from the approved WDW scooter companies and not the cheapo ones.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That looks absolutely delicious. Maybe I should not have looked at this just before I am due to have my lunch.



 Isn't that always the problem?



dolphingirl47 said:


> I love a good Caipirinhia.



Me too. I haven't had one since then!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That was my absolute favourite when I last was there for the Food and Wine Festival.



I remember! You you got two or threee of them!



pkondz said:


> Dang. I hope I wouldn't be _that_ guy!



Well we were almost willing to overlook the fact that multiple people not on the rental agreement had moved in, but the fact that loud arguments were being had, so loud that you could hear them from the street was the main reason we asked them to leave. The next door neighbor let us know it was going on.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm.... How do you feel about it being vacant for 6mos of the year?



Unfortunately that's how its been for the last 18 months for this unit. I hope to change that next week.



pkondz said:


> But, tbh, I haven't even opened my mail in a day or two. I saw it in my inbox, though. Thanks!



Let me know when you make it!



pkondz said:


> Probably not!
> 
> This should be an interesting experience.



There are an unusually large amount of Vegan restaurants springing up around here. 

I'm sure this will be a different experience than the Peg.



pkondz said:


> Thanks, Alison! Pine sounds interesting. I didn't know that.



There are a few times a year that they close down the street. The Race and NYE are two of them. There's a few "hot spots" around Long Beach. Pine is the heart of the Downtown area. Belmont Shore is on the East end, Thursday night well be dining at a restaurant in the Marina which is another popular area. They building a new huge cpmplex over there that will make the Marina area even more a draw.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for the tip!



Sometimes surface streets are more efficient than the freeways. My friend Jenny swears by them.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> That’s a good idea! I’m in. And Mitchell would be sad if we didn’t spend a tiny bit of time there.



Yeah, I'm thinking perhaps 7:15 S55 dinner. That way we can have a little time in there before going over to dinner. Not sure about Friday. I'd want to see the 8:45 PTN show, so we'd have to be done with dinner before 8PM to head iver there. We'll figure it out!



pkondz said:


> I've not stayed at the Beach Club, but have used the entrance. There's no one there!



I'm going to be staying there again in a year!



pkondz said:


> Well.... poop.



You need to not be so picky! 



pkondz said:


> Heh. Reminds me of the joke about the bridge to Hawaii.



Well....I've never heard it!



pkondz said:


> You're taking all the fun out of this!



Thats me! Sucking out all the fun, one TR at a time! 



pkondz said:


> Oh? I thought Stroganoff _had_ to have sour cream. Huh.
> 
> And... I'm going to try a Stroganoff recipe that Liesa sent me.
> Who knows! Maybe I'll even like it.



I'm curious about that. I have my own recipe for stroganoff which has a ton if sour cream, but its very different than most American stroganoffs.



pkondz said:


> I know.
> And I do love that.
> 
> Still sad they got rid of that ride.
> I wish they'd updated it instead of tearing it out.



I barely remember it, but i know that i did ride it. If they didn't get rid of the subs, they might have been able to bring it back, but when they did Nemo here Tony Baxter said thatbit woukd just be too costy for WDW to bring it back.



pkondz said:


> In other news... yours, I mean.
> How is Fran feeling now?



She is better. But still coughing a lot. And very tired.



pkondz said:


> And... how are you? Did you manage to not get sick?



Yes i did manage to avoid her cold. A few days I wasn't sure, but i just kept popping Vitamin C.



Pinkocto said:


> Are we going to try for any FPs on our trip?



Karin mentioned something about Monday at DHS and TSL FP.  I'm not interested in the parks for Sunday. We're having 9:30 breakfast at Olivias. I don't know when we'll do the potluck, but I'd rather do it kind of early meaning 4-5 PM not 7-8 PM.



Pinkocto said:


> Oooohhhhh, that sounds like a marvelous idea!!!



If you give me enough notice,  I can make sure to save enough points. I am even banking some of my points this year.



Pinkocto said:


> Good point, I didn’t think of it like that.



She's been using scooters for 15 years now, so we're pretty familiar with them.



Pinkocto said:


> Excellent! So you’re flying in Thursday?



Yeah, we get in around 6PM. I'm thinking of having dinner in one of the lounges of a monorail resort.



Steppesister said:


> ANd that makes total sense. There just is never enough time to do all you want to is there?



You have to go in knowing that and try to pick your activities without having too many expectations.



Steppesister said:


> Sounds like some (bad) old fashioned complacency had set in.



Either that or my taste buds changed. That's entirely possible.



Steppesister said:


> Okay, 5 oz isn't bad, but I guess I'm used to paying $6 for 6



Not at Disney! 



Steppesister said:


> And did you? I'm curious if you liked it.



I want to know this recipe!



Steppesister said:


> I was wondering the same thing.



I evaded the sickness. She is still fighting a coughand may well be doing so still when you guys are here.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well we were almost willing to overlook the fact that multiple people not on the rental agreement had moved in, but the fact that loud arguments were being had, so loud that you could hear them from the street was the main reason we asked them to leave. The next door neighbor let us know it was going on.



Ugh... Just.... no.



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately that's how its been for the last 18 months for this unit. I hope to change that next week.



So that'd be a "no" then. 



franandaj said:


> Let me know when you make it!



Well, I was going to make it tonight, but I got tapped to work 16 hours today, so that's not gonna happen. Hoping for tomorrow.



franandaj said:


> There are an unusually large amount of Vegan restaurants springing up around here.



I'll maybe buy a hotdog and eat it outside one of them. Just for fun.



franandaj said:


> I'm sure this will be a different experience than the Peg.







franandaj said:


> Sometimes surface streets are more efficient than the freeways. My friend Jenny swears by them.



Okay! Thanks!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I'm going to be staying there again in a year!



nice!
Envious of you. I don't know when I'm even going to be back at the World, let alone staying someplace in particular.



franandaj said:


> You need to not be so picky!



 I know what I like... and what I don't!



franandaj said:


> Well....I've never heard it!



God (or if you prefer, an all powerful Genie) tells a man that because of his piety that he can ask for one miracle to be performed.
The man thinks about it and says "God/Genie? I'm afraid to fly. Always have been. Could you build a bridge between North America and Hawaii? I've always wanted to visit it."
God/Genie says "I'm sorry, but there are some things that not even I can do. The depths of the ocean combined with the pressures. Not to mention the distance... all make this an impossible task. Please make another wish."
The man thinks for a while. Eventually he says "Well... truth be told... I just don't understand women. I just don't get them. Can you help me to understand them?"

And God/Genie says "So... this bridge. Two lanes or four?"



franandaj said:


> Thats me! Sucking out all the fun, one TR at a time!







franandaj said:


> I'm curious about that. I have my own recipe for stroganoff which has a ton if sour cream, but its very different than most American stroganoffs.



I wound up doing a very similar recipe but for the Instant Pot. I think the only difference was the use of beef broth.
I really don't care for traditional beef stroganoff with beef strips, but this is with ground. And I loved it! So did Kay.
You can find it here.



franandaj said:


> I barely remember it, but i know that i did ride it. If they didn't get rid of the subs, they might have been able to bring it back, but when they did Nemo here Tony Baxter said thatbit woukd just be too costy for WDW to bring it back.



I remember it. Loved it... although... I will admit even as a kid I found it cheesy. But I imagine what they _could_ do with it. Ah well..



franandaj said:


> She is better. But still coughing a lot. And very tired.



Awww... 



franandaj said:


> Yes i did manage to avoid her cold. A few days I wasn't sure, but i just kept popping Vitamin C.



Glad you're okay!


----------



## rentayenta

That sounds great! We are in. Michael loves S55!


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> I miss Mitchell!
> 
> Jill in CO



I know he was so sweet, constantly refilling our glasses and bringing us cordials!



Tracy161 said:


> I'm joining! I "know" you from so many other TRs I follow, it's high time I made it over to one of your TRs!  Happy to be here at last



 

You made it here just in time for the last update.  But no fear!  I'll have plenty of bonus features from trips to Disneyland until I start my next TR in September!



pkondz said:


> So that'd be a "no" then.







pkondz said:


> Well, I was going to make it tonight, but I got tapped to work 16 hours today, so that's not gonna happen. Hoping for tomorrow.



I can see that.  We're having Corned Beef and Cabbage tonight.



pkondz said:


> I'll maybe buy a hotdog and eat it outside one of them. Just for fun.







pkondz said:


> nice!
> Envious of you. I don't know when I'm even going to be back at the World, let alone staying someplace in particular.



We took my parents in 2010.  My Dad has asked a couple times when we're going back. We decided my Mom might enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival so we've been planning to take them in 2019 for a few years now.  When they come down in a couple weeks, we will actually nail down what days so that I can book at the 11 month mark.  Owning points at the Beach Club was my reasoning for Epcot's Festivals.



pkondz said:


> God (or if you prefer, an all powerful Genie) tells a man that because of his piety that he can ask for one miracle to be performed.
> The man thinks about it and says "God/Genie? I'm afraid to fly. Always have been. Could you build a bridge between North America and Hawaii? I've always wanted to visit it."
> God/Genie says "I'm sorry, but there are some things that not even I can do. The depths of the ocean combined with the pressures. Not to mention the distance... all make this an impossible task. Please make another wish."
> The man thinks for a while. Eventually he says "Well... truth be told... I just don't understand women. I just don't get them. Can you help me to understand them?"
> 
> And God/Genie says "So... this bridge. Two lanes or four?"



 



pkondz said:


> I wound up doing a very similar recipe but for the Instant Pot. I think the only difference was the use of beef broth.
> I really don't care for traditional beef stroganoff with beef strips, but this is with ground. And I loved it! So did Kay.
> You can find it here.



Interesting. That looks really good, but rather than calling it stroganoff, I would say that is more like a homemade Hamburger Helper. I bet Fran and I would like it. She loves Cream of Mushroom soup.  I like noodles.  I'll get that pot out and put that on the dinner rotation for next week sometime.

This is my recipe.  Evidently noodles are not traditional in regular stroganof and it is supposed to served over potato straws.  We just eat ours as is and have green beans on the side.








rentayenta said:


> That sounds great! We are in. Michael loves S55!



I'll make the reservation soon!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I can see that. We're having Corned Beef and Cabbage tonight.



Interesting combination.



franandaj said:


> We took my parents in 2010. My Dad has asked a couple times when we're going back. We decided my Mom might enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival so we've been planning to take them in 2019 for a few years now. When they come down in a couple weeks, we will actually nail down what days so that I can book at the 11 month mark. Owning points at the Beach Club was my reasoning for Epcot's Festivals.



Very nice! I'm sure your mom will enjoy that!



franandaj said:


>



Sorry!



franandaj said:


> Interesting. That looks really good, but rather than calling it stroganoff, I would say that is more like a homemade Hamburger Helper. I bet Fran and I would like it. She loves Cream of Mushroom soup. I like noodles. I'll get that pot out and put that on the dinner rotation for next week sometime.



Let me know what you think. Simple, but.... I _really_ liked it. 

Which shocked the heck out of me!



franandaj said:


> Evidently noodles are not traditional in regular stroganof



What??? Really!



franandaj said:


> and it is supposed to served over potato straws



Huh! Had no idea.



franandaj said:


>



Might have to try that too.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Interesting combination.



Seriously? You have not heard of this before? Its a classic St Paddy's day American feast. Check out my facebook page!



pkondz said:


> Very nice! I'm sure your mom will enjoy that!



I hope so!



pkondz said:


> Let me know what you think. Simple, but.... I _really_ liked it.
> 
> Which shocked the heck out of me!



I will but it will be a little while. I have my meals already figured out through next Wed or Thurs.



pkondz said:


> What??? Really!
> 
> Huh! Had no idea.



Yeah I didn't know until i read this recipe, but the internet does confirm it. Americans added the noodles.



pkondz said:


> Might have to try that too.



Its one of my favorites, but we use Rib Eye. Often its what i do with leftover Prime Rib.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Seriously? You have not heard of this before? Its a classic St Paddy's day American feast. Check out my facebook page!



I saw that! The post above yours (on my feed) was from another DISer who did the exact same thing.
Never heard of it before.



franandaj said:


> I will but it will be a little while. I have my meals already figured out through next Wed or Thurs.



Only that far? I've seen your meal calendar in the past. 



franandaj said:


> Yeah I didn't know until i read this recipe, but the internet does confirm it. Americans added the noodles.



You crazy kids. Gotta add noodles to everything!


And.... I'm okay with that.



franandaj said:


> Its one of my favorites, but we use Rib Eye. Often its what i do with leftover Prime Rib.



I'll keep it in mind.


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> I barely remember it, but i know that i did ride it. If they didn't get rid of the subs, they might have been able to bring it back, but when they did Nemo here Tony Baxter said thatbit woukd just be too costy for WDW to bring it back.



That’s what I heard as well. 




franandaj said:


> She is better. But still coughing a lot. And very tired.



I have heard people can have the cough upwards of 5-6 weeks. 






franandaj said:


> Karin mentioned something about Monday at DHS and TSL FP.  I'm not interested in the parks for Sunday. We're having 9:30 breakfast at Olivias. I don't know when we'll do the potluck, but I'd rather do it kind of early meaning 4-5 PM not 7-8 PM.



4-5 sounds like a good plan. That way we have plenty of time to relax and talk and just enjoy. 





franandaj said:


> If you give me enough notice,  I can make sure to save enough points. I am even banking some of my points this year.



I will plan  




franandaj said:


> Yeah, we get in around 6PM. I'm thinking of having dinner in one of the lounges of a monorail resort.



Excellent! I will have to get Fran some diet dew that evening as well.


----------



## dizneeat

Pinkocto said:


> I have heard people can have the cough upwards of 5-6 weeks.



*Alison - I am a witness to that. Tell Fran that she NEEDS to take it slow, really slow. This cough is not something to play with. Mine is nearly gone - but now Tom has caught it and it is NASTY!!!*



Pinkocto said:


> 4-5 sounds like a good plan. That way we have plenty of time to relax and talk and just enjoy.



*Yes, would work perfectly with the 9.30 breakfast. Are you joining us, Pamela - YEAH! excited!!!!!!!!*



Pinkocto said:


> Excellent! I will have to get Fran some diet dew that evening as well.



*Alison - let me know what else you need - we will be shopping anyway (maybe even together with you Pamela!)*


----------



## Tracy161

franandaj said:


> You made it here just in time for the last update. But no fear! I'll have plenty of bonus features from trips to Disneyland until I start my next TR in September!


I've always had the opposite of impeccable timing  I'm heading back to the beginning to catch up, but I'll sure be looking forward to your DL bonus features  And I'll have my act together in time for your September TR


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I saw that! The post above yours (on my feed) was from another DISer who did the exact same thing.
> Never heard of it before.



Must be someone I'm not friends with as mine was the only one I saw in my feed.  It's also called New England Boiled Dinner.  You make it all in one pot.  I have a very specific pot which can be used for many things, but I mostly use it for corned beef.  It has a strainer basket inside the pot so you can easily remove the corned beef and root vegetables (which go in for the last 30 minutes). On top there is a steamer basket where I put the onions and cabbage for the last 10 minutes.



pkondz said:


> Only that far? I've seen your meal calendar in the past.



I was wrong, I had it planned until the 28th until this morning when I realized that was the day my parents arrive.  I don't think they would want to eat John Wayne Casserole and Sausages, so Mom and I need to have a discussion.



pkondz said:


> You crazy kids. Gotta add noodles to everything!
> 
> 
> And.... I'm okay with that.



Generally I am too.  Although cutting down on pasta has allowed me to lose some weight!



pkondz said:


> I'll keep it in mind.



Let me know if you end up trying it.



Pinkocto said:


> I have heard people can have the cough upwards of 5-6 weeks.



That's how it generally goes for her with any cold. 



Pinkocto said:


> 4-5 sounds like a good plan. That way we have plenty of time to relax and talk and just enjoy.



That's what I was thinking.  More time to eat leisurely and spread it out.  I think we might have a lot of food!



Pinkocto said:


> I will plan



Cool!  It's so fun to stay out there when I have friends who are also staying!



Pinkocto said:


> Excellent! I will have to get Fran some diet dew that evening as well.



Do you arrive Thursday too?  You need to send me pictures of the white wines that are at your Costco!



dizneeat said:


> *Alison - I am a witness to that. Tell Fran that she NEEDS to take it slow, really slow. This cough is not something to play with. Mine is nearly gone - but now Tom has caught it and it is NASTY!!!*



She doesn't have the flu, hers was all upper respiratory, but it still was knocking her out.



dizneeat said:


> Yes, would work perfectly with the 9.30 breakfast. Are you joining us, Pamela - YEAH! excited!!!!!!!!



I'm thinking we'll be pretty full from breakfast, so we won't need any lunch, but by mid afternoon we'll be ready to start snacking.  I'm making all main dishes (or one could be called a side) and they all feature a Southwest flair, but not spicy.



dizneeat said:


> Alison - let me know what else you need - we will be shopping anyway (maybe even together with you Pamela!)



I would like to go shopping with you either Saturday after the Cruise or Sunday after breakfast.  I should start my shopping list so I don't forget anything!



Tracy161 said:


> I've always had the opposite of impeccable timing  I'm heading back to the beginning to catch up, but I'll sure be looking forward to your DL bonus features  And I'll have my act together in time for your September TR



Sorry I dropped the ball on the Chapter Links!  But there is an update just about every other page.


----------



## franandaj

Well it certainly has been an exciting week! Monday I woke up to find my computer was pretty much hosed. Literally. It was a laptop and I opened it up to find a wet spot on the screen right over the numeric keypad.  Then I dabbed off the keypad, but the damage had already been done.  Fran, being the generous person that she is, let me have a laptop that she bought almost six months ago, but never got around to setting it up and transferring her files over.

I spent all day Monday retrieving files from Carbonite (while it was performing a complete system restore in the background.  I started the restore process Monday, probably before noon, and as I type this Saturday, it’s only 30% complete.  I’m finally back to basically normal as far as a working computer goes, but there were a few days in there where I was afraid about my files.  I now have complete faith in Carbonite and believe that my subscription is worth every penny!

A few weeks back, Fran caught an awful upper respiratory thing that she is starting to slowly recover from. The kittens are also starting to heal as well.  Three of the five have been altered, O’Malley and Amelia are the only  ones left to undergo the knife, but they need the all clear from the doctors.

I have a meeting on Monday to take an application on the vacant apartment and I believe that this person will not flake out on me, like others have. I hope that the applicant qualifies and we can be done with this one for a while!

I am also placing this one on the market this weekend.  I still have to modify the flyer after I measure the square footage of the place, but hopefully it will get snatched up quickly. It’s in a very desirable neighborhood and location.






My parents will be here in 10 days, and the house is still a disaster!  While they’re here, we will go see the King Tut Exhibition, and attend a Disney Family of Wines Dinner (part of the Food & Wine Festival).

I have two weekends out at the Grand Californian next month. One with several of you who are reading along here (well maybe not quite the weekend part).  And another with Jenny & Jill in honor of my upcoming birthday!  

We are still not out of the old place, but we’re getting closer.  Every time I go over there, I remove something from the apartment. Regardless of how small, if I keep doing that eventually the stuff will go away.

OK so back to the Trip Report, this will be the final installment and then we’ll be on to bonus features!


Day 9


I woke up at 4:30 but knew I wasn't ready to get up. I picked up my phone to see what was going on with the DIS, when I realized the DIS is asleep at 4AM Eastern time, I rolled back over and fell back asleep. It was closer to 7AM when I woke up again and this time I futzed around on my phone while I prodded Fran to get up. There was an envelope hanging on the door with my boarding passes and some stickers that looked like luggage tags. This was new to me, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Especially since there was nothing for Fran. 

We got dressed and ate breakfast. I think she had the last of her yogurt and I had a bowl of cereal.  Sad, my cute little Tigger mugs is back in the Owner's Locker and I have to drink out of the bland DVC mugs.






We finished off the V8, and all the milk. The only thing left in our villa was some half full (if that) bottles of Diet Mtn Dew, and half a stick of butter. I gave the rest of my Honey Nut Cheerios, English Muffins, bread and Texas Toast to the Bellmen. The guy who took our bags was really happy about that!

Checking our bags was a snap, I have no idea what happened with the scooter. It was still in the room when we left.  

I wanted to do something before we got on the DME, even if it was just grabbing lunch at Disney Springs.  We decided to take the bus.  We probably could have rode over there, but I didn't trust the battery on the rental scooter.

Our first stop was Blaze Pizza. It's been highly recommended by two of my readers here. 

You pick your crust, pick your sauce, then meats, and any veggies. 
















You can also have them finish it with stuff like balsamic vinegar, arugula, pesto, olive oil, etc. It wasn’t very busy when we got there, then again I think it was just after 11AM.






I went with pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers on Fran's half.






The concept of this place is that they “fast-fire” cook your pizza. The ovens are around 600-800°F and sometimes they can be as hot as 900°. It was good, but we both agreed that the short cooking time left the vegetables quite raw. We each ate two of our three pieces and took the the other two pieces to go.

Then we went over to the Co-op. There was a Christmas dress that was released at DL at the fancy dress store just before we left and we didn't have the chance to get over and buy me one. They had it on display in the front window of the dress store, but they didn't have any in stock. Bizarre!






I saw another dress I really liked, almost an adult Cinderella dress, but I didn't like it $200 enough. Plus I don't have anyplace to wear it, no fancy Palace Balls that I will be attending. However I have been eyeing this dress for a few months now, and finally bit the bullet and got it.  I still have not had the occasion to wear it.  But I think it will be coming out next month when we have a certain little Fondue gathering!  






This time we decided just to motor back to the resort, we figured the rental scooter would either have enough battery power or she could tow me back to the lobby. Either way we would be getting rid of the scooter in an hour and it would be the rental company’s problem and not ours!  We made it back just fine and had some extra time to stop in the quick service to buy some cookies and a cinnamon roll for Fran.











Ever since the first morning when we picked up her scooter at the bell services desk and I got a cup of coffee at the QS in the lobby, I had been eyeing this strawberry shortcake.  






I ate another slice of pizza and then finished off with strawberry shortcake. 

It was getting to the time to return the scooter, or so we thought. I had said 1PM since our DME was going to be around 1:15. Fran had turned her phone off because our batteries kept draining so quickly and when she turned it back on there was a voice mail that the guys had come to pick it up at noon. That was crap because I never would have agreed to that in fact I didn't really even like 12:45. I wanted as long as I could get before we had to get on that dang bus and once we returned the scooter, we couldn't do much but sit around the lobby. I called the guy back and he told us to park it with the other scooters and leave the key in the basket. So we did that and went inside to plug in for a bit.

After both of us used the facilities we unplugged and went outside to wait. The bus was right on time and we had an uneventful trip to the airport. We had to go to check in because Fran didn't have a boarding pass, so luckily there was no line and the agent reprinted my boarding passes as she could tell I was somewhat wary of the one Disney had given me.

For the entire trip home Fran was grumpy. Not sure if it was from events of the day or that she just didn't want to go home. I got us beverages to drink on the plane and finished off the last of the pizza before we boarded. The flight had 5 empty seats and we were hopeful that we might get our money back for the third seat. 

When we landed in Denver, our gate was nearby and once the guy with the wheelchair pushed her to the gate, she have him a tip and we found a place to plug in our phones and tablets.

The plane was going to be boarding in 20 minutes and with each of us needing to use the facilities that didn't give us any time to wait in line for food. I was starving and once Fran returned back to the gate, I noticed that the plane was delayed at least 10 minutes, so now it was still 20 minutes until preboarding began. Just a few gates away was a yummy sandwich shop where we had eaten back in August on our visit so I hustled over there and ordered a Mile High Club. Now the variation on that phrase did not even occur to me until I was texting Jenny and Jill before take off. It was Roast Beef, bacon, tomatoes, marinated red onion, and mayo on a ciabatta roll. It was a very yummy sandwich and we ate them while all the other passengers were boarding. This time it was a completely full flight and we were so happy to have that little boarding pass that said “seat reserved” so we didn't have to be squished into our seats.

We arrived at LAX safely and with no complications, and our luggage was still on the conveyor when we made it down to baggage claim, and not cordened off to the side in some sort of "abandoned luggage" area like it is on American. The trip home was uneventful, and Naked Jim was still at the house when we arrived at about 11:30PM, so he helped us bring in the luggage and made sure we found all the kitties. 

And there you have it, another interesting trip in the books!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

An uneventful day home!  Glad it was easy and your scooter drama was officially over!  And you get to return before you thought you would be able to! 

Your rental ad has reminded me why I shouldn’t look for jobs in California although I’m sure you would be an easy landlord  Your rent is double my mortgage!  

Glad the kitties are healing and the others are fixed up.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> An uneventful day home! Glad it was easy and your scooter drama was officially over! And you get to return before you thought you would be able to!



Yeah, I truly hope we're done with scooter drama!



Dis_Yoda said:


> Your rental ad has reminded me why I shouldn’t look for jobs in California although I’m sure you would be an easy landlord  Your rent is double my mortgage!



Yeah, but are you a block from the beach?  I have one about 8 blocks in that's only 2/3 the price!



Dis_Yoda said:


> Glad the kitties are healing and the others are fixed up.



I've had enough of vet bills, so I  hope we're done with that!


----------



## rentayenta

Mile High Club.  

Sounds like another trip for the books. Great read as always.

Sooooo excited for your bday weekend!  We always seem to have a total blast! 

I like Blaze Pizza. I have them cook mine a few extra minutes, just a few to soften up the onions. The first time I tried it was in Utah. I think have them here as well. #WeLiveHereNow


----------



## pkondz

Haven’t read a word. (But will!)

Thought I’d share this with you.



Mmmm... good!
Everyone liked it. And we were all surprised it wasn’t hot (as in spicy.)

Kay: “I’d have it again.”
Ruby: “I’ll let you know after tomorrow.”


----------



## Dis_Yoda

franandaj said:


> Yeah, but are you a block from the beach?  I have one about 8 blocks in that's only 2/3 the price!


Nope!  Just 2 miles from the beach which I will avoid until the snow birds go away as I hate most of them!  Just like I avoid most 'nice' restaurants at the moment to avoid them as well.  I'm perfectly happy with my Fast Casual places like Hibachi of Japan, Moe's, Panera or my low brow places like Miller's Ale House, Pizza Places, or just doing delivery if I don't feel like cooking (which let's be honest, if I'm working that day - I don't want to cook). 


I hear you on vet bills.  I"m about to have a lot more vet bills since we're 8 days away from bringing Gantu home.  Time for lots of vet visits + training costs!  He won't get fixed until February 2019 so at least I got that waiting for me.


----------



## Tracy161

I'm caught up completely! So happy I made it over to your TR before it completely wrapped  And I'll be sure to be on board from the start of your next one. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures - but yikes, your TR title was NOT an exaggeration!  Looking forward to the bonus rounds 

PS - hope all the kitties are doing well


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Must be someone I'm not friends with as mine was the only one I saw in my feed.



Could be. Now I don't remember who it was.
actually... wasn't it Liesa? I know Smidgy made that too (don't know if you know her. Nebo's DW. I've mentioned him before.)



franandaj said:


> . It's also called New England Boiled Dinner. You make it all in one pot. I have a very specific pot which can be used for many things, but I mostly use it for corned beef. It has a strainer basket inside the pot so you can easily remove the corned beef and root vegetables (which go in for the last 30 minutes). On top there is a steamer basket where I put the onions and cabbage for the last 10 minutes.



A pot _just_ for that! Huh!



franandaj said:


> I was wrong, I had it planned until the 28th until this morning when I realized that was the day my parents arrive. I don't think they would want to eat John Wayne Casserole and Sausages, so Mom and I need to have a discussion.



The 28th.... I don't even know what I'm doing _tomorrow._



franandaj said:


> Generally I am too. Although cutting down on pasta has allowed me to lose some weight!



But it's soooooo good!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> A few weeks back, Fran caught an awful upper respiratory thing that she is starting to slowly recover from.







franandaj said:


> The kittens are also starting to heal as well. Three of the five have been altered, O’Malley and Amelia are the only ones left to undergo the knife, but they need the all clear from the doctors.



Glad to hear that!



franandaj said:


> I have a meeting on Monday to take an application on the vacant apartment and I believe that this person will not flake out on me, like others have. I hope that the applicant qualifies and we can be done with this one for a while!



Well, considering Monday is over now... any news?



franandaj said:


> I am also placing this one on the market this weekend. I still have to modify the flyer after I measure the square footage of the place, but hopefully it will get snatched up quickly. It’s in a very desirable neighborhood and location.



Looks nice! I'd rent it.



franandaj said:


> While they’re here, we will go see the King Tut Exhibition



That sounds cool! Let me know how it was.



franandaj said:


> I have two weekends out at the Grand Californian next month. One with several of you who are reading along here







franandaj said:


> Every time I go over there, I remove something from the apartment. Regardless of how small, if I keep doing that eventually the stuff will go away.



 That'll do it.



franandaj said:


> I woke up at 4:30 but knew I wasn't ready to get up.



 Stop that! Go to bed!



franandaj said:


> It was closer to 7AM when I woke up again



That's better. Glad you listened to me.



franandaj said:


> There was an envelope hanging on the door with my boarding passes and some stickers that looked like luggage tags. This was new to me, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Especially since there was nothing for Fran.



Weird.



franandaj said:


> Sad, my cute little Tigger mugs is back in the Owner's Locker and I have to drink out of the bland DVC mugs.



Oh no!!!! The horror!!!!!!!!







franandaj said:


> I gave the rest of my Honey Nut Cheerios, English Muffins, bread and Texas Toast to the Bellmen. The guy who took our bags was really happy about that!



I'm surprised they could accept.



franandaj said:


> I have no idea what happened with the scooter. It was still in the room when we left.



Maybe it was buried on site.



franandaj said:


> We probably could have rode over there, but I didn't trust the battery on the rental scooter.



Don't blame you one bit.



franandaj said:


> Our first stop was Blaze Pizza. It's been highly recommended by two of my readers here.



Never even heard of it. Huh.



franandaj said:


> You can also have them finish it with stuff like balsamic vinegar, arugula, pesto, olive oil, etc.



Looks like a pretty good selection of ingredients.



franandaj said:


>



Certainly _looks_ good.



franandaj said:


> It was good, but we both agreed that the short cooking time left the vegetables quite raw.



Hmmm... so... given the same time frame... If you only had meats on it (not that I'd want that), it would be okay?



franandaj said:


> They had it on display in the front window of the dress store, but they didn't have any in stock. Bizarre!



I hate when they do that.
"Okay. Then I'll just take the one that's on the mannequin."
"I'm sorry, we can't do that."


That's actually happened to Ruby.



franandaj said:


> no fancy Palace Balls that I will be attending.



This must be remedied.



franandaj said:


> But I think it will be coming out next month when we have a certain little Fondue gathering!



 Looking forward to seeing you in your new dress! 



franandaj said:


>



That looks familiar...



franandaj said:


> Ever since the first morning when we picked up her scooter at the bell services desk and I got a cup of coffee at the QS in the lobby, I had been eyeing this strawberry shortcake.



I don't blame you! Looks really good!



franandaj said:


> The bus was right on time



The one and only time you hope the bus will be late... and never is.



franandaj said:


> We had to go to check in because Fran didn't have a boarding pass, so luckily there was no line and the agent reprinted my boarding passes as she could tell I was somewhat wary of the one Disney had given me.



Huh. Perceptive of her.



franandaj said:


> For the entire trip home Fran was grumpy. Not sure if it was from events of the day or that she just didn't want to go home.



Probably the latter! At least it is for me.



franandaj said:


> The flight had 5 empty seats and we were hopeful that we might get our money back for the third seat.



That's a possibility?



franandaj said:


> I hustled over there and ordered a Mile High Club. Now the variation on that phrase did not even occur to me until I was texting Jenny and Jill before take off.







franandaj said:


> Naked Jim was still at the house when we arrived at about 11:30PM, so he helped us bring in the luggage and made sure we found all the kitties.



Nice of him. 



franandaj said:


> And there you have it, another interesting trip in the books!



And thanks for writing it!


----------



## Pinkocto

Blaze Pizza!!!    glad you gave it a try. I’ve gotten the same pizza every time, with artichokes, so never realized about the fresh veggies. They also have a pesto/garlic sauce that goes under the cheese and makes the crust divine!


How annoying about the scooter people. Glad they didn’t give you a hard time when they made the error.

Sorry Fran was grumpy. Sometimes I get myself in a last day funk and its so hard to pull out of.

The apartment looks lovely, I’d certainly rent it as well. To be that close to the beach would be heavenly.

Glad the kitties are doing good.

I hope Fran starts feeling better soon.

Cute Minnie dress! I love the Christmas one, I never saw that.

What a pain about the computer problems. Glad you’re able to retrieve your files. I have one of those external hard drives that I back up everything. Is Carbonite a cloud type place?

I’m sorry, I keep forgetting about the wine pictures.  Well, I pass the wine and remember, and somehow forget, or get distracted by the cheese section... Next time I go I’ll take pictures.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Well it certainly has been an exciting week! Monday I woke up to find my computer was pretty much hosed. Literally. It was a laptop and I opened it up to find a wet spot on the screen right over the numeric keypad. Then I dabbed off the keypad, but the damage had already been done.



Oh, what a pain.



franandaj said:


> Fran, being the generous person that she is, let me have a laptop that she bought almost six months ago, but never got around to setting it up and transferring her files over.



At least you got a computer again.



franandaj said:


> I spent all day Monday retrieving files from Carbonite (while it was performing a complete system restore in the background. I started the restore process Monday, probably before noon, and as I type this Saturday, it’s only 30% complete.



I hate that part of the process. When I got this computer, the process of transferring files over took nearly a week.



franandaj said:


> A few weeks back, Fran caught an awful upper respiratory thing that she is starting to slowly recover from. The kittens are also starting to heal as well.



I am glad that everybody is recovering.



franandaj said:


> I have a meeting on Monday to take an application on the vacant apartment and I believe that this person will not flake out on me, like others have. I hope that the applicant qualifies and we can be done with this one for a while!



I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.



franandaj said:


> I am also placing this one on the market this weekend. I still have to modify the flyer after I measure the square footage of the place, but hopefully it will get snatched up quickly. It’s in a very desirable neighborhood and location.



Is this one of the apartments you used to live in?



franandaj said:


> My parents will be here in 10 days, and the house is still a disaster! While they’re here, we will go see the King Tut Exhibition, and attend a Disney Family of Wines Dinner (part of the Food & Wine Festival).



These plans sound amazing.



franandaj said:


> We are still not out of the old place, but we’re getting closer. Every time I go over there, I remove something from the apartment. Regardless of how small, if I keep doing that eventually the stuff will go away.



I am glad that progress is being made.



franandaj said:


> There was a Christmas dress that was released at DL at the fancy dress store just before we left and we didn't have the chance to get over and buy me one. They had it on display in the front window of the dress store, but they didn't have any in stock. Bizarre!



That dress is beautiful. It is strange that they had this on display if they did not have it in stock. I do like the one you got, too.

Corinna


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Monday I woke up to find my computer was pretty much hosed. Literally. It was a laptop and I opened it up to find a wet spot on the screen right over the numeric keypad. Then I dabbed off the keypad, but the damage had already been done.



Oh brother.  Just what you needed, another expense!



franandaj said:


> A few weeks back, Fran caught an awful upper respiratory thing that she is starting to slowly recover from.



Sorry to hear that.  Hope she's continued to improve.



franandaj said:


> I have two weekends out at the Grand Californian next month. One with several of you who are reading along here (well maybe not quite the weekend part). And another with Jenny & Jill in honor of my upcoming birthday!



Excellent!  Should be a blast!



franandaj said:


> I gave the rest of my Honey Nut Cheerios, English Muffins, bread and Texas Toast to the Bellmen. The guy who took our bags was really happy about that!



What a nice idea!



franandaj said:


> We probably could have rode over there, but I didn't trust the battery on the rental scooter.



Now why would you say that? 



franandaj said:


> It was good, but we both agreed that the short cooking time left the vegetables quite raw.



I can see where that might be an issue.  Hopefully the meat wasn't raw too! 



franandaj said:


> They had it on display in the front window of the dress store, but they didn't have any in stock. Bizarre!



That had to be really frustrating.



franandaj said:


> For the entire trip home Fran was grumpy. Not sure if it was from events of the day or that she just didn't want to go home.



I know it would be the latter for me!



franandaj said:


> And there you have it, another interesting trip in the books!



Thanks again for taking us along on your adventures!


----------



## Steppesister

pkondz said:


> Could be. Now I don't remember who it was.
> actually... wasn't it Liesa? I know Smidgy made that too (don't know if you know her. Nebo's DW. I've mentioned him before.)



Yes, it was me and I put it on Alison's FB feed. I do that dinner every St. Patty's Day if only for the fact that corned beef is on sale for $5.99 a pound or less. I should by 5 of them but don't have the freezer room anymore.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Well it certainly has been an exciting week! Monday I woke up to find my computer was pretty much hosed.



Oh brother! Just NOT what you needed! UGH!



franandaj said:


> Fran, being the generous person that she is, let me have a laptop that she bought almost six months ago, but never got around to setting it up and transferring her files over.



WOW!! That was super nice of her! 



franandaj said:


> A few weeks back, Fran caught an awful upper respiratory thing that she is starting to slowly recover from.



I'm SO glad she's finally getting over that and starting to feel better. 



franandaj said:


> I hope that the applicant qualifies and we can be done with this one for a while!



ME TOO!!! Sheesh!



franandaj said:


> we will go see the King Tut Exhibition



I did that in San Diego years ago and LOVED it. Very worthwhile. 



franandaj said:


> And another with Jenny & Jill in honor of my upcoming birthday!




WOOHOO, Birthday Girl!


franandaj said:


> It was closer to 7AM when I woke up again



Much better. 4:30 is just not ok. 



franandaj said:


> We probably could have rode over there, but I didn't trust the battery on the rental scooter.



Yes, I think I'd have trust issues with the scooters as well after all that. 



franandaj said:


> Our first stop was Blaze Pizza. It's been highly recommended by two of my readers here.



YUM! Love Blaze!



franandaj said:


>



I likey!



franandaj said:


> For the entire trip home Fran was grumpy.



OH oh, Grumpy Traveler Alert! Bwoop bwooop!!



franandaj said:


> ordered a Mile High Club.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Mile High Club.



That was the second time i had ordered that sandwich last year and that connotation didnt even dawn on me until you two started laughing at me! 



rentayenta said:


> Sounds like another trip for the books. Great read as always.



Thanks!



rentayenta said:


> Sooooo excited for your bday weekend!  We always seem to have a total blast!



Which is why i dont end up writing very good TRs about our weekends. Too blurry!  



rentayenta said:


> I like Blaze Pizza. I have them cook mine a few extra minutes, just a few to soften up the onions. The first time I tried it was in Utah. I think have them here as well. #WeLiveHereNow



I still have yet to find a place with really good pizza. I have a serviceable place, but nothing spectacular.



pkondz said:


> Haven’t read a word. (But will!)
> 
> Thought I’d share this with you.
> 
> View attachment 309730
> 
> Mmmm... good!
> Everyone liked it. And we were all surprised it wasn’t hot (as in spicy.)
> 
> Kay: “I’d have it again.”
> Ruby: “I’ll let you know after tomorrow.”



Wow! I *just* now understood Ruby's comment. So did she like it? 

I'm glad you and Kay enjoyed it!



Dis_Yoda said:


> Nope! Just 2 miles from the beach which I will avoid until the snow birds go away as I hate most of them! Just like I avoid most 'nice' restaurants at the moment to avoid them as well. I'm perfectly happy with my Fast Casual places like Hibachi of Japan, Moe's, Panera or my low brow places like Miller's Ale House, Pizza Places, or just doing delivery if I don't feel like cooking (which let's be honest, if I'm working that day - I don't want to cook).



All the snow birds here are out in the desert. I'm glad I don't work otherwise I'd never cook. Right now i have the bone from Friday night's ham simmering to make broth for the bean soup we make with a ham bone. Its cold and rainy here so soup and garlic knots are in the menu for dinner tonight.



Dis_Yoda said:


> I hear you on vet bills. I"m about to have a lot more vet bills since we're 8 days away from bringing Gantu home. Time for lots of vet visits + training costs! He won't get fixed until February 2019 so at least I got that waiting for me.



Love the name!  We paid for all the kittens up front. Our vet has a kitten/puppy plan. It includes all their shots, fecal exam, spay/neuter and a bag of food. It ran us $350 per kitten, which was a hefty sum. 



Tracy161 said:


> I'm caught up completely! So happy I made it over to your TR before it completely wrapped  And I'll be sure to be on board from the start of your next one. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures - but yikes, your TR title was NOT an exaggeration!  Looking forward to the bonus rounds
> 
> PS - hope all the kitties are doing well



Wow! I cant believe you got through the TR so quickly! I'm almost ready for the next bonus feature.

There seems to be a cough going around the house. Two of them are on medication,  hopefully the rest recover on their own.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Could be. Now I don't remember who it was.
> actually... wasn't it Liesa? I know Smidgy made that too (don't know if you know her. Nebo's DW. I've mentioned him before.



Liesa said it was her, but for some odd reason,  I'm not seeing her posts on FB anymore.

OK i just scrolled all the way until FB stopped and didnt see one post from Liesa. So i found her page and now i know why i didn't recognize her photo with Corned Beef and Cabbage, there was too much green nonsense on her plate!   @Steppesister what's with the peas and spinach? Cabbage not a good enough veggie?



pkondz said:


> A pot _just_ for that! Huh!



Well since it has a strainer inside, I've also used it when I need to cook a crap ton of pasta.



pkondz said:


> The 28th.... I don't even know what I'm doing _tomorrow._



Well now I have it planned all the way through April 1st.



pkondz said:


> But it's soooooo good!



Yes it is. We'll be having some tomorrow.



pkondz said:


> Glad to hear that!



Well now Amelia is having somewhat of a relapse. Another X-ray today, and more meds.   And now she has a collapsed lung. 



pkondz said:


> Well, considering Monday is over now... any news?



Well, it didn't quite go down Monday, but the tenant has been approved. Hopefully everything will be resolved Monday. Then I can concentrate on the one on 1st street.



pkondz said:


> Looks nice! I'd rent it.



It is very nice. Unfortunately Fran went over there and now she wants to fix more things before we put it up on the market.  She always sees things i don't.



pkondz said:


> That sounds cool! Let me know how it was.



Our day is a week from today. There are still times open on the Tuesday you're in town. Evidently this is the last time it will leave Egypt because they are building a permanent location to exhibit the collection.



pkondz said:


> That'll do it.



Just not very quickly.



pkondz said:


> Stop that! Go to bed!
> 
> That's better. Glad you listened to me.







pkondz said:


> Weird.



Well no. They probably didn't know what to do since we had booked the third seat under their "person of size" policy.



pkondz said:


> Oh no!!!! The horror!!!!!!!!



#FirstWorldProblems



pkondz said:


> I'm surprised they could accept.



As long as it's not alcohol they can take it. I give stuff to the staff at the VGC all the time, they eat it up like nobody's business. The Valets tell me stuff like food disappears like magic backstage.



pkondz said:


> Maybe it was buried on site.



We'll never know.



pkondz said:


> Don't blame you one bit.



Ya think?



pkondz said:


> Never even heard of it. Huh.



I've heard folks on the DIS write it up in their reports.



pkondz said:


> Looks like a pretty good selection of ingredients.



There was a ton of stuff to choose from!



pkondz said:


> Certainly _looks_ good



It wasn't bad at all, just not super delicious. I still haven't found a place that rivals  http://cicerospizza.com



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... so... given the same time frame... If you only had meats on it (not that I'd want that), it would be okay?



I'm not sure. I also like a pizza where the pepperoni has a little bit of crispyness on the edges, almost burnt, but not quite.



pkondz said:


> I hate when they do that.
> "Okay. Then I'll just take the one that's on the mannequin."
> "I'm sorry, we can't do that."
> 
> 
> That's actually happened to Ruby.



I've never had that situation as I am not Mannequin sized. They don't make plus size mannequins.



pkondz said:


> This must be remedied.



But then i wouldn't have a dress to wear! 



pkondz said:


> Looking forward to seeing you in your new dress!



Looking forward to wearing it! (And hopefully not ruining it by spilling cheese or other food all down the front.)



pkondz said:


> That looks familiar...



She does like her cinnamon rolls.



pkondz said:


> I don't blame you! Looks really good!



It was really good!



pkondz said:


> The one and only time you hope the bus will be late... and never is.



Well i don't want it to be late cause I don't want to miss my plane!



pkondz said:


> Huh. Perceptive of her.



No. I'm a pretty obvious worry wort.



pkondz said:


> Probably the latter! At least it is for me.



I just think aboutseeing the kitties and that makes me happy to go home.



pkondz said:


> That's a possibility?



That's the point of the person of size policy. If the flight isn't full than spreading out in two seats is no problem and they give you your money back, but if the plane is full, then they don't lose the money because you want to be comfortable.



pkondz said:


> Nice of him.



He's a very sweet guy. I would marry him if he wasn't gay!



pkondz said:


> And thanks for writing it!



You're welcome. And thanks for reading and following along!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Liesa said it was her, but for some odd reason, I'm not seeing her posts on FB anymore.
> 
> OK i just scrolled all the way until FB stopped and didnt see one post from Liesa. So i found her page and now i know why i didn't recognize her photo with Corned Beef and Cabbage, there was too much green nonsense on her plate!  @Steppesister what's with the peas and spinach? Cabbage not a good enough veggie?


So, I was POSITIVE I had cabbage and was looking forward to that. Got home from work and.... nope. So... subbed in what I had on hand.  So no, not what is normally served up here.


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> Blaze Pizza!!!    glad you gave it a try. I’ve gotten the same pizza every time, with artichokes, so never realized about the fresh veggies. They also have a pesto/garlic sauce that goes under the cheese and makes the crust divine!



That's a probkem I have. I get in a rut at certain places and always order the same things.



Pinkocto said:


> How annoying about the scooter people. Glad they didn’t give you a hard time when they made the error.



If we need to rent again I hope she goes with a different place. 



Pinkocto said:


> Sorry Fran was grumpy. Sometimes I get myself in a last day funk and its so hard to pull out of.



Unless it's a short trip, like my weekends at the Grand, by the end I'm usually looking forward to getting home to the kitties. I miss them snuggling with me in bed in the morning.



Pinkocto said:


> The apartment looks lovely, I’d certainly rent it as well. To be that close to the beach would be heavenly.



Its a great location, but sometimes when we have the marine layer fog rolls in over the bluff and it's eerie and cold.



Pinkocto said:


> Glad the kitties are doing good.



Well i spoke too soon. We took Amelia back to the Super Vet for a check up and she had started coughing again. Turns out she has a collapsed lung, so she's back on steroids and antibiotics.



Pinkocto said:


> I hope Fran starts feeling better soon.



Her cough is getting better, but today she said she felt weird.



Pinkocto said:


> Cute Minnie dress! I love the Christmas one, I never saw that.



I have all these cute dresses and nowhere to wear them!



Pinkocto said:


> What a pain about the computer problems. Glad you’re able to retrieve your files. I have one of those external hard drives that I back up everything. Is Carbonite a cloud type place?



Yeah, it backs up all your files constantly.



Pinkocto said:


> I’m sorry, I keep forgetting about the wine pictures. Well, I pass the wine and remember, and somehow forget, or get distracted by the cheese section... Next time I go I’ll take pictures.



Deal.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, what a pain.
> 
> At least you got a computer again.



Well if we didn't have one sitting around, there would have been a trip to Costco or somewhere else that sells computers, that morning!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I hate that part of the process. When I got this computer, the process of transferring files over took nearly a week.



Its been 10 days and still going. 



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that everybody is recovering.



And Amelia has a collapsed lung now.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.



Thanks. It seems to be working out, but complicatedly.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Is this one of the apartments you used to live in?



No, this is the front unit where her parents used to live.



dolphingirl47 said:


> These plans sound amazing.



It should be fun. The king tut exhibit will still be running when you visit.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that progress is being made.



Slowly....



dolphingirl47 said:


> That dress is beautiful. It is strange that they had this on display if they did not have it in stock. I do like the one you got, too.



I know. Whats up with that?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Wow! I *just* now understood Ruby's comment. So did she like it?
> 
> I'm glad you and Kay enjoyed it!



She did like it. 
And Elle had some later and liked it too.


----------



## Tracy161

franandaj said:


> Two of them are on medication, hopefully the rest recover on their own.


I hope so, too!


----------



## Pinkocto

Oh no about Amelia   does the vet say how long it will take to recover?


You can wear all those cute dresses on the cruise


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Liesa said it was her, but for some odd reason, I'm not seeing her posts on FB anymore.



huh. odd.



franandaj said:


> OK i just scrolled all the way until FB stopped and didnt see one post from Liesa. So i found her page and now i know why i didn't recognize her photo with Corned Beef and Cabbage, there was too much green nonsense on her plate!







franandaj said:


> Well since it has a strainer inside, I've also used it when I need to cook a crap ton of pasta.



Ah! So not a one trick pony.



franandaj said:


> Well now I have it planned all the way through April 1st.



The only thing I have planned up to there is to hopefully still be breathing.



franandaj said:


> Well now Amelia is having somewhat of a relapse. Another X-ray today, and more meds.  And now she has a collapsed lung.



Oh, no! How did that happen??



franandaj said:


> Well, it didn't quite go down Monday, but the tenant has been approved. Hopefully everything will be resolved Monday. Then I can concentrate on the one on 1st street.



Looking good, though?



franandaj said:


> It is very nice. Unfortunately Fran went over there and now she wants to fix more things before we put it up on the market. She always sees things i don't.



Is that a good thing or a bad thing?



franandaj said:


> Our day is a week from today. There are still times open on the Tuesday you're in town. Evidently this is the last time it will leave Egypt because they are building a permanent location to exhibit the collection.



Hmmmm.... 



franandaj said:


> Well no. They probably didn't know what to do since we had booked the third seat under their "person of size" policy.



Ah



franandaj said:


> As long as it's not alcohol they can take it.



Had no idea. Huh!



franandaj said:


> I give stuff to the staff at the VGC all the time, they eat it up like nobody's business. The Valets tell me stuff like food disappears like magic backstage.



It's more Disney magic!



franandaj said:


> It wasn't bad at all, just not super delicious. I still haven't found a place that rivals http://cicerospizza.com



Well... poop. That'd be a bit of drive for me on Tuesday.



franandaj said:


> I've never had that situation as I am not Mannequin sized. They don't make plus size mannequins.



They should fix that. 



franandaj said:


> But then i wouldn't have a dress to wear!



Okay, let's remedy that first!



franandaj said:


> Looking forward to wearing it! (And hopefully not ruining it by spilling cheese or other food all down the front.)







franandaj said:


> Well i don't want it to be late cause I don't want to miss my plane!



pfffttt... You get there with about two and a half hours to spare. It can be a little late.



franandaj said:


> I just think aboutseeing the kitties and that makes me happy to go home.







franandaj said:


> That's the point of the person of size policy. If the flight isn't full than spreading out in two seats is no problem and they give you your money back, but if the plane is full, then they don't lose the money because you want to be comfortable.



Had no idea that's how it worked. Huh!



franandaj said:


> He's a very sweet guy. I would marry him if he wasn't gay!



Fran okay with this plan?


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> And Amelia has a collapsed lung now.



Oh no, I hope the pour little thing feels better soon.



franandaj said:


> It should be fun. The king tut exhibit will still be running when you visit.



Interesting. This may be something worth considering. I wonder if it is the same exhibition we had in Manchester about 3 or 4 years ago.


Corinna


----------



## jedijill

dizneeat said:


> *Alison - I am a witness to that. Tell Fran that she NEEDS to take it slow, really slow. This cough is not something to play with. Mine is nearly gone - but now Tom has caught it and it is NASTY!!!*
> 
> 
> 
> *Yes, would work perfectly with the 9.30 breakfast. Are you joining us, Pamela - YEAH! excited!!!!!!!!*
> 
> 
> 
> *Alison - let me know what else you need - we will be shopping anyway (maybe even together with you Pamela!)*



I may need some Diet Dr Pepper if I haven't kicked my habit by then! LOL

Jill in CO


----------



## rentayenta

OMG @jedijill , I forgot your Diet Dr. Pepper.  

Alison, where do you usually get your pizza? I remember you found a decent place that delivers.

Amelia.


----------



## jedijill

rentayenta said:


> OMG @jedijill , I forgot your Diet Dr. Pepper.



Hi, my name is Jill and I have a problem. 

Jill in CO


----------



## pkondz

jedijill said:


> Hi, my name is Jill and I have a problem.
> 
> Jill in CO


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Oh brother. Just what you needed, another expense!



Well at least it was already a sunken cost. We'd paid for that laptop before Thanksgiving.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sorry to hear that. Hope she's continued to improve.



She is feeling much better.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Excellent! Should be a blast!



Definitely! Its so much more fun staying out there with DIS friends!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> What a nice idea!



Bell guys love that kind of stuff!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Now why would you say that?







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I can see where that might be an issue. Hopefully the meat wasn't raw too!



I ordered pepperoni and bacon which are normally precooked. Now I'm wondering about the sausage and ground beef. Those usually go on a pizza raw and cook in the oven. At least thats how i make my pizza!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That had to be really frustrating.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I know it would be the latter for me!



I try to keep my crabbiness in check. Especially since with DVC I know we'll be back.



Steppesister said:


> Yes, it was me and I put it on Alison's FB feed. I do that dinner every St. Patty's Day if only for the fact that corned beef is on sale for $5.99 a pound or less. I should by 5 of them but don't have the freezer room anymore.



$5.99 per pound!!!!    My point cut was $1.99 per lb and flat cuts were only $3.99. I bought a second one for later.



Steppesister said:


> Oh brother! Just NOT what you needed! UGH!



And the fikes are still copying!



Steppesister said:


> WOW!! That was super nice of her!



Well it was either that or jump out of bed and go buy me one.



Steppesister said:


> I'm SO glad she's finally getting over that and starting to feel better.



Me too. Believe me.



Steppesister said:


> I did that in San Diego years ago and LOVED it. Very worthwhile.



We saw it in Chicago in 2007. It was in LA the year before but her parents were ill and we were in and out of hospitals and SNFs, we could never take the time to go see it. This one is supposed to be even more comprehensive than that one.



Steppesister said:


> Much better. 4:30 is just not ok.



Unless you are catching a plane!



Steppesister said:


> Yes, I think I'd have trust issues with the scooters as well after all that.







Steppesister said:


> YUM! Love Blaze!



Huh. Maybe I'll give them another try and ask them to cook it a little longer.



Steppesister said:


> I likey!



Thanks! I only git to wear it once last year. I hopewe get out more this year!



Steppesister said:


> OH oh, Grumpy Traveler Alert! Bwoop bwooop!!







Steppesister said:


>



And I never even thought of it that way. Surprising that my mind wasn't in the gutter for once!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> So, I was POSITIVE I had cabbage and was looking forward to that. Got home from work and.... nope. So... subbed in what I had on hand.  So no, not what is normally served up here.



For me, no cabbage would cause me to run to the store, but then again, something tells me that the store is closer to my house than it is to yours.



pkondz said:


> She did like it.
> And Elle had some later and liked it too.



Good. 

I just bought four packages of Suki's at Costco



Tracy161 said:


> I hope so, too!



Fingers crossed.



Pinkocto said:


> Oh no about Amelia  does the vet say how long it will take to recover?



She has a follow up in 2 weeks, but already she sounds less wheeezy.



Pinkocto said:


> You can wear all those cute dresses on the cruise



Some of them will definitely be packed!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I just bought four packages of Suki's at Costco



Suki's?


----------



## Pinkocto

jedijill said:


> I may need some Diet Dr Pepper if I haven't kicked my habit by then! LOL
> 
> Jill in CO



I’ll be happy to pick up some for you. I have tried kicking my diet dew habit at least 4 times, I have gotten months in and realize its not worth it. I also have a problem


----------



## jedijill

Pinkocto said:


> I’ll be happy to pick up some for you. I have tried kicking my diet dew habit at least 4 times, I have gotten months in and realize its not worth it. I also have a problem



I kicked my Diet Coke habit on my Med cruise in 2010 since I HATE Coca Cola Light.  I was doing so well up until a couple of years ago.  Oh well, there are worse vices to have.

Jill in CO


----------



## Pinkocto

jedijill said:


> I kicked my Diet Coke habit on my Med cruise in 2010 since I HATE Coca Cola Light.  I was doing so well up until a couple of years ago.  Oh well, there are worse vices to have.
> 
> Jill in CO



That is very true.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ah! So not a one trick pony.



It's a pot. I'm sure you could use it for many different meals. I'm just not that creative.



pkondz said:


> The only thing I have planned up to there is to hopefully still be breathing.



But you have plans for two weeks after there. 



pkondz said:


> Oh, no! How did that happen??



No idea.



pkondz said:


> Looking good, though?



It's an odd situation. Joping allis resolved by Friday.



pkondz said:


> Is that a good thing or a bad thing?



Well it means I can't necessarily put the sign up and start showing it, but one of the fixes will bring the shower up to code. It's an old house and still has two knobs, one each for hot and cold water.



pkondz said:


> Had no idea. Huh!



Sometimes we even bake brownies just to bring out to the valets and Bell guys at the Grand.



pkondz said:


> It's more Disney magic!







pkondz said:


> Well... poop. That'd be a bit of drive for me on Tuesday.



Yeah better to go to Lucille's. There's one near Disneyland too.



pkondz said:


> They should fix that.



Nobody wants to look at fat Mannequins!



pkondz said:


> Okay, let's remedy that first!



First we need money.....



pkondz said:


> pfffttt... You get there with about two and a half hours to spare. It can be a little late.



I don't get there with two and a half hours to spare.  I'm glad we signed up for PreCheck though, that helps, a lot.



pkondz said:


> Had no idea that's how it worked. Huh!



At least that's how it works in theory.



pkondz said:


> Fran okay with this plan?







dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh no, I hope the pour little thing feels better soon.



She's breathing a little better now, but she really hates her medicine.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Interesting. This may be something worth considering. I wonder if it is the same exhibition we had in Manchester about 3 or 4 years ago.



No, this one is the largest exhibition they've let out of Egypt ever.  The previous ones had around 60 items on display.  This one has 150. I saw an interview with someone in charge of it on one of my news programs.



pkondz said:


> Suki's?



Oops Spelled it wrong.  And wow!  That picture is large!  I need to figure out what the settings I used on my old computer were to resize things....


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> I may need some Diet Dr Pepper if I haven't kicked my habit by then! LOL
> 
> Jill in CO





rentayenta said:


> OMG @jedijill , I forgot your Diet Dr. Pepper.





jedijill said:


> Hi, my name is Jill and I have a problem.
> 
> Jill in CO





pkondz said:


>





Pinkocto said:


> I’ll be happy to pick up some for you. I have tried kicking my diet dew habit at least 4 times, I have gotten months in and realize its not worth it. I also have a problem





jedijill said:


> I kicked my Diet Coke habit on my Med cruise in 2010 since I HATE Coca Cola Light.  I was doing so well up until a couple of years ago.  Oh well, there are worse vices to have.
> 
> Jill in CO





Pinkocto said:


> That is very true.



Are you addicts having fun?   



rentayenta said:


> Alison, where do you usually get your pizza? I remember you found a decent place that delivers.



Now you know....



rentayenta said:


> Amelia.


----------



## rentayenta

You are surrounded by lunatics!


----------



## franandaj

More Halloween Treats around Disneyland and DCA

When we last left off (back on the other TR), we had just spent several very fun days with Pam and her mom enjoying the special Halloween treats that they were serving at various locations around Disneyland.  About a week later we went back for some sort of merchandise and decided to try some more.

As we made our way to our first treat we saw Mader all dressed up in his Holiday Costume.






Our first treat today was a Spoke -Y-Cone Macaron, this was also really really sweet.  Fran had to finish it.











Stanley was all dressed up too!






Not sure what else we did that day because I don’t have any more pictures!


About a week later I convinced Fran to go back and have lunch at the Hungry Bear.






They didn’t have the funnel cake, but we split the burger, Bison Blue Cheese Burger with Candied Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms, (we asked them to leave off the Kale), and Blue Cheese Tarragon Sauce on a Whole Wheat Cibatta served with French Fries.






It was very good!






And we ate our lunch overlooking the Rivers of America.






Since they were out of the funnel cake, I had a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich for dessert.







About a week later we decided to go out for a little dinner and decided to split the special soup in a bread bowl, and a couple Margaritas!











Having saved enough room, we headed over to Clarabelle’s for some sweet Holiday Treats.






The Spider Silk Ice Cream Sandwich turned our mouths black.  Epic fail that I did not get a picture of our black tongues!  Black Macaron with Charcoal-Tart Cherry Spun Ice Cream topped with Popping Candy and drops of Raspberry Sauce.






I did not think that I was going to like the Bat Wing Raspberry Sundae - White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream with Raspberry Splatter.  Blood Red Sprinkles, whipped Cream and Bat Wing Cookies, but this was even more delicious than the Macaron!






We couldn’t finish both of these, we were just too full.


Now folks who have known us a while know that we play in a Community band, and that we play out at Disneyland once a year. And if you were following the real life updates on the last TR you know about what happened to the scooter last year when we were playing at DCA. If you didn't see that, here is a link to the page where I wrote about it.  It’s post #685.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...sept-17-the-end.3591967/page-35#post-58308747

So this part of the update picks up after we got things squared away enough to take a little time for us. After the concert and all the drama with the scooter, we were all ready for a drink. And for me that meant a REAL drink, not just a glass of wine or something.

After we parked amd such we  headed into DCA towards Carthay. They were serving a special Appletini with a spooky glow cube so I got one of those. 






We also got an order of chips and queso, love this!






This was an order of tacos from the kids menu.  They were good, but the adult ones are better.






And then we got the kids hot dogs in puff pastry.  These things disappear like magic!






We rode a few rides, like Guardians and Space Mountain, but I can’t seem to get my pictures to show up in the photopass account.  We also went to Clarabelle’s for some ice cream

Then we packed up the car to go home.






And another shot of our jury rigged scooter lift.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> When we last left off (back on the other TR),



Do you need to pay extra for TR hoppers?



franandaj said:


>



 I really like that!



franandaj said:


>



Creative. I'll give 'em that.



franandaj said:


> About a week later I convinced Fran to go back and have lunch at the Hungry Bear.



Huh. Never heard of it.



franandaj said:


> Bison Blue Cheese Burger with Candied Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms, (we asked them to leave off the Kale), and Blue Cheese Tarragon Sauce on a Whole Wheat Cibatta served with French Fries.



Whoa. That sounds good. Glad you liked it.



franandaj said:


>



Smiles all around!



franandaj said:


> Since they were out of the funnel cake, I had a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich for dessert.



Yum! That'd actually be my preference.



franandaj said:


>



How was the soup?



franandaj said:


> The Spider Silk Ice Cream Sandwich turned our mouths black. Epic fail that I did not get a picture of our black tongues!



 Too bad! That'd be a good pic. 



franandaj said:


> I did not think that I was going to like the Bat Wing Raspberry Sundae - White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream with Raspberry Splatter. Blood Red Sprinkles, whipped Cream and Bat Wing Cookies, but this was even more delicious than the Macaron!



Interesting. It doesn't _look_ appetizing.



franandaj said:


> And if you were following the real life updates on the last TR you know about what happened to the scooter last year when we were playing at DCA.







franandaj said:


> And for me that meant a REAL drink, not just a glass of wine or something.



Wine is not a _real_ drink?



franandaj said:


> We also got an order of chips and queso, love this!







franandaj said:


> And then we got the kids hot dogs in puff pastry. These things disappear like magic!



Especially if you have a certain teen girl along with you.





franandaj said:


>



Expert level Tetris


----------



## jedijill

Oooh, I know what I'm doing when I visit in October....I'm trying ALL the Halloween treats!

Jill in CO


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> No, this one is the largest exhibition they've let out of Egypt ever. The previous ones had around 60 items on display. This one has 150. I saw an interview with someone in charge of it on one of my news programs.



The one we had was already mind-blowing, but this sounds out of this world amazing.



franandaj said:


> As we made our way to our first treat we saw Mader all dressed up in his Holiday Costume.



Wow, that is too cute for words. Up to now, California Adventure did not really get into the Halloween spirit. Now I really want to come back during the Halloween season.



franandaj said:


> Our first treat today was a Spoke -Y-Cone Macaron, this was also really really sweet. Fran had to finish it.



Just reading the description brings me at the brink of a sugar coma.



franandaj said:


> About a week later we decided to go out for a little dinner and decided to split the special soup in a bread bowl, and a couple Margaritas!



That to me sounds like the perfect meal combination.



franandaj said:


> The Spider Silk Ice Cream Sandwich turned our mouths black. Epic fail that I did not get a picture of our black tongues! Black Macaron with Charcoal-Tart Cherry Spun Ice Cream topped with Popping Candy and drops of Raspberry Sauce.



Oh, that looks good, too.



franandaj said:


> After we parked amd such we headed into DCA towards Carthay. They were serving a special Appletini with a spooky glow cube so I got one of those.



I love a good Appletini.

Corinna


----------



## Pinkocto

All those Halloween yummies were such fun. I loved the Cone macaron, it was fabulous with the candy corns inside  

That funnel cake sounds divine, wow! Too bad they were out. 

I have thought of that queso many times


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Are you addicts having fun?







franandaj said:


> They didn’t have the funnel cake, but we split the burger, Bison Blue Cheese Burger with Candied Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms, (we asked them to leave off the Kale), and Blue Cheese Tarragon Sauce on a Whole Wheat Cibatta served with French Fries.



That sounds amazing!!! But, well, I kinda enjoy kale- woulda kept that on. 



franandaj said:


> And we ate our lunch overlooking the Rivers of America.



GREAT view!



franandaj said:


>



THat is so super cute! 



franandaj said:


> special Appletini



Mmmmm!!!!!



franandaj said:


> We also got an order of chips and queso



I remember that chips and queso--- yum!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> When we last left off (back on the other TR)



Wait, I have to follow chapters between TR's now?? 



franandaj said:


> Our first treat today was a Spoke -Y-Cone Macaron, this was also really really sweet. Fran had to finish it.



Candy corn?  I'm out. 



franandaj said:


>



This, however, sounds wonderful!



franandaj said:


> Epic fail that I did not get a picture of our black tongues!


----------



## Steppesister

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Candy corn? I'm out.


I'm glad I'm not the only one. Blech!


----------



## DnA2010

Hiya Alison, home sick from work = catching up on my favourite trip reports ! Those dresses are so nice, I think I need a new Disney dress, def going to be looking. I’ve enjoyed seeing the end of the scooter adventure story, and the Halloween treats all look so yummy! That sandwich was Very black! That soup looked yummy as well, I m def looking forward to a yummy bread bowl soup next month! 
Hopefully you will have a chance to come by one of the days we are there still 
I can’t wait for the next TR but enjoy following your “in between” updates also!


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> You are surrounded by lunatics!



I am!  



pkondz said:


> Do you need to pay extra for TR hoppers?



There's a special for So Cal residents. Must reside in zip codes 90000-93500.



pkondz said:


> I really like that!



It was the 1st year that DCA got in on the holiday fun.



pkondz said:


> Creative. I'll give 'em that.



There were some other really creative ones i never got to try.



pkondz said:


> Huh. Never heard of it.



It's way back in Critter Country near Spalsh Mountain.



pkondz said:


> Whoa. That sounds good. Glad you liked it.



It was pretty good!



pkondz said:


> Yum! That'd actually be my preference.



I like a good funnel cake when you can find one.



pkondz said:


> How was the soup?



Very tasty!



pkondz said:


> Too bad! That'd be a good pic.



Next time!  



pkondz said:


> Interesting. It doesn't _look_ appetizing.



It was very tasty!



pkondz said:


> Wine is not a _real_ drink?



When you want a _drink_. No, its just an adult beverage. I wanted something with a kick!



pkondz said:


> Expert level Tetris







jedijill said:


> Oooh, I know what I'm doing when I visit in October....I'm trying ALL the Halloween treats!
> 
> Jill in CO



I just booked the night of your first night and waitlisted the other three!



dolphingirl47 said:


> The one we had was already mind-blowing, but this sounds out of this world amazing.



It was overwhelming! We are planning to go back again. There was just too much to take in for one visit. Plus going in the first week it was super crowded.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, that is too cute for words. Up to now, California Adventure did not really get into the Halloween spirit. Now I really want to come back during the Halloween season.



This was the first year it was decorated for Halloween and I thought it was great!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Just reading the description brings me at the brink of a sugar coma.



It was very very sweet!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That to me sounds like the perfect meal combination.



It was perfect. 



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, that looks good, too.



I didn'treally want it at first, but was glad we ordered it!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I love a good Appletini.



Its now become one of my favorite drinks too!



Pinkocto said:


> All those Halloween yummies were such fun. I loved the Cone macaron, it was fabulous with the candy corns inside
> 
> That funnel cake sounds divine, wow! Too bad they were out.



I'm glad you could eat it. The sugar content nearly killed me!



Pinkocto said:


> I have thought of that queso many times



It was nice that he made you one without all the extra goo.



Steppesister said:


> That sounds amazing!!! But, well, I kinda enjoy kale- woulda kept that on.



It's way too bitter for me. For me it's strictly a garnish!



Steppesister said:


> GREAT view!



Fun to watch the Mark Twain cruise by.



Steppesister said:


> THat is so super cute!







Steppesister said:


> Mmmmm!!!!!







Steppesister said:


> I remember that chips and queso--- yum!



We may even enjoy some today!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wait, I have to follow chapters between TR's now??



No, not any more. But the bonus features used to be on the previous TR. Since I wrapped this one up a few weeks ago, the bonus features are on this one now.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Candy corn? I'm out.



Not a fan, huh?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This, however, sounds wonderful!



It was really tasty!



Steppesister said:


> I'm glad I'm not the only one. Blech!







DnA2010 said:


> Hiya Alison, home sick from work = catching up on my favourite trip reports !



Hope you're feeling better!



DnA2010 said:


> Those dresses are so nice, I think I need a new Disney dress, def going to be looking.



There are some really cute ones.



DnA2010 said:


> I’ve enjoyed seeing the end of the scooter adventure story, and the Halloween treats all look so yummy! That sandwich was Very black! That soup looked yummy as well, I m def looking forward to a yummy bread bowl soup next month!



Did you know you can order the bread on the side? That way you can take it home or back to the room and it doesn't get soggy.



DnA2010 said:


> Hopefully you will have a chance to come by one of the days we are there still



I hope so too! What are your dates again?



DnA2010 said:


> I can’t wait for the next TR but enjoy following your “in between” updates also!



I got a ton of them!


----------



## DnA2010

Our park days are May 20-24


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Our park days are May 20-24



Noted in my calendar!


----------



## franandaj

OK, so I know that I still owe replies on about five different threads, but when the opportunity to post on my own thread arises, I take it, and I had just such an opportunity this afternoon so here goes!  I’ll be visiting your threads throughout the weekend (hopefully).


If you remember from the last update, my parents were coming for a visit. We had a brutal few days of cleaning the house in preparation for their arrival. Once they arrived we had a busy night and a day before we spent the rest of the weekend relaxing.  You’ll hear all about the busy night and day when I get to it in the the upcoming bonus features, but for now it’s time for IRL news.

For me the biggest news went down while my parents were visiting. One day while we were just kickin it at the house, my mom says to me, “Alison, I think Amelia has balls.” I was skeptical at first, but on closer examination, sure enough she was a he. My mom is a graduate of the clairvoyant program at the Berkeley Psychic Institute, and when she visits, she fancies herself as a cat whisperer and often tells me about what some of the cats are thinking. This came in handy when trying to come up with a new masculine name for the cat. The obvious choice was Emilio, or even Emile, but then again I didn't want to name him after a rat who had no sense of a palate. Mom said he didn't like either of those names, or half a dozen others that we came up with.

It was the next morning when I thought about Berlioz, one of the kittens from the Aristocats, and Mom said he was OK with that name. I guess all the doctors were so concerned with his lungs that no one ever bothered to look at his privates! He's still recovering from the pneumonia and collapsed lung, he gets two types of inhalers twice per day and a steroid once a day. He'll probably have to go back for a follow up in another week or two.

The other big news is that the unit on 1st street rented. It was almost within an hour of listing the place on Zillow. Friday afternoon we put the sign out front, Saturday morning I made the ad live on Zillow. I got a call within 15 minutes of listing and the people made an appointment to see it in a little over an hour. They were ready to give us the money right then and there, but it ended up taking another four days to do the proper paperwork and get it all rented. The only major thing left is to clear out the other apartment.

There has been one other major change and that relates to our trip this summer. We are still going on the cruise and we are flying in a couple days early, but we had to cut the stay in the Grand Villa following the cruise. It turns out that the weekend we had planned to stay in the Grand Villa was the same weekend that John Williams will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl back at home. Fran was ready to cut the entire trip in lieu of the performance at the Bowl. I convinced her that we could fly back the Saturday following the cruise and go to the Sunday night performance at the bowl. I'm very sad because I had quite a few DisMeets set up for this weekend, but when you're married, sometimes you have to compromise. At least we still get to go on the cruise and attend MNSSHP. And we'll get to see John Williams at the Bowl as we have for many years now.

Remember a while back my computer died? Well thanks to Carbonite I have all my data back on my new computer.  It’s not nearly as fast as the old one, but at least I have a computer!  Maybe when the finances turn around I’ll get a new faster one. The whole data restoring process on this new computer took three weeks to complete! And now my updated files are finally restored in the cloud, it was almost 100,000 files (98,062 to be exact.  447 GB of data) Mostly pictures and old videos of the band, but it’s all there!

I just spent a fabulous weekend at Disney and some DIS friends came into town, we hung out at various locations culminating with a day at the DL parks, but that will also be for a later update.  In about a week, I’ll be back at DL for an early celebration of my birthday.  It falls on a Tuesday this year which means I don’t really get to celebrate it since I have to go to band that night.  Instead I’ll celebrate early on Saturday with some good friends, some good wine and good food!

I think that’s all the news for now, so back to the Bonus Features.

This update takes us all the way back to November and the Festival of Holidays at DCA.  Disney is really getting their mileage out of these booths that they built for the Food & Wine Festival. So far there are three different festivals each year that they bring them out now.  I’m not at all complaining, I think it’s great for Disney to entice me with all kinds of yummy food offerings, I just need more time in my busy schedule to get out there and take advantage of all they have to offer.

Our first booth of this particular November evening was Chips, Breads, and Holiday Spreads.






And Right next door was Making Spirits Bright











We started off with the Chorizo Queso Fundido, this was a definite winner!






I also ordered the White Wine Flight which had Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Fess Parker Chardonnay, and Bartenura Moscato.  All three were tasty, I preferred the Sav Blanc while Fran liked the Moscato.






We also got the White Chocolate Dipped Lingonberry Speculoos Cookie.  It was good, but not the star of the festival.






Next up was the Joy to the Sauce Booth.
















Here we got the Beef Short Rib, it was tender.  I didn’t care for the Cranberry sauce with the Beef, not my thing, but we ate it all.  Wouldn’t want it to go to waste!






These were the clear winners of the Festival, the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Holiday Egg Nog Cocktail.  The Sticky Toffee Pudding was so darned good!  I really wished that I had ordered more of these!






It appears that we also got a glass of the Rodney Strong Pinot Noir as well.






Then we moved on to Blissfully Braised.











The only thing that appealed to us here was the Braised Pork Belly Adobo, it was really good, but sadly we were starting to get full.






So we headed to our last booth of the evening (and as it would turn out, the entire festival for us) for some dessert. From A Twist on Tradition we ordered the Chocolate Yule Log.
















While we did make it back to Disney several more times over the Holiday Season, this would be our only opportunity to visit the Holiday kiosks.

Just a few days later, my parents came to visit over the Thanksgiving Holiday and we decided to spend one of our evenings dining at Steakhouse 55.  We requested the Chef’s table and unfortunately I forgot to send a list of my likes and dislikes, so there was a clear “miss” on the evening, but I’ll get to that later.  This year the Disneyland Hotel got in the on the Gingerbread action with this.






We started off with the delicious bread that they serve at S55






Here was our “miss” of the evening.  We were served Pumpkin Soup (not my favorite) and the foam on top was a coconut foam.  Both my Mom and I couldn’t get that icky foam out of our bowls fast enough!  I won’t forget in the future when doing the chef’s table to always submit my list of likes and dislikes!






This was a lobster salad with citrus foam dressing, it was kind of neat and the dressing itself was tasty.  The lobster was very tender.






We were served some fancy pants water.  Usually we just go with tap water, not sure why we ended up with this.






Palate cleanser.  Not sure what flavor this was I can’t remember.






This is a bone in Filet Mignon.  Not something you often see on a menu.  The piece of meat was HUGE and no one was able to finish it off. We ended up taking home a pretty big doggy bag of this and used the leftovers to make Beef Stroganoff for dinner the following night.






One of the reasons that no one finished the steaks was that Chef Marcel knows that a Souffle is one of my favorite desserts and earlier in the meal we had placed our orders for either Chocolate or Grand Marnier Souffles.  I, of course, went with the Grand Marnier!  So yummy!  And so food coma inducing!






And that wraps up my November visits to the Disneyland Resort!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> One day while we were just kickin it at the house, my mom says to me, “Alison, I think Amelia has balls.”



Wow, I did not see this one coming.



franandaj said:


> The other big news is that the unit on 1st street rented.



This is great news.



franandaj said:


> I'm very sad because I had quite a few DisMeets set up for this weekend, but when you're married, sometimes you have to compromise. At least we still get to go on the cruise and attend MNSSHP. And we'll get to see John Williams at the Bowl as we have for many years now.



What a shame that you are missing out on the DisMeets, but at least you still have most of the trip to look forward to.



franandaj said:


> We started off with the Chorizo Queso Fundido, this was a definite winner!



This looks delicious.



franandaj said:


> I also ordered the White Wine Flight which had Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Fess Parker Chardonnay, and Bartenura Moscato. All three were tasty, I preferred the Sav Blanc while Fran liked the Moscato.



I would have enjoyed this. I developed a taste for the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc on our cruise last year and I have always loved Moscato.



franandaj said:


> This year the Disneyland Hotel got in the on the Gingerbread action with this.



Was it actually gingerbread last year. This looks exactly the same as the one we saw in 2014 and that was fibreglass.



franandaj said:


> This is a bone in Filet Mignon. Not something you often see on a menu.



I have never come across this before.

Corinna


----------



## rentayenta

I think your mom said nards, not balls. 

The Festival of the Holidays seems like ages ago and it was just a few months. Great pics!


----------



## tiggrbaby

How surprising about the kitty!

I loooove sticky toffee pudding!

Yay for renting the apartment!

What a lovely dinner!  Too bad there were some items you didn't like.


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, I did not see this one coming.



Me neither!  



dolphingirl47 said:


> This is great news.



I was thoroughly relieved for this.



dolphingirl47 said:


> What a shame that you are missing out on the DisMeets, but at least you still have most of the trip to look forward to.



True, and at least Fran is satisfied with the situation. 



dolphingirl47 said:


> This looks delicious.



It was. I hope its back next year.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I would have enjoyed this. I developed a taste for the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc on our cruise last year and I have always loved Moscato.



I've liked wines from Marlborough ever since my trip to New Zealand.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Was it actually gingerbread last year. This looks exactly the same as the one we saw in 2014 and that was fibreglass.



Now that you mention it, I think I read online that it may not be made of Gingerbread, I wasnt paying that close of attention. I was more looking forward to dinner.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I have never come across this before.



This was the first time I had heard of it.



rentayenta said:


> I think your mom said nards, not balls.



No, my Mom said balls. I said "nards" when I texted you and Jill beacause I was still in shock and that word sounded harsher to me! 



rentayenta said:


> The Festival of the Holidays seems like ages ago and it was just a few months. Great pics!



Well there have been two other festivals since that one, so it can seem a world away.


----------



## rentayenta

The great nards/balls debate!  I love us!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Too bad you only got to he festival once!  At least you got to try the braised pork belly! Yum!!!!  

Your thanksgiving meal looks good even if your starter was a miss.  I could go for that filet and soufflé right now!


----------



## franandaj

tiggrbaby said:


> How surprising about the kitty!



You're telling me!



tiggrbaby said:


> I loooove sticky toffee pudding!



I had never had it before. I'm gonna need to find a recipe now.



tiggrbaby said:


> Yay for renting the apartment!



Such a relief!



tiggrbaby said:


> What a lovely dinner! Too bad there were some items you didn't like.



I'll need to be more specific in future meals.



rentayenta said:


> The great nards/balls debate!  I love us!


----------



## pooh'smate

Yay for getting the apartment rented.

The food looked really good. I love Sticky Toffee Pudding and I make a different Buche de Noel (Yule Log) every year as our Christmas dinner dessert.


----------



## Pinkocto

Congratulations on the apartment, that’s awesome news!  

Oh my about Amelia. Berlioz is a fabulous name. Glad he’s feeling better. 

I’m so sad about the trip changes, but so glad you are still able to do the MNSSHP and the cruise. Glad you were able to compromise with Fran and she can still do the concert. Its still going to be an awesome trip. 

Yummy treats at the booths. The Fantasu usually has sticky toffee pudding at least one day in Cabanas. Mom raves about it. 

Your Thanksgiving dinner looks fabulous. Sorry about the coconut on the soup.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We may even enjoy some today!



We did! We did!!



franandaj said:


> The other big news is that the unit on 1st street rented.



YAY!!!! I was so happy for that!



franandaj said:


> We are still going on the cruise and we are flying in a couple days early, but we had to cut the stay in the Grand Villa following the cruise.



So a good news/bad news kind of change.



franandaj said:


> At least we still get to go on the cruise and attend MNSSHP.


So not all is lost. 



franandaj said:


> I just spent a fabulous weekend at Disney and some DIS friends came into town, we hung out at various locations culminating with a day at the DL parks, but that will also be for a later update.



Looking forward to hearing about that!



franandaj said:


>



How  can you possibly go wrong with queso and chips?!



franandaj said:


> While we did make it back to Disney several more times over the Holiday Season, this would be our only opportunity to visit the Holiday kiosks.



But you did some serious damage while you could. WHOA, Girl! 



franandaj said:


> Here was our “miss” of the evening. We were served Pumpkin Soup (not my favorite) and the foam on top was a coconut foam. Both my Mom and I couldn’t get that icky foam out of our bowls fast enough! I won’t forget in the future when doing the chef’s table to always submit my list of likes and dislikes!



I dunno... that sounds pretty good to me. I think I'd actually like that.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> For me the biggest news went down while my parents were visiting. One day while we were just kickin it at the house, my mom says to me, “Alison, I think Amelia has balls.” I was skeptical at first, but on closer examination, sure enough she was a he.



 Well, that's not an everyday occurrence!



franandaj said:


> The other big news is that the unit on 1st street rented.



Yay!  One headache off the list!



franandaj said:


> And we'll get to see John Williams at the Bowl as we have for many years now.



Well, John Williams is a national treasure, and I don't imagine we have too many years left to enjoy him.  Sorry you had to cut off the trip, though.



franandaj said:


> I just spent a fabulous weekend at Disney and some DIS friends came into town, we hung out at various locations culminating with a day at the DL parks, but that will also be for a later update.



Looked like a great group of people!  Glad you all had lots of fun.



franandaj said:


> Here was our “miss” of the evening. We were served Pumpkin Soup (not my favorite) and the foam on top was a coconut foam. Both my Mom and I couldn’t get that icky foam out of our bowls fast enough! I won’t forget in the future when doing the chef’s table to always submit my list of likes and dislikes!



Ugh.  I'm really done with the pumpkin fad.  I don't think pumpkin improves much of anything.  And coconut definitely doesn't!


----------



## chunkymonkey

I have a bit of catching up to do on the TR, but I've caught up on all the Disneyland stuff, lol. Looks like so much fun! I didn't know they had Halloween parties too, is this new? I was thinking of going to DLR next year in Sept before or after our Alaska cruise since we will be on the west coast anyhow, so thought it would be a good idea. 

but then I saw this:



franandaj said:


> There has been one other major change and that relates to our trip this summer. We are still going on the cruise and we are flying in a couple days early, but we had to cut the stay in the Grand Villa following the cruise. It turns out that the weekend we had planned to stay in the Grand Villa was the same weekend that John Williams will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl back at home. Fran was ready to cut the entire trip in lieu of the performance at the Bowl. I convinced her that we could fly back the Saturday following the cruise and go to the Sunday night performance at the bowl. I'm very sad because I had quite a few DisMeets set up for this weekend, but when you're married, sometimes you have to compromise. At least we still get to go on the cruise and attend MNSSHP. And we'll get to see John Williams at the Bowl as we have for many years now.



Oh no! Does this mean no DISMeet? 

I hear ya about John Williams though...we've seen him at Tanglewood in the Berkshires (Massachusetts) for film night for many years too, and not sure how long he can keep performing but I wouldn't miss it! We had to miss Tanglewood last year because of our family trip but this year we're going to see him in August!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> There's a special for So Cal residents. Must reside in zip codes 90000-93500.



Ah!



franandaj said:


> It's way back in Critter Country near Spalsh Mountain.



Not sure if I've seen it... still!



franandaj said:


> Next time!



I'll hold you to that!



franandaj said:


> When you want a _drink_. No, its just an adult beverage. I wanted something with a kick!



You get no kick from Champagne?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We had a brutal few days of cleaning the house in preparation for their arrival.





And then you did it again in the backyard for us.

 

What you _should_ have done was told me to come over early and I could have helped with that!



franandaj said:


> One day while we were just kickin it at the house, my mom says to me, “Alison, I think Amelia has balls.”





I know the story... but dang that's funny!



franandaj said:


> she fancies herself as a cat whisperer and often tells me about what some of the cats are thinking.



Oh, pfffttt... I can do that.
They _all_ think "I will pretend to love you (some don't) and then I will kill you at the first sign of weakness."



franandaj said:


> I guess all the doctors were so concerned with his lungs that no one ever bothered to look at his privates!



I tend not to look at cats' privates too.



franandaj said:


> The other big news is that the unit on 1st street rented.



Knew this... but still worthy of an official "Yay!"



franandaj said:


> There has been one other major change and that relates to our trip this summer. We are still going on the cruise and we are flying in a couple days early, but we had to cut the stay in the Grand Villa following the cruise. It turns out that the weekend we had planned to stay in the Grand Villa was the same weekend that John Williams will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl back at home. Fran was ready to cut the entire trip in lieu of the performance at the Bowl. I convinced her that we could fly back the Saturday following the cruise and go to the Sunday night performance at the bowl. I'm very sad because I had quite a few DisMeets set up for this weekend, but when you're married, sometimes you have to compromise. At least we still get to go on the cruise and attend MNSSHP. And we'll get to see John Williams at the Bowl as we have for many years now.



Knew that too... but... 



franandaj said:


> Well thanks to Carbonite I have all my data back on my new computer.



Good!! I don't think you'd told us that.



franandaj said:


> The whole data restoring process on this new computer took three weeks to complete!







franandaj said:


> This update takes us all the way back to November



That's okay... my updates are taking us back to July.



franandaj said:


> And Right next door was Making Spirits Bright



Where they apparently don't sell drinks.



franandaj said:


> We also got the White Chocolate Dipped Lingonberry Speculoos Cookie. It was good, but not the star of the festival.



Too bad... it _sounds_ amazing.



franandaj said:


> Next up was the Joy to the Sauce Booth.



I gotta say... I'm lovin' the names of the booths.



franandaj said:


> the Holiday Egg Nog Cocktail.



Want. Unless it had a strong rum taste?



franandaj said:


> From A Twist on Tradition we ordered the Chocolate Yule Log.



I would have to. And man that looked good!



franandaj said:


> While we did make it back to Disney several more times over the Holiday Season, this would be our only opportunity to visit the Holiday kiosks.



You're giving me a reason to go, you know that, right?



franandaj said:


> Just a few days later, my parents came to visit over the Thanksgiving Holiday and we decided to spend one of our evenings dining at Steakhouse 55.



Oh! Nice! I'd love to go there.



franandaj said:


> We requested the Chef’s table and unfortunately I forgot to send a list of my likes and dislikes, so there was a clear “miss” on the evening, but I’ll get to that later.



Uh, oh...



franandaj said:


> Here was our “miss” of the evening. We were served Pumpkin Soup (not my favorite) and the foam on top was a coconut foam.



Ew! No! Hard stop!



franandaj said:


> This was a lobster salad with citrus foam dressing, it was kind of neat and the dressing itself was tasty. The lobster was very tender.



Wow, that sounds really intriguing.



franandaj said:


> Palate cleanser. Not sure what flavor this was I can’t remember.



I very much doubt it would be, but it looks like a pistachio. Was it green?



franandaj said:


> This is a bone in Filet Mignon. Not something you often see on a menu.



I don't think I've ever seen it on a menu.



franandaj said:


> One of the reasons that no one finished the steaks was that Chef Marcel knows that a Souffle is one of my favorite desserts and earlier in the meal we had placed our orders for either Chocolate or Grand Marnier Souffles. I, of course, went with the Grand Marnier! So yummy! And so food coma inducing!



Very familiar with your love for this particular item.


----------



## cruisehopeful

franandaj said:


> Just a few days later, my parents came to visit over the Thanksgiving Holiday and we decided to spend one of our evenings dining at Steakhouse 55. We requested the Chef’s table


I didn't even know there was a chef's table at Steakhouse 55. I always read about Napa Rose chef's table.... first time I've read about one at Steakhouse. I will have to check it out if they allow likes/dislikes. 

Funny how nobody noticed the kitty was a boy. I know there were more urgent things going on, but it always amazes me when a vet misses something like that.


----------



## skier_pete

HEy caught up. I apologize for missing the latest update...too bad that you are not going to be around for a meet after the cruise, but John Williams is pretty awesome. When I was a kid he was the director of the Boston Pops, but even though it was only 90 minutes I never got to see him. (Not that I would've been interested at 17 even though I was pretty obsessed with his soundtrack stuff.) DD loves soundtracks too, and we went to John Williams night at the BPO (This time Buffalo Philharmonic.), but of course no ACTUALL John Williams here. DD would be very jealous.

I so want to try Steakhouse 55, but we have promised DD next time we get out there she really, really wants to do Blue Bayou, so not sure we could afford both.


----------



## jedijill

Caught back up again.   I had so much fun last weekend...that holiday food looks amazing!

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

pkondz said:


> You get no kick from Champagne?



I was wondering the same. Champagne can be pretty innocuous for me! 



pkondz said:


> Ew! No! Hard stop!



Yay!! 3 portions for me!


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> Too bad you only got to he festival once! At least you got to try the braised pork belly! Yum!!!!



Yes, there is just not enough time to enjoy all the Disney treats, but I'm glad I did get to try the pork belly!



pooh'smate said:


> Yay for getting the apartment rented.



That was a tremendous relief!



pooh'smate said:


> The food looked really good. I love Sticky Toffee Pudding and I make a different Buche de Noel (Yule Log) every year as our Christmas dinner dessert.



I wish I had the time and patience to make a dessert like that. 



Pinkocto said:


> Congratulations on the apartment, that’s awesome news!



Such a relief!



Pinkocto said:


> Oh my about Amelia. Berlioz is a fabulous name. Glad he’s feeling better.



I just wish he would make a full recovery, but that's looking more and more unlikely.



Pinkocto said:


> I’m so sad about the trip changes, but so glad you are still able to do the MNSSHP and the cruise. Glad you were able to compromise with Fran and she can still do the concert. Its still going to be an awesome trip.



We will still have a great time. I'm sad that we won't have the time in the Grand Villa. I was really looking forward to that tub!



Pinkocto said:


> Yummy treats at the booths. The Fantasu usually has sticky toffee pudding at least one day in Cabanas. Mom raves about it.



I'll have to look for that!


----------



## Pinkocto

Berlioz not doing good???


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> Berlioz not doing good???



Well he has a collapsed lung so thats not good.


----------



## dizneeat

franandaj said:


> Well he has a collapsed lung so thats not good.



Oh poor baby kitty, I thought he was getting better - I must have misread. Please extra cuddles for the sweet baby.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> We did! We did!!



Well we didn't have the Queso...which is what I was talking about, but it was still good!



Steppesister said:


> YAY!!!! I was so happy for that!



Not happier than I!



Steppesister said:


> So a good news/bad news kind of change.



I guess so.  I still didn't want to change it, but you know compromises.



Steppesister said:


> So not all is lost.



No we do still get 8 days with great DIS friends!



Steppesister said:


> Looking forward to hearing about that!



I'm not going to derail my trips for it, but then again my next two updates are pretty much written and pictures for the third are edited.  I just need to stay caught up on my friend's TRs so I don't feel guilty about posting!



Steppesister said:


> How can you possibly go wrong with queso and chips?!



It's pretty hard to go wrong with that combo.  Unless you have given up chips.  



Steppesister said:


> But you did some serious damage while you could. WHOA, Girl!



We tried!  



Steppesister said:


> I dunno... that sounds pretty good to me. I think I'd actually like that.



Then again coconut is not your kryptonite like Mom and me.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, that's not an everyday occurrence!



It did happen with one of the other kittens.  I thought she was a boy and she was a girl, but they caught that at her first appointment.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yay! One headache off the list!



And pretty soon the one that has been looming over our heads will be gone as well! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, John Williams is a national treasure, and I don't imagine we have too many years left to enjoy him. Sorry you had to cut off the trip, though.



Yeah, that's what Fran is saying every year.  He has stopped with writing Star Wars Soundtracks (after this next one), so who knows what's left.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Looked like a great group of people! Glad you all had lots of fun.



We did have fun!  It was brief that all of us hung out together, the rest of us kind of did it in smaller groups.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ugh. I'm really done with the pumpkin fad. I don't think pumpkin improves much of anything. And coconut definitely doesn't!



I've never been into pumpkin.  It took me forever to even try Pumpkin Pie, and even so it's still not my favorite.  Coconut?  



chunkymonkey said:


> I have a bit of catching up to do on the TR, but I've caught up on all the Disneyland stuff, lol. Looks like so much fun! I didn't know they had Halloween parties too, is this new? I was thinking of going to DLR next year in Sept before or after our Alaska cruise since we will be on the west coast anyhow, so thought it would be a good idea.



I think that would be an excellent idea!  Yes they have had Halloween parties for probably almost 10 years now. I've never been, but there is no headless horseman for the parade.  I've been there late at night when they were testing some of the effects and they looked pretty cool.  I'd come out and meet you and we could have some fun in some cool places!  



chunkymonkey said:


> but then I saw this:
> 
> Oh no! Does this mean no DISMeet?



Unfortunately yes.  This is the part that disappoints me the most.  From the first time I spent a night in a one bedroom at OKW I thought what a cool resort it would be to have a big party.  The idea of everyone making something for a potluck and then just hanging out was sounding like so much fun, but maybe another time.....



chunkymonkey said:


> I hear ya about John Williams though...we've seen him at Tanglewood in the Berkshires (Massachusetts) for film night for many years too, and not sure how long he can keep performing but I wouldn't miss it! We had to miss Tanglewood last year because of our family trip but this year we're going to see him in August!



That sounds impressive, "Tanglewood".  I was born in Boston so that was always a name dropping sort of place.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> It's pretty hard to go wrong with that combo. Unless you have given up chips.





(But I have not given up _corn_ chips)



franandaj said:


> Then again coconut is not your kryptonite like Mom and me.







franandaj said:


> It took me forever to even try Pumpkin Pie, and even so it's still not my favorite.



Agreed.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Not sure if I've seen it... still!



And I even pointed it out to you!



pkondz said:


> I'll hold you to that!



OK, I'm counting on you to remember, cause I already forgot what you're holding me to!  



pkondz said:


> You get no kick from Champagne?



No not really, not like a shot of vodka!



pkondz said:


> And then you did it again in the backyard for us.
> 
> 
> 
> What you _should_ have done was told me to come over early and I could have helped with that!



Well if someone wasn't so secretive...   



pkondz said:


> I know the story... but dang that's funny!



Fran still can't call him "he".  She keeps calling him "she".



pkondz said:


> Oh, pfffttt... I can do that.
> They _all_ think "I will pretend to love you (some don't) and then I will kill you at the first sign of weakness."



Yeah but can you tell me who doesn't like who?



pkondz said:


> I tend not to look at cats' privates too.



They don't particularly like you lifting up their tails.



pkondz said:


> Knew this... but still worthy of an official "Yay!"



Thank you!  It feels really good to be getting rent checks for all our apartments.



pkondz said:


> Knew that too... but...



Ya gotta do what ya gotta do....



pkondz said:


> Good!! I don't think you'd told us that.



I couldn't believe that it took so long.



pkondz said:


> That's okay... my updates are taking us back to July.







pkondz said:


> Where they apparently don't sell drinks.



I was going to say it's cause it's the Food & Wine Festival, but it's the Festival of Holidays.



pkondz said:


> Too bad... it _sounds_ amazing.





pkondz said:


> Where they apparently don't sell drinks.



Nope, just wine.



pkondz said:


> I gotta say... I'm lovin' the names of the booths.



They were pretty funny.



pkondz said:


> Want. Unless it had a strong rum taste?



It had a strong alcohol taste.  There were three different kinds of alcohol in there.



pkondz said:


> I would have to. And man that looked good!



It was very tasty.



pkondz said:


> You're giving me a reason to go, you know that, right



  And I can go with you!



pkondz said:


> Oh! Nice! I'd love to go there.



It's a fabulous restaurant, as you will see in a few more months....



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh...
> 
> Ew! No! Hard stop!







pkondz said:


> Wow, that sounds really intriguing.



It was very good.



pkondz said:


> I very much doubt it would be, but it looks like a pistachio. Was it green?



I believe it was more citrusy.



pkondz said:


> I don't think I've ever seen it on a menu.



Well if you go to Steakhouse 55, it is now on their menu.  I think he was testing it out on us.



pkondz said:


> Very familiar with your love for this particular item.



As a good trip report follower should!  



cruisehopeful said:


> I didn't even know there was a chef's table at Steakhouse 55. I always read about Napa Rose chef's table.... first time I've read about one at Steakhouse. I will have to check it out if they allow likes/dislikes.



Well technically there isn't a "Chef's Table", at least a physical one, but when you make a reservation via phone you can request it and then they will seat you there and serve you the chef's creations.  I have Chef Marcel's email so I usually make the reservation online and then email him.  I won't forget to include our likes and dislikes in the future.



cruisehopeful said:


> Funny how nobody noticed the kitty was a boy. I know there were more urgent things going on, but it always amazes me when a vet misses something like that.



Yeah, I was surprised as well.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> And I even pointed it out to you!



Right!!! Now I remember!



franandaj said:


> OK, I'm counting on you to remember, cause I already forgot what you're holding me to!



Don't look at me! And I ain't gonna go back and look either!



franandaj said:


> No not really, not like a shot of vodka!







franandaj said:


> Well if someone wasn't so secretive...



who... me?





franandaj said:


> Fran still can't call him "he". She keeps calling him "she".



He/she may take offense!



franandaj said:


> Yeah but can you tell me who doesn't like who?



Nope! 



franandaj said:


> They don't particularly like you lifting up their tails.



 No! They sure don't!



franandaj said:


> Thank you! It feels really good to be getting rent checks for all our apartments.



I bet! 



franandaj said:


> It had a strong alcohol taste. There were three different kinds of alcohol in there.



Then I probably wouldn't care for it.



franandaj said:


> And I can go with you!



That would be fun! 



franandaj said:


> It's a fabulous restaurant, as you will see in a few more months....



Okay!



franandaj said:


> I believe it was more citrusy.



Ah. Lime green perhaps?



franandaj said:


> Well if you go to Steakhouse 55, it is now on their menu. I think he was testing it out on us.



Have to keep that in mind. But almost certainly will forget!


----------



## franandaj

********** said:


> HEy caught up. I apologize for missing the latest update...too bad that you are not going to be around for a meet after the cruise, but John Williams is pretty awesome. When I was a kid he was the director of the Boston Pops, but even though it was only 90 minutes I never got to see him. (Not that I would've been interested at 17 even though I was pretty obsessed with his soundtrack stuff.) DD loves soundtracks too, and we went to John Williams night at the BPO (This time Buffalo Philharmonic.), but of course no ACTUALL John Williams here. DD would be very jealous.



It's been a thing for us for a while. I remember seeing him on the Catch Me If You Can soundtrack. It had an awesome saxophone solo. But i think we had seen him even before that.



********** said:


> I so want to try Steakhouse 55, but we have promised DD next time we get out there she really, really wants to do Blue Bayou, so not sure we could afford both.



I can understand that, although budgeting on vacation is something i cant quite get Fran to wrap her head around. She just thinks we shou ld sell more stuff on eBay. At least we have that to fall back on!



jedijill said:


> Caught back up again.   I had so much fun last weekend...that holiday food looks amazing!
> 
> Jill in CO



I wish we had the time when you were there to visit the booths!



Steppesister said:


> I was wondering the same. Champagne can be pretty innocuous for me!



It mostly gives me a headache, unless it's proper champagne.



Steppesister said:


> Yay!! 3 portions for me!



Fine take all of it!



dizneeat said:


> Oh poor baby kitty, I thought he was getting better - I must have misread. Please extra cuddles for the sweet baby.



No i didnt post about the colllapsed lung. Next update.



pkondz said:


> (But I have not given up _corn_ chips)



Well then we could have done the queso!



pkondz said:


> Agreed.



Give me apple anytime!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well then we could have done the queso!


----------



## franandaj

OK, so I seem to be saying this before every update that I post, and I know that I still have a few more TRs to catch up on, but it’s been a while since I’ve updated with Bonus features and this one has been in the hopper for a while now.  I promise that I will be over to your TRs before the next update, and hopefully even sooner than that!


In our last IRL update we learned the Amelia/Berlioz was a he not a she, but I forgot to give a real update on his health issues. The pneumonia in his lungs is improving.  He is on two types of kitty inahalers twice daily. But there has been no improvement on his collapsed lung.  We are going to continue his treatment and see the vet in another six to eight weeks and see if there is any improvement.  If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.

The day that we have been waiting for since 2014 has finally arrived. Last week we sold the dining room table from our old house.  A woman who restores antique furniture purchased it and she promised to send a photo of the reborn table set. Today we sold our last curio cabinet, and the recliner and bar stools are listed on Craigslist or free. We’ve received a few inquiries so far.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with the contractor to talk about renovation and he will be writing us up a quote to get it ready for new renters. I just hope that we will have the money to pay him!

I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker? In 2010 we took my parents to WDW for their first trip. Ever since then my Dad has been asking when we’re going back. My Mom not quite so much, but with the Flower & Garden Festival we were able to entice her into going. You see she grows Iris in her yard. It’s practically a botanical garden. She has little museum tags in front of all her plants describing what type of Iris they are. She is a member of the Iris Society and the Chrysanthemum Club in San Jose. In fact she won several awards a couple weeks ago for her Iris that she entered into a contest. So we’re going in Mid March next year, and staying at the Beach Club. I’ve already started overwhelming them with things like asking where they would like to dine our first night. I limited them to restaurants at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk and so far they’re already stumped. I did get them to sign up for MDE accounts and become part of my Friends and Family. My goal is to have them work with me to pick out the restaurants for ADRs before the cruise in August because our 180 day mark is two weeks after we return from that trip. I want it all locked down before I leave because we have so much going on (potentially) when we get back I won’t have time to deal with deciding on dinner reservations.

This month we have a trip to Kansas City planned and it is related to our International Band Organization. We are spending the last week in May, part band work and part fun. We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.

I’m also hoping that in July we can take a few days to get up to my parent’s house. We haven’t been up there since Christmas a year and a half ago. Our clearing out of the old apartment has been hanging over our heads and now that the place will be undergoing renovation we can take a break.  Originally our plan was to go to Vegas, but anyone who knows about weather in the Summer knows that it would be silly to plan a trip to Vegas now. Maybe in October, after we get back from our cruise trip in Aug-September. We’ll have to see if we have any money left then!

Regarding the Cruise trip, in a couple days we have to pay in full for the trip and then we can book excursions, dining and all the other stuff. We really have no business doing this, but I’m not sure when we will ever be able to go on another cruise so I don’t want to cancel it. I’m sure we will sell enough stuff on eBay to eventually cover everything we need, but I just hope that we can do it in time for what we need.


Back to the Bonus features!


Our last visits to Disneyland were during the Christmas Holiday Season. We had a day trip out to the park for a little Fried Chicken, but first we stopped to admire some holiday decorations.






And meet up with our favorite mice.






Before enjoying our Chicken Dinner and a Holiday Yule Log cake.







A few days later we had a weekend booked at the VGC.  Both Jenny and Jill had booked rooms at the hotel and we planned to hang out together most of the weekend. This was going to be a low budget weekend so no planned reservations at swanky restaurants.  The first night I have no idea what we actually ate because there are no pictures of any food, with the exception of some beignets the following day.

We decided to get in a few rides that night and the first one was Guardians of the Galaxy.






Then we hopped over to Radiator Springs Racers for a fun ride!






Because we had a villa, breakfast was from the room, and no photos of that. I’m not sure what Jenny did that morning, but she wasn’t with us as we made our way around DL. There were some special Peppermint Holiday Beignets at the Mint Julep Bar and we got a three pack to split between Jill, Fran and I.











These Beignets were among my favorite for the Holiday flavors they have offered so far!

Then Jill and I rode Space Mountain.  I think it was right around this time that we discovered the special Star Wars purses that were just released at DL and online.






At this point we had to make a decision.  The plan for the evening was to cook dinner on the grills downstairs and have dinner in the villa.  Tri tip, Baked Potatoes and Caesar Salad.  Jenny’s DH had recently been hired at the GCH and he was going to take his lunch break and have dinner with the family and all of us.

We really wanted to visit the kiosks, but we also really wanted to go to Trader Sams, we only had time for one of the two activities.  In hindsight the kiosks would have been the wiser choice, but when have we been known to choose wisely?  

Jill and I went over there by ourselves first and waited, for about 10-15 minutes until we were able to swoop in and grab a table for four.  She had the Krakatoa Punch.






I had the Mosquito Mojito, which was not bad at all.






Jill was smart enough to recognize that we needed some food to go along with our drinks and ordered these Panko Crusted Long Beans.  They’re always a good snack option because frying vegetables always makes them taste better!






Fran joined us when we were ready to order our second drink and she got the Holiday Tiki Mug drink, and so did Jill and I.  They served us the drinks in a regular glass so that we could take home clean mugs.  It was an apple based drink and I found this description on the Disney Food Blog.

“Sam’s Slay Ride at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (Disneyland Hotel): The honey whiskey liqueur and a hint of cinnamon is the key to this delightful concoction. Hang out in the boisterous bar or take it outdoors to the torch-lit terrace. The Pu Pu Platter or Panko-crusted Chinese Long Beans are the perfect complement.”

I’m glad to know we picked the right pairing to go along with it!






This was the mug.  I stole this picture from the Interwebs.






We had yet another round of drinks.  Fran got a repeat of the Christmas drink with a mug, and Jill and I tried different drinks.  I believe she may have ordered the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum






While I ordered the HippopotoMaiTai.






After this we paid our bill and stumbled back to the Grand Californian.  I sent Jill up to Jenny’s room to start the potatoes.  I had skewered them earlier (before we left for Trader Sam’s) with my potato nails, so that they would cook evenly.  I went down to the BBQ grills to start the Tri Tip.  Jenny had secured the Utensils from the front desk, as I had forgotten to bring mine from home. Fran was too tired from the drinks and decided just to go to bed early.

Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures to post, but I could always dig up old pictures of Tri Tip since I’ve made it for previous DISmeets.  For those of you who are not Californians, Tri Tip is a cut of sirloin made famous in the Santa Maria Valley of CA.  It was introduced in the 1950s.  Prior to that most people used it for stews or ground beef.  It’s a perfect cut of meat for grilling and you can feed a bunch of people with one steak. Just last week Jenny’s DH cooked up two of them, seven of us enjoyed the meat, and there was leftovers for their kids to eat while they were going to be gone most of the weekend.

Anyways, Jenny and Jill joined me as I grilled the meat, and we discovered one important point about the grills at the Grand CA.  They are on timers and the gas turns off after period of time.  Since the Trip Tip cooks on high heat for 5 mins per side and then covered on low indirect heat for the next 15 minutes or so, none of us realized that the flame had gone out and the meat was still quite rare.  It was nearing “break time” so they went upstairs and prepared the salad while I babysat the meat a while longer.  They prepped the potatoes and I finally came up with the meat all wrapped in foil.  It was another few minutes before “the guest of honor” arrived and the meat had mostly cooked.  It’s good that most of us like our meat pretty rare. That one Tri Tip fed seven of us along with the baked potatoes and Caesar salad.  I even took enough back to my room so that Fran could have a sandwich with the last couple slices.

Our plan was to have a drink with Michael when he got off work around 10PM, but none of us could make it that late and we ended up crashing before he even got off work.


It was this weekend that Star Wars the Force Awakens opened.  Jill, Michael, and Jenny’s DS all went to see the 9:30AM showing of the movie while Fran and I took our time checking out.  I think Jenny actually had to go back home to let the Dog out and came back so that we could all meet up for lunch.  We had a reservation for Tortilla Jo’s and since I forgot to take pictures of what we did, I’m recycling some old pictures.  I know that we did the tableside Guacamole because we always do!







And I’m going to guess that we ordered Fajitas, if we ordered something different I don’t have a picture, so just imagine that’s what we had.









After that, we dropped Jill off at the airport and headed back to our home.  Jenny was starting her new job the next day and also had to go home. She was slightly a basket case over the weekend because she had no idea what to expect with the new job. She has at least settled in and likes her job location.

Jill made it safely home as did we!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> In our last IRL update we learned the Amelia/Berlioz was a he not a she,



Great balls of fire!



franandaj said:


> The pneumonia in his lungs is improving.



This is good...



franandaj said:


> But there has been no improvement on his collapsed lung.



...but this is not so good.



franandaj said:


> If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.



Good Lord! Yes, please keep us posted.



franandaj said:


> Ever since then my Dad has been asking when we’re going back.



 Drank the Disney cool-aid did he?



franandaj said:


> She has little museum tags in front of all her plants describing what type of Iris they are.



Really!



franandaj said:


> In fact she won several awards a couple weeks ago for her Iris that she entered into a contest.



Good for her!! Congrats!



franandaj said:


> I’ve already started overwhelming them with things like asking where they would like to dine our first night. I limited them to restaurants at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk and so far they’re already stumped.



 Oh dear....



franandaj said:


> We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.



That sounds interesting. Have you been before?



franandaj said:


> We had a day trip out to the park for a little Fried Chicken,



mmm.... Plaza fried chicken...



franandaj said:


>



I really like this. 



franandaj said:


> Before enjoying our Chicken Dinner and a Holiday Yule Log cake.



If only they'd still had that Yule Log cake in April!



franandaj said:


> There were some special Peppermint Holiday Beignets at the Mint Julep Bar



Man that sounds good.



franandaj said:


>



I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're in there somewhere.





franandaj said:


> We really wanted to visit the kiosks, but we also really wanted to go to Trader Sams, we only had time for one of the two activities.



Decisions, decisions....



franandaj said:


> In hindsight the kiosks would have been the wiser choice, but when have we been known to choose wisely?



 Why am I not surprised?



franandaj said:


> Panko Crusted Long Beans.



Interesting. They look pretty tasty.



franandaj said:


> “Sam’s Slay Ride at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (Disneyland Hotel): The honey whiskey liqueur and a hint of cinnamon is the key to this delightful concoction.



1. I think that might be something I'd like.
2. Interesting weigh to spell slay. 



franandaj said:


>



That's a pretty cool mug. 



franandaj said:


> Tri Tip is a cut of sirloin made famous in the Santa Maria Valley of CA.



I have heard of Tri Tip (and not just from you), but I didn't know that's where it was made famous.



franandaj said:


> we discovered one important point about the grills at the Grand CA. They are on timers and the gas turns off after period of time.



I can see that as a recipe for preventing fires.... and creating a lot of unhappy cookers/diners.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Sounds like it was a delicious day!


----------



## rentayenta

Hmm...I would say basket case was pretty fitting.   

Super fun weekend as usual spending time with you ladies. I love us!


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> The pneumonia in his lungs is improving. He is on two types of kitty inahalers twice daily. But there has been no improvement on his collapsed lung. We are going to continue his treatment and see the vet in another six to eight weeks and see if there is any improvement. If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.



Oh dear, poor little guy. Hopefully he will make a full recovery soon.



franandaj said:


> I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker?



Yay for a new ticker.



franandaj said:


> We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.



That sounds like fun.



franandaj said:


> but first we stopped to admire some holiday decorations.



This looks amazing.



franandaj said:


> And meet up with our favorite mice.



I hope they will be in this costume this holiday season.



franandaj said:


> Jill was smart enough to recognize that we needed some food to go along with our drinks and ordered these Panko Crusted Long Beans. They’re always a good snack option because frying vegetables always makes them taste better!



I love those.



franandaj said:


> The honey whiskey liqueur and a hint of cinnamon is the key to this delightful concoction.



That sounds delicious.

Corinna


----------



## skier_pete

I think I would be in Fran's condition and napping after so many drinks at Trader Sam's. Your food description left my mouth watering even without pictures.


----------



## Tracy161

Keep us posted on the kitty - hoping he makes a quick recovery! 



franandaj said:


> I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker?


Yay!!! 



franandaj said:


> This month we have a trip to Kansas City planned and it is related to our International Band Organization.


How exciting!



franandaj said:


> We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there


Oooh, I sure hope you're able to do Marceline. That's on my bucket list!


----------



## jedijill

That was such a fun weekend!  Still LOL'ing about the gas timer!

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> OK, so I seem to be saying this before every update that I post, and I know that I still have a few more TRs to catch up on, but it’s been a while since I’ve updated with Bonus features and this one has been in the hopper for a while now. I promise that I will be over to your TRs before the next update, and hopefully even sooner than that!



Looks like you got there! 

My turn now... 



franandaj said:


> If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.



Oh dear. Poor kitteh!



franandaj said:


> I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker?



I didn't! But see it now! My ticker's going up soon! 



franandaj said:


> You see she grows Iris in her yard.



We have an annual Iris Festival here too, and I was contemplating going this year. Alas, I think it's yard work until Mikki's graduation. But Iris will always remind me of my Grandma's yard. 



franandaj said:


> We are spending the last week in May, part band work and part fun. We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.



Well, that would be fun!! I hope you get there!



franandaj said:


> Regarding the Cruise trip, in a couple days we have to pay in full for the trip and then we can book excursions, dining and all the other stuff. We really have no business doing this, but I’m not sure when we will ever be able to go on another cruise so I don’t want to cancel it. I’m sure we will sell enough stuff on eBay to eventually cover everything we need, but I just hope that we can do it in time for what we need.



I hope you can sell tons! 



franandaj said:


>



I LOVE Minnie's spats with this outfit! 



franandaj said:


> We really wanted to visit the kiosks, but we also really wanted to go to Trader Sams, we only had time for one of the two activities. In hindsight the kiosks would have been the wiser choice, but when have we been known to choose wisely?



I dunno, this sounds like a toss up to me. A win-win!



franandaj said:


> While I ordered the HippopotoMaiTai.



Good choice!!! 



franandaj said:


> I know that we did the tableside Guacamole because we always do!



I've always been intrigued by this. Need to try it someday!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> We are going to continue his treatment and see the vet in another six to eight weeks and see if there is any improvement. If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.



Wow, that doesn't sound fun.  Hope he recovers.



franandaj said:


> I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker?



Hooray! 



franandaj said:


> This month we have a trip to Kansas City planned and it is related to our International Band Organization. We are spending the last week in May, part band work and part fun. We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.



Make sure you get some BBQ while you're there!



franandaj said:


> There were some special Peppermint Holiday Beignets at the Mint Julep Bar and we got a three pack to split between Jill, Fran and I.



Peppermint beignets!  Julie would be in heaven.



franandaj said:


> We really wanted to visit the kiosks, but we also really wanted to go to Trader Sams, we only had time for one of the two activities. In hindsight the kiosks would have been the wiser choice, but when have we been known to choose wisely?







franandaj said:


> They’re always a good snack option because frying vegetables always makes them taste better!



This is true.  Deep-frying makes just about anything better.



franandaj said:


>



That's a cool mug!



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures to post, but I could always dig up old pictures of Tri Tip since I’ve made it for previous DISmeets. For those of you who are not Californians, Tri Tip is a cut of sirloin made famous in the Santa Maria Valley of CA. It was introduced in the 1950s.



You know, I think I actually do remember that from one of your earlier TR's.



franandaj said:


> They are on timers and the gas turns off after period of time. Since the Trip Tip cooks on high heat for 5 mins per side and then covered on low indirect heat for the next 15 minutes or so, none of us realized that the flame had gone out and the meat was still quite rare.



D'oh.



franandaj said:


> And I’m going to guess that we ordered Fajitas, if we ordered something different I don’t have a picture, so just imagine that’s what we had.



Hey, this is great!  Just add some exploding helicopters and it'll be just like one of my TR's!


----------



## chunkymonkey

franandaj said:


> In our last IRL update we learned the Amelia/Berlioz was a he not a she, but I forgot to give a real update on his health issues. The pneumonia in his lungs is improving. He is on two types of kitty inahalers twice daily. But there has been no improvement on his collapsed lung. We are going to continue his treatment and see the vet in another six to eight weeks and see if there is any improvement. If not we will need to do a test which requires anesthetizing, to see if the collapsed lung is operable and should be removed. I’ll keep you all posted.



Aw, hope he is doing better. Do you have pet insurance?



franandaj said:


> I have a new trip to WDW in the works, did anyone notice my new Ticker? In 2010 we took my parents to WDW for their first trip. Ever since then my Dad has been asking when we’re going back. My Mom not quite so much, but with the Flower & Garden Festival we were able to entice her into going. You see she grows Iris in her yard. It’s practically a botanical garden. She has little museum tags in front of all her plants describing what type of Iris they are. She is a member of the Iris Society and the Chrysanthemum Club in San Jose. In fact she won several awards a couple weeks ago for her Iris that she entered into a contest. So we’re going in Mid March next year, and staying at the Beach Club. I’ve already started overwhelming them with things like asking where they would like to dine our first night. I limited them to restaurants at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk and so far they’re already stumped. I did get them to sign up for MDE accounts and become part of my Friends and Family. My goal is to have them work with me to pick out the restaurants for ADRs before the cruise in August because our 180 day mark is two weeks after we return from that trip. I want it all locked down before I leave because we have so much going on (potentially) when we get back I won’t have time to deal with deciding on dinner reservations.



Yay! Flower and Garden, my favorite time! I think you should go with your gut and try for Al Forno. Or Yachtsman. Even if you don't want a heavy meal they have nice salads, appetizers and sides which could easily make up a meal without the steak. 



franandaj said:


> This month we have a trip to Kansas City planned and it is related to our International Band Organization. We are spending the last week in May, part band work and part fun. We will hopefully fit in a trip to Marceline while we’re there, after the band portion is finished.



Have a great time! Remember, don't use the hot tub! 
Hope you make it to Marceline! 



franandaj said:


> Regarding the Cruise trip, in a couple days we have to pay in full for the trip and then we can book excursions, dining and all the other stuff. We really have no business doing this, but I’m not sure when we will ever be able to go on another cruise so I don’t want to cancel it. I’m sure we will sell enough stuff on eBay to eventually cover everything we need, but I just hope that we can do it in time for what we need.



Somehow we all find ways to go on trips and cruises we don't really NEED but really WANT to be on, LOL.



franandaj said:


> Before enjoying our Chicken Dinner and a Holiday Yule Log cake.



Oh yum! That looks like a perfect platter of food!



franandaj said:


> These Beignets were among my favorite for the Holiday flavors they have offered so far!



How cute! For the Star Wars After Dark event they had Red and Dark Blue sugar dusted beignets. I would have tried some but the line was too long!



franandaj said:


> “Sam’s Slay Ride at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (Disneyland Hotel): The honey whiskey liqueur and a hint of cinnamon is the key to this delightful concoction. Hang out in the boisterous bar or take it outdoors to the torch-lit terrace. The Pu Pu Platter or Panko-crusted Chinese Long Beans are the perfect complement.”
> 
> I’m glad to know we picked the right pairing to go along with it!



That sounds nice and festive! Good to know that it went well with your long beans! Are the menus the same at both World and DL?



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures to post, but I could always dig up old pictures of Tri Tip since I’ve made it for previous DISmeets. For those of you who are not Californians, Tri Tip is a cut of sirloin made famous in the Santa Maria Valley of CA. It was introduced in the 1950s. Prior to that most people used it for stews or ground beef. It’s a perfect cut of meat for grilling and you can feed a bunch of people with one steak. Just last week Jenny’s DH cooked up two of them, seven of us enjoyed the meat, and there was leftovers for their kids to eat while they were going to be gone most of the weekend.



I didn't know tri-tip was such a California thing. It's not too common here but I've seen it at some barbecue places and some sandwich shops. Good to know it feeds a lot of people! I'll have to think of it for family BBQs for my big Ohana!


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> Well he has a collapsed lung so thats not good.



It seems I have been absent much longer than I thought. I hope he’s doing better and won’t need surgery. 

Great news about the apartment, sounds like things are moving along. Glad someone who appreciates antiques got the table. 

Fun weekend with the ladies! How cool Jenny’s DH is now at GCH!!!


----------



## franandaj

So I’ve been off the grid.  It’s been quite a busy last week for me.  I promise that I'll get to responses, your TRs, and the next update as soon as I can, but I thought I would share these past few days while it's it's still fresh in my mind.

I'm sure a few of you know about how we like to take trips for our annual band conference for our parent organization. Each year a different band (or two) bids for the conference two years out and that selection is made during the Assembly of Delegates during the current conference. A lot of “business" is conducted at these functions, and those who are on the Board of Directors serve as much as 20 hours in meetings over the course of 5 days, while the Delegates only have to attend 4 hours of meetings over two days. For this conference, which took place in Kansas City, MO, Fran and I served as delegates. This was our first time in five years having served this duty. In addition to the meetings, the other conference attendees (most of whom are not Board members or Delegates) join us in a Big Gay concert! But I get ahead of myself, let me give you a whirlwind synopsis of the weekend.

Tuesday night we had band. Why we went? I don't know. Our flight left at 7:30AM the next morning and while we were mostly packed, we still had more to do. Even though we left the rehearsal early at the break, and we packed as efficiently as we could, we were still awake all night until 3:30AM when we had to leave for the airport. Fran says I fell asleep before we left and I believe her, but I never changed out of my clothes from Tuesday before we left. I was in such a fog that I don't remember much about the airport check in, security or boarding process.

I did catch a small nap on the plane, enough that I was able function at a low level when we landed. I left Fran with the luggage curbside at the terminal while I took the shuttle to the rental car depot. It took forever, and this is THE LAST time I use Budget, ever. But soon I was on my way back to the terminal with a Mitsubishi Outlander. I had to You Tube the process for making the seats flat, but finally after great difficulty we were loaded up and on our way to the hotel. We did grab a hot dog and cheeseburger from a Sonic Drive through on our way since it had been a long time since the pepperoni pizza we got for breakfast at LAX.

Once we checked into our room, we did the process of checking in for the conference. There were two booths and in my lack-of-sleep-haze, I got totally confused. One was for the conference we were attending, the other was taking registrants for next year's conference in Orlando. I was embarrassed to see folks I know from meeting every year or other year while wearing stinky clothes I’d been in for the last 24 hours or more. But oh well, hopefully no one noticed. Fran signed us up for next year’s event while I took care of the current year. Finally we could go up to the room and take a nappy poo! I was way too tired and out of it to take pictures of the room, but I found this on the website and this was essentially our room.






Because I was the 50th person to register for this conference, I was supposed to receive a Gift Card for a local BBQ place, but unfortunately it was not waiting for me at the registration desk as promised. I had planned to go there that night, so we had a change in plans, we ended up at the place which came recommended by @jedijill, Joe's Kansas City BBQ. I got the ribs and brisket, while Fran got a pit boss salad. Smoked beef, ham and turkey over lettuce. I washed mine down with an Angry Orchard Cider. She was thrilled they had Diet Mtn Dew on tap. Both were absolutely delicious!  I took my leftovers home and ate them over two different meals during the week.






There was a grocery store just across the street, which was perfect to stock up on water, soda and breakfast supplies for the next few days. It was going to be quite a wild ride.

We still had a little calm before the storm. Our first real commitment wasn't until 6PM the next day so we decided to have a leisurely breakfast at the cafe in the hotel. We were joined by our conductor, Justin who ordered the Oatmeal Brulee.






I got a Belgian Waffle with a side of bacon, it was really good and filling, plus the bacon was amazing, crispy, salty and soooooo good!











Fran got a Croque Madame and really liked it. 






The prices here for breakfast weren't all that bad. However for every other meal it was crazy. And the next day, my Americano was actually Six bucks! @Steppesister.

I think after breakfast we just kicked it in the room mostly. Check out our view.






I did walk a few blocks to the CVS for a few things we forgot the night before, and I read a few TRs before we headed down for a late lunch. We split French Onion Soup.






And a Kansas City Strip. It totally hit the spot, just enough to get us through rehearsal, but not enough to make us sluggish.






Rehearsal went well, the music was much more difficult than I expected. Our conductor Justin got to conduct the very first piece on the concert. I stole this picture off of Facebook.  I’m the one on the right side of the picture with hair.  Fran is the one whose head is in Justin’s belly.  






Rehearsal was intense and by the end we were hungry and I definitely needed a drink. This was one of those cases where I needed a real drink and not just a glass of wine. There were a couple of friends from Palm Springs who were there, one was the conductor of the second piece on the concert and his flight got delayed. He literally walked into the rehearsal as we were about 20 bars into his piece (with another conductor obviously) and took over the rehearsal. So we all agreed to get a drink and some food at the hotel restaurant (they are sucking up all of our money at this point!) No pictures, but I got some lamb meatballs with marinara sauce and provolone, Fran had some breaded and fried goat cheese and we split a salad with one of our friends, they had the KC strip loin between the two of them. Then Fran and I had dessert.  Mine was an apple crumble which was quite good. I forget what she got. However we all had a couple of stiff drinks, and I feel asleep quite nicely when my head hit the pillow.  Tomorrow would be a long day.

Friday was the first Delegates meeting. At first we thought it started at 8:30, but they sent out an update around 8AM that it would start at 9AM.  I was just about to leave the room then so it was good I got the notice beforehand.  We both ate our prepurchased breakfasts of fruit, cheese ($1.49), and V8 ($2.44 for the bottle of 6 servings) for me. Yogurt, banana (not sure the cost but less than $2) and V8 for her.  Much better than the $9-17 breakfasts in the hotel restaurant. And quicker. We also had some Ritz Peanut butter cracker sandwiches in case our blood sugar dipped during the meetings. This was the morning that I spent $6 on a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant. Little did I know that they had a full coffee set up in the delegates room. Lesson learned. The next two hours were spent in a room very similar to this discussing riveting subjects like bylaws, new candidates for the board and such.






We did get to find out about the 2020 conference which will be taking place in Portland OR. And soon we were off to yet another rehearsal in a room much like this.






Rehearsal ended at 1PM and there was a lunch break for an hour. If you were attending the presentation at 2PM you got a free boxed lunch (sandwich, chips, orzo salad, apple and cookie) and beverage, and we ate our lunches in the delegates room while we waited for the presentation. It was a series of 5 minute, 20 slide power point presentations. Some were amusing, some were dull, but it was what it was, we got free lunch.

Then it was back to the rehearsal room for another few hours. We were supposed to be done by 5PM, but none of these things ever end on time and it was more like 5:30 when we were done.

I rewarded myself with a glass of wine when I got back to the room.






In case you’re wondering about the “old fart” ribbon, this was sort of a backlash to the ribbons that they give out reading, “First Timer”. One guy thought it would be funny to recognize people who have attended like 10 or more of these events. Hence the “Old Fart”.

Later that night there was a Gala party event complete with catered BBQ, but between the long day and the fact that they didn't start serving the food until close to 9:30PM, we ended up leaving before it was served.

The next morning came rather early, we had another meeting at 9AM. After more discussion on bylaws and other minutiae, we finally got to vote on new officers, amendments to bylaws, and the location of the next conference. Considering there was only one bid, Portland OR was the choice, hands down.

We had a little bit of a break maybe an hour, before our next commitment. This was a dress rehearsal at the concert venue. Now for most folks there was no reason to rent a car, as our hosts had bus service to the Gala, the rehearsal and performance. The day before I had asked if the busses would be able to accommodate the scooter and was told, probably not. So we drove to last night's party. That was nice because we could leave earlier than the end of the party at 10:30-11PM. But today driving proved to be a problem. We couldn't find a good place to park, the weather was awful, 97 degrees and humid. And well let's just say that it was one of those moments that tests your strength as a couple. We parked a couple blocks away and trudged up a hill into rehearsal. The hall was impressive.





















I really wanted to avoid the drama of the afternoon this evening and Fran was willing to walk everywhere so that she could ride the bus to the concert that night. I decided to try and find out if they would put her scooter under the bus like they do with DME, and they could! We still had to drive back to the hotel this afternoon, and luckily some friends took pity on me and gave me a ride to the car a few blocks away cause it was still 97° out! 

Back at the hotel we had an hour or so to kill before we had to get dressed for the concert and catch the bus. And soon it was show time. But first an obligatory photo shoot outside this iconic building.






Before the concert we like to take pictures with our section. Here's the Alto saxes.






Because these conferences have become so popular, about three years ago they started having to make two separate bands. Each performing half of the concert. There's usually 150 people in each band. Our band was the first to take the stage. I stole this picture from our FB group.






The concert went great! The audience loved it and we sounded pretty good as did the other band. We even got this review.

https://kcmetropolis.org/article/no-place-like-home/

Back at the hotel, I was starving and had researched places that were open late (between 1-3AM). But no one wanted to go out with me, either too tired, not hungry, or both. So I ordered a cup of onion soup from room service and a side of potatoes gratin. I let my ribs and brisket leftovers come to room temp (no microwave in the room) while I waited for the order to arrive. When it did arrive Fran had enough of an appetite to eat half the soup. I ate a little brisket, a rib and half and about three bites of the potatoes. They were gross. They were a grayish purple color as if the cook had let them sit out and they had oxidized before cooking. But between all those other items I had enough in my belly that I wouldn't go to sleep hungry, and soon I drifted off to sleep. It had only been about 54 hours since our first rehearsal, but it felt like almost forever. We barely had any time to stop and think while we were awake!

The next morning we were switching hotels for a much more relaxing set of adventures. We woke up with enough time to pack up before check out. After checking out we had a lovely breakfast at Ellys Brunch and Cafe around the corner from our hotel. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it! Then we made a trip to Costco. We weren't going to buy anything, but when we found locally made ice wine for $12 per bottle and realized that they make wine in MO, we couldn't resist trying a few bottles. Then when they were sampling key lime pie, I'd been saying that I needed to try it, we came home with a lot more than we intended!






By this time it was close to the time when our new room would be ready so we headed towards the new hotel. I'm going to save the rest of that trip and my BBQ quest for future bonus features!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> So I’ve been off the grid. It’s been quite a busy last week for me.



We've missed you!



franandaj said:


> Our flight left at 7:30AM the next morning and while we were mostly packed, we still had more to do.



I'm seeing a pattern here... 



franandaj said:


> It took forever, and this is THE LAST time I use Budget,



Just be like me and forget who you used last and it won't matter. Mostly, they all suck anyway.



franandaj said:


> The prices here for breakfast weren't all that bad. However for every other meal it was crazy. And the next day, my Americano was actually Six bucks! @Steppesister.



Heh, they took good lessons from $ixbucks!!!



franandaj said:


> This was one of those cases where I needed a real drink and not just a glass of wine.



Some days are just like that. 



franandaj said:


> This was the morning that I spent $6 on a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant.



OUCH.



franandaj said:


> We did get to find out about the 2020 conference which will be taking place in Portland OR.







franandaj said:


> Later that night there was a Gala party event complete with catered BBQ, but between the long day and the fact that they didn't start serving the food until close to 9:30PM, we ended up leaving before it was served.



9:30? I'd have been .. hangry. 



franandaj said:


> And well let's just say that it was one of those moments that tests your strength as a couple.



ruh ruh.... 



franandaj said:


> The concert went great! The audience loved it and we sounded pretty good as did the other band. We even got this review.


----------



## pooh'smate

We have eaten at Joe's before and you are right it is really good. It has been so hot here in this part of the country. I am in Omaha about 2 1/2 -3 hours (depending on where you are going in KC) north and we have all ready had a few days reach 100 and expected to reach it again on Friday. Looking forward to more when you have time.


----------



## jedijill

Woot Woot!  You are in my hometown!  The Kaufmann Center is fairly new and really is a wonderful addition to KC.  Hopefully it cools down before I go there in a couple of weeks!

Jill in CO


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So I’ve been off the grid.



You told me you were on facebook (and no, I haven't had a chance t look yet) so not _quite_ off the grid. 



franandaj said:


> For this conference, which took place in Kansas City, MO, Fran and I served as delegates.



So no 20 hours of meetings. Considering what you've described in this update, it sounds like that was a good thing.



franandaj said:


> This was our first time in five years having served this duty.



What did you mean by this? That before you had no duties other than performing? Or you were on the board?



franandaj said:


> join us in a Big Gay concert!



A big happy concert! Yay!

Actually.... after reading the article you linked... it sounds like that is _exactly_ what it was! 



franandaj said:


> we were still awake all night until 3:30AM when we had to leave for the airport.



Ugh! The worst.



franandaj said:


> I was in such a fog that I don't remember much about the airport check in, security or boarding process.



Oh, I can help you out there.
You _did_ check in. You made it through security and eventually boarded the plane.



You're welcome.



franandaj said:


> I did catch a small nap on the plane, enough that I was able function at a low level when we landed



What would "low level" functioning be?
Breathing and a heart beat?



franandaj said:


> I took the shuttle to the rental car depot. It took forever, and this is THE LAST time I use Budget, ever.



Hmmm... is it because the shuttle took so long? Or were there other issues?



franandaj said:


> I was embarrassed to see folks I know from meeting every year or other year while wearing stinky clothes I’d been in for the last 24 hours or more.



If you knew them, then I'm sure they got what was going on, or... they didn't notice.



franandaj said:


> Because I was the 50th person to register for this conference, I was supposed to receive a Gift Card for a local BBQ place,



Did you ever get it?



franandaj said:


> I got the ribs and brisket, while Fran got a pit boss salad. Smoked beef, ham and turkey over lettuce.



Dang.... I want to eat all of that.
I noticed the coleslaw in the photo. How was that? I'm a bit of a coleslaw snob.



franandaj said:


> I washed mine down with an Angry Orchard Cider.



That sounds good! Was it?



franandaj said:


> Justin who ordered the Oatmeal Brulee.



Never heard of that. Huh! And... why not? I might do that the next time I have oatmeal.



franandaj said:


> Fran got a Croque Madame and really liked it.



Just need to scrape the weeds off of it and it's good to go. 



franandaj said:


> . And the next day, my Americano was actually Six bucks!



Not bad considering it came with lifetime free refills.




It did, right?





Right?













Hello?



franandaj said:


> Check out our view.



Not too shabby!



franandaj said:


> We split French Onion Soup.



No.

Someone reaches over with a spoon to "split" my French Onion Soup is going to pull back a stub.



franandaj said:


> Rehearsal went well, the music was much more difficult than I expected.



The article mentioned that too.



franandaj said:


> I’m the one on the right side of the picture with hair. Fran is the one whose head is in Justin’s belly.





Very descriptive! I had no problem finding you both. 



franandaj said:


> This was one of those cases where I needed a real drink and not just a glass of wine.



So... water?



franandaj said:


> Then Fran and I had dessert. Mine was an apple crumble which was quite good. I forget what she got.



It doesn't matter what she got. Let's get back to the apple crumble!!!






franandaj said:


> This was the morning that I spent $6 on a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant. Little did I know that they had a full coffee set up in the delegates room.



 D'oh!



franandaj said:


> The next two hours were spent in a room very similar to this discussing riveting subjects like bylaws, new candidates for the board and such.



Riveting stuff.



franandaj said:


> We did get to find out about the 2020 conference which will be taking place in Portland OR.



Bet Liesa's happy to hear that. 



franandaj said:


> Some were amusing, some were dull, but it was what it was, we got free lunch.



There ain't no such thing as a free... oh.

Nevermind.



franandaj said:


> In case you’re wondering about the “old fart” ribbon, this was sort of a backlash to the ribbons that they give out reading, “First Timer”. One guy thought it would be funny to recognize people who have attended like 10 or more of these events. Hence the “Old Fart”.




I did look at that photo for a bit and wondered about it.



franandaj said:


> Later that night there was a Gala party event complete with catered BBQ, but between the long day and the fact that they didn't start serving the food until close to 9:30PM, we ended up leaving before it was served.



So did you not eat anything that night?



franandaj said:


> And well let's just say that it was one of those moments that tests your strength as a couple.





Happens.



franandaj said:


> The hall was impressive.



It certainly is! Beautiful, too! That organ. Wow! Loved it even more with the colours. (read about it being usually grey, too.)



franandaj said:


> I decided to try and find out if they would put her scooter under the bus like they do with DME, and they could!



Yusss!



franandaj said:


> We still had to drive back to the hotel this afternoon, and luckily some friends took pity on me and gave me a ride to the car a few blocks away cause it was still 97° out!



 Too hot! Spontaneous combustion territory!



franandaj said:


> But first an obligatory photo shoot outside this iconic building.



Gorgeous building.



franandaj said:


> Here's the Alto saxes.



Nice looking group.



franandaj said:


> The concert went great! The audience loved it and we sounded pretty good as did the other band. We even got this review.
> 
> https://kcmetropolis.org/article/no-place-like-home/



Very nice review! What was your favourite piece? Fantasia?



franandaj said:


> I ate a little brisket, a rib and half and about three bites of the potatoes. They were gross. They were a grayish purple color as if the cook had let them sit out and they had oxidized before cooking.



Gross is right. Yuck.



franandaj said:


> Then when they were sampling key lime pie, I'd been saying that I needed to try it, we came home with a lot more than we intended!



You still need to try really good Key Lime pie. Store bought just ain't gonna cut it.


----------



## rentayenta

Great update! Now I am starving! 

Love the band photos.


----------



## chunkymonkey

franandaj said:


> I did catch a small nap on the plane, enough that I was able function at a low level when we landed. I left Fran with the luggage curbside at the terminal while I took the shuttle to the rental car depot. It took forever, and this is THE LAST time I use Budget, ever. But soon I was on my way back to the terminal with a Mitsubishi Outlander. I had to You Tube the process for making the seats flat, but finally after great difficulty we were loaded up and on our way to the hotel. We did grab a hot dog and cheeseburger from a Sonic Drive through on our way since it had been a long time since the pepperoni pizza we got for breakfast at LAX.



Love how we can just youtube any instructions nowadays. Which makes me wonder how I ever survived without it because I hate reading instructions for anything!



franandaj said:


>



Nice room! It looked so big!



franandaj said:


>



Yum, your BBQ pictures make everything look so good! I'm ok with BBQ, but I guess I haven't had Kansas City BBQ which is probably something I should do to appreciate BBQ!



franandaj said:


> The prices here for breakfast weren't all that bad. However for every other meal it was crazy. And the next day, my Americano was actually Six bucks!



Yikes! That's more than like, NYC!



franandaj said:


> And a Kansas City Strip. It totally hit the spot, just enough to get us through rehearsal, but not enough to make us sluggish.



Yum looks delicious for hotel food!



franandaj said:


> This was the morning that I spent $6 on a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant. Little did I know that they had a full coffee set up in the delegates room. Lesson learned.



Argh. 



franandaj said:


> In case you’re wondering about the “old fart” ribbon, this was sort of a backlash to the ribbons that they give out reading, “First Timer”. One guy thought it would be funny to recognize people who have attended like 10 or more of these events. Hence the “Old Fart”.



Haha this is really funny!





franandaj said:


>



Wow impressive hall! Love the rainbow! 



franandaj said:


> Back at the hotel, I was starving and had researched places that were open late (between 1-3AM). But no one wanted to go out with me, either too tired, not hungry, or both. So I ordered a cup of onion soup from room service and a side of potatoes gratin. I let my ribs and brisket leftovers come to room temp (no microwave in the room) while I waited for the order to arrive. When it did arrive Fran had enough of an appetite to eat half the soup. I ate a little brisket, a rib and half and about three bites of the potatoes. They were gross. They were a grayish purple color as if the cook had let them sit out and they had oxidized before cooking. But between all those other items I had enough in my belly that I wouldn't go to sleep hungry, and soon I drifted off to sleep. It had only been about 54 hours since our first rehearsal, but it felt like almost forever. We barely had any time to stop and think while we were awake!



Good mixture of room service and leftovers to make a complete meal! The potatoes sound terrible though!



franandaj said:


> By this time it was close to the time when our new room would be ready so we headed towards the new hotel. I'm going to save the rest of that trip and my BBQ quest for future bonus features!



Yum, more food pics!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Great balls of







pkondz said:


> This is good...
> 
> ...but this is not so good.
> 
> Good Lord! Yes, please keep us posted.



Nothing new to report. We will make an appointment when we get home. He's been receiving two different inhalers, so they'll check him again about six to eight weeks after his last check up.



pkondz said:


> Drank the Disney cool-aid did he?



Evidently!



pkondz said:


> Really!
> 
> Good for her!! Congrats!



She's quite into it. I would try to post a pic, but too hard from my phone, although PB is back to $20 per year, so I may use that again for on the fly posting.



pkondz said:


> Oh dear...



Yeah and you remind me that I have not bugged them for a while about where we will have dinner on night #2.



pkondz said:


> That sounds interesting. Have you been before?



No, and still haven't. Fran nixed that one.



pkondz said:


> mmm.... Plaza fried chicken...



Mmmmmm....



pkondz said:


> I really like this.



It is cute.  I can't do this stuff in my house with the kittens.



pkondz said:


> If only they'd still had that Yule Log cake in April!



It would be pretty stale if they did!



pkondz said:


> Man that sounds good.



They've started to change the beignets up every season. I can't remember what flavor they are for Pixar Fest.



pkondz said:


> I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're in there somewhere.



The one doing the peace sign whose face is obscured by the guy with the big head.



pkondz said:


> Decisions, decisions....
> 
> Why am I not surprised?



You know us....



pkondz said:


> Interesting. They look pretty tasty.
> 
> 1. I think that might be something I'd like.
> 2. Interesting weigh to spell slay.



The beans are very good bar food. Do you like whiskey? You know how those Imagineers are...



pkondz said:


> That's a pretty cool mug.







pkondz said:


> I have heard of Tri Tip (and not just from you), but I didn't know that's where it was made famous.



I had to look it up a few years back when I brought some to WDW for a cookout and no one knew what it was. It has always just been something you grill to Californians.



pkondz said:


> I can see that as a recipe for preventing fires.... and creating a lot of unhappy cookers/diners.



Most people are cooking right on the flame so they'd see it go off, but we were using indirect heat. The lid was closed so we didn't notice.



tiggrbaby said:


> Sounds like it was a delicious day!



It sure was!



rentayenta said:


> Hmm...I would say basket case was pretty fitting.



I hope that's not the case anymore.


----------



## rentayenta

I think I have mellowed a little......


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Fran says I fell asleep before we left and I believe her, but I never changed out of my clothes from Tuesday before we left. I was in such a fog that I don't remember much about the airport check in, security or boarding process.



Always a good feeling to be totally exhausted before the travel even starts!



franandaj said:


> I had planned to go there that night, so we had a change in plans, we ended up at the place which came recommended by @jedijill, Joe's Kansas City BBQ. I got the ribs and brisket, while Fran got a pit boss salad.








The brisket from Joe's was my favorite thing I had in Kansas City.  So good!



franandaj said:


> And the next day, my Americano was actually Six bucks! @Steppesister.



 I'm sure it was worth every penny, though. 



franandaj said:


> I think after breakfast we just kicked it in the room mostly. Check out our view.



Not too shabby.



franandaj said:


> Fran is the one whose head is in Justin’s belly.







franandaj said:


> This was the morning that I spent $6 on a cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant. Little did I know that they had a full coffee set up in the delegates room.



D'oh!  That makes it worse!



franandaj said:


> In case you’re wondering about the “old fart” ribbon, this was sort of a backlash to the ribbons that they give out reading, “First Timer”. One guy thought it would be funny to recognize people who have attended like 10 or more of these events. Hence the “Old Fart”



 That's awesome.  More conferences should do this.



franandaj said:


>



Nice photo!  That looks like a really cool building.



franandaj said:


> The concert went great! The audience loved it and we sounded pretty good as did the other band. We even got this review.
> 
> https://kcmetropolis.org/article/no-place-like-home/



Looks like a nice write-up. Glad it went well!



franandaj said:


> Then when they were sampling key lime pie, I'd been saying that I needed to try it, we came home with a lot more than we intended!



Easy to do that with pie.



pkondz said:


> You still need to try really good Key Lime pie. Store bought just ain't gonna cut it.



What he said.


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh dear, poor little guy. Hopefully he will make a full recovery soon.



Me too. We need to make him an appointment when we get home.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Yay for a new ticker.







dolphingirl47 said:


> That sounds like fun.



But it didn't happen, other stuff did though.



dolphingirl47 said:


> This looks amazing.



It was very pretty!



dolphingirl47 said:


> I hope they will be in this costume this holiday season.



Remind me of your dates again?



dolphingirl47 said:


> I love those.



They're a perfect snack because they give you the illusion that you're eating something healthy!



dolphingirl47 said:


> That sounds delicious.



Most definitely was!



********** said:


> I think I would be in Fran's condition and napping after so many drinks at Trader Sam's. Your food description left my mouth watering even without pictures.



Technically she only had two, it was Jill and I who had three!



Tracy161 said:


> Keep us posted on the kitty - hoping he makes a quick recovery!



Somehow I think it might be slow going but he's due for a checkup at the middle to the end of the month.



Tracy161 said:


> Oooh, I sure hope you're able to do Marceline. That's on my bucket list!



Well spoiler alert, it didn't happen, but plenty of other stuff did.



jedijill said:


> That was such a fun weekend!  Still LOL'ing about the gas timer!
> 
> Jill in CO



At least we all liked our meat rare to medium rare!


----------



## Pinkocto

Fun band weekend minus the no sleep at the beginning. Glad the concert went so well 

Yay for the March trip


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Looks like you got there!
> 
> My turn now...



And now I'm back where I started, but you're next on the list! It's hard to keep track with you since you don't put freshness dates on your updates.



Steppesister said:


> Oh dear. Poor kitteh!



He seems fine, playful and all, but we'll have him checked out in the next few weeks.



Steppesister said:


> I didn't! But see it now! My ticker's going up soon!



I'm imagining that it's already up. I can't see tickers from my phone.



Steppesister said:


> We have an annual Iris Festival here too, and I was contemplating going this year. Alas, I think it's yard work until Mikki's graduation. But Iris will always remind me of my Grandma's yard.



That's cool!



Steppesister said:


> Well, that would be fun!! I hope you get there!



Well, we didn't, but we got to other fun places.



Steppesister said:


> I hope you can sell tons!



Me too. Not much sold while we were gone. 



Steppesister said:


> I LOVE Minnie's spats with this outfit!



I didn't even notice until you pointed them out!



Steppesister said:


> I dunno, this sounds like a toss up to me. A win-win!



Sam's had the slight advantage because we only had to wait once. At the kiosks we would have had to wait over and over. Plus we had a table. Actually the same one we shared a year ago-ish.



Steppesister said:


> Good choice!!!







Steppesister said:


> I've always been intrigued by this. Need to try it someday!



Next time on your annual pilgrimage, just make sure me and Fran are there cause @pkondz says he's not a huge fan of guacamole.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wow, that doesn't sound fun. Hope he recovers



Me too. He's not suffering and seems OK, but it's still there on the X-ray.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hooray!



I could say the same for you!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Make sure you get some BBQ while you're there!



  Maybe I did.....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Peppermint beignets! Julie would be in heaven.



They were very good!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> This is true. Deep-frying makes just about anything better.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> That's a cool mug!



Thanks, look for them on Ebay soon. :rotfl2;



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You know, I think I actually do remember that from one of your earlier TR's.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, this is great! Just add some exploding helicopters and it'll be just like one of my TR's!



How about exploding guacamole?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Next time on your annual pilgrimage, just make sure me and Fran are there cause @pkondz says he's not a huge fan of guacamole.



Pretty much. I'll have some, it doesn't turn my stomach or anything, but not really a fan.
You guys can have it all.


----------



## franandaj

chunkymonkey said:


> Aw, hope he is doing better. Do you have pet insurance?



He seems like he feels fine, but we need to make the appointment for his follow up to really see. For him I wish we had had pet insurance, but when cats are healthy, it really doesn't pay off and with the number of cats we have it's just not feasible.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yay! Flower and Garden, my favorite time! I think you should go with your gut and try for Al Forno.



I did get my parents to agree to the first night's dinner which will be at the Trattoria. Mom liked the idea of sharing calamari and having a caprese salad. Dad liked the idea of the creamery for dessert.



chunkymonkey said:


> Or Yachtsman. Even if you don't want a heavy meal they have nice salads, appetizers and sides which could easily make up a meal without the steak.



I want to be up for steak when we go there! I'm thinking about that for Friday or Saturday night. But you're right my mom might just like to eat the apps and sides.



chunkymonkey said:


> Have a great time! Remember, don't use the hot tub!



I believe there is some reference that I am missing here.



chunkymonkey said:


> Hope you make it to Marceline!



Fran mixed that one, but we did other fun stuff!



chunkymonkey said:


> Somehow we all find ways to go on trips and cruises we don't really NEED but really WANT to be on, LOL.



Yeah, this is getting harder to find the means to finance it!



chunkymonkey said:


> Oh yum! That looks like a perfect platter of food!



It was!



chunkymonkey said:


> How cute! For the Star Wars After Dark event they had Red and Dark Blue sugar dusted beignets. I would have tried some but the line was too long!



The line is almost always too long!



chunkymonkey said:


> That sounds nice and festive! Good to know that it went well with your long beans! Are the menus the same at both World and DL?



No the menus are very different. I like the Anaheim one better. They are both somewhat Asian inspired but I think the Anaheim one has better offerings, there is an Ahi tuna, the long beans, chicken lettuce wraps, and they do have a burger with pineapple.



chunkymonkey said:


> I didn't know tri-tip was such a California thing. It's not too common here but I've seen it at some barbecue places and some sandwich shops. Good to know it feeds a lot of people! I'll have to think of it for family BBQs for my big Ohana!



I made it for a picnic we did at the Beach Club about 5 years ago. No one knew what it was so I looked it up and found out that it was originally called the Santa Maria steak because that's where it was made popular. A couple of those would be great for your family BBQs! It is easy to cook. I sear mine for 5 mins on each side (watch it closely when the fatty side is down, it can catch fire easily), and then let it go on indirect heat for 15-20 minus, and then rest for 5-10 minus wrapped in aluminum foil.



Pinkocto said:


> It seems I have been absent much longer than I thought. I hope he’s doing better and won’t need surgery.



Me too. He will have a follow up in about 2-3 weeks.



Pinkocto said:


> Great news about the apartment, sounds like things are moving along. Glad someone who appreciates antiques got the table.



I should post a picture of what she did to it. Not my cup of tea, but I showed it to some of my tenants and they loved it.



Pinkocto said:


> Fun weekend with the ladies! How cool Jenny’s DH is now at GCH!!!



Well things change, he'll be moving up in the scheme of things!


----------



## chunkymonkey

franandaj said:


> I believe there is some reference that I am missing here.



When you were telling us (Jenny and I) about your upcoming trip to KC and how all it's usually a big party in the hotel, and that all the guys were partying it up in the hot tub and you didn't want to know what happens there, and then we all said what hotel is this? Remember: don't use the hot tub! 



franandaj said:


> I made it for a picnic we did at the Beach Club about 5 years ago. No one knew what it was so I looked it up and found out that it was originally called the Santa Maria steak because that's where it was made popular. A couple of those would be great for your family BBQs! It is easy to cook. I sear mine for 5 mins on each side (watch it closely when the fatty side is down, it can catch fire easily), and then let it go on indirect heat for 15-20 minus, and then rest for 5-10 minus wrapped in aluminum foil.



Ooh sounds great! Now I just have to find a giant tri tip from a butcher.


----------



## Steppesister

pkondz said:


> Bet Liesa's happy to hear that.



I am, I am!!!



franandaj said:


> And now I'm back where I started, but you're next on the list! It's hard to keep track with you since you don't put freshness dates on your updates.



Looks like you're all caught up now!   Well, except the update I put up last night. 



franandaj said:


> I'm imagining that it's already up. I can't see tickers from my phone.



Yes, and... pro tip: If you turn your phone sideways, I think the tickers will show up. 



franandaj said:


> Well, we didn't, but we got to other fun places.



So a win-lose, then. 



franandaj said:


> Sam's had the slight advantage because we only had to wait once. At the kiosks we would have had to wait over and over. Plus we had a table. Actually the same one we shared a year ago-ish.



Well, that's cool!! That was a great evening!




pkondz said:


> Pretty much. I'll have some, it doesn't turn my stomach or anything, but not really a fan.
> You guys can have it all.



I'd rather eat queso, but the guac  makes chips and salsa a meal.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> We've missed you!



Awww. Shucks....  



Steppesister said:


> I'm seeing a pattern here...



You're just NOW seeing this. : rolleyes1



Steppesister said:


> Just be like me and forget who you used last and it won't matter. Mostly, they all suck anyway.



Next time I'm going with Alamo.



Steppesister said:


> Heh, they took good lessons from $ixbucks!!!



I've actually never paid six bucks for any one item there.



Steppesister said:


> 9:30? I'd have been .. hangry.



Me too. If I hadn't had wine...



pooh'smate said:


> We have eaten at Joe's before and you are right it is really good.



I'm glad that we ended up there that first night.  Had we gone to the place where we got the GC it would have set a different tone to my desire for BBQ for the rest of the trip.



jedijill said:


> Woot Woot!  You are in my hometown!  The Kaufmann Center is fairly new and really is a wonderful addition to KC.  Hopefully it cools down before I go there in a couple of weeks!
> 
> Jill in CO




Yeah, I hope its cooler! It was mk o fun. We tried to stay inside!


----------



## DnA2010

Nice updates  At work so just on for a brief minute. I'm sorry we didn't manage to meet up, it became apparent as our trip approached that my group would require constant monitoring (I was correct) so my apologies for not messaging you in the last few weeks to meet up  I laughed out loud at your "old fart" ribbon


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Nothing new to report. We will make an appointment when we get home. He's been receiving two different inhalers, so they'll check him again about six to eight weeks after his last check up.



That was about a week ago? News?



franandaj said:


> She's quite into it. I would try to post a pic, but too hard from my phone, although PB is back to $20 per year, so I may use that again for on the fly posting.



I saw that. Guess I'll keep using them.



franandaj said:


> It would be pretty stale if they did!







franandaj said:


> They've started to change the beignets up every season. I can't remember what flavor they are for Pixar Fest.



What?!?!?! Dang! Wish I'd known.



franandaj said:


> I had to look it up a few years back when I brought some to WDW for a cookout and no one knew what it was. It has always just been something you grill to Californians.



Huh. I don't even know if I could find any up here.



franandaj said:


> Most people are cooking right on the flame so they'd see it go off, but we were using indirect heat. The lid was closed so we didn't notice.



You should almost always cook on indirect....


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> You told me you were on facebook (and no, I haven't had a chance t look yet) so not _quite_ off the grid.



I post more on FB when I'm on trips than I do at home! So I guess I'm never totally off the grid.



pkondz said:


> So no 20 hours of meetings. Considering what you've described in this update, it sounds like that was a good thing.



Yeah, if we were on the board we would have had to probably arrive a day earlier, so we had a day to chill before all the meetings!



pkondz said:


> What did you mean by this? That before you had no duties other than performing? Or you



For about 10 years, Fran and I were the only members from our band who would attend these things. So we were always the delegates. The last time that we were delegates was in 2014. We didn't attend the 2015 conference, 2017 was cancelled and someone else did it in 2016.



pkondz said:


> A big happy concert! Yay!
> 
> Actually.... after reading the article you linked... it sounds like that is _exactly_ what it was!



The audience was quite exuberant!



pkondz said:


> Ugh! The worst.



After this trip we are having no more flights before 9AM!



pkondz said:


> Oh, I can help you out there.
> You _did_ check in. You made it through security and eventually boarded the plane.
> 
> 
> 
> You're welcome.



Thanks, I wasn't sure if I did that or just apparated there.



pkondz said:


> What would "low level" functioning be?
> Breathing and a heart beat?



Ability to speak in simple sentences, operate a motor vehicle for short distances, throw heavy objects into the back of a car.

Providing adequate directions and carrying on an intelligent conversation are certainly out of the question!



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... is it because the shuttle took so long? Or were there other issues?



No the shuttle was fine. It was an airport wide shuttle to one building with all the car companies. It was the fact that they didn't have any cars for me when I got there. They found me one and said, "No we can't give you that one,." And then made me wait another 30 minutes until they found one.



pkondz said:


> you knew them, then I'm sure they got what was going on, or... they didn't notice.



Well one guy I ran into said he hadn't slept in three days so he beat me for only one.



pkondz said:


> Did you ever get it?



Yes. I got it Saturday before the concert.



pkondz said:


> Dang.... I want to eat all of that.
> I noticed the coleslaw in the photo. How was that? I'm a bit of a coleslaw snob.



I thought it was pretty good, but it was kind of the low thing on the totem pole. I was all about the meat that week.



pkondz said:


> That sounds good! Was it?



 excellent!



pkondz said:


> Never heard of that. Huh! And... why not? I might do that the next time I have oatmeal.



It's not a bad idea, sounds pretty good!



pkondz said:


> Just need to scrape the weeds off of it and it's good to go.



I think that's what she did!



pkondz said:


> Not bad considering it came with lifetime free refills.



Yeah in your dreams!



pkondz said:


> Not too shabby!







pkondz said:


> No.
> 
> Someone reaches over with a spoon to "split" my French Onion Soup is going to pull back a stub.



That's not very nice. Fran and I usually split most all of our meals when we dine out.



pkondz said:


> The article mentioned that too.



You expect to play more challenging music at these events but this was probably among the most difficult we have played.



pkondz said:


> Very descriptive! I had no problem finding you both.



That was the idea.



pkondz said:


> So... water?



 I was drinking that all day.



pkondz said:


> It doesn't matter what she got. Let's get back to the apple crumble!!!



 



pkondz said:


> Riveting stuff.







pkondz said:


> Bet Liesa's happy to hear that.



Seems like it.



pkondz said:


> There ain't no such thing as a free... oh.
> 
> Nevermind.



Precisely. But we didn't have to go far, and it didn't cost us anything extra except maybe our time.



pkondz said:


> I did look at that photo for a bit and wondered about it.



I wore my old proudly!



pkondz said:


> So did you not eat anything that night



I had fruit. Well that may be a little vague, they were grapes. And maybe they were smashed. A bit.



pkondz said:


> It certainly is! Beautiful, too! That organ. Wow! Loved it even more with the colours. (read about it being usually grey, too.)



I didn't even notice the colors until we finished our half of the concert and got to go up in the audience to listen to the other band.



pkondz said:


> Too hot! Spontaneous combustion territory!



It's amazing how much different the sun felt in that midwestern heat. Much more glaring and intense.



pkondz said:


> Gorgeous building.



Also designed by Frank Gehry.



pkondz said:


> Nice looking group.







pkondz said:


> Very nice review! What was your favourite piece? Fantasia?



Hard to say. A lot of the music was strange, to say the least. I'd probably say that the Wizard of Oz was my favorite.



pkondz said:


> Gross is right. Yuck.



I only ate a few bites.



pkondz said:


> You still need to try really good Key Lime pie. Store bought just ain't gonna cut it.



But at least the mystery of it was solved. I had no idea what it was like, consistency, etc.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Great update! Now I am starving!
> 
> Love the band photos.



Thanks! Just wait until I post the next update!



chunkymonkey said:


> Love how we can just youtube any instructions nowadays. Which makes me wonder how I ever survived without it because I hate reading instructions for anything!



That was actually the first time I did that. I guess with my limited brain capacity, I couldn't figure it out on my own.



chunkymonkey said:


> Nice room! It looked so big!



It was very large. We were spoiled as the second half of the trip our room was not nearly as big.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yum, your BBQ pictures make everything look so good! I'm ok with BBQ, but I guess I haven't had Kansas City BBQ which is probably something I should do to appreciate BBQ!



They take their BBQ seriously there! But I'm glad we visited the places we did in that order.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yikes! That's more than like, NYC!



I didn't even pay that much for the Iced coffee I bought at the airport on the way home.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yum looks delicious for hotel food!



The hotel restaurant was actually quite good.



chunkymonkey said:


> Haha this is really funny!



People need a better sense of humor for events like this. 



chunkymonkey said:


> Wow impressive hall! Love the rainbow!



It's rather cool that our groups are starting to gain enough respect that we can play in such nice venues.



chunkymonkey said:


> Good mixture of room service and leftovers to make a complete meal! The potatoes sound terrible though!



It worked out well since no one would go out with me. We were pretty tired the next day as it was, so going out would have just made it even harder getting up the next morning.



chunkymonkey said:


> Yum, more food pics!



My next update is chock full of them!



rentayenta said:


> I think I have mellowed a little......



Ya think?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, if we were on the board we would have had to probably arrive a day earlier, so we had a day to chill before all the meetings!



Ah. 



franandaj said:


> For about 10 years, Fran and I were the only members from our band who would attend these things. So we were always the delegates. The last time that we were delegates was in 2014. We didn't attend the 2015 conference, 2017 was cancelled and someone else did it in 2016.



So not your first kick at the cat.
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> After this trip we are having no more flights before 9AM!



 I can't imagine why not! Betting you needed a cat nap!
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> Thanks, I wasn't sure if I did that or just apparated there.



I was trying to keep your secret. Cat's out of the bag now!
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> Ability to speak in simple sentences, operate a motor vehicle for short distances, throw heavy objects into the back of a car.
> 
> Providing adequate directions and carrying on an intelligent conversation are certainly out of the question!



 Thanks for clarifying. Was curious. Curiosity killed the cat though.
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> No the shuttle was fine. It was an airport wide shuttle to one building with all the car companies. It was the fact that they didn't have any cars for me when I got there. They found me one and said, "No we can't give you that one,." And then made me wait another 30 minutes until they found one.



Not acceptable. At all. Not even close. Bet you guys fought like cats and dogs.
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> Well one guy I ran into said he hadn't slept in three days so he beat me for only one.



He wins. Definitely not the cat's meow.
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> Yeah in your dreams!



So... no?



franandaj said:


> That's not very nice. Fran and I usually split most all of our meals when we dine out.



Odd thing. Ruby and I _never_ share. And I'm not against it. I'd gladly share with you if you'd like. Heck... I _have_ shared with you! On at least 4 occasions that I can recall off the top of my head.

But.... anyone reaches for my French onion soup is going to be sadly disappointed.



franandaj said:


> I wore my old proudly!







franandaj said:


> I had fruit. Well that may be a little vague, they were grapes. And maybe they were smashed. A bit.










franandaj said:


> I didn't even notice the colors until we finished our half of the concert and got to go up in the audience to listen to the other band.



Well, you did have your backs to it, so understandable.



franandaj said:


> It's amazing how much different the sun felt in that midwestern heat. Much more glaring and intense.



Well, it's because you're closer. Long beach elevation is 52 feet and Kansas City is 908. So that explains it.







franandaj said:


> Also designed by Frank Gehry.



I actually saw that. I was curious and looked it up. 
(Dang... another cat killed. No offense.)



franandaj said:


> But at least the mystery of it was solved. I had no idea what it was like, consistency, etc.



Now you know. Now you need to try a _good _one.


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Always a good feeling to be totally exhausted before the travel even starts!



Of course! That's why we always do it!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The brisket from Joe's was my favorite thing I had in Kansas City. So good!



It was even better when I had it a few days later, so tender and good!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm sure it was worth every penny



. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Not too shabby.



Better than the parking lot we were overlooking for the second half of the trip.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> D'oh! That makes it worse!



 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That's awesome. More conferences should do this.



I like when folks have a sense of humor!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Nice photo! That looks like a really cool building.



It was. It's a Frank Gehry building.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Looks like a nice write-up. Glad it went well!



I was surprised by the review, but it was nice that they were there and had such good things to say!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Easy to do that with pie.



Yup. We did it again at our Costco with another pie that we debated getting over the key lime pie.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> What he said.



I get that, but the closest I'd had to a key lime before that was reading Julie's recipe on one of your TRs.



Pinkocto said:


> Fun band weekend minus the no sleep at the beginning. Glad the concert went so well
> 
> Yay for the March trip



It was fun but exhausting. It always is.



pkondz said:


> Pretty much. I'll have some, it doesn't turn my stomach or anything, but not really a fan.
> You guys can have it all.



I only like it when it's super fresh, like I make it, or they do it tableside. 



chunkymonkey said:


> When you were telling us (Jenny and I) about your upcoming trip to KC and how all it's usually a big party in the hotel, and that all the guys were partying it up in the hot tub and you didn't want to know what happens there, and then we all said what hotel is this? Remember: don't use the hot tub!



Ah, now its coming back to me! I'm not sure I even saw if they had a hot tub.



chunkymonkey said:


> Ooh sounds great! Now I just have to find a giant tri tip from a butcher.



Either that or get two! They were on sale here last week for $3.99 per lb.



Steppesister said:


> I am, I am



Yay! You can come to our concert! As long as it's not the same weekend as the PNWMM!



Steppesister said:


> Looks like you're all caught up now!  Well, except the update I put up last night.



I read it, just haven't had a chance to comment.



Steppesister said:


> Yes, and... pro tip: If you turn your phone sideways, I think the tickers will show up



Yeah I know about that, but I don't like reading my phone in landscape, so thinking to turn it at the bottom of everyone's posts doesn't come naturally. 



Steppesister said:


> So a win-lose, then.



Eh, when I looked into what was there, it didn't sound nearly as exciting, and a couple hours drive each way made it less interesting.



Steppesister said:


> Well, that's cool!! That was a great evening!







Steppesister said:


> I'd rather eat queso, but the guac makes chips and salsa a meal.



I need the chips and guac as an appy. Need meat after that!



pkondz said:


> That was about a week ago? News?



In the first week of May they said they wanted to see him back in 6 to 8 weeks so we got time.



pkondz said:


> I saw that. Guess I'll keep using them.



I need to go make sure my account is paid up. I'll use them on the fly and this way my old TRs will still be alive.



pkondz said:


> What?!?!?! Dang! Wish I'd known.



Sorry...next time.



pkondz said:


> Huh. I don't even know if I could find any up here.



Let me know if you do find it. I'd be curious.



pkondz said:


> You should almost always cook on indirect....



Not for burgers and things you want to get a good sear. Or is this one of those times I'm missing your smart a$$ comments?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I only like it when it's super fresh, like I make it, or they do it tableside.



I actually saw them do that at the next table when I ate at the Santa Monica Pier. Was interesting. And, like I said, I'd have some... but not much.



franandaj said:


> In the first week of May they said they wanted to see him back in 6 to 8 weeks so we got time.



Okay. Hope the next visit ends with "He's good!"



franandaj said:


> I need to go make sure my account is paid up. I'll use them on the fly and this way my old TRs will still be alive.



That's what I'm thinking too.



franandaj said:


> Let me know if you do find it. I'd be curious.



Dang it! And I was just at my butcher's yesterday... and forgot to ask.



franandaj said:


> Not for burgers and things you want to get a good sear. Or is this one of those times I'm missing your smart a$$ comments?



No, you can do those indirect too. I heat the BBQ up so the grates are really hot, then put the burgers on. I turn the heat way down on that side. When I flip them, I'll transfer to the other side and reverse the levels on the burners. You get your sear and avoid flameups. 
Hmm.... I guess it's not _really_ indirect then. Just the burners that are going at the time, make it kind of like that? But you're right, it's not really _cooking_ by indirect. It's still searing.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So not your first kick at the cat.
> (No offense to cats.)
> 
> I can't imagine why not! Betting you needed a cat nap!
> (No offense to cats.)
> 
> I was trying to keep your secret. Cat's out of the bag now!
> (No offense to cats.)
> 
> Thanks for clarifying. Was curious. Curiosity killed the cat though.
> (No offense to cats.)
> 
> Not acceptable. At all. Not even close. Bet you guys fought like cats and dogs.
> (No offense to cats.)
> 
> He wins. Definitely not the cat's meow.
> (No offense to cats.)



What's with all the cat comments?  



pkondz said:


> Odd thing. Ruby and I _never_ share. And I'm not against it. I'd gladly share with you if you'd like. Heck... I _have_ shared with you! On at least 4 occasions that I can recall off the top of my head.



This is true.  Fran and I always work it out, just the other day we were out for breakfast.  I wanted pancakes and bacon, and she usually gets the bacon an eggs breakfast, but as we were ordering, she said, "Get the large stack, if you'll share your pancakes with me."

Then she ordered hers and I said, "will you share your hashbrowns with me?"  Best of both worlds.  



pkondz said:


> But.... anyone reaches for my French onion soup is going to be sadly disappointed.



See I'd rather eat part of that so that I can have more of whatever is to come later, which is usually Steak or Mac n Cheese whenever French onion soup is a starter.



pkondz said:


> Well, you did have your backs to it, so understandable.



And I was paying attention to the conductors.



pkondz said:


> Well, it's because you're closer. Long beach elevation is 52 feet and Kansas City is 908. So that explains it.



  

I think it also has to do with the Marine layer.  It doesn't get sunny here until around 2PM.



pkondz said:


> I actually saw that. I was curious and looked it up.
> (Dang... another cat killed. No offense.)



I don't get the cat mudering....  



pkondz said:


> Now you know. Now you need to try a _good _one.



OK, ok, but I don't know where to find one, other than Key West and I'm not going there anytime soon.



pkondz said:


> I actually saw them do that at the next table when I ate at the Santa Monica Pier. Was interesting. And, like I said, I'd have some... but not much.



I actually don't eat that much either, it's best when we have four or more people join in on it.



pkondz said:


> Okay. Hope the next visit ends with "He's good!"



Me too.  $500 later.



pkondz said:


> Dang it! And I was just at my butcher's yesterday... and forgot to ask.



Well now you have to go back.  This is an odd concept, both you and Su-Lynn mentioned butchers.  We just go to the grocery store. One of the stores everyone in the Meat Dept is a trained butcher.



pkondz said:


> No, you can do those indirect too. I heat the BBQ up so the grates are really hot, then put the burgers on. I turn the heat way down on that side. When I flip them, I'll transfer to the other side and reverse the levels on the burners. You get your sear and avoid flameups.
> Hmm.... I guess it's not _really_ indirect then. Just the burners that are going at the time, make it kind of like that? But you're right, it's not really _cooking_ by indirect. It's still searing.



When I said indirect heat, I meant covered like using the barbecue as an oven.  This reminds me, I have been wanting to make my whole grilled chicken recipe for some time now.  I finally have a charcoal grill in working order, I need to put that on the menu for next week.


----------



## rentayenta

Did you say an update was coming?  

Check your texts. Want to go to Disneyland tomorrow evening?


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> It was. It's a Frank Gehry building.



Well, look at that!  I found one I like!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> What's with all the cat comments?



Better than not saying anything like when the cat’s got your tongue. 
(No offense to cats.)



franandaj said:


> This is true. Fran and I always work it out, just the other day we were out for breakfast. I wanted pancakes and bacon, and she usually gets the bacon an eggs breakfast, but as we were ordering, she said, "Get the large stack, if you'll share your pancakes with me."
> 
> Then she ordered hers and I said, "will you share your hashbrowns with me?" Best of both worlds.







franandaj said:


> See I'd rather eat part of that so that I can have more of whatever is to come later, which is usually Steak or Mac n Cheese whenever French onion soup is a starter.



Okay you’ve convinced me. We’ll share. I’ll have all the cheese and onions, and you can have the remaining broth when I’m done. 

Dang I’m generous. 



franandaj said:


> And I was paying attention to the conductors



 Geez, of course you were. That was stupid of me. 



franandaj said:


> I think it also has to do with the Marine layer. It doesn't get sunny here until around 2PM.



That’s called “smog”. 



franandaj said:


> I don't get the cat mudering....



Me neither! They should ban curiosity. 



franandaj said:


> OK, ok, but I don't know where to find one, other than Key West and I'm not going there anytime soon.



Best one I’ve had was in Chicago. They are out there. 



franandaj said:


> Well now you have to go back. This is an odd concept, both you and Su-Lynn mentioned butchers. We just go to the grocery store. One of the stores everyone in the Meat Dept is a trained butcher.



But the dedicated butcher stores have better cuts and better quality. At least that’s what I find. 



franandaj said:


> When I said indirect heat, I meant covered like using the barbecue as an oven.



Ah yes. Of course. 



franandaj said:


> This reminds me, I have been wanting to make my whole grilled chicken recipe for some time now. I finally have a charcoal grill in working order, I need to put that on the menu for next week.



Mmm... sounds good!


----------



## franandaj

Well we are back from all our travels, and will be staying put for almost two months. Well maybe.

The time that we have been talking about for the past four years has finally come. It was this week four years ago that we moved out of our old house, and ever since then we have been trying to get the last of our stuff out of there. Technically we still haven't finished because my old leather recliner is still in there, the contractor and his henchman keep moving it around the living room area to keep it out of their way.  It's been on Craigslist for free for over a month and while we've recieved received lots of inquiries, no one has actually come to take it off our hands.

About a week before we left for Kansas City they began demoing the old house.  Here’s a couple shots of what used to be the kitchen.  











Now the cabinets are completely gone.  Today we picked out the tile for the flooring in the kitchen, Dining room, living room, hallway and bathrooms.  Once they lay the tile, we’ll be purchasing new kitchen cabinets and such. We also picked out the carpeting that will go in the bedrooms. I’m really hoping that we can have the place ready to put on the market by August.

Berlioz still has another couple weeks before his recheck at the doctor’s, so no news on his condition.

That’s about all the IRL news for now!


As of July last year Jenny officially began “living here". Something that she repeats as a mantra, “We live here now!” i don't think she will ever get sick of saying it!


So one of the benefits of her living here is that we can do evening trips out to the park after she gets off work. See comment above as evidence!

One evening in late January we were able to find the time to do this.  We were going to ride a few rides and get some dinner, but neither of us was hungry, and then we ended up having a couple cocktails. We decided that we better stop at two and headed off to ride Guardians of the Galaxy.  Twice.









I think we ended up at the Hearthstone Lounge while we waited for Fran to come pick us up.  For some reason it seems that Fran doesn’t trust me to drive out there, either that or she doesn’t want to be stuck without the car.


When Jenny’s DH got hired at Disney he got a great coupon for 50% a meal at various restaurants. Jenny wanted to use it for the Chef’s counter at Napa Rose, but one of the stipulations was that it was only valid midweek. That’s fine for me and Fran, it was a little more difficult for Jenny and her DH, but they made it work!






We had a great view of the kitchen.











I love the bread service here.






Prickly Pear Crab Shooter was our amuse bouche. This was pretty good.  I’m not sure what the liquid was, but it was nice.






We were all served different wines.  Jenny was enjoying a cocktail so she didn’t do the wine pairings.  I believe that Fran and I were served the Far Niente and Inception Chardonnays and Michael had the Baileyana.
















As we nibbled on our bread and watched the action in the kitchen our first courses arrived. This is the Diver Scallop with Lobster and Vanilla Sauce, Fran may have been given this one, but it is one of my favorite dishes and it’s not on the menu right now, so we traded and I had this one.






Not exactly sure what this first fish course is….possibly Sea Bream.  I think this what Jenny ate.






Also no idea what this one is, but I think it’s what I traded with Fran






Diver Scallop and Blue Shrimp with Grilled Pumpkin, Pine Nuts, Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Golden Raisins, and Orange Bubbles, I think this was Michael’s dish because I had to steal this picture from Jenny’s, since he was sitting on her other side and I couldn’t easily take pictures of his dishes.






Everyone loved their fish courses!

Next round of wines











This is the smiling Tiger Salad, another favorite of mine that Fran was served, so we switched. It has spicy beef underneath the weeds and that ball is a piece of tempura lobster.  I got the Riesling as that was what was paired with it.






Hazelnut Thyme Roasted Apple Salad California White Cheddar, Endive and Red Mustard Greens, that I would have hated, but Fran enjoyed it.  This was paired with the Rose.






Jenny had the Hamachi Tartare with EVOO, Cayenne Chili, Scallion, Meyer Lemon, and Avocado






I think Michael was also served the Smiling Tiger Salad.


*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


The Next course was varied for all of us again. But first the wines











I was served the Wine Country Goose Cassoulet Braised Cranberry Beans and Kumquat Mustardo,  It was pretty good, nice flavors, but here was the point where I started to get pretty full.






Pan-roasted Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast Butternut Squash Spätzle, Forager Mushrooms and Duck Pinot Noir Essence. I believe she liked it.  I didn’t hear any complaints out of her all night.






Jenny had the Sweetbreads (which I would not have been OK with), but she seemed to really like them.






Michael was served the Quail (which was not on the menu) so we don’t have any more details about it’s preparation.






And now we’re moving on to the Main Course with the big and robust wines.











I believe that Jenny was served the filet as she said it was amazing on her post of this meal.






This one must have been mine, based on the location of all the pictures.  Normally I’m not a fan of a NY strip, but I do remember it was well prepared and I liked the fingerling potatoes.






Fran got the Rosemary Grilled Petit Filet Mignon Braised Beef and Shelling Bean Ragu, Cranberry Pistachio Pesto.  She prefers a Rib Eye, but enjoyed this dish as well.






Michael got the Rack of Lamb, as I was envious that he was served that and I wasn’t.






Then we were served our dessert wines.











This was Jenny’s dessert.  I have no idea what it was because she didn’t have a description when she posted it the day after our meal, so months later, I can’t even make a guess.






I think this one was Michael’s dessert, it was obviously chocolate and something tells me the yellow thing was like Mango sorbet and those are little chunks of Mango in there.






This was mine.  I’ve had this one before and it’s totally one of my favorites as well.  Best Ever Hot Chocolate - Chestnut filled donut, mini sweet croissant stout cake 






Fran got the who knows what!  I think by the end of the meal they were giving us stuff that is off the menu.






After that we pretty much rolled out of there.  Everyone was stuffed and I even took some of my meat home with me.  Now that I looked over these pictures, I want to do this again sometime!  And soon!


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Did you say an update was coming?
> 
> Check your texts. Want to go to Disneyland tomorrow evening?



Perfect timing! And you played right into the first part of my update!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, look at that!  I found one I like!



 I do remember that you were not impressed with his other buildings.



pkondz said:


> Better than not saying anything like when the cat’s got your tongue.
> (No offense to cats.)







pkondz said:


> Okay you’ve convinced me. We’ll share. I’ll have all the cheese and onions, and you can have the remaining broth when I’m done.
> 
> Dang I’m generous.



That's OK. I'll pass on sharing things that can't be split into separate plates...



pkondz said:


> That’s called “smog



No the smog collects up by the mountains inland. We get the marine layer at the beach and it burns off by 2PM.



pkondz said:


> Best one I’ve had was in Chicago. They are out there.



Not sure where I would look to find them here...



pkondz said:


> But the dedicated butcher stores have better cuts and better quality. At least that’s what I find



I don't think we even have any independent butcher shops here. Unless you count the Carnecerias.



pkondz said:


> Mmm... sounds good!



Fill it with pearl onions, herbs and butter, and grill, covered, over charcoal for about 90 minutes.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> That's OK. I'll pass on sharing things that can't be split into separate plates...



Oh sure. The moment I offer to share, you turn your nose up!



franandaj said:


> No the smog collects up by the mountains inland. We get the marine layer at the beach and it burns off by 2PM.



I bow to your superior local knowledge. 



franandaj said:


> I don't think we even have any independent butcher shops here. Unless you count the Carnecerias.



Maybe there’s no need?



franandaj said:


> Fill it with pearl onions, herbs and butter, and grill, covered, over charcoal for about 90 minutes.



Yep! That’s a yum. Back later to comment


----------



## tiggrbaby

Great pics from the concert!  I like your black dress - so pretty!  Very nice review as well!

Nice that you are finally moving forward on the old place.

Oh, my, so much food!


----------



## rentayenta

That meal was amazing! Remember it was for our Valentine's and your do-over Valentine's Day meal. Incredible!

The sweet breads were delicious and I am glad I didn't know what they were until after.  But you know what a bone marrow freak I am. LOL. 

Great pictures and  let's do this again!! 

I cannot believe how DeSoto looks in these photos. So happy for you ladies. It'll be a beautiful rental. Gabby said she saw one of the DeSotos on Craiigslist yesterday; is this is?


The night we rode GOTG after a couple of drinks was a blast. Great pic too.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh sure. The moment I offer to share, you turn your nose up!



We've shared on several occasions before, as you pointed out!



pkondz said:


> I bow to your superior local knowledge.



As well you should! 



pkondz said:


> Maybe there’s no need?



The grocery stores have pretty good quality meat. Ralph's only sells choice beef and Stater Bros is the one where everyone in the meat dept is a certified butcher.



pkondz said:


> Yep! That’s a yum. Back later to comment



I'm looking forward to it.



tiggrbaby said:


> Great pics from the concert! I like your black dress - so pretty! Very nice review as well!



Thanks, that currently my favorite concert dress.



tiggrbaby said:


> Nice that you are finally moving forward on the old place.



It's really about time.



tiggrbaby said:


> Oh, my, so much food!



It was all so good!



rentayenta said:


> That meal was amazing! Remember it was for our Valentine's and your do-over Valentine's Day meal. Incredible!



I had forgotten it was our Valentine's make up. Now I don't even remember what Fran and I did for actual Valentine's.  Probably not much.



rentayenta said:


> The sweet breads were delicious and I am glad I didn't know what they were until after.  But you know what a bone marrow freak I



Yeah, those are one thing that I don't want to eat.



rentayenta said:


> Great pictures and  let's do this again!!



#WhenCanWeDoThisAgain



rentayenta said:


> I cannot believe how DeSoto looks in these photos. So happy for you ladies. It'll be a beautiful rental. Gabby said she saw one of the DeSotos on Craiigslist yesterday; is this is?



One of our units? We don't have anything available right now.



rentayenta said:


> The night we rode GOTG after a couple of drinks was a blast. Great pic too.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> will be staying put for almost two months. Well maybe.



"maybe" 



franandaj said:


> Technically we still haven't finished because my old leather recliner is still in there,



And the clock on the wall.



franandaj said:


> I’m really hoping that we can have the place ready to put on the market by August.



Lots of work to do. Good luck!



franandaj said:


> Something that she repeats as a mantra, “We live here now!” i don't think she will ever get sick of saying it!



 I can totally see that.



franandaj said:


> So one of the benefits of her living here is that we can do evening trips out to the park after she gets off work. See comment above as evidence!



Perfect timing on that. 



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> When Jenny’s DH got hired at Disney he got a great coupon for 50% a meal at various restaurants.



Nice!



franandaj said:


> We had a great view of the kitchen.



I love that. I love watching the chefs work.



franandaj said:


>



Everything looked good, but this one is a really pretty dish.



franandaj said:


> And now we’re moving on to the Main Course with the big and robust wines.



Now???? But you're already full!



franandaj said:


> Michael got the Rack of Lamb, as I was envious that he was served that and I wasn’t.



I would be too. One of my favourite meals.



franandaj said:


>



Man. Gorgeous presentation.



franandaj said:


> Everyone was stuffed



I bet!



franandaj said:


> Now that I looked over these pictures, I want to do this again sometime! And soon!



Who wouldn't!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We've shared on several occasions before, as you pointed out!



Touché. 



franandaj said:


> As well you should!







franandaj said:


> The grocery stores have pretty good quality meat. Ralph's only sells choice beef and Stater Bros is the one where everyone in the meat dept is a certified butcher.



Our grocery stores do have butchers... but for really good cuts? Go to a butcher.
And! Mine _does_ sell tri tip.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Awww. Shucks....







franandaj said:


> You're just NOW seeing this. : rolleyes1





Facetious _could_ be one of my many middle names. 



franandaj said:


> Next time I'm going with Alamo.



As far as I know, this company does NOT eat cameras. 



franandaj said:


> Me too. If I hadn't had wine...



Wine a good answer to most anything.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> and will be staying put for almost two months. Well maybe.



I might actually be in one place for much of August and September. 

Maybe. 

(Actually, I really hope so! I need to make bank for my Sept/Oct trip!)



franandaj said:


> I’m really hoping that we can have the place ready to put on the market by August.



Oh, Alison, me too! It's been a long time coming!



franandaj said:


> then we ended up having a couple cocktails. We decided that we better stop at two and headed off to ride Guardians of the Galaxy. Twice.



Double the fun!!!!!



franandaj said:


>



What a phenomenal photo of you 4!



franandaj said:


> Prickly Pear Crab Shooter was our amuse bouche. This was pretty good. I’m not sure what the liquid was, but it was nice.



Prickly pear cactus juice?? Our housekeeper from when I was growing up would always take ours from our yard after they bloomed to enjoy. 



franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


>



Exquisite labels. I would buy both of those JUST for the labels in a heartbeat!!! 

I won't comment on all the food because there was just so much beauty and variety. It all looked absolutely fantastic!! Makes me want to maybe request we do this next time I"m down there...


----------



## skier_pete

So that meal has me baffled. Do they just serve you random stuff, or do you pick from a list of choices?  I am not sure I would like the randomness of it. Meat OK, but I am pretty finicky when It comes to seafood. Love shrimp, scallop and crab, but hate most fish. Do you get to specify what you like? I have to imagine the meal is a small fortune.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> "maybe"



I want to go visit my parents at their house, but we need to get our stuff in order. So maybe. 



pkondz said:


> And the clock on the wall.



It's gone now....



pkondz said:


> Lots of work to do. Good luck!



Well the only work I have to do is write checks at this point.



pkondz said:


> Perfect timing on that.



She unknowingly played right into my hand!



pkondz said:


> I love that. I love watching the chefs work.



My favorite seat in the house. We kept talking with them all night to see what they were doing.



pkondz said:


> Everything looked good, but this one is a really pretty dish.



It's a very tasty one too and they have been serving it for a long time.



pkondz said:


> Now???? But you're already full!



I said "starting to get full".



pkondz said:


> I would be too. One of my favourite meals.



I need to make it at home since I can't afford to go out for that right now.



pkondz said:


> Man. Gorgeous presentation.



They do a good job there!



pkondz said:


> Who wouldn't!



A crazy person? 



pkondz said:


> Our grocery stores do have butchers... but for really good cuts? Go to a butcher.
> And! Mine _does_ sell tri tip.



I looked up butchers.  And besides the Carnecerias that came up, I would have to drive to either Huntington Beach or Torrance to find a real butcher outside of a grocery store. I'm sure their cuts of meat are top notch, but my local Stater Bros has excellent meat and prices, so a fancy butcher will have to wait until I win the lottery!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Facetious _could_ be one of my many middle names.







Steppesister said:


> As far as I know, this company does NOT eat cameras.



That's good to know!



Steppesister said:


> Wine a good answer to most anything.







Steppesister said:


> I might actually be in one place for much of August and September.
> 
> Maybe.
> 
> (Actually, I really hope so! I need to make bank for my Sept/Oct trip!)



We are gone the last week of August and the most of the first week in September so yeah, it would be good to stay put. But we haven't visited my parents since Dec 2016.



Steppesister said:


> Oh, Alison, me too! It's been a long time coming!



Tell me about it! Four years ago Wednesday we spent our first night in the new house.



Steppesister said:


> Double the fun!!!!!







Steppesister said:


> a phenomenal photo of you 4!



You know Michael has mad selfie skilz.



Steppesister said:


> Prickly pear cactus juice?? Our housekeeper from when I was growing up would always take ours from our yard after they bloomed to enjoy.



I bet that's what it was! Crab in the cactus juice.



Steppesister said:


> Exquisite labels. I would buy both of those JUST for the labels in a heartbeat!!!



I never look at the labels much, just drink the drink.



********** said:


> So that meal has me baffled. Do they just serve you random stuff, or do you pick from a list of choices?  I am not sure I would like the randomness of it. Meat OK, but I am pretty finicky when It comes to seafood. Love shrimp, scallop and crab, but hate most fish. Do you get to specify what you like? I have to imagine the meal is a small fortune.



I believe they asked us about our likes and dislikes before the meal. I believe I told them salmon, eggplant, "funny" meats (like Jenny's sweetbreads) and that was about it. All of us were open to eat just about anything so they just kind of fed us whatever. I imagine if you said no seafood they would work around that.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I want to go visit my parents at their house, but we need to get our stuff in order. So maybe.



 Seee!!!



franandaj said:


> It's gone now....



Another senseless victim of home renovation.
Or should that be another _timeless_ victim?



franandaj said:


> Well the only work I have to do is write checks at this point.



That's the most painful type.



franandaj said:


> She unknowingly played right into my hand!







franandaj said:


> My favorite seat in the house. We kept talking with them all night to see what they were doing.



You could talk to them? I never have. Didn't want to disturb them.



franandaj said:


> It's a very tasty one too and they have been serving it for a long time.



Want.



franandaj said:


> I said "starting to get full".



Okay, okay.



franandaj said:


> I need to make it at home since I can't afford to go out for that right now.



You can? I've never tried. Ambitious.



franandaj said:


> A crazy person?







franandaj said:


> I looked up butchers. And besides the Carnecerias that came up, I would have to drive to either Huntington Beach or Torrance to find a real butcher outside of a grocery store. I'm sure their cuts of meat are top notch, but my local Stater Bros has excellent meat and prices, so a fancy butcher will have to wait until I win the lottery!



But it sounds like you don't need one.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Well we are back from all our travels, and will be staying put for almost two months.



How can you stand it?? 



franandaj said:


> About a week before we left for Kansas City they began demoing the old house.



Demolition is the most fun part of any job.



franandaj said:


> We were going to ride a few rides and get some dinner, but neither of us was hungry, and then we ended up having a couple cocktails. We decided that we better stop at two and headed off to ride Guardians of the Galaxy. Twice.



Cocktails and then Guardians...sounds like a risky combo.



franandaj said:


> When Jenny’s DH got hired at Disney he got a great coupon for 50% a meal at various restaurants. Jenny wanted to use it for the Chef’s counter at Napa Rose, but one of the stipulations was that it was only valid midweek.



50%!  Wow, I didn't think Disney ever offered discounts like that.  Nice to have the inside track.



franandaj said:


> Also no idea what this one is



My general feeling throughout most of the photos of this meal.



franandaj said:


> This was Jenny’s dessert. I have no idea what it was because she didn’t have a description when she posted it the day after our meal, so months later, I can’t even make a guess.



Probably a moon pie.



franandaj said:


> Fran got the who knows what! I think by the end of the meal they were giving us stuff that is off the menu.



"They've had enough wine by now; they'll eat whatever we throw at them!" 



franandaj said:


> After that we pretty much rolled out of there. Everyone was stuffed and I even took some of my meat home with me. Now that I looked over these pictures, I want to do this again sometime! And soon!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Another senseless victim of home renovation.
> Or should that be another _timeless_ victim?



Just wait until you see the next round of pictures! Of course I still have to take them. 



pkondz said:


> That's the most painful type.



Not necessarily. Washing the windows and cleaning the toilets is no fun. But we're putting in brand new toilets, so that's a bonus!



pkondz said:


> You could talk to them? I never have. Didn't want to disturb them.



Well Chef Sutton has known Fran and I for over 10 years now, ever since I did the cooking school with him, so the meal started with us chit chatting with him. Because he's super important now and has three restaurants to run, he had to rush off to the other restaurants, but he introduced us to the chef who was in charge before leaving. When they would put dishes up on the counter to be delivered to guests, we would ask what they were or about the ingredients and other prep type questions.



pkondz said:


> Want.



Oddly enough, me too!



pkondz said:


> You can? I've never tried. Ambitious.



Actually it's easier than making a Prime Rib. Back when I was young and poor I found a recipe very similar to this one. It only takes about half an hour to cook. I think I need to add this to my dinner rotation as well.

https://www.meilleurduchef.com/en/recipe/rack-lamb-parsley-mustard.html



pkondz said:


> But it sounds like you don't need one.



No we really don't. Between the grocery stores and Costco, we have really good quality meat. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> How can you stand it??



  I'm having a hard time restraining myself.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Demolition is the most fun part of any job.



I bet, the contractor gets to do all that, we just write the checks.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Cocktails and then Guardians...sounds like a risky combo.



Actually, its quite a fun one!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> 50%! Wow, I didn't think Disney ever offered discounts like that. Nice to have the inside track.



He actually gets some pretty sweet deals, but most of them are last minute or only valid on weekdays. I think he got a 30%, 40%, and 50% off when he was hired. Plus he gets to go to the Company D store.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> My general feeling throughout most of the photos of this meal.



  I think you might be saying that about the next one when I post it too.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Probably a moon pie.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> "They've had enough wine by now; they'll eat whatever we throw at them!"



Actually, we didn't even need the wine, we probably would have eaten anything out of that kitchen from the start!


----------



## franandaj

So just a little bit on real life updates. The renovations on our old place have been going full steam ahead. They've put tile in the kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway and bathrooms. Painting is underway and pretty soon they'll start to assemble the kitchen cabinets. Eventually carpet will go in the bedrooms and the bathroom counters will be replaced with the same countertops that will be in the kitchen.

I was going to show you some pictures, but the ones that I have from today are really not indicative of any progress as everything is covered right now for painting. Pretty much all you can see is paint drying and plastic tarps everywhere.

Berlioz has an appointment with the Super Vet next Saturday so we'll find out if the torture with the cat inhaler did him any good. Until then he seems OK except that now he has diarrhea.  I'm sure he's going to enjoy us giving him more oral meds.

Other than that, Fran is fighting off a nasty cough, most likely the result of being on a plane with someone with some kind of a bug two weeks ago. She has been miserable pretty much since we've been back from KC. I'm fighting off the same cough as well, but with not as severe symptoms. We've been trying something new for the past few days, Oregano oil, its it's a holistic solution for Bronchitis and other ailments. It's pretty nasty, but since the OTC and prescription meds haven't been helping much, we figured why not?

Here's to less coughing in the near future!


March 2-4


This weekend came together in kind of a funny way.  Jenny had originally booked a villa for this weekend to celebrate her birthday, when it was announced that this weekend was also the start of the DCA Food & Wine Festival, I waitlisted a Villa which came through back in January.  When Jill found out that we were both going to be there, and that I had an extra room on the couch, she hopped on a plane and joined us.

Even though we were celebrating Jenny’s Birthday this weekend, she had to work until 4:30 Friday night, Jill arrived early in the morning, but the room wasn’t ready when she arrived, so I think she went into the parks for a bit.  We arrived at the Grand Californian around 3PM and our room was ready.  And we scored some serious pixie dust on this trip, we were upgraded to the concierge lounge and were able to get snacks and beverages there throughout the weekend.  We let Fran hang out in the room while Jill and I went down to sample some of the food booths.






We went to Citrus Grove where I got a Ginger Mule.  This was one of my favorite beverages of the Festival.  It had a great kick and was tasty too!  I had a few of them throughout the course of the festival.






We also got a serving of the shredded pork and I believe that they had just run out of the Lemon Macaron (something that would continue throughout the festival).  The pork was great!  I had this again as well!






Then we went on to the Strawberry Patch booth.  They had a strawberry frushi but since it was coated in coconut, I said “no way”.  But we did split this little pie and got one each of the strawberry wine smoothie.  It was all good!






We took a spin on Guardians of the Galaxy. Don’t remember what song we got.






We could tell that it was going to start raining soon so we headed inside to check out the lounge and have some snacks.
















It was around this time that Jenny finally arrived and joined us.  They were making chocolate covered strawberries and you got to pick the toppings that you want on them.  






Jenny’s with coconut touched mine and I had to have them make me another one.  It sat on it’s own lonely plate.






Dessert came out a little later and we enjoyed this as well.  Tonight was when we met our new BFF Mitchell!  He brought us wine and beer all night and when the desserts came out he brought us cordials. There was some killer hot chocolate and we all had some, with a little Baileys mixed in!





















We all went back to our rooms and found these cute little Macarons. 






After scarfing them down, I went to sleep, but both Jenny and I would wake up in the middle of the night to regret drinking the hot chocolate.


Saturday


When we woke up that morning, we all wanted to go to visit some of the F&W booths, but they didn’t open until 11AM so first we went on Guardians.






Once the festival opened, our first stop was the cheese booth.






We got the Goat Cheese Fromage Blanc Tartine and the Brie Toast.  I liked the Brie better, Fran liked the Goat Cheese better so we each finished our favorites.






We also got a Mimosa Flight, Pineapple Mimosa, Raspberry Mimosa and Strawberry Mimosa.






Then we went to LA Style.  We got the Korean BBQ Beef Short Rib Tacos, Chicken Teriyaki Slider, and the Mexican Chocolate Custard. I liked the slider the best, and didn’t care for the Chocolate Custard at all.






By this time it was time that we needed to head to a special presentation on the Oscars and Disney Animation (this was the weekend of the Academy Awards).  We had a few beverages while listening to the fascinating talk.  No pictures were allowed of the presenters or their presentation.

I had a couple Cosmos






Fran had a Margarita, big surprise there!






Jill had a hurricane.






And we split an order of onion rings.






It was a very interesting presentation and focused on the animated portion of Disney movies, we learned all sorts of things among them was that oftentimes animated characters of the same species are rarely reinvented, but based off a predecessor.  One example was Nick Wilde from Zootopia who was loosely based off the fox in Robin Hood.  They had lots of neat and interesting tidbits that I don’t recall because I didn’t write it down immediately afterwards!  

Following the animation presentation, we decided to take a ride on Space Mountain before our 4PM demo.






Then had a demo which was outside and it was unseasonably cold that weekend. 






Last year we really enjoyed Chef John State as he made sausages, potato salad and cabbage.  






This year he was making a salmon gateau with hard boiled eggs and crepes. As Jill and I are not fans of salmon, we could tell this wasn’t going to be our favorite demo.











Other people in attendance had a different take on it. One of my friends who was there thought it was a very educational demo as it taught a few different techniques, making crepes, hard boiling eggs, making a vinaigrette, and other techniques. We were cold and thought it went on a little too long.


After the demo, Fran went back to the room while the rest of us met back up with Jenny, her friend, and her DH and we enjoyed wine, beer and spirits for the remainder of the evening.  Mitchell our new BFF brought us all kinds of fun beverages all night. Jill and Jenny ordered triple Baileys and Jenny made hers into a decaf Bailey’s and coffee.

Eventually we stumbled back to the rooms….


On Sunday I’m pretty sure we all packed up our stuff and headed out.  JIll took an Uber or Lyft to the airport, Jenny drove herself home and Fran and I left without incident.   I’m pretty sure it took me weeks to unpack the suitcases.


----------



## dizneeat

*Fran, get well soon! Sorry about the cough, ladies - it can be nasty. Have been battling one nearly all of spring myself. 

Poor little Berlioz. Treatment and now more treatment for his diarrhea. Poor little thing having to suffer - poor Alison and poor Fran having to deal with it.

On a brighter note.
Your F&W weekend looks super good! Love all the photos of the yummies and love the ride photos and fun poses even more. You made my day!*


----------



## tiggrbaby

Feel better ladies!

Hope the appointment with the kitty goes well!

Nice score on the upgrade!  Fabulous eats!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

I need that T-Shirt in my life as Whiskey is typically my answer for most things.  

I hope the oil helps the coughing.  I tried that once and I just couldn't get through it after that again.  

Looks like ag good opening weekend! That brie toast looks so good and that mimosa flight is up my alley!  That presentation about the Oscars and Animation seems really interesting!  Wish we had those types of events in WDW!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Just wait until you see the next round of pictures! Of course I still have to take them.



 Okay! Looking forward to it.



franandaj said:


> Not necessarily. Washing the windows and cleaning the toilets is no fun. But we're putting in brand new toilets, so that's a bonus!



So then you'll have a place to sit after washing windows and cleaning the toilets.



franandaj said:


> Well Chef Sutton has known Fran and I for over 10 years now, ever since I did the cooking school with him, so the meal started with us chit chatting with him. Because he's super important now and has three restaurants to run, he had to rush off to the other restaurants, but he introduced us to the chef who was in charge before leaving. When they would put dishes up on the counter to be delivered to guests, we would ask what they were or about the ingredients and other prep type questions.



Ohhh. That's really great, though. Seriously.



franandaj said:


> Actually it's easier than making a Prime Rib.



Really!
And thanks for the link. 
Doubtful that I'll make it though. I'm the only one who would like it!



franandaj said:


> I'm having a hard time restraining myself.







franandaj said:


> I bet, the contractor gets to do all that, we just write the checks.



Annnd… we're back to the least favourite part of it again.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> The renovations on our old place have been going full steam ahead. They've put tile in the kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway and bathrooms. Painting is underway and pretty soon they'll start to assemble the kitchen cabinets. Eventually carpet will go in the bedrooms and the bathroom counters will be replaced with the same countertops that will be in the kitchen.



Lots getting done! Are you pleased with the progress?



franandaj said:


> Pretty much all you can see is paint drying and plastic tarps everywhere.



What?!? No pictures of paint drying? Actually, a video would be better. 
Perhaps one that's about 2-3 hours long.



franandaj said:


> Until then he seems OK except that now he has diarrhea.  I'm sure he's going to enjoy us giving him more oral meds.



Poor kitty. Hope the vet visit provides the answers you want.



franandaj said:


> Other than that, Fran is fighting off a nasty cough, most likely the result of being on a plane with someone with some kind of a bug two weeks ago.



Ugh. Tell her I hope she feels better soon.



franandaj said:


> I'm fighting off the same cough as well, but with not as severe symptoms.



Oh, no. Hope_ you_ are feeling better soon, too.



franandaj said:


> When Jill found out that we were both going to be there, and that I had an extra room on the couch, she hopped on a plane and joined us.



Nice!
I should do that. Just hop on a plane and pop down for a quick weekend visit. 
Oh wait.... there's the $1,000 and 8 hours (or more) of travel... each way.



franandaj said:


> And we scored some serious pixie dust on this trip, we were upgraded to the concierge lounge



Excellent!! 



franandaj said:


>



When I first glanced at that photo, I thought the plant was coming out of your drink. A very large garnish.



franandaj said:


> We also got a serving of the shredded pork



That looks really good.



franandaj said:


> They had a strawberry frushi but since it was coated in coconut, I said “no way”.



Of course. Why would_ anyone_ eat that?



franandaj said:


> But we did split this little pie and got one each of the strawberry wine smoothie. It was all good!



I want that strawberry wine smoothie. Yum!



franandaj said:


> we headed inside to check out the lounge and have some snacks.



Wow! That's a great assortment of snacks!



franandaj said:


> They were making chocolate covered strawberries and you got to pick the toppings that you want on them.



Huh. I've never heard of that. Toppings on them, I mean. Usually it's like your later photo. Either just dipped in one chocolate or dipped and then drizzled with another.



franandaj said:


> Jenny’s with coconut touched mine and I had to have them make me another one.



I should hope so! 



franandaj said:


> Dessert came out a little later and we enjoyed this as well. Tonight was when we met our new BFF Mitchell! He brought us wine and beer all night and when the desserts came out he brought us cordials. There was some killer hot chocolate and we all had some, with a little Baileys mixed in!



You guys are making out pretty well!



franandaj said:


> both Jenny and I would wake up in the middle of the night to regret drinking the hot chocolate.



Oh dear. Why did you assume it was that instead of the myriad of other things you had? Do you sometimes have trouble with hot chocolate?



franandaj said:


> We got the Goat Cheese Fromage Blanc Tartine and the Brie Toast. I liked the Brie better, Fran liked the Goat Cheese better so we each finished our favorites.



Man those things look rich... but good!



franandaj said:


> We also got a Mimosa Flight, Pineapple Mimosa, Raspberry Mimosa and Strawberry Mimosa.



Yum!



franandaj said:


> I liked the slider the best, and didn’t care for the Chocolate Custard at all.



The slider does appeal to me more than the taco. But what about the custard turned you off?



franandaj said:


> And we split an order of onion rings.



Whoa! Those look amazing!



franandaj said:


> It was a very interesting presentation and focused on the animated portion of Disney movies, we learned all sorts of things among them was that oftentimes animated characters of the same species are rarely reinvented, but based off a predecessor. One example was Nick Wilde from Zootopia who was loosely based off the fox in Robin Hood.



Huh! Really! That's pretty interesting considering the time gap between the films.



franandaj said:


>



 Love Jill's shirt, too.



franandaj said:


> This year he was making a salmon gateau with hard boiled eggs and crepes. As Jill and I are not fans of salmon, we could tell this wasn’t going to be our favorite demo.



Interesting menu item though.



franandaj said:


> Other people in attendance had a different take on it. One of my friends who was there thought it was a very educational demo as it taught a few different techniques, making crepes, hard boiling eggs, making a vinaigrette, and other techniques. We were cold and thought it went on a little too long.



Hmmm... I'd probably find the techniques interesting as well. Might know some of them, but still.


----------



## rentayenta

Mitchell.


----------



## superme80

Loved the update! Wish Fran all the best and pixie dust!


----------



## Pinkocto

Your make-up Valentine’s Day looked fabulous! Great picture of you all together  

Poor little Berlioz! Hopefully soon he’ll be all better. 

Sounds promising on the apartment. Can’t believe its already been 4 years in the new house.  Time sure does fly. 

What a fun birthday weekend. Those club level yummies look A-MAY-ZING!!! 

Speaking of lemon macarons, that little stand in DTD have the BEST I’ve ever had. On our last night there mom and I each had a couple and keep comparing every other one we have to those.


----------



## franandaj

dizneeat said:


> Fran, get well soon! Sorry about the cough, ladies - it can be nasty. Have been battling one nearly all of spring myself.





tiggrbaby said:


> Feel better ladies!



Thanks ladies!  We saw the doctor today and she did some hocus pocus on us that will hopefully make us feel better!



dizneeat said:


> Poor little Berlioz. Treatment and now more treatment for his diarrhea. Poor little thing having to suffer - poor Alison and poor Fran having to deal with it.





tiggrbaby said:


> Hope the appointment with the kitty goes well!



Thanks!  His appointment is this Saturday at 1PM.



dizneeat said:


> On a brighter note.
> Your F&W weekend looks super good! Love all the photos of the yummies and love the ride photos and fun poses even more. You made my day!



We had a great time that weekend. Lots of yummy food and a balance of rides and good company.



tiggrbaby said:


> Nice score on the upgrade! Fabulous eats!



We had some great food!



Dis_Yoda said:


> I need that T-Shirt in my life as Whiskey is typically my answer for most things.



I could see you wearing that one!



Dis_Yoda said:


> I hope the oil helps the coughing. I tried that once and I just couldn't get through it after that again.



I could only do it for a couple d0ays and then I couldn't take it anymore.



Dis_Yoda said:


> Looks like ag good opening weekend! That brie toast looks so good and that mimosa flight is up my alley! That presentation about the Oscars and Animation seems really interesting! Wish we had those types of events in WDW!



I think the fact that it's only an hours drive down I-5 from the studio that it lends itself to more presentations.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Okay! Looking forward to it.



Well since you asked I'm going to post them.



pkondz said:


> So then you'll have a place to sit after washing windows and cleaning the toilets.



Oh no, we always bring in folding chairs and a card table, along with our cleaning supplies and such. Fran drags this process out so much that we end up doing this for almost a week, we end up ordering lunch most of the days we're there and need some place to chill out and break up the long days of perpetual cleaning.



pkondz said:


> Ohhh. That's really great, though. Seriously.



It's nice to have friends in high places!  



pkondz said:


> Really!
> And thanks for the link.
> Doubtful that I'll make it though. I'm the only one who would like it!



That's too bad.  I think I'm the only one who really likes it too, but Fran puts up with it.  I need to add that to the dinner rotation.  Maybe after the 4th of July.



pkondz said:


> Annnd… we're back to the least favourite part of it again.



Well, I still don't like the toilet cleaning part.



pkondz said:


> Lots getting done! Are you pleased with the progress?



I guess so far.  I need to go over there again and have a look.  It's been three days now.



pkondz said:


> What?!? No pictures of paint drying? Actually, a video would be better.
> Perhaps one that's about 2-3 hours long.



I'm working on it.  Resizing the pictures inbetween responses here....



pkondz said:


> Poor kitty. Hope the vet visit provides the answers you want.



I just hope we can clear up that collapsed lung.



pkondz said:


> Ugh. Tell her I hope she feels better soon.



Well we saw our doctor yesterday and she did some hocus pocus on us, so hopefully it's all better soon.



pkondz said:


> Oh, no. Hope_ you_ are feeling better soon, too.



Thanks, I keep popping Vitamin C.



pkondz said:


> Nice!
> I should do that. Just hop on a plane and pop down for a quick weekend visit.
> Oh wait.... there's the $1,000 and 8 hours (or more) of travel... each way.



Yeah, then there's that too.....



pkondz said:


> When I first glanced at that photo, I thought the plant was coming out of your drink. A very large garnish.







pkondz said:


> That looks really good



It was, you will see in a later update from the festival....



pkondz said:


> Of course. Why would_ anyone_ eat that?



Exactly!



pkondz said:


> I want that strawberry wine smoothie. Yum!



It was rather tasty!



pkondz said:


> Wow! That's a great assortment of snacks!







pkondz said:


> Huh. I've never heard of that. Toppings on them, I mean. Usually it's like your later photo. Either just dipped in one chocolate or dipped and then drizzled with another.



Well they were being creative I guess.



pkondz said:


> You guys are making out pretty well!



  This is why I like to stay there so much!



pkondz said:


> Oh dear. Why did you assume it was that instead of the myriad of other things you had? Do you sometimes have trouble with hot chocolate?



Anytime I have hot chocolate that is really really good, I usually end up paying for it later in the night.



pkondz said:


> Man those things look rich... but good



Actually they were quite light.



pkondz said:


> The slider does appeal to me more than the taco. But what about the custard turned you off?



I think it had a spicy component to it, like they added cayenne or something.  I don't remember now, but I took one bite and was done.



pkondz said:


> Whoa! Those look amazing!



And they're off the menu now.  



pkondz said:


> Huh! Really! That's pretty interesting considering the time gap between the films.



They don't discard anything.  I think there were examples of going back to Cinderella for inspiration, maybe it was Gus and Jack were somewhat reincarnated in the Rescuers...no notes, so I don't remember well.



pkondz said:


> Love Jill's shirt, too.



It is pretty funny!



pkondz said:


> Interesting menu item though.



He kept saying "Gateau" and it wasn't until the end of the demo that I realized he wasn't making a "Ghetto".  



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... I'd probably find the techniques interesting as well. Might know some of them, but still.



If it wasn't so dang cold outside, I might have enjoyed it more.  You would have been fine in just a T-shirt though.



rentayenta said:


> Mitchell.



Mitchell...     



superme80 said:


> Loved the update! Wish Fran all the best and pixie dust!



Thanks!


----------



## franandaj

Pinkocto said:


> Your make-up Valentine’s Day looked fabulous! Great picture of you all together



It was nice, I can't wait to do something like it again!



Pinkocto said:


> Poor little Berlioz! Hopefully soon he’ll be all better.



I sure hope so!



Pinkocto said:


> Sounds promising on the apartment. Can’t believe its already been 4 years in the new house. Time sure does fly.



I know, just last week was 4 years in the new house!



Pinkocto said:


> What a fun birthday weekend. Those club level yummies look A-MAY-ZING!!!



They were!  We were in heaven!



Pinkocto said:


> Speaking of lemon macarons, that little stand in DTD have the BEST I’ve ever had. On our last night there mom and I each had a couple and keep comparing every other one we have to those.



Next time you come, I'll have to introduce you to Reynaud's.  It's a French pastry shop inside an upscale market in Long Beach.  Their macarons are better than the Kayla's Cake cart in DTD and cheaper!


----------



## franandaj

OK folks, you can blame @pkondz for this update.   He's the one who wanted to see paint dry.  Now mind you that things have probably changed quite a bit in three days since I took these photos.

I'm showing you the "Before" and "During" shots as we haven't reached "After" yet.

So here's a shot of the living room, just a few days before they started work on it.







And here it was last Sunday.






This was the kitchen.






And on Sunday.  Those boxes in the middle of the room are the cabinets that may have been installed in the last two days.






These are the built in cabinets in the dining room, they were too scratched up to keep the wood finish so they're being painted.











This was Fran's bedroom in High School.  She designed the cabinet system and her bed fit right in the middle.  They had to remove some of the cabinets when we put the door in that led to the other apartment (where Olga lived).  Those cabinets were drying in the kitchen in one of the previous pictures.  They'll be put back up and the door has been completely sealed now.











This is the main bathroom off the hallway.  






The contractor added a shower to make the property more marketable to families and such.






Back when we put the door in to combine apartments 1 & 2, we also added a washer/dryer so that we didn't have to use the common one with the other tenants.  This will be a bonus for renting the place now.






They put tile in there so it's much safer in case of a leak or other problem.






And one more look from the hallway out the front door.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well since you asked I'm going to post them.



yay!



franandaj said:


> Oh no, we always bring in folding chairs and a card table, along with our cleaning supplies and such. Fran drags this process out so much that we end up doing this for almost a week, we end up ordering lunch most of the days we're there and need some place to chill out and break up the long days of perpetual cleaning.



It's that word "perpetual" that sticks in my craw.



franandaj said:


> It's nice to have friends in high places!



Yes it is.



franandaj said:


> Well, I still don't like the toilet cleaning part.



Not one of my favourite activities.



franandaj said:


> I guess so far. I need to go over there again and have a look. It's been three days now.



I couldn't stay away that long. 
And I didn't when our house was being built.



franandaj said:


> Well we saw our doctor yesterday and she did some hocus pocus on us, so hopefully it's all better soon.



I hope so! 



franandaj said:


> Yeah, then there's that too.....



Yeah... but worth it? yes.



franandaj said:


> Well they were being creative I guess.



Did you like it better? worse? ambivalent?



franandaj said:


> This is why I like to stay there so much!



I can see that!



franandaj said:


> Anytime I have hot chocolate that is really really good, I usually end up paying for it later in the night.



Ah. Voice of experience.



franandaj said:


> I think it had a spicy component to it, like they added cayenne or something. I don't remember now, but I took one bite and was done.



Oh, okay. That'd do it for me too, then.



franandaj said:


> He kept saying "Gateau" and it wasn't until the end of the demo that I realized he wasn't making a "Ghetto".


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> OK folks, you can blame @pkondz for this update.





You're welcome!



franandaj said:


>



Oh! Even changed the windows.



franandaj said:


> The contractor added a shower to make the property more marketable to families and such.



Good call.

Thanks for all the photos/sneak peek. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Berlioz has an appointment with the Super Vet next Saturday so we'll find out if the torture with the cat inhaler did him any good. Until then he seems OK except that now he has diarrhea.



Ew.  When it rains, it pours.



franandaj said:


> Other than that, Fran is fighting off a nasty cough, most likely the result of being on a plane with someone with some kind of a bug two weeks ago. She has been miserable pretty much since we've been back from KC. I'm fighting off the same cough as well, but with not as severe symptoms.



Yuck.  Hope you two feel better soon!



franandaj said:


> We arrived at the Grand Californian around 3PM and our room was ready. And we scored some serious pixie dust on this trip, we were upgraded to the concierge lounge and were able to get snacks and beverages there throughout the weekend.



Nice!  That's a truckload of pixie dust.



franandaj said:


> We took a spin on Guardians of the Galaxy. Don’t remember what song we got.



I'm starting to think this is the only ride you go on at Disneyland anymore.



franandaj said:


> After scarfing them down, I went to sleep, but both Jenny and I would wake up in the middle of the night to regret drinking the hot chocolate.







franandaj said:


> When we woke up that morning, we all wanted to go to visit some of the F&W booths, but they didn’t open until 11AM so first we went on Guardians.



Must be a day that ends in "y". 



franandaj said:


> It was a very interesting presentation and focused on the animated portion of Disney movies, we learned all sorts of things among them was that oftentimes animated characters of the same species are rarely reinvented, but based off a predecessor. One example was Nick Wilde from Zootopia who was loosely based off the fox in Robin Hood.



Interesting.  I guess that makes sense.  No sense re-inventing the wheel.



franandaj said:


> Following the animation presentation, we decided to take a ride on Space Mountain before our 4PM demo.



Hey, there's a different ride!  Nice photo. 



franandaj said:


> OK folks, you can blame @pkondz for this update. He's the one who wanted to see paint dry.



@pkondz goes straight under the bus.  Got it.



franandaj said:


> The contractor added a shower to make the property more marketable to families and such.



Smart move.   A wise investment.



franandaj said:


> Back when we put the door in to combine apartments 1 & 2, we also added a washer/dryer so that we didn't have to use the common one with the other tenants. This will be a bonus for renting the place now.



Also smart.  Looks like a pretty extreme makeover going on.  Looking good so far!


----------



## pkondz

Captain_Oblivious said:


> @pkondz goes straight under the bus. Got it.


I'm there so often, I feel I should start charging for it.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> It's that word "perpetual" that sticks in my craw.



Yeah, that's how I feel when she keeps pointing out what we still have to do to get it ready. I kinda liked it better when she didn't feel good enough to check the places out, or they were on the second floor and she couldn't get up there.



pkondz said:


> Not one of my favourite activities.



I still make my helpers do it. I don't touch feces.



pkondz said:


> I couldn't stay away that long.
> And I didn't when our house was being built.



I would like to get over there, but Fran demands a lot of assistance and I just don't have that much time and energy. Especially with our currently busy band schedule.



pkondz said:


> Yeah... but worth it? yes.



As long as you have a spare $1000 laying around.



pkondz said:


> Did you like it better? worse? ambivalent



Kind of ambivalent. I'll take my strawberries however they serve them. Even without chocolate.



pkondz said:


> I can see that



  I need to book next year for F&W.



pkondz said:


> Ah. Voice of experience.



Unfortunately. 



pkondz said:


> Oh, okay. That'd do it for me too



Yeah, I asked Fran and she didn't remember either.



pkondz said:


> You're welcome!







pkondz said:


> Oh! Even changed the windows.



No they were always like that. You couldn't see the cross bars or mullions in the before picture because the blinds were covering them. The windows were covered with paper so that when they painted the mullions they didn't get paint on the glass. 



pkondz said:


> Good call.
> 
> Thanks for all the photos/sneak peek. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.



Me too. I'm sure they have done a lot since I last saw it. I wish I had time today to go over there.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, that's how I feel when she keeps pointing out what we still have to do to get it ready. I kinda liked it better when she didn't feel good enough to check the places out, or they were on the second floor and she couldn't get up there.



Time to install some stairs outside the front door.






franandaj said:


> I still make my helpers do it. I don't touch feces.



What about the litter boxes?



franandaj said:


> I would like to get over there, but Fran demands a lot of assistance and I just don't have that much time and energy. Especially with our currently busy band schedule.



I know. 

Oh!!! Speaking of band... I _did_ see (very briefly while quickly scrolling) that you did your march (accompanied by a certain flag bearer). 
How did it go? And how did you feel _afterwards??_



franandaj said:


> As long as you have a spare $1000 laying around.



Oh, pffffttt... Who doesn't. $10.00? Probably got that in my pocket right now.



Whoops! Stupid decimal. Nevermind.



franandaj said:


> Kind of ambivalent. I'll take my strawberries however they serve them. Even without chocolate.







franandaj said:


> No they were always like that. You couldn't see the cross bars or mullions in the before picture because the blinds were covering them. The windows were covered with paper so that when they painted the mullions they didn't get paint on the glass.



Oh! I was _sure_ they were different. Okay, disregard previous statement.



franandaj said:


> Me too. I'm sure they have done a lot since I last saw it. I wish I had time today to go over there.



You'll get there!


----------



## franandaj

Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ew. When it rains, it pours.



Yeah, we saw the super vet today and hopefully have some solutions.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yuck. Hope you two feel better soon!



I'm feeling better, it takes Fran longer cause of her meds.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> ! That's a truckload of pixie dust.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm starting to think this is the only ride you go on at Disneyland anymore.



You're kinda right! At first it was trying to get all six songs, now its something we can get in and off fairly quickly and move on to the eating and drinking or vice versa. I do have a few days coming up where we have whole days to enjoy the parks but a lot of the time, its power rides and then on to something else!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Must be a day that ends in "y".







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Interesting. I guess that makes sense. No sense re-inventing the wheel.



Exactly. They showed several other characters maybe Thumper became reincarnated too.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, there's a different ride! Nice photo.



Thanks! That's probably my second most rided ride...   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> @pkondz goes straight under the bus. Got it.



Well he did ask for a 2-3 hour video of paint drying...  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Smart move. A wise investment.



Yeah, I don't know why they built the units with just a tub in that bathroom.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Also smart. Looks like a pretty extreme makeover going on. Looking good so far!



More pics coming soon. Its moving ahead quickly!



pkondz said:


> I'm there so often, I feel I should start charging for it.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, we saw the super vet today and hopefully have some solutions.



Every time you say that...


SUPER VET!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Time to install some stairs outside the front door.



Yeah, I need to install a whole flight, and still that might not deter her.  



pkondz said:


> What about the litter boxes?



She does them. Usually the helpers empty the boxes shed empties them into, but if I _have to,_ I use surgical gloves.



pkondz said:


> I know.
> 
> Oh!!! Speaking of band... I _did_ see (very briefly while quickly scrolling) that you did your march (accompanied by a certain flag bearer).
> How did it go? And how did you feel _afterwards??_



Do you mean banner carrier?  Yeah we felt like we were going to die that night. I don't remember whether we ordered dinner, picked it up on the way home or just reheated leftovers but we were in bed real early.



pkondz said:


> Oh, pffffttt... Who doesn't. $10.00? Probably got that in my pocket right now.
> 
> 
> 
> Whoops! Stupid decimal. Nevermind.



Yeah, thank goodness the renovations are only costing $2500.  Oh, stupid decimal.  



pkondz said:


> Oh! I was _sure_ they were different. Okay, disregard previous statement.



Stricken from the record.



pkondz said:


> You'll get there!



Someday.  Actually I have more pictures to post.



pkondz said:


> Every time you say that...
> 
> 
> SUPER VET!!!



Well see the Super Vet doesn't see routine cases or give regular treatments or shots, spays or neutering.  They only see severe trauma cases. You have to be referred to them, although I suppose if you know about them and your pet has had a severe wound you might be able to bring them in if they are not on the verge of death. They actually have a ton of state of the art surgery and rehabilitation equipment. When we mentioned this place to the folks at our regular vet, their eyes became starry and they said things like, "We got to attend a seminar there, it was amazing!" Or "Have you seen how many treatment bays they have and how much equipment each one has?"
One gal was Impressed by the water therapy bays they have for dogs. It is a truly amazing place, but you don't want your pet to need to go there, ever. The doctors are great but just by virtue of going there means there is a huge problem. One lady I spoke to in the waiting room was from Palm Desert, Google that distance, its 2 1/2 hours without traffic.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yeah, I need to install a whole flight, and still that might not deter her.



How about a trap door that opens up under her?



franandaj said:


> She does them. Usually the helpers empty the boxes shed empties them into, but if I _have to,_ I use surgical gloves.



You _really_ don't wanna touch that, do ya.



franandaj said:


> Do you mean banner carrier?



Oh! Yes. That's exactly what I meant. Brain fart.



franandaj said:


> Yeah we felt like we were going to die that night. I don't remember whether we ordered dinner, picked it up on the way home or just reheated leftovers but we were in bed real early.



So it _was_ too much for you. 





franandaj said:


> Yeah, thank goodness the renovations are only costing $2500. Oh, stupid decimal.



Oh dear.



franandaj said:


> Someday. Actually I have more pictures to post.



Good! 



franandaj said:


> Well see the Super Vet doesn't see routine cases or give regular treatments or shots, spays or neutering.



But he _does _have a cape, right?








franandaj said:


> They only see severe trauma cases. You have to be referred to them, although I suppose if you know about them and your pet has had a severe wound you might be able to bring them in if they are not on the verge of death. They actually have a ton of state of the art surgery and rehabilitation equipment. When we mentioned this place to the folks at our regular vet, their eyes became starry and they said things like, "We got to attend a seminar there, it was amazing!" Or "Have you seen how many treatment bays they have and how much equipment each one has?"
> One gal was Impressed by the water therapy bays they have for dogs. It is a truly amazing place, but you don't want your pet to need to go there, ever. The doctors are great but just by virtue of going there means there is a huge problem.



Yeah, I can see that you'd prefer _not_ to know about it.



franandaj said:


> One lady I spoke to I'll n the waiting room was from Palm Desert, Google that distance, its 2 1/2 hours without traffic.



Huh. I did Google. Not too many of those around, obviously.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> How about a trap door that opens up under her?





That's funny until I have to get her up off the ground. #Notfun



pkondz said:


> You _really_ don't wanna touch that, do ya.



  one of the reasons I never wanted children. Seriously.



pkondz said:


> Oh! Yes. That's exactly what I meant. Brain fart



No problem! The flag twirled exert way more energy than the band members who do more than the banner carriers so I was confused.



pkondz said:


> Oh dear.



Well actually the quote came in at 50% of what I was expecting. 



pkondz said:


> Good!



Maybe tomorrow, unless she has me running around.



pkondz said:


> But he _does _have a cape, right



No



pkondz said:


> Yeah, I can see that you'd prefer _not_ to know about it.



They only opened a few years ago, but yeah severe trauma cases throughout So Cal are referred there. We are lucky that it is only maybe 10 minutes farther than our regular vet in the other direction. 



pkondz said:


> Huh. I did Google. Not too many of those around, obviously.



Yup. We are lucky to be close to one in case we need it.  West Coast VCA Specialty Hospital.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> A lot of “business" is conducted at these functions, and those who are on the Board of Directors serve as much as 20 hours in meetings over the course of 5 days, while the Delegates only have to attend 4 hours of meetings over two days.



That does not sound too bad.



franandaj said:


> Tuesday night we had band. Why we went? I don't know. Our flight left at 7:30AM the next morning and while we were mostly packed, we still had more to do. Even though we left the rehearsal early at the break, and we packed as efficiently as we could, we were still awake all night until 3:30AM when we had to leave for the airport.



That is not good at all.



franandaj said:


> There were two booths and in my lack-of-sleep-haze, I got totally confused. One was for the conference we were attending, the other was taking registrants for next year's conference in Orlando.



That seems a little confusing even with plenty of sleep.



franandaj said:


> I was way too tired and out of it to take pictures of the room, but I found this on the website and this was essentially our room.



That looks really need.



franandaj said:


> Because I was the 50th person to register for this conference, I was supposed to receive a Gift Card for a local BBQ place, but unfortunately it was not waiting for me at the registration desk as promised.



Oh, that is a shame. Did you ever manage to get this resolved?



franandaj said:


>



That looks absolutely delicious.



franandaj said:


> Justin who ordered the Oatmeal Brulee.



I think this may be something I may enjoy.



franandaj said:


> Later that night there was a Gala party event complete with catered BBQ, but between the long day and the fact that they didn't start serving the food until close to 9:30PM, we ended up leaving before it was served.



That seems very late.



franandaj said:


> I decided to try and find out if they would put her scooter under the bus like they do with DME, and they could!



That must have made things so much easier.



franandaj said:


> We weren't going to buy anything, but when we found locally made ice wine for $12 per bottle and realized that they make wine in MO, we couldn't resist trying a few bottles.



I would not have been able to resist this either.



franandaj said:


> Remind me of your dates again?



This trip is off. I am hoping to get around to updating my pre-trip report within the next couple of days and this will have all the details.



franandaj said:


> It was this week four years ago that we moved out of our old house



Wow, time sure does fly.



franandaj said:


> When Jenny’s DH got hired at Disney he got a great coupon for 50% a meal at various restaurants.



That sounds like a sweet deal.



franandaj said:


> And we scored some serious pixie dust on this trip, we were upgraded to the concierge lounge and were able to get snacks and beverages there throughout the weekend.



Nice.



franandaj said:


> We could tell that it was going to start raining soon so we headed inside to check out the lounge and have some snacks.



Oh, I spot a steamed bun. They are one of my favourite foods.



franandaj said:


> We got the Goat Cheese Fromage Blanc Tartine and the Brie Toast.



I love the look of both of them.

Corinna


----------



## pkondz

Wrong post. Whooops!


----------



## franandaj

So a lot happened on the remodeling front this week!  I finally made it over there on Friday afternoon and here’s where the project stands now.

The kitchen cabinets and countertops are in.


























The dining room cabinet is put back together.






Not much left to the living room except to put up blinds.






Let’s go into the back of the house.






The counter and sink are in the hall bathroom, now we just need to buy a light fixture and faucets for sink and shower.  I think the Contractor is trying to put a frame around the old mirror to save us some $’s.











This is the bathroom off the Master bedroom, it also needs a faucet fixture and light.






It looks like they still have a ways to go in this room too!  






I didn’t take pictures of the Master or the other bedroom because they are crammed full of doors, and other stuff so you really can’t see anything in there anyways.  But they’re coming along!

In other news Berlioz had his follow up vet visit.  It wasn’t really good news, but it wasn’t bad news.  He’s been released and needs to come back for a six month follow up. He has been cleared for the “big operation”, so we have to schedule that.  Essentially he’s going to be a “special needs” kitty for the rest of his life.  We’ll need to keep an eye on him and give him the inhalers at least once a day.  They couldn’t get a potty sample to run tests on him yesterday, but Fran got one last night, so we’re going to drop that off with them today so they can run tests and find out if he has parasites or a tapeworm or something. In the meantime we get the joy of giving him more medicine.

Not much else to report around here, just the same old stuff, going to band on Tuesdays and selling our posessions on eBay.  Which is why it is nice when I have folks come to town and distract me and make me go to Disney!


It was only a few weeks after the first weekend out at Food and Wine that my parents came to visit. We had two special events planned during their visit. Actually they planned their visit around the opening of the King Tut Exhibit at the CA Science Center at the end of March. We purchased our tickets for that exhibit for opening week back in January. 

As soon as the Food & Wine festival announced their dates, I booked the Disney Family of Wines dinner without realizing that was the night before our King Tut tickets, and I didn't book a reservation for my parents at the dinner. Luckily when I realized my mistake, it hadn't sold out and they were able to get in as well.

We arrived about 45 minutes early for the start of the dinner and already a line had formed. There were plenty of familiar folks to chat with in the meantime while we waited.

Pretty soon the doors opened and they began to check people in. We were led into the bar. We were greeted with servers holding platters of wines
• Fess Parker Winery, Riesling, Santa Barbara County, 2016
• Skywalker Vineyards, Pinot Noir Rosé, Marin County, 2017
• MacMurray Ranch, Pinot Noir, Estate Vineyards, Russian River Valley, 2015

We found a temporary table.






Soon the servers came by with Butler passed hors d’oeuvres.
Appetizers:

• Duck Confit Cones with Dried Cherry-Chive Relish






• Honey Goat Cheese Tart with Strawberries






• Crispy Artichoke Fritter with Sun Gold Tomato Sauce

We didn't get any of the last one.


Once the dining room opened, seating was pretty much grab a table, there were tables of eight or more. So we shared a table with a few other parties.






The talented Executive Chef, Andrew Sutton, assisted by Chef De Cuisine, Gloria Tae created an “inspired” menu based on the various wines of the evening.











We started off with bread to sop up the wine.






The featured wineries were:
Fess Parker Winery
Kurt Russell’s GoGi Wines
Silverado Vineyards
Skywalker Vineyards
The Napa Rose restaurant provided a beautiful setting for the event.





Each course was introduced by a principal of the featured winery and Chef Sutton.

This is Kurt Russell’s Sister, Jami, she runs the day to day operations of the Wine Club and if call with a question, she’s the one you talk to.  She totally remembered Fran and I from when we joined last year.






• Gogi, Chardonnay, Goldie, Santa Rita Hills, 2014











• Salad of King Crab, Prosciutto, Green Apple and Coraline, Lemon Buttermilk Dressing






This was fantastic!  The chef specified when he said “Buttermilk Dressing” that he did not, in fact mean, “Buttermilk Ranch”.  It was tangy and very tasty on the lettuce.  The crab was so tender, it was practically melt in your mouth.
This was the wine for the next course

• Skywalker Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Marin County, 2012






And it was introduced by one of the Winemakers






• Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass, English Pea Coulis, Butter Poached Radishes and Spring Onions






This was another really tender and yummy course.  The fish was cooked just perfectly and even though I don’t like peas.  I’ve learned that I like English Peas from Napa Rose. I enjoyed the wine, but I didn't find it incredibly special and from the price I've heard, I probably won't try it unless it's served to me at a restaurant.

Our next wine was the one we received in our November wine shipment from Gogi.

• Gogi, Pinot Noir, Birdie, Sta. Rita Hills, 2014











• Hunter’s Agnolotti, Truffled Potato Espuma and Almond Mushrooms






These little pasta purses were packed full of flavor.  I was a little surprised at how much flavor they had, but since I like mushrooms, I thought they were just great.  The sauce was perfect.


*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*

• Fess Parker Winery, Syrah, Rodney’s Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, 2015





• Red Dust and Spanish Lace, Barbacoa Braised Wild Boar Crepinette, Spanish Cured Sausage and Roasted Tomato Charmula






This was the point where I was starting to get full.  I ended up taking half of this home, and we had it for dinner a few nights later along with the next course.  It was very flavorful and cooked until it was very tender.

My Mom was not a fan of the Wild Boar as she thought the topping was made with cilantro and she’s allergic to it.  So they took her plate back and gave her this, a Portabello mushroom with leeks and carrot puree, and she really liked it. I just took the little green lump off the top of my Wild Boar and left it on the side of the plate, in case there was cilantro in it.






Then came the wine for the main course

• Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, GEO, Coonbsville, Napa Valley, 2013






• “Beef Piedmontese,” Black Berry Oxtail Ragu, Barlotti Bean, Hay Roasted Organic Carrot Purée






The beef was really good, nice and rare although I am not a fan of Filet Mignon since it doesn’t have as much flavor as a Rib Eye. It was very tender and did have more flavor than a standard Filet as it was Piedmontese beef. I was so full at this point that I took probably ¾ of mine home, and with everyone else pitching in half or so theirs, we had enough for dinner two nights later (supplemented with a baked potato and green beans).

Then it was time for dessert!






• Silverado Vineyards, Late Harvest Semillon, Napa Valley, 2010

• Meyer Lemon Semi-freddo and Dulcey Custard, “Harry’s Berries” and Candied Macadamia Nuts






This was a perfect dessert to cap off a very rich evening.  It was light and fresh, and just the right amount of tart and sweet.  For some reason I had no problem finishing dessert!

After dinner, we received a box of chocolate truffles and the special menu folder.











Truly AMAZING!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> *Busy day. Shout outs later. *
> 
> *Prom/grad day for Kay. *
> 
> View attachment 332257



Somehow, I think this post was meant for your TR, but she looks beautiful in that dress!


----------



## rentayenta

I am IN LOVE with DeSoto. I can't believe thats the same apartment. He has done a fabulous job. Top dollar, here you come.  Let Michael know about the blinds.

Dinner looks fabulous as usual. They Meyer lemon dessert looks perfect; love anything citrus. 

Disney this week? I am having HUGE w/drawls. Like major. Sadee will be here next Monday and we are just doing DCA if you want to join us. We finally solidified plans last night. It'll be me, Sadee, her daughter, and one of Sadee's friends who I have met once. We have to leave the parks by 5 as she flies out that evening.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

Looks like a wonderful dinner!  We've been debating if we want to pick up a bottle of Skywalker but we haven't done it yet.


----------



## jedijill

The t shirt if from Torrid.com.  I love it!

Omg, it was so cold and rainy durin F&W but it was amazing!  #mitchelltime  That demo was disappointing and COLD!!!!  Your winemakers dinner has me drooling!  

De Soto really looks incredible!  

Can't wait to see you guys again next month!  I'm having DL withdrawals too!

Jill in CO


----------



## DnA2010

As usual, just popping on at work to see how you are  
I think you missed my last post a few pages back, but I am sad it didn't work out for us to meet up, it was evident in the time leading up to our trip that my group would require my constant wrangling  
I have just booked DH and I on a short 4 day Vancouver-LA cruise in Oct for us to have a little "us" time and am pondering adding a Disney day when the ship gets in, before we fly home, say maybe if we do decide to do a Disney day, you will be around. 

SO many amazing food pics! As I was scrolling, I saw a wine bottle that caught my eye- from Far Niente Winery- we were able to tour that winery a few years ago- very nice indeed.

I haven't been able to read all the details, but I hope Fran is on the mend. 

Your renos are looking excellent!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> The kitchen cabinets and countertops are in.



Looks good!



franandaj said:


>



I presume that's for a built in oven and microwave?
(And obviously dishwasher in the other spot.)



franandaj said:


> Not much left to the living room except to put up blinds.



I'm a bit surprised you went with tile in the living room and not carpet.



franandaj said:


>



Like the choice of tile in the shower.



franandaj said:


> In other news Berlioz had his follow up vet visit. It wasn’t really good news, but it wasn’t bad news. He’s been released and needs to come back for a six month follow up. He has been cleared for the “big operation”, so we have to schedule that. Essentially he’s going to be a “special needs” kitty for the rest of his life. We’ll need to keep an eye on him and give him the inhalers at least once a day. They couldn’t get a potty sample to run tests on him yesterday, but Fran got one last night, so we’re going to drop that off with them today so they can run tests and find out if he has parasites or a tapeworm or something. In the meantime we get the joy of giving him more medicine.



Poor kitty. What will the "big operation" be?



franandaj said:


> Actually they planned their visit around the opening of the King Tut Exhibit at the CA Science Center at the end of March.



I saw signs for that... just didn't have the time.



franandaj said:


>



Interesting lights.



franandaj said:


> • Duck Confit Cones with Dried Cherry-Chive Relish



Now _that_ looks intriguing!



franandaj said:


> The talented Executive Chef, Andrew Sutton, assisted by Chef De Cuisine, Gloria Tae created an “inspired” menu based on the various wines of the evening.



That menu was impressive! And the food certainly looked it, too.



franandaj said:


> Each course was introduced by a principal of the featured winery and Chef Sutton.



Nice!



franandaj said:


> She totally remembered Fran and I from when we joined last year.



 Did she say anything to you guys?



franandaj said:


> This was fantastic! The chef specified when he said “Buttermilk Dressing” that he did not, in fact mean, “Buttermilk Ranch”.



Oh, thank goodness. I would've been pretty disappointed.



franandaj said:


> even though I don’t like peas. I’ve learned that I like English Peas from Napa Rose.



What do you like about them? i.e. what's different about them?



franandaj said:


> These little pasta purses were packed full of flavor. I was a little surprised at how much flavor they had, but since I like mushrooms, I thought they were just great. The sauce was perfect.



Man, they sound amazing.



franandaj said:


> My Mom was not a fan of the Wild Boar as she thought the topping was made with cilantro



Was it? You didn't ask?



franandaj said:


>



Might be drooling.... just might be.



franandaj said:


> Meyer Lemon Semi-freddo and Dulcey Custard, “Harry’s Berries” and Candied Macadamia Nuts



Pretty... and delicious looking too.



franandaj said:


> For some reason I had no problem finishing dessert!



 I'm not surprised!



franandaj said:


> Somehow, I think this post was meant for your TR, but she looks beautiful in that dress!



Thanks, I removed it. Must've somehow clicked your TR instead of mine. Fat fingers/small phone.
That's what you get when you post something when you've had two hours of sleep in the past 34 hours.


----------



## dolphingirl47

Wow, some real progress has been made with the apartment. I love the kitchen.



franandaj said:


> In other news Berlioz had his follow up vet visit. It wasn’t really good news, but it wasn’t bad news. He’s been released and needs to come back for a six month follow up. He has been cleared for the “big operation”, so we have to schedule that. Essentially he’s going to be a “special needs” kitty for the rest of his life. We’ll need to keep an eye on him and give him the inhalers at least once a day. They couldn’t get a potty sample to run tests on him yesterday, but Fran got one last night, so we’re going to drop that off with them today so they can run tests and find out if he has parasites or a tapeworm or something. In the meantime we get the joy of giving him more medicine.



Poor little thing. At least it was not bad news.



franandaj said:


> As soon as the Food & Wine festival announced their dates, I booked the Disney Family of Wines dinner without realizing that was the night before our King Tut tickets, and I didn't book a reservation for my parents at the dinner. Luckily when I realized my mistake, it hadn't sold out and they were able to get in as well.



I am glad that this all worked out, but it sounds like an intense couple of days.



franandaj said:


> Honey Goat Cheese Tart with Strawberries



I would have been all over this. I love goat cheese and strawberries.

The meal looked utterly amazing.

Corinna


----------



## cruisehopeful

The kitchen looks wonderful. Congratulations on getting so much done.

Glad to hear your kitty is reaching the point of stability. I always look for the updates when I read your report.


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> Next time you come, I'll have to introduce you to Reynaud's.  It's a French pastry shop inside an upscale market in Long Beach.  Their macarons are better than the Kayla's Cake cart in DTD and cheaper!



Better???? I’m ready!!! 



I enjoyed the construction photos, that’s a really nice apartment.  Hopefully all done soon and rented before vacation? 

Poor little Berlioz, glad he’s on the mend though. 

That dinner with your folks looks like great fun.  The dessert looks like the best part of the meal to me!


----------



## Steppesister

Hey Alison... while I READ your latest updates, for some reason none of the photos will load at all. So disappointing because I know there must be some fantastic ones of a lot of great looking food.

 

I will try again tomorrow to see if they will load for me.


----------



## Oscar5933

I really wanted to see the renovation photos and the photos of this amazing dinner, but something is acting up with the photos. 

I will come back later and see if its working


----------



## franandaj

Sorry Folks!  It appears that the company where I hosted our business website has gone out of business.  Our actual website has been migrated to a new company and the whole site is temporarily down, which means that all my pictures hosted on that site are down as well.  Hopefully once they get the site fully migrated to the new company, it will be up and operational and all the pictures will be visible again.  Good thing I found out about this before I was trying to list the finished apartment on it!

Once the pictures are back up and running, I'll have another update.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Sorry Folks!  It appears that the company where I hosted our business website has gone out of business.  Our actual website has been migrated to a new company and the whole site is temporarily down, which means that all my pictures hosted on that site are down as well.  Hopefully once they get the site fully migrated to the new company, it will be up and operational and all the pictures will be visible again.  Good thing I found out about this before I was trying to list the finished apartment on it!
> 
> Once the pictures are back up and running, I'll have another update.


So _that's_ what happened. Hope all the links come back up with no problems.


----------



## dolphingirl47

franandaj said:


> Once the pictures are back up and running, I'll have another update.



I can see the photos again.

Corinna


----------



## dizneeat

dolphingirl47 said:


> I can see the photos again.
> 
> Corinna



*YES! They are back!*


----------



## Flossbolna

franandaj said:


> Sorry Folks!  It appears that the company where I hosted our business website has gone out of business.  Our actual website has been migrated to a new company and the whole site is temporarily down, which means that all my pictures hosted on that site are down as well.  Hopefully once they get the site fully migrated to the new company, it will be up and operational and all the pictures will be visible again.  Good thing I found out about this before I was trying to list the finished apartment on it!
> 
> Once the pictures are back up and running, I'll have another update.



I thought your pictures decided it was too hot for them. Hope you survived the 110 degrees!!


----------



## pkondz

Well that was quick.


----------



## Steppesister

Went back to find the photos and sure enough there they were! And wow-!!!! What. A. Dinner! So super jelly! 

There was certainly enough wine to keep me... eh, hmmm, shopping for a very long time.


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> That does not sound too bad.



But it still makes for a couple long days and leaving us tired on the last day.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That is not good at all.



Nope.  We decided no more flights before 8AM



dolphingirl47 said:


> That seems a little confusing even with plenty of sleep.



I should have recognized the guys from Orlando, they've been very active in the organization and made themselves very visible since their band formed a few years ago.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That looks really need.



It was a nice room, just a lot more than we like to pay for rooms (when we actually pay).



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, that is a shame. Did you ever manage to get this resolved?



Yes we finally did, on the day of the concert.  It was lucky we were staying for another 4 nights.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That looks absolutely delicious.



It was, all three times that I ate it!  



dolphingirl47 said:


> I think this may be something I may enjoy.



It's an interesting concept.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That seems very late.



The Gala is always late at these events, we are usually rehearsing until fairly late, and there was a concert going on that started at 8PM.



dolphingirl47 said:


> That must have made things so much easier.



It did. I wished I had asked prior to the rehearsal.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I would not have been able to resist this either.



And we enjoyed a bottle at the Hollywood Bowl the other night with our lemon bars and Macarons.



dolphingirl47 said:


> This trip is off. I am hoping to get around to updating my pre-trip report within the next couple of days and this will have all the details.



Bummer, I get about halfway through your update on the PTR and then either get distracted or Fran has me do something I forget to come back and finish.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, time sure does fly.



I know!  Can you believe it?



dolphingirl47 said:


> That sounds like a sweet deal.



Disney can be very nice to their employees when it comes to perks and benefits.



dolphingirl47 said:


> Oh, I spot a steamed bun. They are one of my favourite foods.



I like them too, but this one was a little disappointing.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I love the look of both of them.



They were my favorites this year and last year.



rentayenta said:


> I am IN LOVE with DeSoto. I can't believe thats the same apartment. He has done a fabulous job. Top dollar, here you come.  Let Michael know about the blinds.



Blinds are just about the last thing to be done.  They still need to put in the dishwasher, the backsplash, and the carpeting, we have a little while.  I sure hope that he can do it before your trip!



rentayenta said:


> Dinner looks fabulous as usual. They Meyer lemon dessert looks perfect; love anything citrus.



It was nice and light after all that somewhat heavy food.



rentayenta said:


> Disney this week? I am having HUGE w/drawls. Like major. Sadee will be here next Monday and we are just doing DCA if you want to join us. We finally solidified plans last night. It'll be me, Sadee, her daughter, and one of Sadee's friends who I have met once. We have to leave the parks by 5 as she flies out that evening.



As you know.  It didn't happen.  Maybe next week.  



Dis_Yoda said:


> Looks like a wonderful dinner!  We've been debating if we want to pick up a bottle of Skywalker but we haven't done it yet.



It was good, but I'm not sure if it was $100 good.



jedijill said:


> The t shirt if from Torrid.com. I love it!



They have some cool stuff there!



jedijill said:


> Omg, it was so cold and rainy durin F&W but it was amazing! #mitchelltime That demo was disappointing and COLD!!!! Your winemakers dinner has me drooling!



I know it was so cold then and now it's so hot!



jedijill said:


> De Soto really looks incredible!



It's coming along!  



jedijill said:


> Can't wait to see you guys again next month! I'm having DL withdrawals too!



And now it's only a few weeks!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

franandaj said:


> It was good, but I'm not sure if it was $100 good.



Then I shall refrain.  I have no problem with $100 bottles of wine if they are worth $100 but with the discounts I now get in my life - I've gotten even worse about pickiness.


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> As usual, just popping on at work to see how you are
> I think you missed my last post a few pages back, but I am sad it didn't work out for us to meet up, it was evident in the time leading up to our trip that my group would require my constant wrangling



I thought I replied to your earlier post.  I meant to message you that there was no way I could make it out there as we were really running out of time before we had to leave, hence the no sleeping the night before the plane.



DnA2010 said:


> I have just booked DH and I on a short 4 day Vancouver-LA cruise in Oct for us to have a little "us" time and am pondering adding a Disney day when the ship gets in, before we fly home, say maybe if we do decide to do a Disney day, you will be around.



Oh, not on Disney as the Wonder does this cruise in early September.  Silly me.  As far as I know we are around all of October, the only day I'm booked is the 21st for our Fall Concert.



DnA2010 said:


> SO many amazing food pics! As I was scrolling, I saw a wine bottle that caught my eye- from Far Niente Winery- we were able to tour that winery a few years ago- very nice indeed.



I've never been there, but I love their wines, especially Chardonnay.



DnA2010 said:


> I haven't been able to read all the details, but I hope Fran is on the mend.



She still has a lingering cough, but she's better than when I wrote the last update.



DnA2010 said:


> Your renos are looking excellent!



Thanks, I hope they finish soon!



pkondz said:


> I presume that's for a built in oven and microwave?
> (And obviously dishwasher in the other spot.)



Actually if you look at the picture taken inside the kitchen looking out to the dining room, you'll see my double oven out there.  It still works fine so we're putting that back in where the large opening is next to the dishwasher.  The built-in Microwave Oven/Range hood will go over the cooktop on the other side of the kitchen.  You can see that in the first photo, or you can see half of where it will be mounted.



pkondz said:


> I'm a bit surprised you went with tile in the living room and not carpet.



That was a tough decision, we had carpet in the living room when we lived there, but in the end we decided that the tile was easier to maintain especially with pets, and people here are moving away from carpet because of the potential to trap allergens.



pkondz said:


> Like the choice of tile in the shower.



He showed us two choices and we all agreed on that one.



pkondz said:


> Poor kitty. What will the "big operation" be?





pkondz said:


>



You answered it for yourself, but it will be a traditional surgery not with heat vision!  



pkondz said:


> I saw signs for that... just didn't have the time.



Well, if I ever get the new site worked out (another issue in with technical support today), I'll have another update that will either make you wish you did, or jealous you didn't! I still have another dozen or so photos to upload and I can't find my files in my online interface or the directories where I upload the files.



pkondz said:


> Interesting lights.



Disney does cool lights.



pkondz said:


> That menu was impressive! And the food certainly looked it, too.



It was one of the better dinners I have had this year!



pkondz said:


> Did she say anything to you guys?



Yes we talked quite a bit.  Relatively.



pkondz said:


> Oh, thank goodness. I would've been pretty disappointed.



Yeah, Fran is a Ranch kind of girl.  Me not so much.



pkondz said:


> What do you like about them? i.e. what's different about them?



Regular peas taste like soap to me or worse.  English peas are just fresh and not gross.



pkondz said:


> Man, they sound amazing.



They were!



pkondz said:


> Was it? You didn't ask?



Oh, sure I did, but my mom didn't believe them.



pkondz said:


> Might be drooling.... just might be.



I don't blame you.



pkondz said:


> Pretty... and delicious looking too.







pkondz said:


> I'm not surprised!



Funny how you always find room in there!



pkondz said:


> Thanks, I removed it. Must've somehow clicked your TR instead of mine. Fat fingers/small phone.
> That's what you get when you post something when you've had two hours of sleep in the past 34 hours.



I wouldn't know about the two hours of sleep thing, but the night I didn't sleep all night, I was a complete and total zombie and wouldn't have been able to make a coherent sentence.


----------



## franandaj

dolphingirl47 said:


> Wow, some real progress has been made with the apartment. I love the kitchen.



Thanks! I hope a renter does tooo!



dolphingirl47 said:


> Poor little thing. At least it was not bad news.



Yes, it wasn't bad, but I hope he doesn't have too many chronic illnesses.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I am glad that this all worked out, but it sounds like an intense couple of days.



Yes it was.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I would have been all over this. I love goat cheese and strawberries.
> 
> The meal looked utterly amazing.



It was. I would love another one like that soon. Yay we have Remy planned!



cruisehopeful said:


> The kitchen looks wonderful. Congratulations on getting so much done.



Thanks! We just need to get it rented ASAP to make up what we've paid out to fix it.



cruisehopeful said:


> Glad to hear your kitty is reaching the point of stability. I always look for the updates when I read your



Yeah he's definitely stable now, but he still has slight diarrhea.



Pinkocto said:


> Better???? I’m ready!!!



We just had some for dessert the other night at the Bowl.



Pinkocto said:


> I enjoyed the construction photos, that’s a really nice apartment. Hopefully all done soon and rented before vacation?



I sure hope so!



Pinkocto said:


> Poor little Berlioz, glad he’s on the mend though.



He is better. Now we need to get him fixed.



Pinkocto said:


> That dinner with your folks looks like great fun. The dessert looks like the best part of the meal to me!



Of course! Everything else had meat!



Steppesister said:


> Hey Alison... while I READ your latest updates, for some reason none of the photos will load at all. So disappointing because I know there must be some fantastic ones of a lot of great looking food.
> 
> 
> 
> I will try again tomorrow to see if they will load for me.



I'm glad you finally saw them.



Oscar5933 said:


> I really wanted to see the renovation photos and the photos of this amazing dinner, but something is acting up with the photos.
> 
> I will come back later and see if its working



Thanks for alerting me. As you may have seen with my post about the site migration I may not have got on top of it had I not seen yours and @Steppesister's posts.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Actually if you look at the picture taken inside the kitchen looking out to the dining room, you'll see my double oven out there. It still works fine so we're putting that back in where the large opening is next to the dishwasher.



Oh! Double oven. Gotcha. Nice.



franandaj said:


> The built-in Microwave Oven/Range hood will go over the cooktop on the other side of the kitchen.



Okay. Why do you go that route? Space reasons or convenience? Or?



franandaj said:


> That was a tough decision, we had carpet in the living room when we lived there, but in the end we decided that the tile was easier to maintain especially with pets, and people here are moving away from carpet because of the potential to trap allergens.



I can see that.



franandaj said:


> You answered it for yourself, but it will be a traditional surgery not with heat vision!



But that's not as exciting.



franandaj said:


> Well, if I ever get the new site worked out (another issue in with technical support today), I'll have another update that will either make you wish you did, or jealous you didn't! I still have another dozen or so photos to upload and I can't find my files in my online interface or the directories where I upload the files.



Good luck with that.
Really looking forward to seeing them!



franandaj said:


> It was one of the better dinners I have had this year!



Sure looked it!



franandaj said:


> Regular peas taste like soap to me or worse. English peas are just fresh and not gross.



Ah. Got it. 



franandaj said:


> Oh, sure I did, but my mom didn't believe them.






franandaj said:


> Funny how you always find room in there!







franandaj said:


> I wouldn't know about the two hours of sleep thing, but the night I didn't sleep all night, I was a complete and total zombie and wouldn't have been able to make a coherent sentence.



I know that "zombie" feeling. Quite well.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So _that's_ what happened. Hope all the links come back up with no problems.



Well evidently the files are all there, but I still can't see the directories from my interface. I have a few more files to upload for the next update but can't see to locations where I need to upload them. I was kind of hoping they would be there when I woke up like yesterday but not yet.



dolphingirl47 said:


> I can see the photos again.
> 
> Corinna



I was very pleased with this!



dizneeat said:


> *YES! They are back!*







Flossbolna said:


> I thought your pictures decided it was too hot for them. Hope you survived the 110 degrees!!



It was 113!  I hid inside.



pkondz said:


> Well that was quick.



Now if only the other issue would be resolved!



Steppesister said:


> Went back to find the photos and sure enough there they were! And wow-!!!! What. A. Dinner! So super jelly!



It was a great dinner, I could use another like that about now.



Steppesister said:


> There was certainly enough wine to keep me... eh, hmmm, shopping for a very long time.



  



Dis_Yoda said:


> Then I shall refrain.  I have no problem with $100 bottles of wine if they are worth $100 but with the discounts I now get in my life - I've gotten even worse about pickiness.



I hear you. I'm more likely to spend money like that on a Cabernet than a Pinot Noir. You can find a perfectly wonderful bottle of pinot for less than $50.


----------



## rentayenta

franandaj said:


> Blinds are just about the last thing to be done.  They still need to put in the dishwasher, the backsplash, and the carpeting, we have a little while.  I sure hope that he can do it before your trip!



Keep us posted! He starts DFD tonight , graves for 2 weeks but thankfully only 8 hour graves....we will see what sort of shape he's in...he hasn't done them in 2 years. He's super excited though. Said he saw you ladies yesterday. We need to do dinner/breakfast/pedicures/whatever soon!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well evidently the files are all there, but I still can't see the directories from my interface. I have a few more files to upload for the next update but can't see to locations where I need to upload them. I was kind of hoping they would be there when I woke up like yesterday but not yet.



Hope it works out.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

Ok, I'm back and...I think I'm caught up now?



franandaj said:


> The kitchen cabinets and countertops are in.



Yay! Looking like a real house again!



franandaj said:


> The counter and sink are in the hall bathroom, now we just need to buy a light fixture and faucets for sink and shower. I think the Contractor is trying to put a frame around the old mirror to save us some $’s.



Our contractor did that in our bathroom as well.  I think it worked out nicely.



franandaj said:


> He has been cleared for the “big operation”, so we have to schedule that. Essentially he’s going to be a “special needs” kitty for the rest of his life.



Aw.  Poor little guy.



franandaj said:


> Which is why it is nice when I have folks come to town and distract me and make me go to Disney!



I think you have no shortage of people willing to help you out on that front! 



franandaj said:


> This was a perfect dessert to cap off a very rich evening.



So...I'm sorry.  I really had nothing to give you as far as commentary on the dinner.  But I'm glad you all enjoyed it!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Oh! Double oven. Gotcha. Nice.



Yes, and I truly miss having that at the new house.  Cooking things at two different temperatures as opposed to having to calculate how much longer to cook the dish that cooks at the higher temperature.



pkondz said:


> Okay. Why do you go that route? Space reasons or convenience? Or?



I guess we're being nice and giving them the space option.  Most places don't include a microwave so the fact that we have one over the stove that doubles as a range fan seems like a bonus to the tenant and it costs about the same as a range hood.



pkondz said:


> But that's not as exciting.



No but I bet it's safer.



pkondz said:


> Good luck with that.
> Really looking forward to seeing them!



I'll know in 12 to 24 hours, next post will have the solution for those who understand technical lingo.



pkondz said:


> I know that "zombie" feeling. Quite well.



I bet you do.



pkondz said:


> Hope it works out.



Me too.  If the new hosting company works out their interface is a lot easier to use than the old one.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ok, I'm back and...I think I'm caught up now?



Yes. Yes you are.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Yay! Looking like a real house again!



And just wait for the next round of pictures, there are appliances, light fixtures and a backsplash now.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Our contractor did that in our bathroom as well. I think it worked out nicely.



I'll be anxious to see how it works out!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Aw. Poor little guy.



I know, but it's gotta be done.  He's starting to _really like_ on his sister A LOT.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I think you have no shortage of people willing to help you out on that front!



That's always nice cause Fran doesn't always want to go out there.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> So...I'm sorry. I really had nothing to give you as far as commentary on the dinner. But I'm glad you all enjoyed it!



That's OK, I wouldn't expect you to be all that enthralled with it.



rentayenta said:


> Keep us posted! He starts DFD tonight , graves for 2 weeks but thankfully only 8 hour graves....we will see what sort of shape he's in...he hasn't done them in 2 years. He's super excited though. Said he saw you ladies yesterday. We need to do dinner/breakfast/pedicures/whatever soon!



I'm glad he's enjoying DFD and he's rocking that uniform!  

Let's plan a dinner by the pool, text me when he's off!


----------



## rentayenta

He isn’t huh? 

He said I am not allowed to commit him for two weeks due to the graves.  So maybe some park time until then?


----------



## franandaj

Photo Update:

I'm hoping to have an update in the next day or two. If you're not into technical jargon you may want to move on. After three different online chat sessions with technical support, it appears that we have hopefully all the issues worked out. I am able to see all my files in the online interface (well most of them, I may need to re upload the last six months of photos, but we'll see), and in the last chat session we determined that my DNS was pointing at the old hosting site instead of the new one.  They fixed that and so within 12 to 24 hours all the settings should be fixed.  If all the pictures from the last six months disappear then I'll know I have to upload them again.

Bottom line, I hope to have the next update by the end of the week!


----------



## tiggrbaby

Looking forward to your next update!


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> He isn’t huh?
> 
> He said I am not allowed to commit him for two weeks due to the graves.  So maybe some park time until then?



Well then, let's see on the park time. It's a possibility.



tiggrbaby said:


> Looking forward to your next update!



Well they finally fixed the website overnight so we will see if I have time today!


----------



## rentayenta

Sounds good! His schedule isn't as bad next week. His main concern is getting the training completed so then he has some flexibility. We can do dinner or parks or whatever!


----------



## Pinkocto

Looks like I missed some computer complications. Hope that gets fixed soon.  Did I miss that you schedule Berlioz or still need to wait?


----------



## franandaj

Now this next update has absolutely nothing to do with Disney and if you are not into Egyptology, you may want to skip this update. I’m certainly not an Egyptologist, but ever since the King Tut exhibit in the 1970s came to visit San Jose, I’ve had a small obsession.  I remember being furious with my Mom for not taking me with her and my Dad, but she tells me (now that I’m posing as an adult) that she had to buy a subscription to the museum for a couple years, just to get the privilege of purchasing the tickets for herself and my father.

Cut to adult life. There was an exhibition in LA in 2005, but Fran’s parents were so ill that year, we were unable to find the time to go to it. However, when we were in Chicago in 2006 we were able to see it at the Field Museum so I felt a little bit vindicated. 

Around 5-6 years ago we began to listen to an Audiobook series by Elizabeth Peters (that was her pen name, she was an actual Egyptologist named Barbara Mertz) featuring Amelia Peabody and her husband Radcliffe Emerson, "The greatest Egyptologist of this or any other era." As Amelia proudly proclaims throughout the 20 book series. Of course they are fictional characters, and the books span the period from 1884 when the couple meets until the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. The series describes in detail their work in various important sites in Egypt while solving murders and participating in other adventures. The author also wove real persons of the time into the series including Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon, and many others. Coincidentally we finished this series about one week before we ordered our tickets for the exhibition. 

So the King Tut exhibition is at the California Science Center in the heart of Los Angeles until January 2019. I have to say that it is a very worthwhile experience and I hope to go back at least one more time before it leaves just to see it again (and this time I'll remember my big camera). I had to use my point and shoot, because even though I fully charged the big camera the night before, we were running late and I left it on the counter at home. The pictures here are a combination of my point and shoot (which the battery died halfway through the exhibit) and my cell phone camera. So let's get on with it!






We could go into the actual exhibit any time after our ticket time, but the reason we had a time deadline was that we had signed up to watch the IMAX movie about Egypt. We wanted to get there an hour before it started, but I think we were barely 20 minutes before and a huge line had formed. Luckily the guy checking the end of the line to make sure we all had tickets recognized Fran as a crip and directed us to the front of the line where we took an elevator to the upper floor and got seats in the designated area. The movie was kind of corny, and actually the aerial shots gave me slight motion sickness. I would skip this next time.

We had lunch in the cafeteria after this before checking in for the exhibit on the third floor of the building. As they do with most of the exhibitions here, they start you off in a room where there is some sort of video presentation and then the curtains opened taking us into the actual rooms.






Before we get on with the exhibit, let me just say that we bought the book of the exhibit and I have been looking up each of these artifacts for the information that I am giving you. Don’t think my memory is that good! But if we do make it back I’ll have a much better understanding of what I’m looking at now that I have done the research in the coffee table book we bought!

This art on the wall is not actual artifacts, but some are reproductions of the art on the walls in the tomb.  Because Tutankhamun died so suddenly not all the walls of his tomb were covered in murals. Just the burial chamber walls. I just liked how it set the mood when you entered the room.  Plus I had to do something with my camera while I was waiting for the people to clear out of the part of the room where the actual artifacts were.













These are artifacts, they are among the 50 pieces found in his tomb made of calcite or alabaster. The tall vase in the back on the right held traces of some unidentified liquid at one time. Tut’s tomb was raided in antiquity, but it is believed that the necropolis police caught them red handed, which is why some items were either empty or misplaced, not lost, just put in the wrong place. The contents of this vase are believed to have suffered this fate.






Another piece of ambience as I waited for the crowds to clear.






This is an ebony and cedar chest. Notice the fret work which repeats three hieroglyphic signs, the neb basket on the bottom, with the ankh (life), both are gilded, and the “was” scepter. The gilded inscriptions on the edges bear the king's name and epithets. Next up a better picture of his hieroglyphic name.






His original name, Tutankhaten means “Living Image of Aten”, while Tutankhamun means “Living Image of Amun”.  In hieroglyphs the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence.

This is the crate that bears his name that was found in the tomb.  BTW, you’ll see his name on all kinds of artifacts that were found in the tomb.






This little chart shows you each of the symbols and how they form his name.






When Carter found the tomb, he found 35 representations of boats of some sort. 






Boats were a very important method of transport to travel up and down the Nile to visit Tutankhamun's vast kingdom. Many of the boats were of the style that he and his father before him would have traveled upon.






This chair and footrest were made for the king and used in his lifetime, not sure how they knew, but the book said so!  






The gold gilding on the side depicted an ibex, but it appears that this part of the chair was damaged in some way.






This is one of nine such beds that Howard Carter found in the tomb. Three of them were made from gilded wood, the other six were meant for the living to sleep on. According to Carter, the king slept on five of these beds during his lifetime.











It's somewhat difficult to make out, but in the headboard various gods and goddesses are depicted, they would presumably assist the king in the afterlife.






A different view.






This trumpet was found in the tomb and of course as a musician I found it fascinating. The top one is a silver trumpet with a gold mouthpiece with the king's name inscribed on it. The bottom item is a wooden insert to help the trumpet keep its shape while not in use. The trumpet may not have been played in antiquity, but it was played in 1939 for a BBC broadcast. The player damaged the instrument by trying to use a modern mouthpiece on the horn. If any of you know any trumpet players, you'll understand when I say, “It figures, trumpet players.”
















Believe it or not these next items are earrings. I don't believe that it was properly labeled or I missed that fact the day we were there. If I'd realized they were actually worn on the ear, I would have added a hand or something for perspective. It was 4-6 inches long, and I can't imagine it dangling from my ear. Scholars believe that they were worn by the king as a boy and not once he became king. 











This life size statue of the king was found with a similar one on the opposite side of the Antechamber of the tomb. This statue was on the Eastern side of the chamber. His right arm is holding a very kingly weapon, a mace. He is shown walking as was common for Male figures of the day. Females were always pictured standing still. He carries a walking stick in his left hand. His body is depicted in black to symbolize rebirth as this is the color of the soil deposited by the annual Nile floodwaters bringing new soil and prosperity.






I needn't mention that all the gold you see is actual gold gilding.

This gilded figure of the king with a  harpoon on a papyrus raft has tons of symbolism, but unless you understand the relationship of Horus and Seth. I'll just leave it that this is a pretty statue.






This may not have been intended to be the likeness of King Tut (notice the breasts), and Carter speculated that it may have actually represented Nefertiti.






This figurine is crafted in the image of Ptah, God of craftsman and architects. He is easily identifiable by his blue skull cap. His presence in the king's tomb is explained that Spell 23 of the book of the Dead calls for Ptah to open and close the mouths of the dead so that they may eat.






This little figure was found inside a miniature anthropoid coffin in the tomb. Because of the pierced ears, they were able to deduce that it was in fact Tutankhamun and not his Grandfather who never appeared with pierced ears.






Four deities known as the sons of Horus guarded the internal organs of the Mummy which were removed from the body and preserved separately.  The jackal headed god seen in the background is Duamutef. His brother Qebehsenuef the falcon headed god is in the foreground.






Earlier I showed you a similar statue to this one. This was on the West side of the antechamber of the tomb.






Both of these shabti, (funerary figures also called the workforce of the king) were in the antechamber and they are both made in the likeness of the king. The Left piece is wearing a gilded nemes headdress. The inscription on his lower body is a version of spell 6 from the book of the dead which would bring the shabti to life and summon it to work.

The shabti on the right is of the king wearing a nubian wig 






This is one of the four canopic jars which housed King Tut's organs. Canopic jars were special vessels that were used in Ancient Egypt during the mummification process. The jars were used to preserve the organs of mummies and prepare them for the afterlife. These jars were often made of pottery or carved from limestone. Traditionally, there were four jars, one for each of the following organs: stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.







*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


This is a replica of the mask that was on the mummy. The mask no longer leaves Egypt as it is too fragile to be transported. 






The mummy was found wearing these gilded sandals, and the finger and toe caps.






These shabti are all unique and they are made of all different types of substances from calcite to wood, to limestone.






The following are all necklaces and adornments which were found between the many layers of King Tut’s mummy. The falcon represents the god Horus. And the vulture and falcon are two patron guardians of Upper and Lower Egypt.











These pieces are too delicate to have been worn as a necklace, and were found between the layers of the cloth.











The scarab beetle was a prominent feature in many of the jewels found in Tutankhamun's Tomb. I stole this from Wikipedia, but the audio portion of the tour told us something quite similar.

“In ancient Egyptian religion, the sun god Ra is seen to roll across the sky each day, transforming bodies and souls. Beetles of the Scarabaeidae family (dung beetle) roll dung into a ball as food and as a brood chamber in which to lay eggs; this way, the larvae hatch and are immediately surrounded by food. For these reasons the scarab was seen as a symbol of this heavenly cycle and of the idea of rebirth or regeneration.”











This bracelet was one of 13 different bracelets found on the arms of the king before he was wrapped in linen. One arm had seven bracelets while the other wore six.
















At this point you exited part one of the exhibit. We had purchased the audio package and we turned in our listening devices and were given a ticket to pick up another at the entrance to the second half. The remainder of the exhibit continued on the ground floor, if we hadn’t already eaten lunch this would be a good point to stop for a bite to eat, but it was starting to get late. Hint: If you’re not someone who likes to read all the cards and listen to all the audio clips, don’t come to a museum with Fran and me. My parents were waiting on a bench outside for the two us between the first and second parts.

They had a photo op before you entered the second half, and my Dad didn’t get it that he was supposed to be in the picture and my Mom had to literally go drag him to be in the photo. I kept asking Fran to scan it in, but she never got to it so excuse the thumb in the shot.






My best Egyptian pose  






This calcite bowl was pretty.  I found nothing about it in the book, so I can’t say anything intelligent about it.






The second section of the exhibit had large photos on the walls from the time period and the excavation. This is what the tomb excavation area looked like.






One of the first pieces removed from the tomb was this necklace. Howard Carter put the necklace around the neck of the boy who originally found the first step to the tomb and shot this photo which you could say for the time, “went viral” or as viral as something in 1923 could do so.






Here is that picture along with a picture of the boy as an old man. He sat next to the tomb for the rest of his life making a living allowing tourists to take pictures with him.






Some more photos from the time on the wall.











Here is a diagram of the layout of the tomb.






There were a few more artifacts, but by this time both my camera and phone were dying and I didn’t get any pictures that weren’t blurry, except this one of this statue that was most likely still in the quarry at the time of the King’s untimely death. It was completed for the tomb of Ay, and later usurped by Horemheb for his tomb.






By the time we finished our purchases in the gift shop, because of course they took a lesson from Disney and let us out in a dump shop, it was 5PM and the museum was closing.

By the time we got home, braving the LA traffic, it was after 7PM and I was glad that we had made a solid plan for dinner. We had thawed a couple packets of my frozen homemade spaghetti sauce and had a Bag O’ Caesar salad along with a loaf of french bread. So while I heated the spaghetti noodles and sauce, my mom made the salad and garlic bread. 


We spent the rest of the weekend just hanging out at home playing with the kittens, chillin’, and cooking up some good food. We repurposed our leftovers from the wine maker dinner into a steak and potatoes dinner for Saturday, and made a White Chicken Coq au Vin in the Instant Pot for Easter Supper.






I think that’s the last time I’ve used the Instant Pot. While I understand how it’s a time saver, I guess for me that’s not the important thing. Cleaning it is kind of a thing and it takes a lot of my brain power to work it while the recipes that I’ve been making for decades are so easy for me now, I guess I’m an old dog that doesn’t like to learn new tricks. The old cooking techniques are fine for me.


Next update is back to DCA F&W for a final run.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Sounds good! His schedule isn't as bad next week. His main concern is getting the training completed so then he has some flexibility. We can do dinner or parks or whatever!



Let's see how things go. Once we get all the music together for the next band program, our lives will be less hectic.



Pinkocto said:


> Looks like I missed some computer complications. Hope that gets fixed soon.  Did I miss that you schedule Berlioz or still need to wait?



Yes, you did miss out on the website drama, but it's fixed now.  He got the OK from the Super Vet for the surgery, but he had diarrhea so we wanted to give him a chance to get over that.  Now he is, so we just need to call the vet and schedule him.


----------



## jedijill

Great update!  I'm pretty sure that's the King Tut exhibit I saw in Denver a couple of years ago...the pieces seem very familiar.  I saw the exhibit in Chicago in 2006 too!  

Your dinner looks yummy!

Just sent you and Fran an email about car parts....Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!

Jill in CO


----------



## Pinkocto

Loved the update. Wow that was a cool exhibit. Thank you for sharing. I’m still making my way through the Peabody books. Did you read the last one they finished recently? I was surprised when Amazon sent me an alert that it was finally out.


----------



## rentayenta

Wow! What an interesting and informative update. I’d never had a desire to attend this but you’ve sparked my interest.


----------



## Dis_Yoda

You can be that way about Egypt if I can be that way about Dinosaurs.   


That is a really cool exhibit!  I would have enjoyed it as well.  Glad you got to spend some time at something you enjoy history wise!


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Great update! I'm pretty sure that's the King Tut exhibit I saw in Denver a couple of years ago...the pieces seem very familiar. I saw the exhibit in Chicago in 2006 too!



Many of the pieces in this exhibit were in the Chicago exhibit but I think of the 150 pieces 40 or so had never left Egypt before. I only showed 1/3 or so of the pieces.



jedijill said:


> Your dinner looks yummy!



It was, but there was a ton left and most of the leftovers went to waste, normally I don't do that.



jedijill said:


> Just sent you and Fran an email about car parts....Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!



I saw. I've been bugging her to order parts, but she doesn't believe that you want to help. None of our friends here would do it, so she has a hard time thinking you'll fly here to do it.



Pinkocto said:


> Loved the update. Wow that was a cool exhibit. Thank you for sharing. I’m still making my way through the Peabody books. Did you read the last one they finished recently? I was surprised when Amazon sent me an alert that it was finally out.



From where you were when we last talked about it, you really need to read the next two books. The one they just released is the next one you need to read it you've finished the one where Nefret married the awful guy.



rentayenta said:


> Wow! What an interesting and informative update. I’d never had a desire to attend this but you’ve sparked my interest.



I thought it was really cool, so many beautiful and interesting things. And you could also see the Endeavor if you were so inclined.  It's really cool and massive too!


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> You can be that way about Egypt if I can be that way about Dinosaurs.



I like Dinosaurs too! I've been into them since Kindergarten!



Dis_Yoda said:


> That is a really cool exhibit! I would have enjoyed it as well. Glad you got to spend some time at something you enjoy history wise!



The CA Science center has really neat traveling exhibits. That's where we saw the Science of Pixar and Pompeii. Once the Lucas Museum opens that's gonna be a really cool geek spot!


----------



## Dis_Yoda

franandaj said:


> The CA Science center has really neat traveling exhibits. That's where we saw the Science of Pixar and Pompeii. Once the Lucas Museum opens that's gonna be a really cool geek spot!



Hopefully I'll have to go to Irvine soon for work after that opens!  

I'm so glad I got to visit Pompeii on my first real European Vacation!  It really is the coolest place!  WWII will be honored in our next major vacation (France) and now we're debating on 2020 - currently China is in the lead.  Haven't decided on the tour operator yet (either Tauck or Adventures by Disney).


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> I remember being furious with my Mom for not taking me with her and my Dad, but she tells me (now that I’m posing as an adult) that she had to buy a subscription to the museum for a couple years, just to get the privilege of purchasing the tickets for herself and my father.



So they even had these money-grubbing schemes back then, huh?



franandaj said:


> Luckily the guy checking the end of the line to make sure we all had tickets recognized Fran as a crip and directed us to the front of the line where we took an elevator to the upper floor and got seats in the designated area.



Wait, Fran is in a gang now?



franandaj said:


> Another piece of ambience as I waited for the crowds to clear.



These are so cool.



franandaj said:


> This little chart shows you each of the symbols and how they form his name.



Neat!  I'm amazed they could take the Rosetta Stone and basically learn the language of the hieroglyphics.



franandaj said:


> This chair and footrest were made for the king and used in his lifetime, not sure how they knew, but the book said so!



Well, I just read it on the internet, so I'm sure it's true!



franandaj said:


> Believe it or not these next items are earrings. I don't believe that it was properly labeled or I missed that fact the day we were there. If I'd realized they were actually worn on the ear, I would have added a hand or something for perspective. It was 4-6 inches long, and I can't imagine it dangling from my ear.



That looks painful. 



franandaj said:


> I needn't mention that all the gold you see is actual gold gilding.



Pretty amazing.



franandaj said:


> Traditionally, there were four jars, one for each of the following organs: stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.



Ew.



franandaj said:


>



Hey, that looks just like the thing from Raiders of the Lost Ark!



franandaj said:


> Hint: If you’re not someone who likes to read all the cards and listen to all the audio clips, don’t come to a museum with Fran and me. My parents were waiting on a bench outside for the two us between the first and second parts.



You two would get along great with my Mom, then.



franandaj said:


> My best Egyptian pose







franandaj said:


> This calcite bowl was pretty. I found nothing about it in the book, so I can’t say anything intelligent about it.



I'm very familiar with that feeling.



franandaj said:


> I think that’s the last time I’ve used the Instant Pot. While I understand how it’s a time saver, I guess for me that’s not the important thing. Cleaning it is kind of a thing and it takes a lot of my brain power to work it while the recipes that I’ve been making for decades are so easy for me now, I guess I’m an old dog that doesn’t like to learn new tricks. The old cooking techniques are fine for me.



I think Julie has fallen out of love with hers, too.


----------



## franandaj

Dis_Yoda said:


> Hopefully I'll have to go to Irvine soon for work after that opens!



Nothing better than when work pays for you to travel to fun destinations!



Dis_Yoda said:


> I'm so glad I got to visit Pompeii on my first real European Vacation! It really is the coolest place! WWII will be honored in our next major vacation (France) and now we're debating on 2020 - currently China is in the lead. Haven't decided on the tour operator yet (either Tauck or Adventures by Disney).



I'd love to get there someday, I've heard it's spectacular. 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> So they even had these money-grubbing schemes back then, huh?



Probably dates back to biblical times!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wait, Fran is in a gang now?



 I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Neat! I'm amazed they could take the Rosetta Stone and basically learn the language of the hieroglyphics.



But I wonder how the Rosetta stone people figured it out? 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, I just read it on the internet, so I'm sure it's true!



 Yup if it's on the Internet its gotta be true!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That looks painful.



Kinda like those people today who put those giant rings in their earlobes.   



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ew.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, that looks just like the thing from Raiders of the Lost Ark!



How would you like that burned into your palm?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> You two would get along great with my Mom, then.



I thought about you, but couldn't remember which family member it was.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I'm very familiar with that feeling.



If I didn't have that book probabaly every picture would have said that, and probably wouldn't have written this update.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I think Julie has fallen out of love with hers, too.



I think mine needs to go back in the cupboard for a few years...


----------



## franandaj

I know I just posted an update but since it was an off topic update I thought I better get in a Disney related one. Besides I have quite a few more updates to get in before we leave on our trip to WDW and cruise in 37 days! So let's get on with it.

Tuesday April 10th we had the night off of band because of our concert the previous Sunday and this was the perfect time to use up what was left of the little tabs on the two lanyards we purchased on that first weekend in March.  We had heard great things about the Avocado and Pepper Jack Petite Guacamole Burger at the Avocado Time Booth. So we stopped there first.











The burger.  I couldn’t help but think that I would have liked this far more without so much guacamole and maybe even the tomato.






Our next stop was a repeat for me, but I didn’t tell Fran that.  It was the Citrus Grove booth that Jill and I hit first on our first weekend.






Now that people were off work, the lines were getting long.











This is the Citrus Brined Pork Roast, it was still as good as it was the first day of the festival.






This was the Crispy Orange Chicken & Rice.  I really liked this one too, we polished the both off.






And they even had the Meyer Lemon Macaron, we should have gotten three of these!






Our total take, one of everything! Including the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule.






We moved on to the Cluck a Doodle Moo Kiosk.











Well they were out of the Salt and Vinegar Wings (which was going to be a theme for the rest of the night), but we did get the Grilled Harris Ranch Beef Tenderloin Slider which was pretty darned good!   It was cooked fairly rare.











And we got the Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt Panna Cotta.  I’m pretty sure I thought this was meh.






Fran wanted to go to Off the Cob for something, but they were sold out.






So we moved on to Garlic Kissed.











We got the Black Garlic Soy Brined Pork Belly Bahn Mi. This was good, but the problem of getting full was kicking in and we still had a bunch of tabs left. This was the last day we were going to be able to come here.






We also got the Creamy Mac and Cheese with Garlic Croutons.






We were definitely done after all this so we tried to use up the seven coupons we had left on desserts, but every booth was sold out of their desserts. We ended up getting two more pulled pork entrees, a mac n cheese, a pineapple chicken slider and I’m not sure what else. At this time we only had one scooter (remember it died on the original trip for this report and we hadn’t replaced it yet). So Fran let me sit down somewhere in there while she checked the booths over near Monster’s Inc. We ended up having pulled pork sandwiches the next day with two of them and I ate a Mac and Cheese with the sammies, but I think the others ended up going to waste. I got her to agree that next year we will use up the first card before purchasing a second one!


----------



## rentayenta

At least my hands made an appearance. LOL!

I thought the food booths this year were very good! Remember you gave one to Michael on your way out go the GCH?


----------



## Pinkocto

How could all the booths be sold out of desserts??? They really did not plan well. 

Looked like lots of yummies. Glad you were able to get the lemon macaron.


----------



## tiggrbaby

Yummy!  Sounds like those tabs are a good idea; too bad Disney keeps running out of food!


----------



## Steppesister

You packed a LOT into that Egypt update. I will comment by saying that everything you shared was absolutely fascinating and you certainly were thorough! I went to  talk by Zahi Hawass in Bowling Green with my folks a few years back and it was great! Look him up. Very  interesting figure and quite politically active too.


----------



## DnA2010

Wow that Egypt update- thanks so much for all the detail! It’s just amazing to see the craftsmanship isn't it! 
My sister and BIL work at the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller Alberta in you ever want to see a wonderful dinosaur museum  

Your cruise is coming so fast! Look very much forward to reading about it. 

Nice DIsney update at the end- some nice looking food for sure, shame they were out of desserts!


----------



## pooh'smate

That Egypt exhibit looks amazing. Your cruise will be here before you know it.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Yes, and I truly miss having that at the new house. Cooking things at two different temperatures as opposed to having to calculate how much longer to cook the dish that cooks at the higher temperature.



I get that. I've done the "So... should I split the difference on the temp or adjust the time?" dance a few times.



franandaj said:


> I guess we're being nice and giving them the space option. Most places don't include a microwave so the fact that we have one over the stove that doubles as a range fan seems like a bonus to the tenant and it costs about the same as a range hood.



Sounds like a win/win. It increases the desirability while now significantly increasing the cost to you.



franandaj said:


> Me too. If the new hosting company works out their interface is a lot easier to use than the old one.



And? (don't answer if it's obvious in later posts or you answered. working my way back to being caught up around here... everywhere.)


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> At least my hands made an appearance. LOL!
> 
> I thought the food booths this year were very good! Remember you gave one to Michael on your way out go the GCH?



I was trying to think when I wrote this, "was this the time that Jenny and her daughters came out with us?" But my brain was so fuzzy and i had no notes or pictures from rides to jog my memory. 

We gave Michael the Teriyaki Pineapple slider.



Pinkocto said:


> How could all the booths be sold out of desserts??? They really did not plan well.
> 
> Looked like lots of yummies. Glad you were able to get the lemon macaron.



That's a big problem at the CA F&W festival. They run out of stuff regularly. Perhaps it has to do with it being a locals park and they never know how many people are going to show up on a given day.



tiggrbaby said:


> Yummy!  Sounds like those tabs are a good idea; too bad Disney keeps running out of food!



The tabs are a good idea if you can use them all!



Steppesister said:


> You packed a LOT into that Egypt update. I will comment by saying that everything you shared was absolutely fascinating and you certainly were thorough! I went to  talk by Zahi Hawass in Bowling Green with my folks a few years back and it was great! Look him up. Very  interesting figure and quite politically active too.



Thanks, that took a bit of time to write up, but since my pictures were in limbo it also gave me extra time!

Sounds like a very interesting guy. He even taught at UCLA.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I’m certainly not an Egyptologist,



Then forget it. I'm outta here.


Well... okay, I'll stay and read along anyway.
But it's under protest.



franandaj said:


> ever since the King Tut exhibit in the 1970s came to visit San Jose, I’ve had a small obsession.



I picture you rubbing your hands together gleefully.



franandaj said:


> The series describes in detail their work in various important sites in Egypt while solving murders and participating in other adventures.



That sounds like a fun series!



franandaj said:


> The author also wove real persons of the time into the series including Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon, and many others.



Am I slightly obsessed because I knew who they were without Googling?



franandaj said:


> So the King Tut exhibition is at the California Science Center in the heart of Los Angeles until January 2019.



Hmmm.... So I have 'til January....



franandaj said:


> The movie was kind of corny, and actually the aerial shots gave me slight motion sickness. I would skip this next time.



Good to know.
Sorry about that, though.



franandaj said:


> This art on the wall is not actual artifacts, but some are reproductions of the art on the walls in the tomb.



I would think it'd be problematic to bring an entire wall.



franandaj said:


> Because Tutankhamun died so suddenly not all the walls of his tomb were covered in murals.



Huh. I didn't know that. I assumed the opposite. That the walls were all done _after_ his death.



franandaj said:


> In hieroglyphs the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence.



Interesting!

Uh... I think I might have said that several times as I read this update.



franandaj said:


> Boats were a very important method of transport to travel up and down the Nile to visit Tutankhamun's vast kingdom.



Weren't they also placed as a vessel for traveling from this world to the next?



franandaj said:


> It's somewhat difficult to make out, but in the headboard various gods and goddesses are depicted, they would presumably assist the king in the afterlife.



Inter.... oh, you know.



franandaj said:


> The top one is a silver trumpet with a gold mouthpiece with the king's name inscribed on it. The bottom item is a wooden insert to help the trumpet keep its shape while not in use.



Beautiful.



franandaj said:


> The trumpet may not have been played in antiquity, but it was played in 1939 for a BBC broadcast.



Really!



franandaj said:


> The player damaged the instrument by trying to use a modern mouthpiece on the horn.



OMG. You've got to be kidding.  Unbelievable.
Then again... I note the date. People weren't _quite_ as careful back then I suspect.



franandaj said:


> If any of you know any trumpet players, you'll understand when I say, “It figures, trumpet players.”



Nope. But I get the gist. 



franandaj said:


>



Wow, that's really pretty. Ornate.



franandaj said:


> He is shown walking as was common for Male figures of the day. Females were always pictured standing still.



I wonder why that is?



franandaj said:


> His body is depicted in black to symbolize rebirth as this is the color of the soil deposited by the annual Nile floodwaters bringing new soil and prosperity.



Never knew that. Huh!



franandaj said:


> I needn't mention that all the gold you see is actual gold gilding.



There's plenty. Think they would miss some of it?



franandaj said:


> This gilded figure of the king with a harpoon on a papyrus raft has tons of symbolism, but unless you understand the relationship of Horus and Seth. I'll just leave it that this is a pretty statue.



Sadly... no I don't. I've heard of Horus, but not Seth.



franandaj said:


> His presence in the king's tomb is explained that Spell 23 of the book of the Dead calls for Ptah to open and close the mouths of the dead so that they may eat.



Great... now I'm hungry.




(And... yes.... interesting!)



franandaj said:


> Traditionally, there were four jars, one for each of the following organs: stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.



I find it curious that the heart is not included. It plays such an important role in modern society.



franandaj said:


> This is a replica of the mask that was on the mummy. The mask no longer leaves Egypt as it is too fragile to be transported.



Not surprised, as it was broken.



franandaj said:


> The mummy was found wearing these gilded sandals, and the finger and toe caps.



Huh!



franandaj said:


> “In ancient Egyptian religion, the sun god Ra is seen to roll across the sky each day, transforming bodies and souls. Beetles of the Scarabaeidae family (dung beetle) roll dung into a ball as food and as a brood chamber in which to lay eggs; this way, the larvae hatch and are immediately surrounded by food. For these reasons the scarab was seen as a symbol of this heavenly cycle and of the idea of rebirth or regeneration.”



So that's why they're so important! Never could figure out what the connection was.



franandaj said:


> I kept asking Fran to scan it in, but she never got to it so excuse the thumb in the shot.



That's the best part.



franandaj said:


>




"Walk like and Egyptian"



franandaj said:


> He sat next to the tomb for the rest of his life making a living allowing tourists to take pictures with him.



Interesting way to make a buck. Lots of his ancestors following along in that tradition, I believe.



franandaj said:


> By the time we finished our purchases in the gift shop



Whatcha get?



franandaj said:


> made a White Chicken Coq au Vin in the Instant Pot



How was it?
I haven't used my Instant Pot for a while.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I know I just posted an update



Yep! Just a couple seconds ago!



franandaj said:


> Avocado and Pepper Jack Petite Guacamole Burger at the Avocado Time Booth.



Pass.
While I don't _mind_ guac or avocado, it's not something I seek out.



franandaj said:


> The burger. I couldn’t help but think that I would have liked this far more without so much guacamole and maybe even the tomato.



It certainly looks like it'd be better without.



franandaj said:


> Our next stop was a repeat for me, but I didn’t tell Fran that. It was the Citrus Grove booth that Jill and I hit first on our first weekend.



Why didn't you tell her? Because then she might have skipped it?



franandaj said:


> This is the Citrus Brined Pork Roast, it was still as good as it was the first day of the festival.



want



franandaj said:


> This was the Crispy Orange Chicken & Rice. I really liked this one too, we polished the both off.



want, too.



franandaj said:


> And they even had the Meyer Lemon Macaron, we should have gotten three of these!



want most of all



franandaj said:


> Including the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule.



How was that?



franandaj said:


> We moved on to the Cluck a Doodle Moo Kiosk.



 Love the name.



franandaj said:


> Well they were out of the Salt and Vinegar Wings (which was going to be a theme for the rest of the night),



well.... poop.



franandaj said:


>



Looks a bit too rare for my taste.



franandaj said:


> Fran wanted to go to Off the Cob for something, but they were sold out.







franandaj said:


> We also got the Creamy Mac and Cheese with Garlic Croutons.



 Holy crap that looks good!



franandaj said:


> but every booth was sold out of their desserts.



Oh, come on. Did they not think that there'd be people buying?


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Wow that Egypt update- thanks so much for all the detail! It’s just amazing to see the craftsmanship isn't it!
> My sister and BIL work at the Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller Alberta in you ever want to see a wonderful dinosaur museum



Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever back in Alberta again.



DnA2010 said:


> Your cruise is coming so fast! Look very much forward to reading about it.



Made some more arrangements for the trip yesterday.  Its seeming more and more real!



DnA2010 said:


> Nice DIsney update at the end- some nice looking food for sure, shame they were out of desserts!



The food was really good this year, we just didn't make it out there enough times to take advantage of all they had to offer.



pooh'smate said:


> That Egypt exhibit looks amazing. Your cruise will be here before you know it.



It's starting to seem real now.



pkondz said:


> I get that. I've done the "So... should I split the difference on the temp or adjust the time?" dance a few times.



I always assume that the dish at the lower temp needs to cook at that lower temp for a reason. So I adjust it based on that assumption. 



pkondz said:


> Sounds like a win/win. It increases the desirability while now significantly increasing the cost to you.







pkondz said:


> And? (don't answer if it's obvious in later posts or you answered. working my way back to being caught up around here... everywhere.)



Well it hasn't been totally smooth.  After the Tut update, the whole site went down and they had to restart something related to the server. But since that last glitch it has been pretty smooth so far. I ended up having four separate "online chat" sessions over the course of about 10 days and at each instance they gave me a "ticket number" and promised it would be fixed in 24 to 48 hours.

Initially I couldn't see my files at all, then I could see them and upload them, but when I tried to view them I got a 404 error. Then the next one was I could type in the URL but instead of displaying the page or photo, I saw the name of the page or photo.

But it seems to be working now.


----------



## jedijill

Tell Fran I really am flying out to work on your car.   I promise!  See you Friday!

Jill in CO


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well it hasn't been totally smooth. After the Tut update, the whole site went down and they had to restart something related to the server. But since that last glitch it has been pretty smooth so far. I ended up having four separate "online chat" sessions over the course of about 10 days and at each instance they gave me a "ticket number" and promised it would be fixed in 24 to 48 hours.



Lot of aggravation. 



franandaj said:


> But it seems to be working now.



But glad it seems to be okay now.
I would've been upset to have missed out on seeing your Tut photos.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Then forget it. I'm outta here.
> 
> 
> Well... okay, I'll stay and read along anyway.
> But it's under protest.







pkondz said:


> I picture you rubbing your hands together gleefully.



It's not like I'm Dr. Evil....



pkondz said:


> That sounds like a fun series!



It is quite entertaining, but you can tell it's written by a woman because there are a lot of strong and prominent female characters. My favorite is their son though, he provides much comic relief in his childhood and is rather a mischievous knight in shining armor as an adult.



pkondz said:


> Am I slightly obsessed because I knew who they were without Googling?



No just learned.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm.... So I have 'til January....



I'll go back with you!



pkondz said:


> Good to know.
> Sorry about that, though.



It wasn't too bad, when I shut my eyes it went away.



pkondz said:


> I would think it'd be problematic to bring an entire wall.



Can you imagine the size of the crate to hold it?



pkondz said:


> Huh. I didn't know that. I assumed the opposite. That the walls were all done _after_ his death.



I'm pretty sure they were but his tomb was dug in haste since he was so young. Most Pharaohs had their tombs constructed during their lifetimes.



pkondz said:


> Interesting!
> 
> Uh... I think I might have said that several times as I read this update.



No that's only the first one, that you said here at least.



pkondz said:


> Weren't they also placed as a vessel for traveling from this world to the next?



That could be too. It wasn't in the book, but I also read stuff on Wikipedia that wasn't in the book.



pkondz said:


> Inter.... oh, you know.



That's two...



pkondz said:


> OMG. You've got to be kidding.  Unbelievable.
> Then again... I note the date. People weren't _quite_ as careful back then I suspect.
> 
> Nope. But I get the gist.



No they weren't but they should have known better.  Ask Kay about trumpet players.



pkondz said:


> I wonder why that is?



No clue.



pkondz said:


> Never knew that. Huh!



Lots of symbolism going on.



pkondz said:


> There's plenty. Think they would miss some of it?



And I'm sure they would get it all on security cam!



pkondz said:


> Sadly... no I don't. I've heard of Horus, but not Seth.



Because of the books, I became familiar with a lot of the terms in this exhibit, but seeing the things really put it all together.  Kind of makes me want to re-listen to the books again since I would have a better understanding of the stuff, and while listening to the last couple books, I even started googling the geography as well to know the where Cairo was vs Luxor, etc.



pkondz said:


> Great... now I'm hungry.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (And... yes.... interesting!)



Someone opening and closing your jaw to eat makes you hungry?  



pkondz said:


> I find it curious that the heart is not included. It plays such an important role in modern society.



I find it odd how different these Ancient people were from us in general.



pkondz said:


> Not surprised, as it was broken.



Did not know that.



pkondz said:


> So that's why they're so important! Never could figure out what the connection was.



I think they're nasty!  Huge BUGS that roll s*** around!



pkondz said:


> That's the best part.



I'm glad you appreciate it.



pkondz said:


> "Walk like and Egyptian"



I was more channeling my inner Steve Martin.



pkondz said:


> Interesting way to make a buck. Lots of his ancestors following along in that tradition, I believe.



Well they couldn't be the one who "found the step."



pkondz said:


> Whatcha get?



The book and the picture. They didn't have T-shirts yet as it was still the first week.



pkondz said:


> How was it?
> I haven't used my Instant Pot for a while.



It was good, but I could have made it in regular pot just as well.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Yep! Just a couple seconds ago!



Well that was just a shout out...trying to post another though...soon.



pkondz said:


> Pass.
> While I don't _mind_ guac or avocado, it's not something I seek out.



I mostly only like guac with chips and a margarita.



pkondz said:


> It certainly looks like it'd be better without.







pkondz said:


> Why didn't you tell her? Because then she might have skipped it?



No, me and Jill weren't supposed to get anything that first day over x amount of $'s until we bought those little tab lanyards. We wanted to eat and not go hunting for the lanyards, so we pretended that we didn't go there.



pkondz said:


> want
> 
> want, too.
> 
> want most of all



You should come visit next year!



pkondz said:


> How was that?



Moscow Mules are becoming my next favorite drink after my Gibson!



pkondz said:


> Love the name.



I bet they have fun coming up with these.



pkondz said:


> Looks a bit too rare for my taste.



See and I took that picture to show how perfectly it was cooked.



pkondz said:


> Holy crap that looks good!



It was very good!



pkondz said:


> Oh, come on. Did they not think that there'd be people buying?



I think they underestimated how many people would be there for the last couple days. I'm sure other AP holders were needing to use up their tabs as well.



jedijill said:


> Tell Fran I really am flying out to work on your car.   I promise!  See you Friday!
> 
> Jill in CO



We just have to get her up and out of bed so that she can supervise. Looking forward to this weekend!



pkondz said:


> Lot of aggravation.







pkondz said:


> But glad it seems to be okay now.
> I would've been upset to have missed out on seeing your Tut photos.



I wasn't going to post them until everything was working correctly.


----------



## franandaj

So just a couple days after our last F&W adventure, April 12, we had a big DISmeet at my house.  Now there is a little bit of history behind this one. Several years ago on his TR @pkondz mentioned that he had a Bloody Caesar on the plane trip home.  Now I had heard of this drink and it sounded gross to me. Same as a bloody Mary, but using Clamato instead of Tomato Juice. Now I’m not sure about you, but to me adding clam juice to a beverage sounds like, well…  

However he insisted that it was a very tasty drink and told me I should try it.  And when he visited in March of 2017 he brought me all the ingredients to make it, minus the vodka.  Well not having that key ingredient and feeling rather reluctant about trying the drink anyways, it never happened.  

So forward to 2018.  He was coming to visit again, and asked if I had ever tried the drink, and I told him “No.”  In fact I told him, “Honestly, if you want me to try this drink you’re going to have to make it for me and put it in my hand.”

So a plan was set up for him and the other So Cal visitors to come to my house before we went out for dinner and he made us the drinks as we sat poolside chatting. In addition to pkondz, Liesa and Kari, Jenny and her hubby stopped by too.






Surprisingly enough I enjoyed the drink and it wasn't fishy at all!

After we finished our beverages we headed out for dinner at the crab pot. It was a fun evening eating good food with our hands and getting all messy! Unfortunately Fran was not feeling up to joining us for dinner.






The Crab Pot is known for its “feasts" which include shrimp, Andoille sausage, clams, mussels, corn and potatoes. We upgraded the basic feast by adding crab. They are also known for serving most all the dinners right on the table which is covered in butcher paper. We got the minimum of two dinners between the four of us and it was plenty, in fact there were leftovers.






We also saved some room for "The Famous" Strawberry Rhubarb "Home Style" Cake-in-a-Pan, yummy!






Bellies full, we all headed back to our relative domiciles for a good night's sleep. 


April 13


11 months prior to this weekend, I gambled on whether or not F&W would be the weeks before Easter or after. Well it turns out I lost the gamble, but I still came out a winner because I had a weekend at the VGC booked on banked points. That meant that I couldn't cancel the reservation or I'd lose the points, so bummer, I had to spend the weekend at the Grand Californian! I didn't make any room requests and we ended up with a pool view.






I just love the rooms here!



























This was the night where we all met up for dinner at the Melting Pot, but I didn’t take a pics.  I could steal some from Liesa’s or Pkondz’s TR, but I’ve got plenty more pics of other stuff to show you so go check out theirs if you’re interested or have never been to a Melting Pot yourself.

When we got home from dinner, we found these little treats in our room.


----------



## franandaj

The next day was Kari’s birthday and I planned to spend the day with her in the parks. I was kind of tired from all the nights out (and not to mention cleaning up the backyard for the drinks the other night), but I pushed on. Fran wasn't feeling well so I let her rest in the room. Kari and I met around 10AM and our first ride was RSR.


























Race time!






Kari says we won the race, I can never tell!






Then we went to meet royalty.






And my favorite snowman who likes warm hugs.











Next we popped over to the Jungle Cruise.  This was a nice change of pace for me since I don’t normally ride it.  Our skipper was a sassy young gal with a wicked sense of humor.






Next time I ride the Jungle cruise, I need to write down the jokes right after we get off the ride because I never can remember them!






But you all know what this is!






And who could forget this guy?






And then I had my last ride on Pirates with the real redhead.  I guess change is inevitable.











There she is, in all her beauty.











And the pirates being bad boys.






At this point we were feeling a little peckish so we stopped at the Harbour Galley to get a tuna sandwich and a lobster roll.  They definitely hit the spot.











Then it was time to ride the Haunted Mansion.





















I’m amazed that I got this shot!






Ahhhhh, the spirits are beginning to materialize….
















No matter how hard I try, this is about the best that I can do for the Hatbox ghost.






And same for the caretaker….






After this ride I was done, like put a fork in me done.  My eyes were drooping and I could barely keep going.  Kari and I agreed to meet up later for a bite to eat and to see the fireworks, but I needed a rest.  I stopped at the little red wagon and got a corn dog for Fran who was still asleep in the room and headed back. I wasn’t really able to sleep, but I did take a bath and lay down for about 3 hours which gave me more energy. 

Kari and I got a bite to eat, but I didn’t get any pictures, and then we met up with Jenny and her DH to watch the fireworks.  The show is really spectacular, they have a special set of fireworks for the Pixar Fest.  My only complaint is that with the projections on the Castle and the fireworks themselves you don’t know where to look. It’s a constant back and forth and you feel like you’re missing something wherever you look!

Fran hadn’t gotten out of bed all weekend except for nature’s calls, so Sunday morning I convinced her to get some breakfast with me as she was feeling a little bit better. Hers.






Mine.






We were out of there by 10:20AM, and this folks, is one of my favorite parts of DVC.







Up next, the “band” is back together again!


----------



## rentayenta

Super fun update! It was so nice meeting everyone too. I can't believe you left out the gift I gave your guests. Fresh CA lemons.  

@pkondz drink was awesome! Looks like dinner was delicious.


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Super fun update! It was so nice meeting everyone too. I can't believe you left out the gift I gave your guests. Fresh CA lemons.
> 
> @pkondz drink was awesome! Looks like dinner was delicious.



Yeah, the lemons you stole from my tree!     And now all my lemons are gone.  I think a critter picked them.


----------



## rentayenta

franandaj said:


> Yeah, the lemons you stole from my tree!     And now all my lemons are gone.  I think a critter picked them.



Yes, those lemons!  The critters are bad right now. They are enjoying our avocados as well. 

In my defense, it was 3 lemons. And you were there.


----------



## pooh'smate

My dd loves the Clamato juice she always gets some when we go to visit my in-laws in Montreal. She says it tastes like spaghetti sauce lol.


----------



## tiggrbaby

What fun meets!

Was that a tiki bar in your yard?

You always manage to get so much done at the parks!


----------



## jedijill

Looks like you guys had a fun weekend!  No wonder you needed a nap!

Jill in CO


----------



## rentayenta

jedijill said:


> Looks like you guys had a fun weekend!  No wonder you needed a nap!
> 
> Jill in CO



I have a feeling are all going to need naps on Sunday!


----------



## franandaj

rentayenta said:


> Yes, those lemons!  The critters are bad right now. They are enjoying our avocados as well.
> 
> In my defense, it was 3 lemons. And you were there.



At least now that my trees are bare I won't have to wonder which ones are from this year or last year when the new crop comes in!



pooh'smate said:


> My dd loves the Clamato juice she always gets some when we go to visit my in-laws in Montreal. She says it tastes like spaghetti sauce lol.



We generally start our day with a glass of V8, but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the Clamato part. And I love linguine and clam sauce.



tiggrbaby said:


> What fun meets!
> 
> Was that a tiki bar in your yard?
> 
> You always manage to get so much done at the parks!



Yes, I have a Tiki bar in the backyard! That was one of the (many) things that sold me on this house we live in!



jedijill said:


> Looks like you guys had a fun weekend!  No wonder you needed a nap!
> 
> Jill in CO



  And as Jenny said, we'll probably need a nap after this weekend!



rentayenta said:


> I have a feeling are all going to need naps on Sunday!



I'll put on a robe to say goodbye to Jill and crawl back into bed!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> It's not like I'm Dr. Evil....



Are you_ sure???_



franandaj said:


> It is quite entertaining, but you can tell it's written by a woman because there are a lot of strong and prominent female characters.



I've read a few books by John Varley (sci-fi writer..._ male_ sci-fi writer) and he has a series where most if not all of the strongest characters are women. I kinda like that, actually.



franandaj said:


> My favorite is their son though, he provides much comic relief in his childhood and is rather a mischievous knight in shining armor as an adult.







franandaj said:


> No just learned.



Well golllleee! I is schmart!



franandaj said:


> I'll go back with you!



Hmmm... I wonder if this might be doable. Does it end at the_ end_ of January?



franandaj said:


> Can you imagine the size of the crate to hold it?



Yup. Just a bit bigger than the wall. 



franandaj said:


> I'm pretty sure they were but his tomb was dug in haste since he was so young. Most Pharaohs had their tombs constructed during their lifetimes.



Of course. Still... I can't imagine spending my life preparing for my death.



franandaj said:


> No that's only the first one, that you said here at least.



I meant "out loud". I said it a_ lot._



franandaj said:


> No they weren't but they should have known better. Ask Kay about trumpet players.



 Okay.



franandaj said:


> And I'm sure they would get it all on security cam!



Note to self. Disable security cams first.
Thanks for the tip!



franandaj said:


> Because of the books, I became familiar with a lot of the terms in this exhibit, but seeing the things really put it all together. Kind of makes me want to re-listen to the books again since I would have a better understanding of the stuff, and while listening to the last couple books, I even started googling the geography as well to know the where Cairo was vs Luxor, etc.




I love doing that. I read something about an interesting place and... "where is that?"



franandaj said:


> Someone opening and closing your jaw to eat makes you hungry?



No. Eating does.



franandaj said:


> I find it odd how different these Ancient people were from us in general.







franandaj said:


> Did not know that.



Beard on King Tut's Mask Snapped Off



franandaj said:


> I think they're nasty! Huge BUGS that roll s*** around!




So not your favourite thing.



franandaj said:


> I was more channeling my inner Steve Martin.



Ah!  That works too.



franandaj said:


> Well they couldn't be the one who "found the step."







franandaj said:


> It was good, but I could have made it in regular pot just as well.



Gotcha.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I mostly only like guac with chips and a margarita.



I get that. That'd probably be me, too.
And yet... I prefer queso to guac, so...



franandaj said:


> No, me and Jill weren't supposed to get anything that first day over x amount of $'s until we bought those little tab lanyards. We wanted to eat and not go hunting for the lanyards, so we pretended that we didn't go there.



Oh!






franandaj said:


> You should come visit next year!



When?



franandaj said:


> Moscow Mules are becoming my next favorite drink after my Gibson!



Oh really! I'm not a huge ginger beer fan, so… Maybe? I guess I'll have to try one. 



franandaj said:


> I bet they have fun coming up with these.







franandaj said:


> See and I took that picture to show how perfectly it was cooked.



Ah! Maybe the photo looked rarer than I thought?


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Now I’m not sure about you, but to me adding clam juice to a beverage sounds like, well…



Oh, ye of little faith.



franandaj said:


> However he insisted that it was a very tasty drink and told me I should try it. And when he visited in March of 2017 he brought me all the ingredients to make it, minus the vodka.



I brought the vodka... then did something stupid and never gave it to you!



franandaj said:


> In fact I told him, “Honestly, if you want me to try this drink you’re going to have to make it for me and put it in my hand.”



 Yep. Pretty much word for word.



franandaj said:


> Surprisingly enough I enjoyed the drink and it wasn't fishy at all!



See??????



franandaj said:


> It was a fun evening eating good food with our hands and getting all messy!



 Really enjoyed that. But..



franandaj said:


> Unfortunately Fran was not feeling up to joining us for dinner.



… I missed her. I really feel like I haven't had a good chance to get to know her. I was_ just_ getting to know her a bit when we dined on my (and Kay's) previous visit.
And I don't know if I said two words to her the next night.

I_ really_ need to rectify this. 



franandaj said:


> We got the minimum of two dinners between the four of us and it was plenty, in fact there were leftovers.



We tried, but... we just couldn't do it. I remember at the end we were all kinda sitting there picking listlessly at what was left.



franandaj said:


> We also saved some room for "The Famous" Strawberry Rhubarb "Home Style" Cake-in-a-Pan, yummy!







franandaj said:


> we ended up with a pool view.



How can you tell???



franandaj said:


> I just love the rooms here!



Beautiful room!



franandaj said:


> When we got home from dinner, we found these little treats in our room.



Nice! 



franandaj said:


> Fran wasn't feeling well so I let her rest in the room.



Sorry to hear that.



franandaj said:


>



RSR selfie!



franandaj said:


> Kari says we won the race, I can never tell!



Why not?



franandaj said:


> And my favorite snowman who likes warm hugs.



Wait... I thought_ I_ was your favourite snowman?



franandaj said:


> Next we popped over to the Jungle Cruise. This was a nice change of pace for me since I don’t normally ride it. Our skipper was a sassy young gal with a wicked sense of humor.



Glad you had a good skipper. Makes all the difference. 
Why do you usually skip it?



franandaj said:


> Next time I ride the Jungle cruise, I need to write down the jokes right after we get off the ride because I never can remember them!




I tell myself "Oh! Gotta remember that one."

Yeah... right.



franandaj said:


> But you all know what this is!



I do believe it is an image taken from the opposite side of a cascade of water flowing over a precipice.



franandaj said:


> And then I had my last ride on Pirates with the real redhead. I guess change is inevitable.



<sigh>
Sad to see her go... but it appears as though they made a not too disagreeable change there.
I'll hold judgement until I see for myself.



franandaj said:


> we stopped at the Harbour Galley to get a tuna sandwich and a lobster roll.



I recently had my first (finally!) lobster roll. Yum!!!



franandaj said:


> Then it was time to ride the Haunted Mansion.



What's that you say? Best ride in the park? Why, yes! I agree with you!



franandaj said:


> I’m amazed that I got this shot!



You got some really good shots, but... that's about the best I've seen of that. 



franandaj said:


> No matter how hard I try, this is about the best that I can do for the Hatbox ghost.



Tough one.



franandaj said:


> And same for the caretaker….



That one I've got. I got stalled right in front of him for a while, so I broke the rules and used a flash. (Don't tell anyone. )



franandaj said:


> I stopped at the little red wagon and got a corn dog



<sigh> Some day.



franandaj said:


> I wasn’t really able to sleep, but I did take a bath and lay down for about 3 hours which gave me more energy.







franandaj said:


> My only complaint is that with the projections on the Castle and the fireworks themselves you don’t know where to look. It’s a constant back and forth and you feel like you’re missing something wherever you look!



Interesting observation. I hadn't thought of that.



franandaj said:


> she was feeling a little bit better.



 Good!



franandaj said:


> and this folks, is one of my favorite parts of DVC.



 I bet!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


>



Hail, hail, the gang's all there!! Look at the Squad! 



franandaj said:


> It was a fun evening eating good food with our hands and getting all messy!



It was!!! I proudly wore most of my dinner home despite the bib. 



franandaj said:


>



Just gorgeous! 



franandaj said:


> Our skipper was a sassy young gal with a wicked sense of humor.



I love when I get a good skipper. Makes all the difference. 



franandaj said:


> Next time I ride the Jungle cruise, I need to write down the jokes right after we get off the ride because I never can remember them!



And here I wrote them down, and then.... forgot to put them in my TR!  



franandaj said:


> And then I had my last ride on Pirates with the real redhead.







franandaj said:


> At this point we were feeling a little peckish so we stopped at the Harbour Galley to get a tuna sandwich and a lobster roll.




I had the lobster roll in the past, and thought... meh. Not sure I'd get another over the sandwich. 


franandaj said:


> Yeah, the lemons you stole from my tree!     And now all my lemons are gone.  I think a critter picked them.


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> Hail, hail, the gang's all there!! Look at the Squad!



But the question is...


_Who's_ squad is it????


----------



## Steppesister

pkondz said:


> But the question is...
> 
> 
> _Who's_ squad is it????


Well, geez. I kinda thought you enjoyed us as much as we enjoy you.  You're in, or you're not. LOL!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Hmmm... I wonder if this might be doable. Does it end at the_ end_ of January?



I believe that it's January 12. Nope, just checked the posted, January 6.



pkondz said:


> Of course. Still... I can't imagine spending my life preparing for my death.



Things were very different back then. Can you imagine ruling an Ancient Empire?



pkondz said:


> I meant "out loud". I said it a_ lot._



Ahh, I couldn't hear you.



pkondz said:


> I love doing that. I read something about an interesting place and... "where is that?"



I've just recently started doing that.



pkondz said:


> Beard on King Tut's Mask Snapped Off



Interesting, almost as stupid as the trumpet player who shoved his mouthpiece into the ancient instrument.



pkondz said:


> So not your favourite thing.



NO.  Not. at. all.



pkondz said:


> I get that. That'd probably be me, too.
> And yet... I prefer queso to guac, so...



I do too, but I kinda like both to be on the table so I have a choice.



pkondz said:


> When?



Whenever!  



pkondz said:


> Oh really! I'm not a huge ginger beer fan, so… Maybe? I guess I'll have to try one.



Not sure I've had Ginger beer by itself, but I'm becoming fond of these.



pkondz said:


> Ah! Maybe the photo looked rarer than I thought?



Well I also like my meat still mooing.



pkondz said:


> I brought the vodka... then did something stupid and never gave it to you!







pkondz said:


> … I missed her. I really feel like I haven't had a good chance to get to know her. I was_ just_ getting to know her a bit when we dined on my (and Kay's) previous visit.
> And I don't know if I said two words to her the next night.
> 
> I_ really_ need to rectify this.



Well then you need to come back and we'll hang out!



pkondz said:


> We tried, but... we just couldn't do it. I remember at the end we were all kinda sitting there picking listlessly at what was left.



It _is_ a lot of food.



pkondz said:


> How can you tell???



Cause I know the hotel layout and which room numbers have what views.  You can see a tiny bit of the pool peeking through the trees.



pkondz said:


> Why not?



The angle of track makes it hard for me to figure out which one is ahead.



pkondz said:


> Wait... I thought_ I_ was your favourite snowman?







pkondz said:


> Glad you had a good skipper. Makes all the difference.
> Why do you usually skip it?



I seem to mostly ride rides that have FP.  



pkondz said:


> I tell myself "Oh! Gotta remember that one."
> 
> Yeah... right.







pkondz said:


> I do believe it is an image taken from the opposite side of a cascade of water flowing over a precipice.



Very accurate description!



pkondz said:


> <sigh>
> Sad to see her go... but it appears as though they made a not too disagreeable change there.
> I'll hold judgement until I see for myself.



I don't like it at all.  They changed the figure's face and hair, and now she's on the pirate's team.  She isn't nearly as pretty now.  And she has bangs.



pkondz said:


> I recently had my first (finally!) lobster roll. Yum!!!



I wouldn't say this one is the best, but at the time it was better than a burger.



pkondz said:


> What's that you say? Best ride in the park? Why, yes! I agree with you!



Yeah, I'll give you that.  When it's not got the NBC layover.



pkondz said:


> You got some really good shots, but... that's about the best I've seen of that.



Thanks, 



pkondz said:


> That one I've got. I got stalled right in front of him for a while, so I broke the rules and used a flash. (Don't tell anyone. )



I got the same one with Jack in that same place, but I didn't use a flash.  



pkondz said:


> Interesting observation. I hadn't thought of that.



I had better luck watching it last night and got more of the correlation between the projections and fireworks.



Steppesister said:


> Hail, hail, the gang's all there!! Look at the Squad!



I get the "Hail, hail the gang's all there!" reference, but not the part about the squad.



Steppesister said:


> It was!!! I proudly wore most of my dinner home despite the bib.



I don't doubt it!  There is a very specific stance you need to take so as not to drop the butter on you, and if you're not well practiced, you may end up wearing it.



Steppesister said:


> And here I wrote them down, and then.... forgot to put them in my TR!



I can totally see that happening.



Steppesister said:


> I had the lobster roll in the past, and thought... meh. Not sure I'd get another over the sandwich.



It wasn't the best one I've ever had, but it wasn't bad.



pkondz said:


> But the question is...
> 
> 
> _Who's_ squad is it????



I still don't get this whole squad thing.  We're not on the police force.  



Steppesister said:


> Well, geez. I kinda thought you enjoyed us as much as we enjoy you.  You're in, or you're not. LOL!



So now I'm like....what???????


----------



## Steppesister

Squad is simply a slang term for a group of people who hang out together, enjoy each other's company, etc.... Like you you know... my tribe, club, friends.


----------



## Steppesister

*"Squad*. This word is used to refer to your clique or group of friends. You may have even heard people saying "*squad* goals" which refers to a level of friendship you want to achieve."

Sorry for the confusion.  I've been hearing it from my teens for a while and thought it was a common term now.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Squad is simply a slang term for a group of people who hang out together, enjoy each other's company, etc.... Like you you know... my tribe, club, friends.





Steppesister said:


> *"Squad*. This word is used to refer to your clique or group of friends. You may have even heard people saying "*squad* goals" which refers to a level of friendship you want to achieve."
> 
> Sorry for the confusion.  I've been hearing it from my teens for a while and thought it was a common term now.



I don't really know any teens, but I preferred my reference, "the band is back together again." Although I don't remember which movie that was from, but here it comes......


----------



## franandaj

April 16

Liesa, pkondz and Kari all met up relatively early in the park and ate Dole Whips for breakfast. Liesa and I were texting, and around 10AM Fran was ready to get on our way to Disney and drop me off when Fran had a sinking feeling that we should really be getting an oil change. I had been checking the oil for the past couple days (or so I thought I was), but in actuality I was checking the transmission fluid. Which was plenty full, the oil, not so much. So it was a good thing we checked.

While waiting our turn at the oil shop, a tenant called and had locked herself out of her apartment.  Since I was on my way to the park, I had my “park purse” (think small with only ID, pass, credit card, camera, and ibuprofen inside).  My “keys to all the apartments” were in my “big purse” which I had left on the purse pedestal at home, so we had to go back there, get the keys, let her in and then finally I was on my way.  I think by this time it was close to noon when I got there.

Evidently Liesa was spilling churros all over her shirt so it took them a little bit to meet up with me in New Orleans square. Everyone had expressed an interest in riding the train.  Mostly for the Grand Canyon / Primeval World diorama portion of the trip. Sorry no pictures, you need a good DSLR with a wide lens to capture it since flash photography is not allowed, and I know I’ve shown you pictures in the past. We exited the train at Main Street which was fairly close to the Plaza Inn where we had given in to Liesa’s demand for a redo on last year’s lunch where she did not have the fried chicken. I was very sad to see that the Cobb Salad had been removed from the menu.






They did have this fun cake in honor of Pixar Fest. The yellow part is lemon flavored, the blue segment is blue raspberry, and the bottom is red velvet.  We didn't get it on this day but Fran and I had it a little over a week ago when we ate at the Plaza Inn when we were out there to get the newest Dooney purse, Winnie the Pooh.






We did get two Chicken Dinners to split amongst the four of us.






Super yummy!

After that we decided to ride Indiana Jones, which then caused us to hustle our bustles over to the Hyperion Theater for what I believe was the 3PM show of Frozen. Again, no big camera so no pictures. But we did ride Guardians after the show (sans Kari, she chose to do RSR twice).






We joined her for her second spin on RSR and evidently she had won every race over the weekend, but we ruined her winning streak this time.






By this time we were tired and hungry and ready for some grub. We all agreed on an order of hot dogs covered in puff pastry.






We also picked the Korean Beef Tacos.






I was dubious about this flatbread, as there was some ingredient on top that I wasn't fond of.






We had plenty of drinks!






Proof that we were all there...






Shortly after this picture was taken Kari had to leave for the airport as she was continuing her Disney time at WDW.

The rest of us hung out for a while longer before we headed out to PTN. Again no big camera so no pictures, but don't worry, next update will have more pictures of the parade than you'll want to see!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I don't really know any teens, but I preferred my reference, "the band is back together again." Although I don't remember which movie that was from, but here it comes......


That works too!!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> but in actuality I was checking the transmission fluid. Which was plenty full, the oil, not so much. So it was a good thing we checked.



EEK!! Good thing indeed!



franandaj said:


> Evidently Liesa was spilling churros all over her shirt so it took them a little bit to meet up with me in New Orleans square.



Hey! 

Okay, fine. Spilling food all over my shirt is a well-honed talent. I do it well. 



franandaj said:


> We exited the train at Main Street which was fairly close to the Plaza Inn where we had given in to Liesa’s demand for a redo on last year’s lunch where she did not have the fried chicken.



Demand? 

I"m pretty sure all I had to do was say pretty please.  

Well, I may have arm twisted, but only a little. 



franandaj said:


> I was very sad to see that the Cobb Salad had been removed from the menu.



I'm getting my Cobb fix in October! 



franandaj said:


> We did get two Chicken Dinners to split amongst the four of us.



And it was just right!



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


>



My favorite of the lot. 



franandaj said:


>



Band, Gang, Squad, Tribe. Whatevs.... we're all there and all had a great time!


----------



## pkondz

Steppesister said:


> Well, geez. I kinda thought you enjoyed us as much as we enjoy you.  You're in, or you're not. LOL!


I wanna know who's in charge?
Certainly not me!!!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I believe that it's January 12. Nope, just checked the posted, January 6.



Hmmmm.... I think that would be _very_ tough. Lemme think on it.



franandaj said:


> Things were very different back then. Can you imagine ruling an Ancient Empire?



Absolutely!
I see myself as a semi-benevolent despot.



franandaj said:


> Ahh, I couldn't hear you.



Sorry!
Next time I'll put my hands up to my lips in the shape of a megaphone and face south-west.



franandaj said:


> Interesting, almost as stupid as the trumpet player who shoved his mouthpiece into the ancient instrument.







franandaj said:


> Whenever!



Okay! Okay!



franandaj said:


> Well I also like my meat still mooing.



Ah. Not I. I'll eat it, but I like just a bit more doneness than blue-rare.



franandaj said:


> Well then you need to come back and we'll hang out!



 I'd really like that. 



franandaj said:


> Cause I know the hotel layout and which room numbers have what views. You can see a tiny bit of the pool peeking through the trees.



I know. Was just teasing you.



franandaj said:


> The angle of track makes it hard for me to figure out which one is ahead.



In that case...


We _totally_ won.



franandaj said:


> I seem to mostly ride rides that have FP.



So, JC in DL does _not_ have FP? It does in WDW.



franandaj said:


> Very accurate description!



I always strive to be completely acurite.



franandaj said:


> I don't like it at all. They changed the figure's face and hair, and now she's on the pirate's team. She isn't nearly as pretty now. And she has bangs.



 oh. 
That's not so good then.
I knew she was on the pirate's team and I could live with that... but... they completely changed her too?

Bad form, Disney.



franandaj said:


> Yeah, I'll give you that. When it's not got the NBC layover.



Gotcha.



franandaj said:


> I got the same one with Jack in that same place, but I didn't use a flash.



So... this just proves I'm more of a rebel than you are.

Or more of a jerk. 



Take your pick.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Liesa, pkondz and Kari all met up relatively early in the park and ate Dole Whips for breakfast.



As it should be.



franandaj said:


> I had been checking the oil for the past couple days (or so I thought I was), but in actuality I was checking the transmission fluid. Which was plenty full, the oil, not so much.





Whoops!



franandaj said:


> So it was a good thing we checked.



"we" checked? Or the attendant checked and told you "Ya gots no oil!"



franandaj said:


> my “big purse” which I had left on the purse pedestal at home,



I usually put people on a pedestal (well... mostly women). You do a purse! Huh.



franandaj said:


> I think by this time it was close to noon when I got there.



About that I think.



franandaj said:


> Evidently Liesa was spilling churros all over her shirt so it took them a little bit to meet up with me in New Orleans square.







franandaj said:


> Everyone had expressed an interest in riding the train. Mostly for the Grand Canyon / Primeval World diorama portion of the trip.







franandaj said:


> the Plaza Inn where we had given in to Liesa’s demand for a redo on last year’s lunch



She was really adamant about that. No one wanted it, but... 

Oh, well. What are you gonna do.








franandaj said:


> where she did not have the fried chicken.




How? How could you do that????



franandaj said:


> They did have this fun cake in honor of Pixar Fest.



I remember that!



franandaj said:


> We didn't get it on this day but Fran and I had it a little over a week ago when we ate at the Plaza Inn when we were out there to get the newest Dooney purse, Winnie the Pooh.



How was it? It doesn't look like it'd be that great. I could be wrong.



franandaj said:


> We did get two Chicken Dinners to split amongst the four of us.



And it was enough. I wasn't positive it would be... but it was just right.



franandaj said:


> We joined her for her second spin on RSR and evidently she had won every race over the weekend, but we ruined her winning streak this time.



Well sure! You were in the driver's seat and sleeping!


So.... I'm curious. Did you get those photos off the numbers on my TR? Or had you written them down?



franandaj said:


> We all agreed on an order of hot dogs covered in puff pastry.



Well, sure. This time there was no adolescent stealing them all.



franandaj said:


> We also picked the Korean Beef Tacos.



Seem to recall those were good.



franandaj said:


> I was dubious about this flatbread, as there was some ingredient on top that I wasn't fond of.



Can't stand melted cheese, huh?






franandaj said:


> We had plenty of drinks!



 That shot makes us look like lushes!



franandaj said:


> Proof that we were all there...



Nah. Cardboard cutouts. Obviously.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> We moved on to the Cluck a Doodle Moo Kiosk.



That wins for best name.



franandaj said:


> It was cooked fairly rare.



I don't think that even made it into the oven!



franandaj said:


> I got her to agree that next year we will use up the first card before purchasing a second one!



Still, you got a lot of food!



franandaj said:


> Same as a bloody Mary, but using Clamato instead of Tomato Juice. Now I’m not sure about you, but to me adding clam juice to a beverage sounds like, well…



No, really, it sounds wonderful. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






franandaj said:


> “Honestly, if you want me to try this drink you’re going to have to make it for me and put it in my hand.”



Even then, it's 50/50.



franandaj said:


> Surprisingly enough I enjoyed the drink and it wasn't fishy at all!



Well, I'm glad to hear it!



franandaj said:


> Well it turns out I lost the gamble, but I still came out a winner because I had a weekend at the VGC booked on banked points. That meant that I couldn't cancel the reservation or I'd lose the points, so bummer, I had to spend the weekend at the Grand Californian!



Gosh darn it all!



franandaj said:


> Kari and I met around 10AM and our first ride was RSR.



Wait, are you allowed to do that?  It's not Guardians. 



franandaj said:


> Our skipper was a sassy young gal with a wicked sense of humor.



Always a good thing!



franandaj said:


> I need to write down the jokes right after we get off the ride because I never can remember them!



See those elephants?  You might think that's water coming out of their trunks, but it's snot.



franandaj said:


> There she is, in all her beauty.







franandaj said:


> I’m amazed that I got this shot!



Yes, nice work!



franandaj said:


> We were out of there by 10:20AM, and this folks, is one of my favorite parts of DVC.



I can see where that would not get old.



franandaj said:


> Liesa, pkondz and Kari all met up relatively early in the park and ate Dole Whips for breakfast.



Breakfast of champions!



franandaj said:


> I had been checking the oil for the past couple days (or so I thought I was), but in actuality I was checking the transmission fluid. Which was plenty full, the oil, not so much. So it was a good thing we checked.







franandaj said:


> We did get two Chicken Dinners to split amongst the four of us.



I miss that meal.  That was good stuff.



franandaj said:


> After that we decided to ride Indiana Jones







franandaj said:


> But we did ride Guardians after the show (sans Kari, she chose to do RSR twice).



THERE it is.


----------



## jedijill

I'm still tired from this weekend!

Jill in CO


----------



## DnA2010

Nice updates Alison! 

My hubby was over my shoulder looking at the pics also and loves your Tiki Bar! He really wants one someday. We both love the Tiki room and our little one sure did too. 

Clamato- ya it’s strange...so strange..I’m not a huge fan but my DH is and like a Rye Caesar very much (ceeasar with Canadian whiskey rather than vodka) 

We are looking forward to seeing Pirates on our Oct day- it was closed during our May trip so it’s been a while, I understand why they changed but I will be different to see.

Yum Plaza chicken, it was spot on when we had it, and those appies look so good- Korean tacos- yum!


----------



## Pinkocto

Sorry I got behind again.

I had to laugh, I rubbed my hands in glee just yesterday  it had to have been about vacation coming but I can’t remember for sure...

Awesome to ‘have to’ spend the weekend at VGC. Banked points are the best excuse! I know that tree, I’ve spent time in that area twice.  Hopefully one day we’ll get a park view.

I guess I was totally behinds the times because the last time we rode Pirates I was flummoxed, and kept saying where is that? Where is that? And WHERE IS THE REDHEAD!???’ Not pleased with the changes at all. I really liked the mermaid skeleton in the one here.

Lots of yummy food and friends.  Love it! 

Oh my about the oil change, glad it didn’t end badly. Thank goodness your tenant didn’t lock her phone in the house too!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> That works too!!







Steppesister said:


> EEK!! Good thing indeed!



Yeah, I never claimed to have any car smartz.



Steppesister said:


> Hey!
> 
> Okay, fine. Spilling food all over my shirt is a well-honed talent. I do it well.



You're the one who proudly told me that you were spilling it all over yourself!  I wasn't with you yet!



Steppesister said:


> Demand?
> 
> I"m pretty sure all I had to do was say pretty please.
> 
> Well, I may have arm twisted, but only a little.



I'm pretty sure you said that you were good with most anything, but would prefer the chicken.



Steppesister said:


> I'm getting my Cobb fix in October!



ooooh, at the Brown Derby?



Steppesister said:


> And it was just right!







Steppesister said:


> My favorite of the lot.



Mine was the hot dogs in puff pastry.



Steppesister said:


> Band, Gang, Squad, Tribe. Whatevs.... we're all there and all had a great time!







pkondz said:


> Hmmmm.... I think that would be _very_ tough. Lemme think on it.



OK, no worries.



pkondz said:


> Absolutely!
> I see myself as a semi-benevolent despot.







pkondz said:


> Sorry!
> Next time I'll put my hands up to my lips in the shape of a megaphone and face south-west.



Thank you.



pkondz said:


> Ah. Not I. I'll eat it, but I like just a bit more doneness than blue-rare.



When both Fran and I order steak she lets me take the piece that is the most rare.  



pkondz said:


> I'd really like that.



C'mon down!



pkondz said:


> I know. Was just teasing you.







pkondz said:


> In that case...
> 
> 
> We _totally_ won.



OK awesome!



pkondz said:


> So, JC in DL does _not_ have FP? It does in WDW.



Every ride in WDW has FP because of the stupid MBs. Only the coolest rides in DL have FPs.



pkondz said:


> I always strive to be completely acurite.



Rihgt!



pkondz said:


> oh.
> That's not so good then.
> I knew she was on the pirate's team and I could live with that... but... they completely changed her too?
> 
> Bad form, Disney.



Yeah she is no longer stunningly beautiful, and has a somewhat angry face now.



pkondz said:


> So... this just proves I'm more of a rebel than you are.
> 
> Or more of a jerk.
> 
> 
> 
> Take your pick.







pkondz said:


> As it should be.



Personally I prefer protein at breakfast.



pkondz said:


> Whoops!



Just cause I end up watching Fran's car programs while I'm making dinner in the kitchen doesn't mean I'm learning anything.



pkondz said:


> "we" checked? Or the attendant checked and told you "Ya gots no oil!"



Actually you just drive in the bay, they drain your oil and then based on your engine size they fill it back up with the right number of quarts.



pkondz said:


> I usually put people on a pedestal (well... mostly women). You do a purse! Huh.



Keeps it off the dirty floor 



pkondz said:


> About that I think.







pkondz said:


> She was really adamant about that. No one wanted it, but...
> 
> Oh, well. What are you gonna do.



Right!  I mean when given the choice who would pick the most awesome Fried Chicken in the world?  :



pkondz said:


> How? How could you do that????



Yeah, I'm not quite sure how that happened.



pkondz said:


> I remember that!



Yes it was slightly memorable.



pkondz said:


> How was it? It doesn't look like it'd be that great. I could be wrong.



It wasn't awesome, bu it wasn't bad. You could actually taste the different flavors of the different layers and I was impressed with that!  We liked the funnel cake that we had a few weeks later much better.



pkondz said:


> And it was enough. I wasn't positive it would be... but it was just right.



It worked out to be perfect.  I knew that with me having a thigh, some mashed taters, the biscuit y'all let me have and the green beans that most people don't care for, I had plenty!  



pkondz said:


> Well sure! You were in the driver's seat and sleeping!
> 
> 
> So.... I'm curious. Did you get those photos off the numbers on my TR? Or had you written them down?



No I took cell phone pics as soon as we got off the ride as I always do, then I can download them to my PP account since we get PP free with my level of AP.



pkondz said:


> Well, sure. This time there was no adolescent stealing them all.



I didn't recall her stealing them all (since I ate some), but yes they did not disappear nearly as fast, but I think we did order a second round of them still!



pkondz said:


> Seem to recall those were good.



Yes the tacos were quite good!



pkondz said:


> Can't stand melted cheese, huh?



I believe it was the cauliflower that I was not fond of....



pkondz said:


> That shot makes us look like lushes!



Nah, we only have one drink each.....



pkondz said:


> Nah. Cardboard cutouts. Obviously.



Obviously.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> That wins for best name.



Totally!  I loved that name!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I don't think that even made it into the oven!



Of course it did, or at least onto the griddle.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Still, you got a lot of food!



Yeah, but we were too full to eat it that night!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> No, really, it sounds wonderful.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Even then, it's 50/50.



No, once you put a drink in my hand, I'll try it, especially since I splashed a bit of extra vodka in mine before he handed it to me!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, I'm glad to hear it!



And everyone else had the same reaction!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Gosh darn it all!



I know, the things we suffer through!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Wait, are you allowed to do that? It's not Guardians.



I know!  Am I allowed to ride other rides?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Always a good thing!







Captain_Oblivious said:


> See those elephants? You might think that's water coming out of their trunks, but it's snot.



Snort!  Perfect!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I can see where that would not get old.



  except the deduction from my bank account monthly kinda does....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Breakfast of champions!



I can see that, but I need protein too....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I miss that meal. That was good stuff.



Yes, it was good, you folks need to come back and I'll make sure that you are even better set up!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> THERE it is.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Mine was the hot dogs in puff pastry.



Especially when you don't have a teenager scarfing them all down.



franandaj said:


> When both Fran and I order steak she lets me take the piece that is the most rare.



Good partnership! 



franandaj said:


> C'mon down!



Want to!



franandaj said:


> Every ride in WDW has FP because of the stupid MBs. Only the coolest rides in DL have FPs.



I did not know that. Huh!



franandaj said:


> Yeah she is no longer stunningly beautiful, and has a somewhat angry face now.



We wants the old redhead back!



franandaj said:


> Just cause I end up watching Fran's car programs while I'm making dinner in the kitchen doesn't mean I'm learning anything.







franandaj said:


> Right! I mean when given the choice who would pick the most awesome Fried Chicken in the world?



Who indeed?

I want that again.



franandaj said:


> It wasn't awesome, bu it wasn't bad. You could actually taste the different flavors of the different layers and I was impressed with that! We liked the funnel cake that we had a few weeks later much better.



Interesting. Both your comment about the layers and that a funnel cake would be not only better, but _much_ better.



franandaj said:


> It worked out to be perfect. I knew that with me having a thigh, some mashed taters, the biscuit y'all let me have and the green beans that most people don't care for, I had plenty!



You got your hands on my thigh but I got your breast, so I guess it worked out.



franandaj said:


> No I took cell phone pics as soon as we got off the ride as I always do, then I can download them to my PP account since we get PP free with my level of AP.



Ah. I didn't see you do that, and I could've _sworn_ at one point you asked if I'd taken the picture for that very purpose.



franandaj said:


> I didn't recall her stealing them all (since I ate some), but yes they did not disappear nearly as fast, but I think we did order a second round of them still!



We did? Memory fails.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> I'm still tired from this weekend!
> 
> Jill in CO



I'm not I ever recovered! I'm tired every morning!



DnA2010 said:


> Nice updates Alison!
> 
> My hubby was over my shoulder looking at the pics also and loves your Tiki Bar! He really wants one someday. We both love the Tiki room and our little one sure did too.



I love my Tiki Bar! It was one of the factors that made me know I wanted the house! 



DnA2010 said:


> We are looking forward to seeing Pirates on our Oct day- it was closed during our May trip so it’s been a while, I understand why they changed but I will be different to see.



It won't be the same for me. The redhead was everything. I'll still ride it occasionally but it's not the same.



DnA2010 said:


> Yum Plaza chicken, it was spot on when we had it, and those appies look so good- Korean tacos- yum!



Now I'm hungry....



Pinkocto said:


> Sorry I got behind again.
> 
> I had to laugh, I rubbed my hands in glee just yesterday  it had to have been about vacation coming but I can’t remember for sure...



Funny! That's just not a move that I do. On another note, I got a suitcase out and hope to start filling it with stuff for the first two days soon.



Pinkocto said:


> Awesome to ‘have to’ spend the weekend at VGC. Banked points are the best excuse! I know that tree, I’ve spent time in that area twice. Hopefully one day we’ll get a park view.



Usually I do get a park view. I think the was only my second pool view.



Pinkocto said:


> I guess I was totally behinds the times because the last time we rode Pirates I was flummoxed, and kept saying where is that? Where is that? And WHERE IS THE REDHEAD!???’ Not pleased with the changes at all. I really liked the mermaid skeleton in the one here.



Mermaid skeleton???? Where?



Pinkocto said:


> Lots of yummy food and friends. Love it!



Yup! It usually is when DIS folks come to visit!



Pinkocto said:


> Oh my about the oil change, glad it didn’t end badly. Thank goodness your tenant didn’t lock her phone in the house too!



Actually she might have. I think she borrowed one of the neighbor's phones. Luckily there is an elderly retired couple who live on the ground floor and they're almost always home.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Especially when you don't have a teenager scarfing them all down.



Well I rarely have that problem....then again Fran likes them a lot.



pkondz said:


> I did not know that. Huh!



When you came the first time they were preparing to move to digital FP. I remember seeing all the rides with the scanning machines under covers waiting to be revealed.

Now it's annoying because the line gets clogged with people who don't understand the system or try to use their FP too early.



pkondz said:


> We wants the old redhead back!







pkondz said:


> Who indeed?
> 
> I want that again.



I just had it a couple weeks ago! So yummy!



pkondz said:


> Interesting. Both your comment about the layers and that a funnel cake would be not only better, but _much_ better.



I happen to be rather fond of funnel cake. I posted a picture of our funnel cake on FB.



pkondz said:


> You got your hands on my thigh but I got your breast, so I guess it worked out.







pkondz said:


> Ah. I didn't see you do that, and I could've _sworn_ at one point you asked if I'd taken the picture for that very purpose.



I think I may have asked to offer you the digital copy of the downloaded version.



pkondz said:


> We did? Memory fails.



I think so....


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well I rarely have that problem....then again Fran likes them a lot.



So we have the same problem. 



franandaj said:


> When you came the first time they were preparing to move to digital FP.



I do remember that. The talk about it, anyways.



franandaj said:


> I remember seeing all the rides with the scanning machines under covers waiting to be revealed.
> 
> Now it's annoying because the line gets clogged with people who don't understand the system or try to use their FP too early.



Ugh. 



franandaj said:


> I just had it a couple weeks ago! So yummy!



Lucky!



franandaj said:


> I happen to be rather fond of funnel cake. I posted a picture of our funnel cake on FB.



You did?
I never see any of your posts.
Possibly because I'm seldom on FB.
Hang on...


 That is _some_ funnel cake! Holy cow! I didn't know that you could do that.

And.... love your profile pic!



franandaj said:


> I think I may have asked to offer you the digital copy of the downloaded version.



You did... but I'd still not ask.
I _really_ hate bothering people.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> So we have the same problem.



Except Fran will always let me have the last one.  



pkondz said:


> You did?
> I never see any of your posts.
> Possibly because I'm seldom on FB.
> Hang on...



I don't post very often.  Only if I have something humorous or delicious to post.



pkondz said:


> That is _some_ funnel cake! Holy cow! I didn't know that you could do that.
> 
> And.... love your profile pic!



Yes, it was quite decadent.  The two of us together could not even finish it!

Thanks!  Had one of my party goers not snapped a bunch of pics, no one would have ever known the shenanigans that took place.



pkondz said:


> You did... but I'd still not ask.
> I _really_ hate bothering people.



I enjoy helping out, I would be happy to send pics.  I'll remember to just do it and not ask in the future.


----------



## franandaj

So here it is 2 weeks until I’m on my way to Florida.  I had hoped to have all my bonus features wrapped before I left, but that’s not happening.  Unless you want me to post them all at once, and I doubt that’s the case.  I’ve written a bunch of them, but prefer to post them in chapters instead of all at one time.

I believe everything is in place for this trip, transportation, dining reservations, I’ve even set aside most of my clothes for the trip in Olga’s closet and just waiting to put them into the suitcases a couple days before we fly.  I have put the first suitcase on the bed to put things like bathroom bags, shoes, and other items that one doesn’t worry if it wrinkles before the trip.

The apartment is coming along (ever so slowly). We bought the kitchen cabinet and drawer handles yesterday and they are already installing them. We decided to send the washer/dryer from that unit over to the tenants in the back unit at 1st street because theirs is 25 years old and is showing an error code. The problem can be fixed by unplugging and rebooting the unit, but that won’t last. Because it’s 25 years old replacement parts aren’t available.  This way the brand new washer and dryer will be in the unit with all new appliances (well 5 out of 7 are brand new).  I doubt we will be able to put it up before our cruise. They still have to install another ceiling fan, new glass doors in both bathrooms, and then there are the blinds which need to be put up. Plus we’ll have to thoroughly clean the place once the contractor gets his stuff out of there.  So it’s looking like the second week in September before we get this up on the Market.

The kitties are all doing well, and once we’re back from the trip it will start the annual cycle of running them all through the vet.  And Berlioz still needs to be neutered.  We might have to wait until we come back from the trip to do that since we haven’t set up the appointment yet.

I’m also waist deep into planning my trip this Winter (Spring?) Our last full day is the first day of Spring.  It will be me, Fran and my parents at the Beach Club in a 2 bedroom villa.  I’ve got them to agree to all our ADRs and a loose schedule of parks.  About two weeks after I get home from the cruise is our ADR day, and 5 days after the cruise we leave for Phoenix for a regional band conference, so having the WDW plans sorted out before hand was a must. The Phoenix conference doesn’t have any meetings or business, just a bunch of rehearsals, parties and a concert.

That’s all the IRL stuff I can think of for now.  I may or may not have another TR update before I leave, depends on how crazy things become!


April 27


As part of my F&W gamble, I had also booked the last weekend in April at the Grand. My reasoning on this was that even if F&W didn't happen it was a few days before my birthday, so I figured it could be a birthday Celebration weekend.

Jill came in for the weekend, actually for her she spent a week starting in SF and driving down the coast culminating in the weekend at Disney. Because she was staying in Anaheim she got an early start on the parks while Fran and I finished packing and doing our “have-tos". It was 4PM when we finally checked in and luckily the room was ready.

Fran wanted to lay down while Jill and I went to get some grub.
















Jill and I decided to get some drinks.






It was around this time that Fran realized that there was special merchandise for the Pixar Fest and she had slept through our previous weekend at Disney, so she did some shopping and joined us, but just drank water. We headed out in time to get a spot to see Paint the Night.  

Warning:  Lots of pictures ahead.  If you're not interested in the parade skip to the next update.



















































































































































*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*


We wanted some sweet treats so we grabbed some hot chocolate and cookies before retiring for the night.











April 28

Tonight we had a big dinner planned and Fran opted to stay in the room and rest up for the evening. Jill and I grabbed some breakfast before heading into the park.






We entered the park around 9:30AM and went on Guardians first.






Then we went on RSR.  I was really tired that day and kept falling asleep on the rides.






We wanted to do TSMM but it was down, thank goodness for the app so that we knew it was down and we didn't walk all the way over there. Pixar Pier was under renovation and it was all boarded up. The only thing open there was TSMM.

So it was back to Guardians again.  At least I was more awake due to my two previous naps.






Then to Space Mountain.  






We were getting kind of tired from all the adrenaline and rides, so we took the train to New Orleans square and got some onion rings and beverages, but I don't seem to have any pictures.

We decided to go back to the hotel and go to the pool, well the jacuzzi...via Guardians.






After a nice relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi where Jill and I were practically spokespeople for DVC, we took showers, and got ready for dinner. Dinner was at Steakhouse 55, and we were bringing these along with us. Not the lemons, they were going to be used for a salad a couple nights before when Jenny's DH cooked dinner for all of us,  but it turned out he didn't need them.






Here we are at dinner with our wines.











The bread here is heavenly, but don’t fill up on it!






One of our starters was the Fried Berkshire Pork Belly






I think this was the Creamy Artichoke Soup, I actually didn’t have any of this since there were so many other good things coming.






The Onion Soup au Gratin was incredibly yummy!






Our wines, decanted.






Then the main portion of our dinner began to arrive.

Steamed Asparagus






Garlic Potato Gratin






Seasonal Risotto, which I believe was a chicken flavored






Truffle Macaroni & Cheese






The bone in Rib Eye that we split.






And the marrow bone.  I thuought Jenny enjoyed this, she loves it! But instead it showed up on my plate!






And my plate:






In addition to the desserts that we ordered, I got a birthday Creme Brulee.











We ordered the 24-Layer Chocolate Cake, it was so freakin rich!






This is no longer on the menu, but I think it’s some kind of choco taco






And then there was this berry thing, perhaps it had some sorbet.






We couldn’t even finish everything here. Jenny took some home and said her son finished off the leftovers before they even hit the fridge.  Fran and I took some and made dinner out of them the following night and I think there was even still some left.  It was a great night.

Jenny and Michael went home instead of crashing on our couch.  When we woke up in the morning we checked out even before regular time and went to the dress shop and bought me a cute dress that will make an appearance early on in my next TR.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Except Fran will always let me have the last one.



Same here! Kay will always take the last one.

(She did ask... I told her to go ahead…. I didn't think one more would hurt! )



franandaj said:


> I don't post very often. Only if I have something humorous or delicious to post.



So is your pool photo humorous or delicious?



franandaj said:


> Yes, it was quite decadent. The two of us together could not even finish it!







franandaj said:


> Thanks! Had one of my party goers not snapped a bunch of pics, no one would have ever known the shenanigans that took place.



I think I need to be at one of your pool parties. 



franandaj said:


> I enjoy helping out, I would be happy to send pics. I'll remember to just do it and not ask in the future.



And I'll thank you. 


I'll have to come back later to read/comment on the update. Gotta run soon.


----------



## tiggrbaby

IRL has been very busy for you!

Beautiful parade photos!

What a meal!  And your dress is very pretty as well!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> So here it is 2 weeks until I’m on my way to Florida.



Hooray!  Anticipation is part of the fun!



franandaj said:


> We decided to send the washer/dryer from that unit over to the tenants in the back unit at 1st street because theirs is 25 years old and is showing an error code. The problem can be fixed by unplugging and rebooting the unit, but that won’t last.



That's how I fix most things around here.



franandaj said:


> Warning: Lots of pictures ahead. If you're not interested in the parade skip to the next update.



The floats and costumes look pretty cool this one.  And I'm not normally a parade guy.



franandaj said:


> I was really tired that day and kept falling asleep on the rides.



Sounds like a serious issue. 



franandaj said:


> So it was back to Guardians again. At least I was more awake due to my two previous naps.



I was going to make another joke about you riding Guardians, but when everything else is closed, what can you do?



franandaj said:


> We decided to go back to the hotel and go to the pool, well the jacuzzi...via Guardians.



Tell me, do you like the Guardians ride?



franandaj said:


> The bread here is heavenly, but don’t fill up on it!



Ha!  Rookie mistake.



franandaj said:


> The bone in Rib Eye that we split.



Now we're talking.



franandaj said:


> We ordered the 24-Layer Chocolate Cake, it was so freakin rich!



Holy cow.  That thing is absolutely massive.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So here it is 2 weeks until I’m on my way to Florida.



Man that snuck up fast!



franandaj said:


> Unless you want me to post them all at once, and I doubt that’s the case.



Correct.
You need time to savour (and comment).



franandaj said:


> Because it’s 25 years old replacement parts aren’t available.



And because it's 25 years old... it's just a matter of time now before it goes completely.



franandaj said:


> So it’s looking like the second week in September before we get this up on the Market.



But I'm thinking with all the renos that it will go fairly quickly?



franandaj said:


> The kitties are all doing well,



Good!



franandaj said:


> It will be me, Fran and my parents at the Beach Club in a 2 bedroom villa.



Very nice. 



franandaj said:


> I’ve got them to agree to all our ADRs and a loose schedule of parks.



Even better! Less stress for you.



franandaj said:


> My reasoning on this was that even if F&W didn't happen it was a few days before my birthday, so I figured it could be a birthday Celebration weekend.







franandaj said:


> Jill came in for the weekend, actually for her she spent a week starting in SF and driving down the coast culminating in the weekend at Disney.



Niiice. I'd love to do that... but starting in Vancouver.

#retirementgoals



franandaj said:


>



Don't mind me... I'll just steal those rice krispies treats.



franandaj said:


>



That looks familiar. 



franandaj said:


> Warning: Lots of pictures ahead. If you're not interested in the parade skip to the next update.



Nope. Looked at 'em all. You got some pretty good ones, even without the fast lens.



franandaj said:


>



Well, hello there.



franandaj said:


> We wanted some sweet treats so we grabbed some hot chocolate and cookies before retiring for the night.



Good way to end the night. 



franandaj said:


> We entered the park around 9:30AM and went on Guardians first.



Aww... Alison's a bit sleepy. Pretty active group, though. Even have another sleeper in the back row.



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


>




I also take it this is _not_ Jill's favourite ride? And what is the woman behind her doing???



franandaj said:


> We decided to go back to the hotel and go to the pool, well the jacuzzi...via Guardians.



I didn't know they delivered.



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


> After a nice relaxing soak in the Jacuzzi where Jill and I were practically spokespeople for DVC,



Make any sales?



franandaj said:


>



Good looking group. 



franandaj said:


> The bread here is heavenly, but don’t fill up on it!



Noted!



franandaj said:


> The Onion Soup au Gratin was incredibly yummy!



I want to go just for that, now.



franandaj said:


> Seasonal Risotto, which I believe was a chicken flavored



mmmm.... Risotto... love it. Should make it again soon. Haven't had any in a few weeks.



franandaj said:


> In addition to the desserts that we ordered, I got a birthday Creme Brulee.



Yum!



franandaj said:


> We ordered the 24-Layer Chocolate Cake, it was so freakin rich!



Holy crap! Who could possibly eat that?!?!?


----------



## jedijill

We had a wonderful weekend!  I forgot we rode Guardians 3 times!  We got our monies worth!  Dinner was amazing!  I think the marrow ended up on Jenny's plate before dinner was over.  

I'm so ready for the cruise!  I finished shopping for my FE gifts today.  I need to make my packing list and start getting organized.  I have to go to Philadelphia on business Monday-Wednesday of cruise week and I fly out Thursday evening so I need to get ready!

Jill in CO


----------



## rentayenta

Marrow was mine, mine, mine!  

What a fun and delicious meal indeed! I love ordering that way where we all share and try some of everything. Michael's risotto is still better.......

You ladies are going to have a blast on the cruise. So sad to be missing it.  I will live vicariously through the daily pics you send me... hint, hint. 

I didn't realize DeSoto #1 still wasn't finished. 

See ya Wednesday!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Same here! Kay will always take the last one.
> 
> (She did ask... I told her to go ahead…. I didn't think one more would hurt! )



Considering she already ate one order....



pkondz said:


> So is your pool photo humorous or delicious?



Well I know what I consider it, but since you brought up the other option, I'll let you decide.



pkondz said:


> I think I need to be at one of your pool parties.



I believe you would have an enjoyable time...



tiggrbaby said:


> IRL has been very busy for you!



Yes and the next 9 days will be even more so!



tiggrbaby said:


> Beautiful parade photos!



Thank you!



tiggrbaby said:


> What a meal! And your dress is very pretty as well!



It was a great meal, and I do love that dress!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> The floats and costumes look pretty cool this one. And I'm not normally a parade guy.



I'm not either, but this is one of my favorites.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Sounds like a serious issue.



  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> was going to make another joke about you riding Guardians, but when everything else is closed, what can you do?



Pretty much. You will see some other rides coming up in later bonus features.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Tell me, do you like the Guardians ride?



Yes! It's fun, close by and not a huge investment of time. So it doesn't cut into drinking time! 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ha! Rookie mistake.







Captain_Oblivious said:


> Now we're talking.



While the steak was delicious the sides really were da bomb.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Holy cow. That thing is absolutely massive.



We couldn't finish it with five of us. Then again we had four desserts between us.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Considering she already ate one order....







franandaj said:


> Well I know what I consider it, but since you brought up the other option, I'll let you decide.



I'm going to go with "delicious", then.



franandaj said:


> I believe you would have an enjoyable time...



I believe I need to find out!


----------



## DnA2010

Nice update, your cruise is coming so fast! look forward to reading about all the fun times and yummy eats, I bet there is some Palo time booked?  

I really do love PTN, it's so bright and fun for sure. 

I enjoyed your ride photos, we Loved GOTG, I think on our May trip we rode it about 6 times, but I think I've only had 3 of the songs. I'm looking forward to the special Halloween party version. Are you and Fran doing a Halloween party? 

Oh my goodness your Steakhouse 55 meal looks fantastic- and all those yummy wines! and 24 layer chocolate cake- wow!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Man that snuck up fast!



I know! I've officially gone into stress mode where I am printing out daily Google docs to do lists which are incredibly micromanaging with things like "Take day pills", "Coffee", and "Breakfast" on the list cause seriously at this point of stress packing I might forget if it wasn't on the list!



pkondz said:


> And because it's 25 years old... it's just a matter of time now before it goes completely.



Exactly and now they are getting brand new front loaders that are stacking on Friday.



pkondz said:


> But I'm thinking with all the renos that it will go fairly quickly?



I'm hoping. But then again we will be asking a fair price, being like 4+ blocks from the beach and having in house washer dryer.



pkondz said:


> Even better! Less stress for you.



And we aren't trying for anything that is highly valued so hopefully nothing will be a problem. 



pkondz said:


> Niiice. I'd love to do that... but starting in Vancouver.
> 
> #retirementgoals



Sounds like a good plan!



pkondz said:


> Don't mind me... I'll just steal those rice krispies treats.



Sure, I'll just get some more!



pkondz said:


> That looks familiar.







pkondz said:


> Nope. Looked at 'em all. You got some pretty good ones, even without the fast lens.



Thanks! That was my regular lens which has zoom.



pkondz said:


> Good way to end the night.







pkondz said:


> Aww... Alison's a bit sleepy. Pretty active group, though. Even have another sleeper in the back row.



You know these rides aren't quite as exhilarating as you might think.



pkondz said:


> I also take it this is _not_ Jill's favourite ride? And what is the woman behind her doing???



She may be upset that it is not Hyperspace Mountain any longer.



pkondz said:


> Make any sales?



We were just spokespeople...



pkondz said:


> Good looking group.



Thanks!   



pkondz said:


> I want to go just for that, now.



You should! It was yummy!



pkondz said:


> mmmm.... Risotto... love it. Should make it again soon. Haven't had any in a few weeks.



Me neither, but not doing that much work u til after vacation!



pkondz said:


> Holy crap! Who could possibly eat that?!?!?



I don't know. It went ho e with both ourselves and Jenny.


----------



## Pinkocto

franandaj said:


> Mermaid skeleton???? Where?



In one of the first scenes, where there’s a skeleton against the wall and a little beach, there used to be part of a rotting boat with a mermaid skeleton tied up to it. They added it after Pirates 4. Right before the skeleton is steering the boat with thunder and lightning in the background. 





An awesome pre-Birthday celebration weekend! Love that Guardians ride  


Glad you have been able to do so much for your spring trip. Sounds like you’ll be very busy after vacation! 

Sounds like the apartment is coming along nicely.


----------



## Pinkocto

rentayenta said:


> You ladies are going to have a blast on the cruise. So sad to be missing it.  I will live vicariously through the daily pics you send me... hint, hint.



You will be missed lovely lady  Hopefully in the future we’ll all be able to go


----------



## rentayenta

Pinkocto said:


> You will be missed lovely lady  Hopefully in the future we’ll all be able to go




Me too!!!  I will be glued to my phone waiting for pics.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I know! I've officially gone into stress mode where I am printing out daily Google docs to do lists which are incredibly micromanaging with things like "Take day pills", "Coffee", and "Breakfast" on the list cause seriously at this point of stress packing I might forget if it wasn't on the list!





Deep breaths.
Always remember that you're going on a cruise...
On a Disney cruise ship.
If you forget something, they probably have it. 



franandaj said:


> Exactly and now they are getting brand new front loaders that are stacking on Friday.



Fancy-schmancy. 



franandaj said:


> I'm hoping. But then again we will be asking a fair price, being like 4+ blocks from the beach and having in house washer dryer.



Four blocks?

So..... do you rent to Canadians? 






franandaj said:


> Sure, I'll just get some more!



Yay!



franandaj said:


> Thanks! That was my regular lens which has zoom.



Thought so.  



franandaj said:


> You know these rides aren't quite as exhilarating as you might think.



Obviously not!



franandaj said:


> She may be upset that it is not Hyperspace Mountain any longer.



Um... it's not?



franandaj said:


> We were just spokespeople...



Then let me rephrase. Convince anyone to buy?



franandaj said:


> Me neither, but not doing that much work u til after vacation!



It is a bit of work, isn't it? But the result! Yumm!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> So here it is 2 weeks until I’m on my way to Florida



It's almost time!!!  



franandaj said:


> I believe everything is in place for this trip, transportation, dining reservations, I’ve even set aside most of my clothes for the trip in Olga’s closet and just waiting to put them into the suitcases a couple days before we fly. I have put the first suitcase on the bed to put things like bathroom bags, shoes, and other items that one doesn’t worry if it wrinkles before the trip.



I'm mostly packed and  still over a month out. Just finishing up the details and will throw in my toiletries at the last minute. 



franandaj said:


> I’m also waist deep into planning my trip this Winter (Spring?) Our last full day is the first day of Spring. It will be me, Fran and my parents at the Beach Club in a 2 bedroom villa. I’ve got them to agree to all our ADRs and a loose schedule of parks. About two weeks after I get home from the cruise is our ADR day, and 5 days after the cruise we leave for Phoenix for a regional band conference, so having the WDW plans sorted out before hand was a must. The Phoenix conference doesn’t have any meetings or business, just a bunch of rehearsals, parties and a concert.



You sure have your work cut out for you the next bit!!



franandaj said:


>



Jill looks constipated.


----------



## jedijill

Steppesister said:


> Jill looks constipated.



I was REALLY upset that it wasn't Hyperspace Mountain anymore!  LOL

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

jedijill said:


> I was REALLY upset that it wasn't Hyperspace Mountain anymore!  LOL
> 
> Jill in CO




I'm not entirely sure I could tell the difference it's been so long since I've been on with the mindset of comparing.


----------



## jedijill

Steppesister said:


> I'm not entirely sure I could tell the difference it's been so long since I've been on with the mindset of comparing.



Ha!  One is Star Wars and one is not. 

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

jedijill said:


> Ha!  One is Star Wars and one is not.
> 
> Jill in CO


Oooohhh, got it! Honestly, not one of my faves as the track seems to always do serious damage to my neck.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> We had a wonderful weekend! I forgot we rode Guardians 3 times! We got our monies worth! Dinner was amazing! I think the marrow ended up on Jenny's plate before dinner was over.



I couldn't remember how many times we rode, but luckily we had photographic evidence!



jedijill said:


> I'm so ready for the cruise! I finished shopping for my FE gifts today. I need to make my packing list and start getting organized. I have to go to Philadelphia on business Monday-Wednesday of cruise week and I fly out Thursday evening so I need to get ready!



I don't know how you're going to be able to accomplish that!  I would need to have everything ready to go before the Philly trip and then throw it all in the suitcase on Thursday morning.



rentayenta said:


> Marrow was mine, mine, mine!



I thought so, but wasn't quite sure.



rentayenta said:


> What a fun and delicious meal indeed! I love ordering that way where we all share and try some of everything. Michael's risotto is still better.......



I like that too!  The more tastes the merrier!



rentayenta said:


> You ladies are going to have a blast on the cruise. So sad to be missing it.  I will live vicariously through the daily pics you send me... hint, hint.



I'll do my best, don't know how often I'll sign into the Wifi!



rentayenta said:


> I didn't realize DeSoto #1 still wasn't finished.



It's got a ways to go.....not finished until we get back.  



rentayenta said:


> See ya Wednesday!



So much fun to get together again!



pkondz said:


> I'm going to go with "delicious", then.



  That wasn't what I chose, but that's OK!  I had a feeling that's what you were thinking!  



pkondz said:


> I believe I need to find out!



You're more than welcome, but I rarely have more than a couple weeks notice on them, so you'll need to act fast when notice comes!



DnA2010 said:


> Nice update, your cruise is coming so fast! look forward to reading about all the fun times and yummy eats, I bet there is some Palo time booked?



And Remy  



DnA2010 said:


> I really do love PTN, it's so bright and fun for sure.



It is!  We're going to see it Monday one last time before it goes away.



DnA2010 said:


> I enjoyed your ride photos, we Loved GOTG, I think on our May trip we rode it about 6 times, but I think I've only had 3 of the songs. I'm looking forward to the special Halloween party version. Are you and Fran doing a Halloween party?



We are doing one in WDW next Friday!  



DnA2010 said:


> Oh my goodness your Steakhouse 55 meal looks fantastic- and all those yummy wines! and 24 layer chocolate cake- wow!!



It was really awesome, so good and we even had leftovers!



Pinkocto said:


> In one of the first scenes, where there’s a skeleton against the wall and a little beach, there used to be part of a rotting boat with a mermaid skeleton tied up to it. They added it after Pirates 4. Right before the skeleton is steering the boat with thunder and lightning in the background.



I wonder if that's the pirate skeleton that's been in DL all the time....we've always had more rooms before the part of the ride where WDW's ride starts.



Pinkocto said:


> An awesome pre-Birthday celebration weekend! Love that Guardians ride



It was great fun.  Considering that I spent my birthday night in band.  



Pinkocto said:


> Glad you have been able to do so much for your spring trip. Sounds like you’ll be very busy after vacation!



Well just the weekend after. Although then I'll need to do ADRs once we get back.



Pinkocto said:


> Sounds like the apartment is coming along nicely.



Slowly but coming along nicely.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Deep breaths.
> Always remember that you're going on a cruise...
> On a Disney cruise ship.
> If you forget something, they probably have it.



Well no, when you're our size and have definite medical requirements we need to make sure that we bring everything that we need.  Often times the stuff WE need is not available on a ship.



pkondz said:


> Fancy-schmancy.



  When these tenants leave, she wants to jack up the rent since it's a real desirable property.  This one is one block from the beach.



pkondz said:


> Four blocks?
> 
> So..... do you rent to Canadians?



Only if you plan on staying for a while..and you pass a credit check....



pkondz said:


> Um... it's not?



No they took it away earlier this year.



pkondz said:


> Then let me rephrase. Convince anyone to buy?



I think the woman we were talking to couldn't deal with the 11 month window of booking.



pkondz said:


> It is a bit of work, isn't it? But the result! Yumm!



Yes it is, but right now I'm concentrating on easy dishes that don't make a big mess and have a lot of clean up.



Steppesister said:


> It's almost time!!!



Yes, I'm in single digits and we are flying a week from tomorrow!



Steppesister said:


> I'm mostly packed and still over a month out. Just finishing up the details and will throw in my toiletries at the last minute.



I'm all ready to put my clothes in the suitcase.  Fran has given me nearly nothing and I'm starting to panic!



Steppesister said:


> You sure have your work cut out for you the next bit!!



Well not so much, we aren't going for any restaurants that are hugely popular, so I should have no problems with the ADRs.



Steppesister said:


> Jill looks constipated.



  



jedijill said:


> I was REALLY upset that it wasn't Hyperspace Mountain anymore!  LOL
> 
> Jill in CO



I can understand that!



Steppesister said:


> I'm not entirely sure I could tell the difference it's been so long since I've been on with the mindset of comparing.



It's pretty obvious.  As you start the ride you hear "Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun de dun, dun de Dun".....when it's Hyperspace Mtn.  When it's space Mtn you hear "Wheeeeeeer.....oooooo......eeeeeaaaar.......eeeeeeeaaaaaaooooooooon"



Steppesister said:


> Oooohhh, got it! Honestly, not one of my faves as the track seems to always do serious damage to my neck.



The one at DL?  It's way smooth.  I won't ride the one at WDW anymore as that one tore me up the last time I rode it, but DL is awesome, so smooth and totally rocks.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> I'm all ready to put my clothes in the suitcase. Fran has given me nearly nothing and I'm starting to panic!



This is a... pattern. 



franandaj said:


> It's pretty obvious. As you start the ride you hear "Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun de dun, dun de Dun".....when it's Hyperspace Mtn. When it's space Mtn you hear "Wheeeeeeer.....oooooo......eeeeeaaaar.......eeeeeeeaaaaaaooooooooon"







franandaj said:


> The one at DL? It's way smooth. I won't ride the one at WDW anymore as that one tore me up the last time I rode it, but DL is awesome, so smooth and totally rocks.



Then time to give that one another go.


----------



## franandaj

KC Bonus feature


So you’ll perhaps remember that back in May we went to Kansas City for a band conference. We had our grueling travel day, a day of leisure before our 6PM rehearsal which kicked off 52 or so hours of rehearsal, meetings, concert and minimal sleep in there somewhere. On that real life update I left off with us leaving Costco (where we hadn't planned on buying anything) with a Key Lime Pie, multiple bottles of wine, and other various goodies. 


After visiting Costco, we checked into our hotel. It was a Hilton Garden Inn just on the other side of the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, or as the locals say KCK.The room wasn't ready yet so we sat in the lobby until 3PM when it was finally ready. We should have taken this as an omen. 

While this room was not nearly as spacious and fancy as the other hotel, I felt that it suited us better. We had a microwave, coffee maker (though I never used it), and bathtub. Plus because we are Hilton Honors members we got the choice of 10,000 points or complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast each day. Who is going to refuse free bacon?

Anyways, here is the room.





















Up in the room Fran went right to sleep. I started on laundry. I had brought laundry soap, dryer sheets and $15 in quarters. With the first load I realized how spoiled I am with my giant washer at home. I couldn't even get half of what I would do as a load into the tiny washer. So I ended up doing three loads instead of two like I would have at home.

I unpacked all our stuff in preparation for repacking a few days later. We weren't going to need our fancy black clothes, nor would we need our T-shirts from previous band conferences, so once those were clean and dry, I packed them back up. 

While I was doing the laundry there was a Toy Story marathon going on and I came in somewhere in the middle of the first movie.

I was starting to get hungry, I wanted pasta, but I knew that wouldn't get Fran out of the room, so I found a German Restaurant via Google/Yelp, etc. By the time she finally woke up, I was well into Toy Story 3.   I was afraid that she might not want to leave the hotel and I had even looked into what the hotel was offering for dinner, but that wasn't necessary, the lure of Weinerschnitzel did the trick. Sorry no pictures, but our portions were huge and we both took home half of our entrees.

Another thing that was putting a damper on my mood was that she was complaining about what there was to do in town, and why were we staying so many extra nights? It would have cost hundreds of extra dollars to fly home early, and at least that convinced her to make the best of it and look into fun activities. 

The next day was Memorial Day and most of the things we wanted to do weren’t open. And because of how the day went I have pretty much no pictures until dinner. Our first stop was a grocery store. Fran needed some more Mtn Dew, I needed bandaids (my arms were all torn up as my skin is getting thin and it looked like Fran had been beating me.) We also wanted a styrofoam cooler to keep all our beverages from Costco, and the Mtn Dew cold as well. The refrigerator was pretty small. If you know us we ended up with a bunch of stuff we didn’t intend to buy, and we stumbled upon this! 






We had found a box of this stuff at my parent’s house in an obscure grocery store and it turned out to be the most awesome fish batter. We tried several other brands since using this one and none even compared, so when we found this stuff on the dollar aisle we stocked up!  One box will make two dinners, maybe three. I wasted the first box on one dinner before I realized we could split it up like all the other packaged dinners that I use.  Amazon wanted $6.99 per box or it was sold out, so we stocked up!  Who knows when we’ll be back to this part of the country!

But once we got through the checkout, I wasn’t feeling so hot.  Or maybe I was feeling rather hot. If you remember just a few days prior it was 97° degrees out, and the weather hadn't cooled down much. It was kind of a combo of dehydration and perhaps a bit of backedupacation (if you get my drift).  Normally I don’t like to talk about these kinds of subjects, but @Steppesister’s candid discussions have made me a little more open to this kind of subject.  Instead of heading to our next destination, we went back to the hotel so I could make sure that I felt “up to our planned activities”. 

It didn’t take long before I was feeling better, but my little break allowed Fran to lie down and that extended our break more than I had wanted. At the grocery store that morning we had picked up a loaf of bread, and she had me make her a schnitzel sandwich for her lunch. I wasn't hungry yet as my feeling icky sort of took away any chance of hunger.

After the grocery store, we had planned to go to the Steamboat Arabia museum and we knew that the last tour was normally at 3:30, but when we arrived at 3PM they informed us that they were closing an hour early for Memorial Day and the last tour had been at 2:30.  So we gave up and decided to just sort of figure out our day for tomorrow and went home. We drove past Arthur Bryant’s where we planned to have lunch the next day and were glad that we weren’t going there today cause the line was out the door. Instead we went back to the hotel room. By then I was a tad bit hungry and I polished off the last of my leftovers from Joe's. There was just enough for a little snack, but it was perfect to tide me over until dinner at 7PM.

We got ready for our dinner reservation at the Hipster BBQ joint Q39. They seated us immediately. Fran started off with a beer flight.






I had a glass of red wine. I think it was either a Malbec or Zinfandel.






Our appetizers arrived quickly. macaroni and cheese, five cheeses, herb bread crumbs






This was so yummy and creamy! It was very rich and we took half of it to go. 

smoked and grilled pork belly, white bean cassoulet, onion straws






I need not tell you how good the pork belly was, nor the onion straws, but even the cassoulet was super tasty! We ate all of this.

jumbo beef short rib, All barbeque plates include apple coleslaw and your choice of beans or potato salad.

For $3 you could add a rib so we got a pork rib as well, so of course we added that!






The beef rib was giant! And so so so tender, we came home with so much leftovers it was crazy!

We were done with dinner in record time.  I think it was 8:30PM when we were heading home to our hotel. I don’t remember if it was this night or the last night or both where we had the ice wine from Missouri with our Key Lime Pie, but I’m pretty sure we did it both nights.


The next morning we had our free breakfast downstairs, Fran got the omelette every day, I shared it with her a couple times, but I made us a waffle every day except the last one. And every day they gave us bacon, and it was really good bacon! Thick cut and just the right amount of salty. It was so much bacon that Fran kept taking it back to the room and by the end of our stay we had more than half a pound of bacon in a baggie in our fridge!

Today we were going to go back to the Arabia Museum, Fran is a big fan of steamboats and a huge Civil War history buff, so this was totally up her alley!  I like history too, so I had no problem with this being our first stop! 






Before we get into this exhibit one thing that needs to be understood is that in the mid 19th Century how absolutely important  the rivers were in commerce and transportation in this developing region. Barges and steamboats were loaded up with all kinds of goods and they were transported up and down the rivers. While this was the primary means of delivery for goods and persons, it was also very dangerous. Steam engines were volatile and many many boats were lost due to engine fires along the rivers over the decades. Also take into account the perils of the river itself with debris and other things floating in the river, and you have a dangerous business commerce.

One very different thing about rivers in 19th century America than present day rivers is that they were free flowing. Their banks shifted constantly, between erosion, sediment deposits, the rivers flowed past the outer banks of its curves, and the soil would erode.  Eventually the trees on the sides of the river would lose their ground and fall into the river. After flowing down river, they may get lodged in the sediment and the current would slant their trunks down river as a nice surprise spike underneath the water waiting for unsuspecting ships. Also with no restrictions on  banks of the rivers, the course of the river could travel miles in any direction depending on the current. It wasn't until the 1920s that the Army Corp of engineers started to reign in the banks of the rivers across the country to help prevent flooding.

With an understanding of rivers there were also political factors shaping the region. In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the aforementioned territories and a lot of political BS, but I'm not here to talk about all that. One of the side effects of the KS-NE Act was that it drew settlers west to the frontier of the United States. People were creating towns and settlements and they needed all sorts of things to help them build their American Dream. 

Since Walmart or even the traditional grocery stores had not been invented yet, they did the next best thing, loaded everything up on  steamships and took the goods to the trading posts up the Missouri river. This is where our next attraction comes in, the Steamship Arabia. It was built in 1853 and logged thousands of miles along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers before its final journey. Launching from St. Louis, MO loaded with 220 tons of cargo and 130 passengers, ready to start a new life on the frontier she headed up the Missouri river. After a stop in what would become Kansas City, MO she headed upstream and hit a tree snag on September 5, 1856. 


From Wikipedia:

The snag ripped open the hull, which rapidly filled with water. The upper decks stayed above water long enough until the passengers could be evacuated. The only casualty was a mule that was tied to sawmill equipment and overlooked.​
The boat sank so rapidly into the mud that by the next morning, only the smokestacks and pilot house remained visible. Within a few days, these traces were also swept away. Numerous salvage attempts failed, and eventually the Arabia was completely covered by water. Over time, the river shifted a half a mile (800 m) to the east. The site of the sinking is in a field in the area of present-day Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1987, Bob Hawley and his sons, Greg and David, set out to find the Arabia. They used old maps and a proton magnetometer to figure out the probable location, and finally discovered it half a mile (800 m) from the modern location of the river under 45 feet (14 m) of silt and topsoil.

The owners of the farm gave permission for excavation, with the condition that the work be completed before the spring planting. The Hawleys, along with family friends Jerry Mackey and David Luttrell, set out to excavate the Arabia during the winter months while the water table was at its lowest point. They performed a series of drilling tests to determine the exact location of the hull, then marked the perimeter with powdered chalk. Heavy equipment, including a 100-ton crane, was brought in by both river and road transport during the summer and fall. 20 irrigation pumps were installed around the site to lower the water level and to keep the site from flooding. The 65-foot (20 m) deep wells removed 20,000 US gallons (76,000 l) per minute from the ground.

On November 26, 1988, the Arabia was exposed. Four days later, artifacts from it began to appear, beginning with a Goodyear rubber overshoe. On December 5, a wooden crate filled with elegant china was unearthed. The mud was such an effective preserver that the yellow packing straw was still visible. Thousands of artifacts were recovered intact, including jars of preserved food that are still edible. The artifacts that were recovered are housed in the Arabia Steamboat Museum.​

When the above citation mentions that food was still edible, there was a jar of pickles that they found. I believe it was Bob Hawley who actually ate one of the pickles from the jar, but I get ahead of myself. Now that you have the background, let's take the tour! We then entered a room with part of the hull of the ship.






There were pictures on the wall in this room of what the excavation looked like, and yes it was completed in time to plant corn the next spring.
















After this we were taken to a small theater room where we watched a short video about the search and excavation process. When it was over a young man told us that he was one of the family members. He was not old enough to have participated in the excavation, but with the discovery, it has been the family business for over 30 years now. He told us that the #1 question they are asked is if the guy who ate the pickles lived. And then he introduced the guy who ate the pickle who took some questions and then we entered the actual nitty gritty of the museum.






We were led into a small room which had a random sampling of the goods that were found on the ship. Our guide wrapped up the tour by telling us some very interesting facts of how the discovery of this ship actually brought into question some of the things we believed about history. One myth that was debunked was that life on the prairie was very spartan and folks had only the bare necessities and did not enjoy any luxuries. However, these dishes show that the new settlers wanted all the same finerys that they enjoyed in their previous homes.






A few other revelations were particularly interesting to me as a former Civil War reenactor. Fran was always a stickler for authenticity and made me comply. It was believed that people did not have pierced ears back then, however, all the earrings that they discovered were of the pierced style. The other interesting thing was with respect to shoes. She always told us that it didn't matter which shoes was which that they didn't make right and left shoes back then, however our guide explained that while the women's and children's shoes were still made like that, all the men's shoes they found were actually made for right or left feet!

At this point our guide set us loose on the exhibit to wander and explore. I wasn't really ready for the sheer volume of stuff that was found, and the man who ate the pickle told us that they still have about ⅓ of the cargo to left to sort through.


























Look at all that cutlery!






It wasn't just Bed, Bath, and Beyond….it was a Home Dept too.































The boat had a Rite Aid division as well!







*[Continued in Next Post]*


----------



## franandaj

*[Continued from Previous Post]*

There was an interesting story about these beads. In most families, if the children misbehaved they were sent to bed without dinner or some other such punishment. In this family you were sent to grandmas to wash beads!











There was a shoe dept...






And a workshop department 
















There was a small display area which demonstrated the process of recovering the mud soaked artifacts.











This child's shoe was what they were working on that day.






Remember that bowl of nails that I showed you earlier? This is how they began.











This next section is supposed to represent the size of the ship. 






Not all the pieces survived their internment.






They were able to retrieve the steam engine and placed it in the correct place in the ship's replica.






In this shot, the wheel is not authentic, but the other wooden parts were. 






This is looking down the length of what could have been the ship. The door at the end of this picture is the one I showed when we moved into the part of the exhibit representing the ship and its size.






Here's another shot of the wheel and the mechanism.






Here is the one casualty of the Steamship Arabia. The horse was tethered to a post. The man who owned the horse claimed he set it free and it swam away. Our guide pointed out to the kids to never lie, because even 150 years later the truth can be discovered.






The museum runs in a circle and you complete your tour back at the piece of the hull where it began.






We really enjoyed this museum and spent a good three hours there!

But now we were hungry, so off to Arthur Bryants for some burnt ends and pulled pork. Today there were only about three people ahead of us in line.






Yummy!

Then we went to the Jazz museum. It was a nice little museum. 






They focused on basically only five artists, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, though others were mentioned in the small print. This is Charlie Parker's saxophone. I thought it was cool!






The exhibits were centered around these little kiosks, and there was one for each of the artists I mentioned above.






The rest of the museum was hands on learning stations to give non musicians a taste of the types of instruments (reeds, brass, strings, percussion) as well as other concepts like rhythm, melody, and composing. Besides the fact that Fran and I didn't need to do these activities, you had to wear headphones and I wasn't sure how many classroom kids had visited the museum and had their grubby little hands all over the stations.
















They had some ancient devices from the previous century that folks used for listening to music. 






Anyone recognize this bad boy?






They did have some fun photo ops. This one complete with wind instruments for posing. My friend Leonard is always teasing me that the “saxomophone" is a sub par instrument and other such crap so I couldn't resist this photo op when there was a trumpet on hand.






And one in my natural habitat….






And a funny one….






Fran wanted to visit a HD store and there were several, each about half an hours drive from our current location so we picked one and headed that way. She got a couple of shirts and I even found one too. Then we hopped back on the freeway and drove back to our hotel. Most of you would have probably complained about the traffic, but we were constantly moving so it wasn’t bad. We didn't even come to a halt when construction reduced the three lanes to two.

We came back to find the room had not been serviced. The next morning when I complained at the front desk that the room wasn't cleaned the woman there told me that maid service was only every other day and I would assuredly have the room serviced that day.

Back in the room, neither of us was hungry enough after our big lunch to go out, and besides we had amassed quite a collection of leftovers not to mention we had a good amount of Key Lime pie left. 

I ate my leftover schnitzel with the spaetzle while Fran ate her skirt steak skillet from breakfast the other morning, and of course we both had pie. And we just chilled watching TV before going to bed.


----------



## pooh'smate

The Arabia Museum is on our list of things to do the next time we make it to KC. The museum looks really neat and I am looking forward to it. We find the traffic in KC isn't to bad either but my dh is use to Montreal trafic so it doesn't bother him.


----------



## Steppesister

Holy Mother of all updates. The Arabia finds/display was incredible!  Thanks for sharing that! The facts about shoes and earrings were very interesting. 

Your sassy photo with the sax cracked me up. LOL!!


----------



## jedijill

I need to get back to the Arabia musuem.  Last time I was there they had barely started the restoration of the goods...It really is an incredible story!  The same family believes they have found another sunken ship and are working to excavate it as well.

I'm drooling over all the BBQ.  Arthur Bryant's is one of my favorites!

Jill in CO (formerly of KC!)


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> That wasn't what I chose, but that's OK! I had a feeling that's what you were thinking!







franandaj said:


> You're more than welcome, but I rarely have more than a couple weeks notice on them, so you'll need to act fast when notice comes!



<scurries off to check flights.....>



franandaj said:


> Well no, when you're our size and have definite medical requirements we need to make sure that we bring everything that we need. Often times the stuff WE need is not available on a ship.



I knew you'd say that.
True.... but concentrate on those things. The rest... common sundries etc... sure, pack them of course, but it you forget those. No biggie.



franandaj said:


> When these tenants leave, she wants to jack up the rent since it's a real desirable property. This one is one block from the beach.



Nice! And... I can see why she'd want to raise the rent, then.



franandaj said:


> Only if you plan on staying for a while..and you pass a credit check....



I'm in!!!!

Oh... wait.... Ruby says "No."



franandaj said:


> No they took it away earlier this year.



Huh. Had no idea.



franandaj said:


> I think the woman we were talking to couldn't deal with the 11 month window of booking.



Not true DISers, then. 



franandaj said:


> Yes it is, but right now I'm concentrating on easy dishes that don't make a big mess and have a lot of clean up.



Oh, I get that.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> So you’ll perhaps remember that back in May we went to Kansas City for a band conference.







franandaj said:


> before our 6PM rehearsal which kicked off 52 or so hours of rehearsal, meetings, concert and minimal sleep in there somewhere.



 Good Lord. How exhausted were you?



franandaj said:


> The room wasn't ready yet so we sat in the lobby until 3PM when it was finally ready. We should have taken this as an omen.



Uh, oh...



franandaj said:


> Who is going to refuse free bacon?



No one. That's who.



franandaj said:


> While I was doing the laundry there was a Toy Story marathon going on and I came in somewhere in the middle of the first movie.



I have yet to see #3. And I'm not even positive I saw the second one either.



franandaj said:


> the lure of Weinerschnitzel did the trick.



That would do it for me too! I just had some on Monday. Yum.



franandaj said:


> Another thing that was putting a damper on my mood was that she was complaining about what there was to do in town, and why were we staying so many extra nights?







franandaj said:


> I needed bandaids (my arms were all torn up as my skin is getting thin and it looked like Fran had been beating me.)



Oh, dear.



franandaj said:


> We had found a box of this stuff at my parent’s house in an obscure grocery store and it turned out to be the most awesome fish batter.



Really! I wouldn't have guessed. Huh!



franandaj said:


> Or maybe I was feeling rather hot.



Of course you were. You _are_ hot.



franandaj said:


> perhaps a bit of backedupacation (if you get my drift).







franandaj said:


> but @Steppesister’s candid discussions have made me a little more open to this kind of subject.



Sure. Let's blame it on her. 



franandaj said:


> we went back to the hotel so I could make sure that I felt “up to our planned activities”.



ahem



franandaj said:


> but when we arrived at 3PM they informed us that they were closing an hour early for Memorial Day and the last tour had been at 2:30.



Well, poop.



Oops! Sorry. Poor choice of words there.



franandaj said:


> This was so yummy and creamy! It was very rich and we took half of it to go.



Looks really good, too.



franandaj said:


> For $3 you could add a rib so we got a pork rib as well, so of course we added that!



Of course.



franandaj said:


> And every day they gave us bacon, and it was really good bacon! Thick cut and just the right amount of salty.



Really! I would've thought they'd skimp on that.



franandaj said:


> It was so much bacon that Fran kept taking it back to the room and by the end of our stay we had more than half a pound of bacon in a baggie in our fridge!



Holy crap!



Oops! Again... poor choice of words.



franandaj said:


> it was also very dangerous. Steam engines were volatile and many many boats were lost due to engine fires along the rivers over the decades.



Really! I had no idea.



franandaj said:


> One very different thing about rivers in 19th century America than present day rivers is that they were free flowing. Their banks shifted constantly, between erosion, sediment deposits, the rivers flowed past the outer banks of its curves, and the soil would erode. Eventually the trees on the sides of the river would lose their ground and fall into the river. After flowing down river, they may get lodged in the sediment and the current would slant their trunks down river as a nice surprise spike underneath the water waiting for unsuspecting ships. Also with no restrictions on banks of the rivers, the course of the river could travel miles in any direction depending on the current. It wasn't until the 1920s that the Army Corp of engineers started to reign in the banks of the rivers across the country to help prevent flooding.



Thanks for that. I found it very interesting.



franandaj said:


> Since Walmart or even the traditional grocery stores had not been invented yet,



There was a time when there was no Walmart?????



franandaj said:


> And then he introduced the guy who ate the pickle



No. Way!



franandaj said:


> Fran was always a stickler for authenticity and made me comply. It was believed that people did not have pierced ears back then, however, all the earrings that they discovered were of the pierced style.



So there!



franandaj said:


> I wasn't really ready for the sheer volume of stuff that was found, and the man who ate the pickle told us that they still have about ⅓ of the cargo to left to sort through.



Whoa..... And there's_ so much!_ I was pretty flabbergasted at the sheer_ volume_ of artifacts from one ship.



franandaj said:


> There was an interesting story about these beads. In most families, if the children misbehaved they were sent to bed without dinner or some other such punishment. In this family you were sent to grandmas to wash beads!



 I'm betting the kids were pretty good.



franandaj said:


> Remember that bowl of nails that I showed you earlier? This is how they began.



Oh, man. The_ work_ that must take!



franandaj said:


> They were able to retrieve the steam engine and placed it in the correct place in the ship's replica.



Nice! I like that they did that.... and could!



franandaj said:


> Here is the one casualty of the Steamship Arabia. The horse was tethered to a post. The man who owned the horse claimed he set it free and it swam away. Our guide pointed out to the kids to never lie, because even 150 years later the truth can be discovered.







franandaj said:


> Today there were only about three people ahead of us in line.



Huh. I wonder why yesterday it was so packed and today it wasn't.



franandaj said:


> This is Charlie Parker's saxophone. I thought it was cool!



Me too!



franandaj said:


> Besides the fact that Fran and I didn't need to do these activities, you had to wear headphones and I wasn't sure how many classroom kids had visited the museum and had their grubby little hands all over the stations.



ew



franandaj said:


> They had some ancient devices from the previous century that folks used for listening to music.







franandaj said:


> Anyone recognize this bad boy?



hmmm... no? At least not that particular model.



franandaj said:


>







franandaj said:


>



ooooh… so saxy.



franandaj said:


> Fran wanted to visit a HD store



Yay!



franandaj said:


> We came back to find the room had not been serviced. The next morning when I complained at the front desk that the room wasn't cleaned the woman there told me that maid service was only every other day and I would assuredly have the room serviced that day.



Really? This is a thing?


----------



## irene_dsc

Oops - I totally forgot you had this TR going!  That Arabia museum and story are just insane!  I had no clue about those steamship stores even existing (probably like the vast majority of us), much less about this particular one.  So.Much.Stuff...

And yes, I love both the trumpet and sax photos!


----------



## franandaj

pooh'smate said:


> The Arabia Museum is on our list of things to do the next time we make it to KC. The museum looks really neat and I am looking forward to it. We find the traffic in KC isn't to bad either but my dh is use to Montreal trafic so it doesn't bother him.



I thought it was totally fascinating!  We spent way more time in there than most people, so much to read and look at.



Steppesister said:


> Holy Mother of all updates. The Arabia finds/display was incredible!  Thanks for sharing that! The facts about shoes and earrings were very interesting.
> 
> Your sassy photo with the sax cracked me up. LOL!!



You're welcome!  And as Jill mentioned, the family thinks they may have located another such wreck, but he was pretty tight lipped about it, lest someone else steal their find.

I wasn't sure whether or not to post the saxophone pic, but I figured why the heck not?



jedijill said:


> I need to get back to the Arabia musuem. Last time I was there they had barely started the restoration of the goods...It really is an incredible story! The same family believes they have found another sunken ship and are working to excavate it as well.



Yeah, he mentioned that. He mentioned a whole bunch of other things in a Q&A with our group in the theater, but I thought the pictures were the best way to tell the story.



jedijill said:


> I'm drooling over all the BBQ. Arthur Bryant's is one of my favorites!



I've been there twice now, and I always seem to get the burnt ends, love them!



pkondz said:


> <scurries off to check flights.....>



I haven't set a date for the next one, but I'm leaning toward the end of September.



pkondz said:


> I knew you'd say that.
> True.... but concentrate on those things. The rest... common sundries etc... sure, pack them of course, but it you forget those. No biggie.



See those are the ones I don't forget because I have a dedicated travel bathroom bag with all that kind of stuff.  I rotate out the things like shampoo and deodorant, when I run out in my bedroom/bathroom, but I have an entire dresser dedicated to "stuff we use on vacation".  Extra phone chargers, special pillow, Door magnet decorations, MBs, the creature comforts we like in the rooms....



pkondz said:


> Nice! And... I can see why she'd want to raise the rent, then.



They've been in there for over four years now and I've only done two rent increases since then.  The two bedroom unit in front rented for more than they were paying for their three bedroom unit!



pkondz said:


> I'm in!!!!
> 
> Oh... wait.... Ruby says "No."







pkondz said:


> Huh. Had no idea.



Yeah, a tear was shed by both Jill and myself.  I believe that they did it just after I got back from KC, and didn't have the time to go for one last hurrah.



pkondz said:


> Not true DISers, then.



Not at all, or even close.



pkondz said:


> Oh, I get that.



Yeah, tonight is Turkey a la King.  Sauteed veggies, get turned into bechamel sauce, add turkey, serve over toast. Or English Muffins in my case.  Tomorrow I'm using up the rest of the Pepper from tonight with fajitas.  Only dirties one pan each night. 



pkondz said:


> Good Lord. How exhausted were you?



Incredibly exhausted.  I ordered room service around midnight after the concert and slept until the last possible moment and we checked out right at noon.



pkondz said:


> No one. That's who.







pkondz said:


> I have yet to see #3. And I'm not even positive I saw the second one either.



I liked the second one, it had lots of humor in it.  The third one is bittersweet for me, partially because of the subject matter.  I saw that one at the El Capitan Theater and cried almost the whole way through it. I know this because they had a Toy Story Fun Zone in the back for patrons to enjoy after the movie. Then we went to the Disney Studio Store and Soda Fountain after the movie.  But that's closed now.



pkondz said:


> That would do it for me too! I just had some on Monday. Yum.



I think I'll put that on the menu for when we get back from Phoenix next month.  I haven't made it in a while.



pkondz said:


> Oh, dear.



Well the kittens started it, they kept scratching me back then cause they didn't know their own strength.  I had the same thing while you were visiting too.  They have finally calmed down and stopped biting and playing with my forearms, but for a period of about six months my arms looked awful.  There were a couple times (like getting our stuff out from under the bottom of the bus) where my arms got scraped and I was bleeding all over.  Luckily that was after the concert and not before.



pkondz said:


> Really! I wouldn't have guessed. Huh!



We bought it because of Larry the Cable Guy, but when I finally got up the courage to make it, the batter was excellent!



pkondz said:


> Of course you were. You _are_ hot.







pkondz said:


> Sure. Let's blame it on her.







pkondz said:


> ahem
> 
> Well, poop.
> 
> 
> 
> Oops! Sorry. Poor choice of words there.



  



pkondz said:


> Looks really good, too.



It really was!



pkondz said:


> Of course.







pkondz said:


> Really! I would've thought they'd skimp on that.



Well, the folks who were paying for it paid something like $9.95 or $12.95 for the "buffet".  It was part buffet, and then there were a few different cooked to order entrees you could choose from.  They gave each of us at least four pieces every morning, between that all everything else, omelettes, waffles, fruit, toast, potatoes, and sausage too, we couldn't eat that much bacon in one sitting.



pkondz said:


> Holy crap!
> 
> 
> 
> Oops! Again... poor choice of words.










pkondz said:


> Really! I had no idea.



They had a map on one of the walls with all the shipwrecks along the rivers and more than half I believe were explosions or steam engine fires.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for that. I found it very interesting.



You're welcome, I also learned about that on the Mississippi river cruise.



pkondz said:


> There was a time when there was no Walmart?????







pkondz said:


> No. Way!



 way



pkondz said:


> So there!



Yeah, but I can't say that to her.....



pkondz said:


> Whoa..... And there's_ so much!_ I was pretty flabbergasted at the sheer_ volume_ of artifacts from one ship.



And how many of each of the items that there were was astonishing.



pkondz said:


> I'm betting the kids were pretty good.



Really, those must have been really tedious to clean, but the kid said that the whole family was involved for as long as he could remember.



pkondz said:


> Oh, man. The_ work_ that must take!



They explained part of the process and it takes a lot of distilled water and some other chemicals, but not a lot, the chemicals damage the stuff.



pkondz said:


> Nice! I like that they did that.... and could!



It also gave you a real sense of the size of the boat.



pkondz said:


> Huh. I wonder why yesterday it was so packed and today it wasn't.



The Day before was Memorial Day, I'm sure you're aware of the significance of that holiday.  Most people don't realize that we are supposed to be celebrating fallen soldiers and not the first weekend of Barbeque.



pkondz said:


> ew



Exactly why I didn't want to put the headphones on.



pkondz said:


> hmmm... no? At least not that particular model.



I just meant the fact that it was an 8 track tape player.  I wonder how many folks here remember those....



pkondz said:


> ooooh… so saxy.



  



pkondz said:


> Really? This is a thing?



I expect it with DVC, but not with a regular hotel.



irene_dsc said:


> Oops - I totally forgot you had this TR going! That Arabia museum and story are just insane! I had no clue about those steamship stores even existing (probably like the vast majority of us), much less about this particular one. So.Much.Stuff...



I knew about travel and commerce, but mostly transporting farmer's goods to market, not bringing goods to consumers.



irene_dsc said:


> And yes, I love both the trumpet and sax photos!



Thanks!  I was trying to be humorous.


----------



## franandaj

Hey folks!  It's one week until we're on the ground and likely in our hotel room at WDW before the cruise, so I thought it was high time to get people onboard.

Here is the link


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> I haven't set a date for the next one, but I'm leaning toward the end of September.



Ah. That wouldn't work for me anyway. I'll be on the road then.



franandaj said:


> See those are the ones I don't forget because I have a dedicated travel bathroom bag with all that kind of stuff. I rotate out the things like shampoo and deodorant, when I run out in my bedroom/bathroom, but I have an entire dresser dedicated to "stuff we use on vacation". Extra phone chargers, special pillow, Door magnet decorations, MBs, the creature comforts we like in the rooms....



So it's mostly the meds you're worried about then.



franandaj said:


> They've been in there for over four years now and I've only done two rent increases since then. The two bedroom unit in front rented for more than they were paying for their three bedroom unit!



Then yeah... for sure you'll want to increase it.



franandaj said:


> Incredibly exhausted. I ordered room service around midnight after the concert and slept until the last possible moment and we checked out right at noon.



Awwww..... 



franandaj said:


> I liked the second one, it had lots of humor in it. The third one is bittersweet for me, partially because of the subject matter. I saw that one at the El Capitan Theater and cried almost the whole way through it. I know this because they had a Toy Story Fun Zone in the back for patrons to enjoy after the movie. Then we went to the Disney Studio Store and Soda Fountain after the movie. But that's closed now.



I've heard the third one is a bit of a tearjerker. I'd like to see it sometime, just to see why.



franandaj said:


> Well the kittens started it, they kept scratching me back then cause they didn't know their own strength. I had the same thing while you were visiting too. They have finally calmed down and stopped biting and playing with my forearms, but for a period of about six months my arms looked awful. There were a couple times (like getting our stuff out from under the bottom of the bus) where my arms got scraped and I was bleeding all over. Luckily that was after the concert and not before.



Yes, I remember your poor beat up arms. Glad they've stopped.



franandaj said:


> We bought it because of Larry the Cable Guy, but when I finally got up the courage to make it, the batter was excellent!



Huh. I would _never_ have thought to buy _anything_ with him on the box!
Not because I don't like him, but... he's not a cook (is he? I just know he's a comedian) so...



franandaj said:


> Well, the folks who were paying for it paid something like $9.95 or $12.95 for the "buffet". It was part buffet, and then there were a few different cooked to order entrees you could choose from. They gave each of us at least four pieces every morning, between that all everything else, omelettes, waffles, fruit, toast, potatoes, and sausage too, we couldn't eat that much bacon in one sitting.



Lots of grub. Sure! take the good stuff to go!



franandaj said:


> They had a map on one of the walls with all the shipwrecks along the rivers and more than half I believe were explosions or steam engine fires.



Wow. That's... a lot.



franandaj said:


> way










franandaj said:


> Yeah, but I can't say that to her.....







franandaj said:


> Really, those must have been really tedious to clean, but the kid said that the whole family was involved for as long as he could remember.



Really! The kid was there?



franandaj said:


> The Day before was Memorial Day, I'm sure you're aware of the significance of that holiday. Most people don't realize that we are supposed to be celebrating fallen soldiers and not the first weekend of Barbeque.







franandaj said:


> I just meant the fact that it was an 8 track tape player. I wonder how many folks here remember those....



Ah! Okay. Yes, 8 tracks I do remember. They were great! You never knew what you'd get. I mean the odds of a song coming on are about...... one in eight.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


>


By the way.... was looking at your update again, and noticed the lamp photo... looks very similar to the ones on Discovery Island at AK. Just sayin....



pkondz said:


> Sure. Let's blame it on her.





franandaj said:


>



Oh sure, You Guys. Just because I find the DIS cathartic and  all... 



franandaj said:


> Hey folks! It's one week until we're on the ground a likely in our hotel room at WDW before the cruise, so I thought it was high time to get people onboard.
> 
> Here is the link



Be there soon!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Ah. That wouldn't work for me anyway. I'll be on the road then.



Well bummer. Not sure if it's even happening though.



pkondz said:


> So it's mostly the meds you're worried about then.



Well no. All my meds are packed in my carry on. Wrapped that up yesterday. I had to get a vacation exception with the insurance company for one of them. Whatever I'm worried about forgetting belongs to Fran. She has given me three shirts so far and that's it. It's her last minute packing that we always forget something.



pkondz said:


> Then yeah... for sure you'll want to increase it.







pkondz said:


> Awwww.....







pkondz said:


> I've heard the third one is a bit of a tearjerker. I'd like to see it sometime, just to see why.



Without spoiling the plot, I can tell you why. It's about Andy going off to college, the toys get donated to a day care center.  I won't tell you the end but that's where the real onion cutting starts.



pkondz said:


> Lots of grub. Sure! take the good stuff to go!



Why not?  



pkondz said:


> Wow. That's... a lot.



Very dangerous.



pkondz said:


> Really! The kid was there?



He wasn't really a kid, probably in his 20s, but since it's a family business, they like someone from the family to be there at the end of the video to give it that personal touch.



pkondz said:


> Ah! Okay. Yes, 8 tracks I do remember. They were great! You never knew what you'd get. I mean the odds of a song coming on are about...... one in eight.



I just know on one road trip my family did to Monterey, if I head "Nights in White Satin" one more time I was gonna barf.



Steppesister said:


> Oh sure, You Guys. Just because I find the DIS cathartic and all...



We're just giving you a hard time!  



Steppesister said:


> Be there soon!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We're just giving you a hard time!


I know!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well bummer. Not sure if it's even happening though.



Then I guess I'll stick to my sure thing. 



franandaj said:


> Well no. All my meds are packed in my carry on. Wrapped that up yesterday. I had to get a vacation exception with the insurance company for one of them. Whatever I'm worried about forgetting belongs to Fran. She has given me three shirts so far and that's it. It's her last minute packing that we always forget something.



Oy... And if something's forgotten, I'm pretty sure I know who has to scramble to save the day.



franandaj said:


> Without spoiling the plot, I can tell you why. It's about Andy going off to college, the toys get donated to a day care center. I won't tell you the end but that's where the real onion cutting starts.



Oh dear. Maybe I'll watch with a box of tissues nearby.



franandaj said:


> Why not?



I was agreeing with you. 



franandaj said:


> He wasn't really a kid, probably in his 20s, but since it's a family business, they like someone from the family to be there at the end of the video to give it that personal touch.



Oh! I actually thought... older.



franandaj said:


> I just know on one road trip my family did to Monterey, if I head "Nights in White Satin" one more time I was gonna barf.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> By the way.... was looking at your update again, and noticed the lamp photo... looks very similar to the ones on Discovery Island at AK. Just sayin....



Huh. I don't even know if I could remember the lights on Discovery island.



Steppesister said:


> Oh sure, You Guys. Just because I find the DIS cathartic and all...



Well it was more the fact that you aren't shy about sharing very personal details...  



Steppesister said:


> Be there soon!



Aye, aye matey! 



pkondz said:


> Then I guess I'll stick to my sure thing.



Probably a solid plan.



pkondz said:


> Oy... And if something's forgotten, I'm pretty sure I know who has to scramble to save the day.







pkondz said:


> Oh dear. Maybe I'll watch with a box of tissues nearby



Probably a good idea.



pkondz said:


> I was agreeing with you.



Oh, OK. I can be dense sometimes.



pkondz said:


> Oh! I actually thought... older.



OK.


----------



## franandaj

Wednesday was our last full day in the Midwest, and actually last day for anything fun. We started off with the complimentary breakfast from the hotel, and I might add that while we were staying there, Fran ended up taking a whole lot of strips of bacon back to the room with her every morning. We literally had a baggie full of bacon by the last day!

We had not put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and lo and behold the room had not been cleaned. Because we had eaten some of our meals in the room, and dessert every night, there were quite a few paper plates, napkins and utensils in the tiny trash can. Not to mention a few take out containers as well. We figured they would get it this afternoon.

We decided to visit the Museum of Money on this day, first cause it sounded interesting and secondly cause it was free!






We took some fun pictures around the place, they had lots of opportunities for photos ops.





















They had some very interesting displays of money.  Back in our country’s infancy, coins were standard currency.  Bank notes were just that, notes from a bank that verified that you had that much money in coins invested with them. As the country grew and interstate commerce became more common, John’s bank’s note wasn’t necessarily honored at Harold’s bank. The Continental Congress issued bank notes, and eventually the Second Bank was granted a charter that lasted until 1835.  The Government issued greenbacks during the Civil War and the Confederate States also created their own currency. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Following the end of the Second Bank’s charter the Free Banking Era occured.






You can see what a headache this became!

The National Banking era began in 1863 and that was in hopes to standardize currency, and while it was a great improvement over the previous banking eras, it had it’s problems as well. I don’t really remember (we took the tour and our guide explained it all to us, but I don’t really remember the details. Go there yourself! )






And thus the Federal Reserve was created in 1913.  






There was a fascinating display on the history of the KC Federal Reserve that was really interesting, at least to me!

How would you like one of these babies?






Then we decided to check out the Truman coin collection.  We had started to look at this when the tour guide announced the upcoming tour, so we left the coins and joined the tour.






This was a quote from Harry Truman.  Wouldn’t it be amazing having a President with values like this?






I was amazed at how many different coins that were issued under the various presidents and that there were half cents and half dimes before they ever came up with the Nickel. On our tour, the guide gave us all kinds of neat information. He showed us a few fun facts about the coins. Like this one that Teddy Roosevelt insisted on being made no matter how much labor and cost it took.  You see the relief on this particular coin is twice as detailed as a regular coin and the presses could not make them as quickly as a standard relief coin. Needless to say it wasn’t in circulation very long.






One of the perks of the museum is that they give you free money!






After this we decided to go to the Kansas City Auto Museum. It was about 40 minutes South of the City in a cute little industrial type Mall.  There were only about 4 rooms which were packed full of cars.  All the cars are on loan from local Car Enthusiasts and they switch out their display often to keep things interesting. I don’t know why I didn’t take any pictures in the first room, probably because we were getting a private tour from the curator until we finished the second room.  He was telling us all about the museum and the some of the folks who had loaned their cars for display.  Their seasonal display was in this second room and it was “station wagons”. The kinds like most of us old folks may remember piling into the back of them and making funny faces out the back window to the cars behind us.











The third and fourth rooms had some unique cars.











They even had a ‘63 Lincoln with suicide doors, just like ours! I like the coloring of ours better, though.






This one is crazy!











We had one more stop, but no pictures here. There was a hat store, and Fran really wanted to visit.  She ended up with a black top hat (it has a better name, but I don’t remember right now), which provided a challenge for packing the next morning.

Then we headed back to the city for dinner.  Tonight we were using the Gift Card I had received from the conference hosts.  They finally got it to me on the day of the concert, so I was glad that we had these extra few days to use it. The place was Jack Stack and I have to say that this was sort of the most disappointing BBQ meal that we had on the trip.  Maybe if we had ordered a platter instead of a sandwich, but we’d already had so many good things like brisket, pork ribs, beef rib, burnt ends, pulled pork that we were a little overwhelmed with the various BBQ flavors.  I was actually thinking about chicken, but Fran convinced me otherwise.

You can’t go wrong with a starter of onion rings, these were really good!






We hadn’t eaten any vegetables all week pretty much so this spinach salad sounded good to both of us (they split it in the kitchen).






We went with the pork burnt ends sandwich (or maybe it was both beef and pork, I don’t remember).  It was OK, but not really juicy or BBQy.  

As many people said, the Cheesy corn was like crack!  We ate every last little bit of that.






I was glad we ate early (around 5PM) because when we left the restaurant there was a huge waiting list. 

We came back to the room to find our overflowing trash cans and ¼ roll of TP unchanged from the morning. If they weren't going to do anything about this we were at least going to call for some more TP! Needless to say we did not leave a tip.

The next morning all we did was pack up to leave, but when we went down to breakfast, I took some of our slices of bread and toasted them in the toaster.  When I got back to the room I made Fran a bacon sandwich and I made myself a BBQ Beef sandwich to eat on the plane. I packed the rest in my carry on and hoped it didn’t spoil on the trip.  It’s now in the freezer for when we want a taste of Kansas City again.

The plane ride was easy, and I remember all aspects of getting to the airport. It’s amazing what being well rested does for your cognizance!  I would say that’s it for band conferences until next year in Orlando, but wait there’s more!  In September there is a Southwestern Conference taking place in Phoenix (can you say hot?) where conductor’s from the bands in Phoenix, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Denver and Albuquerque will be conducting.  It starts 5 days after we get home from our cruise this summer, so again we’ll be traveling a lot!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Probably a solid plan.


I was going to use that one too, but thought cathartic would Ben more obvious. It wasn’t. Lol.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Oh, OK. I can be dense sometimes.



Nah. I doubt that. 
Sweet, often.
A friend, always.
But dense? Nah... not buying it.

I'll be back later to read the update.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> We had not put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and lo and behold the room had not been cleaned.



well.... yeah? You were surprised by that, or just making an observation?



franandaj said:


> We decided to visit the Museum of Money on this day, first cause it sounded interesting and secondly cause it was free!



 Two very good excuses.



franandaj said:


>



What are those? Hundreds? (or the representation thereof?)



franandaj said:


>



Heh. This one's cute.



franandaj said:


> Bank notes were just that, notes from a bank that verified that you had that much money in coins invested with them.



Oh! In coins. I thought it would be in gold.



franandaj said:


> the Confederate States also created their own currency.



Which is valueless now, isn't it?



franandaj said:


> How would you like one of these babies?



Yes please. I'll take two.



franandaj said:


> This was a quote from Harry Truman. Wouldn’t it be amazing having a President with values like this?



I am going to not comment on this. At all. Nope.



franandaj said:


> there were half cents and half dimes before they ever came up with the Nickel.



Really. Huh.



franandaj said:


> Like this one that Teddy Roosevelt insisted on being made no matter how much labor and cost it took. You see the relief on this particular coin is twice as detailed as a regular coin and the presses could not make them as quickly as a standard relief coin. Needless to say it wasn’t in circulation very long.



Ohhhh... so_ that's_ why they're so valued.



franandaj said:


>



Sure, but glue is extra.



franandaj said:


> All the cars are on loan from local Car Enthusiasts and they switch out their display often to keep things interesting.



I like that. 



franandaj said:


> They even had a ‘63 Lincoln with suicide doors, just like ours!



I didn't know this, did I?



franandaj said:


> There was a hat store, and Fran really wanted to visit.



Does she collect?



franandaj said:


> You can’t go wrong with a starter of onion rings, these were really good!



They look really good.



franandaj said:


> I was glad we ate early (around 5PM) because when we left the restaurant there was a huge waiting list.



Rope drop. It's not just for Disney.



franandaj said:


> We came back to the room to find our overflowing trash cans and ¼ roll of TP unchanged from the morning. If they weren't going to do anything about this we were at least going to call for some more TP! Needless to say we did not leave a tip.







franandaj said:


> The next morning all we did was pack up to leave, but when we went down to breakfast, I took some of our slices of bread and toasted them in the toaster. When I got back to the room I made Fran a bacon sandwich and I made myself a BBQ Beef sandwich to eat on the plane.



Smart. Good idea. 



franandaj said:


> It starts 5 days after we get home from our cruise this summer, so again we’ll be traveling a lot!


----------



## tiggrbaby

You certainly found a lot to do on this trip!  I especially love the ship museum.

Safe and magical travels on your cruise!


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> Fran ended up taking a whole lot of strips of bacon back to the room with her every morning. We literally had a baggie full of bacon by the last day!



I like the way she thinks!



franandaj said:


> We decided to visit the Museum of Money on this day, first cause it sounded interesting and secondly cause it was free!



If it's free, it's for me.



franandaj said:


> I don’t really remember (we took the tour and our guide explained it all to us, but I don’t really remember the details. Go there yourself! )



I did!  And I still don't remember the details. 



franandaj said:


> One of the perks of the museum is that they give you free money!



 I think they said there was about $125 in there.



franandaj said:


>



Looks like something out of a James Bond movie!



franandaj said:


> The place was Jack Stack and I have to say that this was sort of the most disappointing BBQ meal that we had on the trip.



Well, that's sad.  I remember they had the baked beans with brisket drippings in it. 



franandaj said:


> We came back to the room to find our overflowing trash cans and ¼ roll of TP unchanged from the morning. If they weren't going to do anything about this we were at least going to call for some more TP! Needless to say we did not leave a tip.



Good grief.  That's poor.



franandaj said:


> The plane ride was easy, and I remember all aspects of getting to the airport. It’s amazing what being well rested does for your cognizance!



Hey, I should try that sometime!



franandaj said:


> In September there is a Southwestern Conference taking place in Phoenix (can you say hot?) where conductor’s from the bands in Phoenix, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Denver and Albuquerque will be conducting. It starts 5 days after we get home from our cruise this summer, so again we’ll be traveling a lot!



Cool!  I mean...hot.


----------



## jlovesee

Being from KC its always interesting to read someone's trip report!  I went to Steamboat Arabia in high school, many moons ago, but never either the Jazz Museum or Federal Reserve (I knew where the Fed Reserve is but didn't realize it had a museum!), I am surprised you missed the Liberty memorial, Union Station, Crown Center (which has a Hallmark Visitors center, which is also free btw), Truman Library and Home.  Of course, for some of those I haven't been there since HS either!  BTW I can't stand Arthur Bryants, and love Jack Stack, but Bryants is more of a love/hate kind of thing, my dad loved it.

Jennifer


----------



## jedijill

Mmmmmmm, BBQ!  I love me some cheesey corn but that's the best thing about Jack Stack!

Jill in CO


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


>



Of  them all, I like this one best. 



franandaj said:


> but I don’t remember right now), which provided a challenge for packing the next morning.



You needed a good old fashioned hat box. 



franandaj said:


> The place was Jack Stack and I have to say that this was sort of the most disappointing BBQ meal that we had on the trip.



How disappointing. At least it was free. Or mostly. 



franandaj said:


> We hadn’t eaten any vegetables all week



That'll certainly get you in trouble!



franandaj said:


> We came back to the room to find our overflowing trash cans and ¼ roll of TP unchanged from the morning.



Yuck!!!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Nah. I doubt that.
> Sweet, often.
> A friend, always.
> But dense? Nah... not buying it.
> 
> I'll be back later to read the update.



You've only seen me at some of my more coherent moments.  Talk to me after I've moved three carloads of crap from the garages!  



pkondz said:


> well.... yeah? You were surprised by that, or just making an observation?



Just an observation.



pkondz said:


> What are those? Hundreds? (or the representation thereof?)



I think they are representing hundreds.  Seems to me most of that case was just paper.



pkondz said:


> Heh. This one's cute.



Thanks!  



pkondz said:


> Oh! In coins. I thought it would be in gold.



OK, that's what I meant.



pkondz said:


> Which is valueless now, isn't it?



Pretty much. Unless you want to display it as art.   



pkondz said:


> Yes please. I'll take two.



Except they are no longer valid.



pkondz said:


> I am going to not comment on this. At all. Nope.







pkondz said:


> Ohhhh... so_ that's_ why they're so valued.



And very rare.



pkondz said:


> Sure, but glue is extra.







pkondz said:


> I didn't know this, did I?



I don't know if you did....



pkondz said:


> Does she collect?



She collects almost everything!



pkondz said:


> They look really good.



Mmmmmm onion rings....I would say I want some, but I just had some a couple nights ago.



pkondz said:


> Rope drop. It's not just for Disney.



Exactly.



pkondz said:


> Smart. Good idea.



And it was a yummy snack!



tiggrbaby said:


> You certainly found a lot to do on this trip!  I especially love the ship museum.
> 
> Safe and magical travels on your cruise!



We did, and she didn't think there was much to do here.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I like the way she thinks!



Bacon, it's not just for breakfast anymore.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> If it's free, it's for me.



I thought of you and your family when we were here.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I did! And I still don't remember the details.



And now I remember even less!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> I think they said there was about $125 in there.



Huh.  I wonder if you could send it in to the mutilated money department and get it back.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Looks like something out of a James Bond movie!



I know, doesn't it?



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Well, that's sad. I remember they had the baked beans with brisket drippings in it.



That would have been good!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Good grief. That's poor.



Makes me wonder about Hilton Garden Inns....



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hey, I should try that sometime!



Nah, you have kids.  Doesn't work that way.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Cool! I mean...hot.



 it sure was!



jlovesee said:


> Being from KC its always interesting to read someone's trip report! I went to Steamboat Arabia in high school, many moons ago, but never either the Jazz Museum or Federal Reserve (I knew where the Fed Reserve is but didn't realize it had a museum!),



Well all the hotels had brochures on the Reserve so they were pushing it kind of hard.



jlovesee said:


> I am surprised you missed the Liberty memorial, Union Station, Crown Center (which has a Hallmark Visitors center, which is also free btw),



There was only so much time!



jlovesee said:


> Truman Library and Home.



However, this was next on our list if we'd had more time.



jlovesee said:


> BTW I can't stand Arthur Bryants,



What is it about it you don't like?



jlovesee said:


> love Jack Stack,



Maybe if we had eaten there earlier in the trip or tried a different kind of meat it may have been better.


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Mmmmmmm, BBQ! I love me some cheesey corn but that's the best thing about Jack Stack!



I could use some BBQ about now, but it won't happen until after your visit at this point.



Steppesister said:


> Of them all, I like this one best.



That's the one we have in a garage!



Steppesister said:


> You needed a good old fashioned hat box.



We have plenty of them, at home.  We made one out of the wine box that we got from Costco.



Steppesister said:


> How disappointing. At least it was free. Or mostly.



Yeah, plus we had some really good BBQ throughout the week.



Steppesister said:


> That'll certainly get you in trouble!



We weren't necessarily in trouble, but we were feeling rather unCalifornian.



Steppesister said:


> Yuck!!!



I know, not the best hotel I've stayed in.


----------



## franandaj

A couple days after we got back from Kansas City, we got to go to a party for Gogi winery in the Santa Rita Hills of California. This is where Kurt Russell makes his wines and the party was free to club members, all you had to do was book a night at the designated hotel.  They had bus transportation to shuttle you to and from the party. Here was our view for the night.










We were among the first to arrive, so it was rather peaceful until everyone got there, then it was totally rockin’






At one point Kurt gave time for a photo op, and everyone lined up for this.





















It was a fun evening and we got to keep the souvenir glasses too!



A couple days later we went to Trader Sam's to get the new Tiki Mugs that they introduced. My Tiki mug shelf is full now so I'm going to need to move the collection to another cabinet. Here is Fran with our mugs and our Pu Pu platter.






Panko crusted long beans, Sweet and Spicy Asian Wings, Fried Spring Rolls and Pork Gyoza.






And then we ordered an Uh Oa! They wouldn’t let her order it by herself, we both had to get it.






And evidently the Pu Pu Platter was not enough food for us as you can catch the burger that we ordered and split in the background of this action shot of the Uh Oa!






Feeling sober enough after our burger, we took our souvenir mugs and headed home.


It was Mid July before we made it back out to Disney. It had been a long time since we had seen our friends John and Suzie. He had a birthday coming up and wanted to celebrate his upcoming birthday with us. We met up around noon, and I immediately wanted to ride the Incredicoaster. A couple weeks before we had come out to buy a pin and since we were here, I wanted to ride the coaster. I waited in line and was two trains away from riding in the front car when it broke down. It was good that I was waiting for the front car, cause if I had been in a middle car I would have likely been on of the folks stranded on the ride!

I was also glad that I didn't ride it until this day because we went to see the movie earlier this week. The ride made a lot more sense if you've seen the sequel.






While Suzie and I rode the coaster, Fran and John got cookies from the Jack Jack Cookie Num Num stand.

This is the warm chocolate chip Cookie which was amazing!!!!






John and Suzie also got the Gluten Free cookie and said that it was really good too.






Then we rode TSMM, I still suck and Suzie and I even unlocked some of the extras.






Then we went over to Guardians to ride that one.






Three adrenaline packed rides was enough for me, so we decided to head over to Carthay for a drink.  I got a Mojito, I think.






Then we all went to dinner.  I didn’t get any pics, except for when they brought John his birthday Sundae!






After that we went and found a spot for viewing the fireworks and sat and enjoyed them before calling it a night.


The last weekend in July Jill came to visit. The day she arrived, she replaced a part on the starter of our 59 Ranchero so the next day we went to Disneyland. Jenny came along and we had a blast although it was a very long day.

We started by riding the Incredicoaster.






Then we tried to ride Guardians but evidently the ride was down, the line didn't move at all so we decided to come back later. We got some drinks and Tiki mugs.






We had a dinner reservation at the newly opened Lamplight Lounge. Fran went directly there while the rest of us rode Guardians.






The Lamplight Lounge opened in June so it was only a month old.  We were not sure how we felt about the menu (at least Fran and I felt that way), it turned out that unless they do a major rehab of the menu, we may not be going back.











They had an extensive drink menu, but I didn’t take pictures of that.  It had kitchy decor all Pixar related.
















This was Fran’s drink and from reading the list of drinks, I have no idea what this is.  She doesn’t like Gin or Whiskey so I can rule out those, but I don’t see any drinks with Tequila on the menu which is her favorite spirit.






This is my drink which is an Open Ocean with a Splash a Frozen Cocktail made with Bacardi Raspberry Rum, Bols Blue Curaçao, Liquid Alchemist Orgeat (Almond), Agave Nectar, and fresh Lime Juice






These were the lobster nachos.  There was something wrong with them and Jenny ended up getting sick from them. She had them removed from the bill. I was not impressed with the nachos.






These were the Potato Skins, and they were just weird.






These were the only redeeming part of our meal, the Crispy Piggy Wings.  They were excellent.






Dinner was overall meh. 

After dinner, we all did the Tiki room show and then Jenny, Jill and I rode Pirates. I don't like the new red head.

I’m not sure what Jenny and Jill did between Pirates and the Fireworks, but Fran and I sat in air conditioning and I got more of a bite to eat before we all met back up.  The Pixar fireworks were always impressive!  I wonder what show they are playing now?


----------



## jedijill

Lamplight Lounge was VERY underwhelming and the lobster was bad!  I felt so sorry that Jenny was so sick from them!


I don't remember what Jenny and I did either!  17 more days until I see you guys again!

Jill in CO


----------



## tiggrbaby

How fun that you got to get a pic with Kurt Russel!

Tiki mugs are cute and a flaming drink to boot!

Sorry that your friend got sick from the food.  I remember having the piggy wings at Epcot F&W and thought they were yummy.


----------



## Captain_Oblivious

franandaj said:


> At one point Kurt gave time for a photo op, and everyone lined up for this.



Ah, so you've met up enough that you're on a first-name basis now. 



franandaj said:


> Here is Fran with our mugs and our Pu Pu platter.



Is it wrong that I still giggle every time at "pupu platter"?



franandaj said:


> We met up around noon, and I immediately wanted to ride the Incredicoaster.



Can't blame you there.



franandaj said:


> I was also glad that I didn't ride it until this day because we went to see the movie earlier this week. The ride made a lot more sense if you've seen the sequel.



Good to know!  And I'm glad that I can ride it.



franandaj said:


> Then we went over to Guardians to ride that one.



Shocked!  Shocked, I tell you!



franandaj said:


> We started by riding the Incredicoaster.



Hmm.  Looks like we're running out of ideas for the ride photos.



franandaj said:


> The Lamplight Lounge opened in June so it was only a month old. We were not sure how we felt about the menu (at least Fran and I felt that way), it turned out that unless they do a major rehab of the menu, we may not be going back.



Uh oh.  That's not good.



franandaj said:


> These were the lobster nachos. There was something wrong with them and Jenny ended up getting sick from them. She had them removed from the bill. I was not impressed with the nachos.



Ew.  So we're off to a terrible start.



franandaj said:


> These were the Potato Skins, and they were just weird.



Those don't look like any potato skins I've ever seen in my life.



franandaj said:


> I don't like the new red head.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> You've only seen me at some of my more coherent moments. Talk to me after I've moved three carloads of crap from the garages!







franandaj said:


> I think they are representing hundreds. Seems to me most of that case was just paper.



I would imagine so. Otherwise someone's gonna borrow that.



franandaj said:


> Pretty much. Unless you want to display it as art.



Then it's valuable again.



franandaj said:


> Except they are no longer valid.



Oh, right. Nevermind then.



franandaj said:


> Mmmmmm onion rings....I would say I want some, but I just had some a couple nights ago.



Me too! Good ones too.


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Here was our view for the night.



Nice!



franandaj said:


> We were among the first to arrive, so it was rather peaceful until everyone got there, then it was totally rockin’



 I like how you say that. Not "It got crowded" or "There were too many people" or "It was too loud" or any other way one could complain. I like how you embraced it and had fun!



franandaj said:


> At one point Kurt gave time for a photo op, and everyone lined up for this.



I bet! I would too!
And dang! He still looks great!



franandaj said:


> It was a fun evening and we got to keep the souvenir glasses too!



Nice little score there. 



franandaj said:


> My Tiki mug shelf is full now so I'm going to need to move the collection to another cabinet.



I can see it now... in a few years...
"My Tiki mug cabinet is full now so I'm going to need to move the collection to another room."




franandaj said:


>



I really like those mugs. 



franandaj said:


>



At first glance, I thought the burger was in the drink. like one of those over-the-top bloody Mary drinks.



franandaj said:


>



Nice capture. 



franandaj said:


> I waited in line and was two trains away from riding in the front car when it broke down. It was good that I was waiting for the front car, cause if I had been in a middle car I would have likely been on of the folks stranded on the ride!



Close one! That would _not_ have been good.
Then again... it would make for a good story... after.



franandaj said:


> I was also glad that I didn't ride it until this day because we went to see the movie earlier this week. The ride made a lot more sense if you've seen the sequel.



Hmmm... Guess I'll have to see it before I come visit you again.
How was the ride itself? Any different from before?



franandaj said:


> This is the warm chocolate chip Cookie which was amazing!!!!



Man, that looks great!



franandaj said:


>



Peace out!



franandaj said:


>



That sundae looks pretty good. No wonder he's smiling! 



franandaj said:


>



 Both Incredicoaster photos have you holding your glasses. 



franandaj said:


>



What are you doing, Alison?



franandaj said:


> The Lamplight Lounge opened in June so it was only a month old. We were not sure how we felt about the menu (at least Fran and I felt that way), it turned out that unless they do a major rehab of the menu, we may not be going back.



uh oh



franandaj said:


> This is my drink which is an Open Ocean with a Splash a Frozen Cocktail made with Bacardi Raspberry Rum, Bols Blue Curaçao, Liquid Alchemist Orgeat (Almond), Agave Nectar, and fresh Lime Juice



As you know, I'm not a fan of rum, but... otherwise that sounds amazing.



franandaj said:


> These were the lobster nachos. There was something wrong with them and Jenny ended up getting sick from them. She had them removed from the bill. I was not impressed with the nachos.



Oh, that's too bad. Hopefully she was okay?



franandaj said:


> These were the Potato Skins, and they were just weird.



They look weird too.



franandaj said:


> I don't like the new red head.



You mentioned that. Not pretty anymore.


----------



## Steppesister

Hey Alison,

Trying to dig my way out of the massive hole I'm in but I am caught up here now. 

The dinner at the Lamp Lighter sounded gross. So sorry that you didn't care for it and am even sadder than it made Jenny sick! Awful!

But the rest of the day looked super fun and you can never go wrong with drinks in Tikis!! I read there's a new hatbox one, and I'd LOVE to get my hands on one!!!!  Might even be worth a trip down.


----------



## DnA2010

Repeat post!


----------



## DnA2010

Wow I totally haven’t been following along here :fail: but I will go back and read and comment


----------



## chunkymonkey

I had no idea you were continuing posting on this TR! I have missed a few updates.



franandaj said:


> We decided to visit the Museum of Money on this day, first cause it sounded interesting and secondly cause it was free!



That does sound interesting.



franandaj said:


>



Haha so funny!



franandaj said:


> As many people said, the Cheesy corn was like crack! We ate every last little bit of that.



OMG I love corn and cheese. If you ever find a korean BBQ place near you called Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, they have a little moat around their bbq grill and they put like an egg scramble in one section, and corn and cheese in another. Nice little side dish to the korean meats. But this cheesy corn you had looks amazing.



franandaj said:


> At one point Kurt gave time for a photo op, and everyone lined up for this.





franandaj said:


>



Oh that is so cool! I'll have to check out Gogi Winery at some point!



franandaj said:


>



This looks delicious. 



franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


>



I love all these tiki mugs! You guys have all the cool tiki mugs!



franandaj said:


> These were the lobster nachos. There was something wrong with them and Jenny ended up getting sick from them. She had them removed from the bill. I was not impressed with the nachos.



Is this that new place on Pixar Pier? Did the lobster nachos always look like that? We've never had them before but we've heard all about them. They honestly don't look that good form the picture above.


----------



## Pinkocto

I was so behind, I’m sorry.

All those museums in KC were very cool. Loved the Arabia one. So sad that muel got left behind when it didn’t have to be.

You find the coolest car museums. I never even think to look for stuff like that.

The fish tiki mugs are awesome.

Meeting Kurt Russell again? Bestill my heart!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



Cool! I would love one of those!



franandaj said:


>



Now I'm going to have to go look for yours as I can't remember the colour (I'm sure you've showed it in TR's)



franandaj said:


> This one is crazy!



I agree that is crazy!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



Beauty view, and my horse loving eye thought "ohhh a barn!"



franandaj said:


> At one point Kurt gave time for a photo op, and everyone lined up for this.


This is a great pic, I love both of your expressions!


franandaj said:


>



Another great hat Fran! Nice pic also 



franandaj said:


>



Nothing like some take home glasses to end the visit  


franandaj said:


>



I'm not showing Dorian these pics as he will want these guys!


franandaj said:


>


Yummm that looks so good!


franandaj said:


>



Pretty fun!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



This is seriously like my fav! You look like you are totally dead to the world asleep


----------



## franandaj

jedijill said:


> Lamplight Lounge was VERY underwhelming and the lobster was bad! I felt so sorry that Jenny was so sick from them!



Yeah, and I have no desire to go back unless they do a major overhaul of their menu.



jedijill said:


> I don't remember what Jenny and I did either! 17 more days until I see you guys again!



And what's so funny is that you have seen us three times since you posted that.  I'm really behind on this thread!



tiggrbaby said:


> How fun that you got to get a pic with Kurt Russel!



Thanks!



tiggrbaby said:


> Tiki mugs are cute and a flaming drink to boot!



I love a good flaming drink!



tiggrbaby said:


> Sorry that your friend got sick from the food. I remember having the piggy wings at Epcot F&W and thought they were yummy.



Yeah, those were really the only redeeming things from that restaurant.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ah, so you've met up enough that you're on a first-name basis now.



Yeah, I just wish he knew my name!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Is it wrong that I still giggle every time at "pupu platter"?



Well you do have the same sense of humor as Dave or Scotty!  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Can't blame you there.



Thrill rides first!



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Good to know! And I'm glad that I can ride it.



Yeah, much better to understand when you've seen the 2nd movie.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Shocked! Shocked, I tell you!



And you'll be shocked to learn that this weekend the only ride that we rode was Guardians, twice.  



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Hmm. Looks like we're running out of ideas for the ride photos.



Yeah, actually I am, and I'm definitely not as creative as @pkondz 



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Uh oh. That's not good.



Yeah, evidently she was ill during the night.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Ew. So we're off to a terrible start.



Pretty much, we haven't been back.



Captain_Oblivious said:


> Those don't look like any potato skins I've ever seen in my life.



I know, they were totally weird and not tasty.


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> I would imagine so. Otherwise someone's gonna borrow that.



Yeah, pretty much



pkondz said:


> Then it's valuable again.



Well not really. 



pkondz said:


> Oh, right. Nevermind then.



See what I mean.



pkondz said:


> Me too! Good ones too.



Well now it's been a while since I've had onion rings or even good ones!



pkondz said:


> I like how you say that. Not "It got crowded" or "There were too many people" or "It was too loud" or any other way one could complain. I like how you embraced it and had fun!



Well there was kind of plenty of room, so I just embraced it.



pkondz said:


> I bet! I would too!
> And dang! He still looks great!



I know, doesn't he?  He looks just as good as he did in Guardians 2 without the makeup.



pkondz said:


> Nice little score there.



Well for the price of being in the wine club, the party and complimentary wine glass are a drop in the bucket.  But the wine that we get each year is nice.



pkondz said:


> I can see it now... in a few years...
> "My Tiki mug cabinet is full now so I'm going to need to move the collection to another room."



Actually that was last summer....



pkondz said:


> I really like those mugs.



We haven't even gotten them out of the boxes since our shelf is full.  We need to make another shelf or move it all to a new cabinet.



pkondz said:


> At first glance, I thought the burger was in the drink. like one of those over-the-top bloody Mary drinks.



  I know what you are talking about, but no, the burger had it's own plate.



pkondz said:


> Nice capture.



Thanks!  It was a total luck photo!



pkondz said:


> Close one! That would _not_ have been good.
> Then again... it would make for a good story... after.



Yeah, but I'm glad I didn't get caught up in it.  I've been evacuated from Space Mountain once and it takes a long long time.



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... Guess I'll have to see it before I come visit you again.
> How was the ride itself? Any different from before?



The ride itself was unchanged, but there was additional theming associated with the movie that makes it cute and funny.



pkondz said:


> Man, that looks great!



OMG it was soo good, served hot and the chips were melty.  I haven't had one since, but I should!



pkondz said:


> Peace out!



I'm running out of ideas for ride photos



pkondz said:


> That sundae looks pretty good. No wonder he's smiling!



Plus he's a definitely glass half full kind of guy so he's usually smiling.  Plus he has a beautiful wife and two awesome kids, so not a lot to complain about.



pkondz said:


> Both Incredicoaster photos have you holding your glasses.



That's what I do on that coaster.  I'm afraid to wear them for fear they will fall off, but even more afraid to put them in the pouch.



pkondz said:


> What are you doing, Alison?



I'm toasting to the ride!



pkondz said:


> uh oh



Yeah, Jenny ended up throwing up that night.



pkondz said:


> As you know, I'm not a fan of rum, but... otherwise that sounds amazing.



I liked it, but the only thing that wasn't good was the potatoes and nachos.



pkondz said:


> Oh, that's too bad. Hopefully she was okay?



Other than throwing up that night, she ended up OK.



pkondz said:


> They look weird too.



Yeah they were weird.  We didn't care for them.



pkondz said:


> You mentioned that. Not pretty anymore.



Definitely not pretty anymore, I really liked her as a kid cause I thought she was so pretty.  I wanted to be her, being that I had red hair and all, or did before I started swimming and it turned blonde. Now she can go to...well, I don't like her anymore.


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> Trying to dig my way out of the massive hole I'm in but I am caught up here now.



Talk about a massive hole, these posts are like 5-6 months old!



Steppesister said:


> The dinner at the Lamp Lighter sounded gross. So sorry that you didn't care for it and am even sadder than it made Jenny sick! Awful!



Yeah, it was kinda gross.  I'm sorry that we felt we had to try it. And I felt even worse that Jenny got sick.  I have an iron stomach, so I rarely have a problem.



Steppesister said:


> But the rest of the day looked super fun and you can never go wrong with drinks in Tikis!! I read there's a new hatbox one, and I'd LOVE to get my hands on one!!!! Might even be worth a trip down.



Well they sold out the second day, so the only place you can get them now is on eBay or if you make a deal with Fran.



DnA2010 said:


> Wow I totally haven’t been following along here :fail: but I will go back and read and comment



I'll have to post on my regular report cause I have a few more posts to put up here while I finish the Fantasy Cruise report.



chunkymonkey said:


> I had no idea you were continuing posting on this TR! I have missed a few updates.



I'll make sure to post on the other report that I'm doing bonus features here, cause I have a few more before I'm done with the other one.



chunkymonkey said:


> That does sound interesting.
> 
> Haha so funny!



There wasn't a ton to do in Kansas City besides eat BBQ, but this was one of the more fun things to do!



chunkymonkey said:


> OMG I love corn and cheese. If you ever find a korean BBQ place near you called Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, they have a little moat around their bbq grill and they put like an egg scramble in one section, and corn and cheese in another. Nice little side dish to the korean meats. But this cheesy corn you had looks amazing.



Is this the one that you went to in NYC in one of your TRs?  I remember you went to one with someone from Canada, Yuki I think and I found one in Koreatown near where our band rehearsal and concerts take place.  Is this the same one you're talking about?



chunkymonkey said:


> Oh that is so cool! I'll have to check out Gogi Winery at some point!



They have very good wines, but expensive.  You can pretty much only get them at Disney or through their wine club.



chunkymonkey said:


> This looks delicious.



It is seriously delicious!



chunkymonkey said:


> I love all these tiki mugs! You guys have all the cool tiki mugs!



We try.  At this point, we don't have enough space to display them all, they are all just sitting in boxes in the living room at this point.



chunkymonkey said:


> Is this that new place on Pixar Pier? Did the lobster nachos always look like that? We've never had them before but we've heard all about them. They honestly don't look that good form the picture above.



Yes it is the new place on Pixar Pier.  This is the first time I'd had the lobster nachos, and most likely the last.



Pinkocto said:


> I was so behind, I’m sorry.



No, I understand.  I'm so far behind everywhere too!



Pinkocto said:


> All those museums in KC were very cool. Loved the Arabia one. So sad that muel got left behind when it didn’t have to be.



OH, you've been there too, wasn't it cool?



Pinkocto said:


> You find the coolest car museums. I never even think to look for stuff like that.



That's all Fran....she has a knack.



Pinkocto said:


> The fish tiki mugs are awesome.



They are really cool.  Jill got one last weekend.



Pinkocto said:


> Meeting Kurt Russell again? Bestill my heart!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


> Well not really.



Dang



franandaj said:


> See what I mean.



Unfortunately, yes.



franandaj said:


> Well now it's been a while since I've had onion rings or even good ones!



Then we need to get together and get some! (Kinda missing you, Alison. I had a really nice time with all of you. )



franandaj said:


> Well there was kind of plenty of room, so I just embraced it.







franandaj said:


> Well for the price of being in the wine club, the party and complimentary wine glass are a drop in the bucket. But the wine that we get each year is nice.



Well... still...



franandaj said:


> Actually that was last summer....







franandaj said:


> Yeah, but I'm glad I didn't get caught up in it. I've been evacuated from Space Mountain once and it takes a long long time.



But it made for a good story, didn't it? 



franandaj said:


> I'm running out of ideas for ride photos



I still have a few ideas up my sleeve. 



franandaj said:


> Plus he's a definitely glass half full kind of guy so he's usually smiling. Plus he has a beautiful wife and two awesome kids, so not a lot to complain about.



Rich man.



franandaj said:


> I'm toasting to the ride!



Ah!



franandaj said:


> Yeah, Jenny ended up throwing up that night.



 Sorry to hear that.



franandaj said:


> Other than throwing up that night, she ended up OK.



Good.


----------



## chunkymonkey

franandaj said:


> Is this the one that you went to in NYC in one of your TRs? I remember you went to one with someone from Canada, Yuki I think and I found one in Koreatown near where our band rehearsal and concerts take place. Is this the same one you're talking about?



Yes! I think you asked about it previously now that I remember. It is the same, and it's very good!



franandaj said:


> They have very good wines, but expensive. You can pretty much only get them at Disney or through their wine club.



Ah good to know!


----------



## franandaj

DnA2010 said:


> Cool! I would love one of those!



Except I think they're no longer legal tender.



DnA2010 said:


> Now I'm going to have to go look for yours as I can't remember the colour (I'm sure you've showed it in TR's)



I'll save you the trouble.







DnA2010 said:


> I agree that is crazy!



There are some pretty funny looking cars!



DnA2010 said:


> Beauty view, and my horse loving eye thought "ohhh a barn!"



I barely even noticed the barn.  



DnA2010 said:


> This is a great pic, I love both of your expressions!



Thanks!



DnA2010 said:


> Another great hat Fran! Nice pic also



She chooses nice hats.



DnA2010 said:


> Nothing like some take home glasses to end the visit



Now where did I put them?  



DnA2010 said:


> I'm not showing Dorian these pics as he will want these guys!



I'll be happy to go with you to get them!



DnA2010 said:


> Yummm that looks so good!



Gotta love a good PuPu Platter!



DnA2010 said:


> Pretty fun!







DnA2010 said:


> This is seriously like my fav! You look like you are totally dead to the world asleep



I like that particular pose!


----------



## franandaj

pkondz said:


> Then we need to get together and get some! (Kinda missing you, Alison. I had a really nice time with all of you. )



That would be fun! Planning another road trip to where it's warmer than there?



pkondz said:


> But it made for a good story, didn't it?



Sort of.  We were at a convention across the street in a reception (for the Canadian customers) and were all sorta drunk.  The boss paid for admission for everyone from my company who was at the reception, when it happened so I don't remember it so well.  



pkondz said:


> I still have a few ideas up my sleeve.



Looking forward to seeing them!



chunkymonkey said:


> Yes! I think you asked about it previously now that I remember. It is the same, and it's very good!



Maybe we'll get to try next month.  Jenny and her husband are planning to come to the concert and want to try to Korean BBQ afterwards.


----------



## franandaj

So it’s been a while since I’ve posted stuff here, but I have a few things from the last part of the year that I’d like to share and since I haven’t wrapped up the cruise TR, I'll share them here, and while I haven't wrapped up the August trip report, I’m rapidly approaching our March trip.

This post is from activities a few days before my current TR began back in August. Pixar Fest at DLR began in April and ended in September around the date that I got home from the cruise. We thought that Paint the Night would be ending with Pixar Fest, but we later found out that it continued for almost another two months.  However, since we wanted to make sure that we saw it one last time, we headed out to the park with the intent to see the parade.


Our only goal this evening was to see the parade, but you can’t enjoy a parade if you’re hungry and thirsty.  So our first stop was the Margarita bar for a refreshing beverage followed by the Corn Dog Palace for one each of the Corn Dog and Cheese Dog.






And after our lovely gourmet dinner, we sat down to an exquisite dessert.






And then it was time to sit down in anticipation of the approaching parade. 






Soon the lights dimmed, and the music began.






You've seen many pictures of this parade, so I'm going to keep them somewhat brief. We just wanted to see the parade one last time, especially the new one that they added a few months before.
















This was the new float, in celebration of Incredibles Two.











Note Dash running around the float (also namesake of our new car).












At this point, I just set down the camera to enjoy the rest of the parade, I’ve documented it many many other times in previous TRs if you want to see it in full let me know and I’ll direct you to some of the posts where you can find it.


Following our cruise on the Fantasy, we didn’t go back to the parks in September at all. The first time that we even got out to the DL resort was in mid October. Trader Sam’s was releasing their annual mash up Halloween Tiki mug, and this time it was the Hatbox Ghost.  People had started lining up around 4-5AM and they waited at least 5 hours to get one. We had stuff to do and couldn’t be that crazy, no let me correct that, we forgot about it, but we did get out there around noon and ended up waiting 4 hours until we finally got ours.  While in line after about two hours they gave us wristbands, and then I could run off to Earl of Sandwich to get us some lunch, or was it actually breakfast? We waited another couple hours until we were finally at the front of the line and we ended up with four of these babies.  Fran couldn’t have been happier, just look at her in this picture! 






We ended up giving one of the mugs to Jill because if it weren’t for her, we would have completely forgotten about the sale date. Turns out I was on my way to get my nails done when I got a text from Jill reminding me of the Tiki sale. Fran was still in bed, and you’ve never seen her move so quickly. We were in the car and on our way in 20 minutes, for us that’s a record! I rescheduled the nail appointment, and we got our mugs!

The following week I had a DISmeet scheduled with a new friend. @DnA2010 was coming to town on a cruise ship and they had one day before flying home, so what did they plan to do? Visit Disney of course!

I met up with them for lunch where we talked and talked and got on so well we forgot to take pictures! After lunch we decided to hit a few rides.











Sadly after the few rides, I had to say goodbye.  It was Tuesday night and while I was supposed to have the week off from band, we were performing at Disney the next weekend and needed the time to prepare our show for Disney. 


But first, we had more fun days at Disney coming up in my next update!


----------



## pkondz

franandaj said:


>



That is a _nice_ ride, Alison! Suicide doors too!



franandaj said:


> That would be fun! Planning another road trip to where it's warmer than there?




But this fall I'm heading to Florida most likely. Promised a fellow DISdad that I'd try to make that happen.




franandaj said:


> Sort of. We were at a convention across the street in a reception (for the Canadian customers) and were all sorta drunk. The boss paid for admission for everyone from my company who was at the reception, when it happened so I don't remember it so well.







franandaj said:


> Looking forward to seeing them!



May trip is less than 2 months away!



franandaj said:


> We thought that Paint the Night would be ending with Pixar Fest, but we later found out that it continued for almost another two months.



Oh! So is it over now?



franandaj said:


> Our only goal this evening was to see the parade, but you can’t enjoy a parade if you’re hungry and thirsty.



Nope!



franandaj said:


> So our first stop was the Margarita bar for a refreshing beverage followed by the Corn Dog Palace for one each of the Corn Dog and Cheese Dog.



Yes please! Although I'll probably pass on the cheese dog.



franandaj said:


> And after our lovely gourmet dinner, we sat down to an exquisite dessert.



I only recently found out about this. All along, for some reason, I thought I was restricted to Mickey bars.



franandaj said:


>



This looks familiar. 



franandaj said:


> This was the new float, in celebration of Incredibles Two.



Nice! I like it.



franandaj said:


> People had started lining up around 4-5AM and they waited at least 5 hours to get one.





That's dedication for ya.



franandaj said:


> While in line after about two hours they gave us wristbands, and then I could run off to Earl of Sandwich to get us some lunch, or was it actually breakfast?



Either way, I'm glad you were able to.



franandaj said:


>



She sure looks happy!



franandaj said:


> Fran was still in bed, and you’ve never seen her move so quickly.



<sometime in the near future>

"Fran! Fran! We slept in! The tiki mugs are on sale today!"
Fran is up and out the door in 20 minutes... "Oh. No. My bad. That's not today. But we have to get going anyway, now we won't be late!"



franandaj said:


>





franandaj said:


>


----------



## jedijill

I love my Hatbox Ghost Tiki mug!

Jill in CO


----------



## tiggrbaby

Lovely parade pics and nice score on the adorable mugs!


----------



## DnA2010

franandaj said:


>



I like that colour a lot!



franandaj said:


> Gotta love a good PuPu Platter!



As D would say (for those of you reading that think I'm a scientist or something along those lines, my profile name is actually D (Dorian) and A (me- Allyson   ) nothing like a good PuPu n Brew! 



franandaj said:


>



I've somehow in all my Disney time and TR reading missed that there is a cheese version?!



franandaj said:


>



Love PTN..

In this picture to me it's like the Genie is like "Hehe Peter, I'm coming to get you!" 



franandaj said:


>



Pure joy!



franandaj said:


> We ended up giving one of the mugs to Jill because if it weren’t for her, we would have completely forgotten about the sale date. Turns out I was on my way to get my nails done when I got a text from Jill reminding me of the Tiki sale. Fran was still in bed, and you’ve never seen her move so quickly. We were in the car and on our way in 20 minutes, for us that’s a record! I rescheduled the nail appointment, and we got our mugs!



This cracked me up when you told me, go Jill!!



franandaj said:


> I met up with them for lunch where we talked and talked and got on so well we forgot to take pictures!



Such a good time!



franandaj said:


> It was Tuesday night and while I was supposed to have the week off from band, we were performing at Disney the next weekend and needed the time to prepare our show for Disney.



giving up Disney time for future Disney time  
Your band is very talented.


----------



## Flossbolna

Love your updates about your DL adventures!

Fran looks glowingly happy in the picture with the tiki mug. 

So, PtN is gone now? What a shame, it was such an amazing parade. I guess it is a sign that I am getting older because I never was into parades and now I really enjoy them. Well, the good ones.


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> We ended up giving one of the mugs to Jill because if it weren’t for her, we would have completely forgotten about the sale date. Turns out I was on my way to get my nails done when I got a text from Jill reminding me of the Tiki sale. Fran was still in bed, and you’ve never seen her move so quickly. We were in the car and on our way in 20 minutes, for us that’s a record! I rescheduled the nail appointment, and we got our mugs!





That was funny! So glad you got your mugs, but I'm with pkondz, this could be a new strategy move for you to get things rolling in the morning. I had to wait 3 hours to get my mug a couple of years ago and adore it!


----------



## franandaj

Hey Folks!  I'll be back with replies soon, but I just wanted to let you know that I've started the TR for my most recent trip.  You can find it here.

Hope to see you over there!


----------



## franandaj

Hi Folks!  I just realized that there were comments over here that I never responded to!  I had forgotten which TR I was doing my bonus features on and came to this one to catch up and found all these comments!  



pkondz said:


> That is a _nice_ ride, Alison! Suicide doors too!



Of all our classic cars, this one is my favorite.  We need to get them out and start stretching their legs!



pkondz said:


> But this fall I'm heading to Florida most likely. Promised a fellow DISdad that I'd try to make that happen.



Aren't you heading there tomorrow?  Or is it today?



pkondz said:


> May trip is less than 2 months away!



And now it's right on top of you!



pkondz said:


> Oh! So is it over now?



It's been over for a little while.  I think end of October.



pkondz said:


> Yes please! Although I'll probably pass on the cheese dog.



Since we're splitting them, we get a little of both!



pkondz said:


> I only recently found out about this. All along, for some reason, I thought I was restricted to Mickey bars.



I actually like the Ice Cream Sandwich better than the bar.



pkondz said:


> This looks familiar.







pkondz said:


> Either way, I'm glad you were able to.



Me too!



pkondz said:


> She sure looks happy!



I know!  How often do you see her with a grin like that?



pkondz said:


> <sometime in the near future>
> 
> "Fran! Fran! We slept in! The tiki mugs are on sale today!"
> Fran is up and out the door in 20 minutes... "Oh. No. My bad. That's not today. But we have to get going anyway, now we won't be late!"



Yeah, I told her this, and she glared at me. "I know what day it is, won't work."



jedijill said:


> I love my Hatbox Ghost Tiki mug!



I just took ours out of the dead microwave and put them with all the other Tiki mugs (in a cupboard in the laundry room).  Our Tiki shelf is full and I have two more Nautilus's, and countless other mugs accumulated over the last two years.



tiggrbaby said:


> Lovely parade pics and nice score on the adorable mugs!



Thanks!



DnA2010 said:


> I like that colour a lot!



It's my favorite of our classic cars, deja vu......



DnA2010 said:


> As D would say (for those of you reading that think I'm a scientist or something along those lines, my profile name is actually D (Dorian) and A (me- Allyson  ) nothing like a good PuPu n Brew!



Cute!



DnA2010 said:


> I've somehow in all my Disney time and TR reading missed that there is a cheese version?!



I love cheese dogs.  You can also get them at Hot Dog on a Stick!



DnA2010 said:


> Love PTN..
> 
> In this picture to me it's like the Genie is like "Hehe Peter, I'm coming to get you!"







DnA2010 said:


> Pure joy!







DnA2010 said:


> This cracked me up when you told me, go Jill!!



We definitely have her to thank for the mugs!



DnA2010 said:


> Such a good time!



 can't wait to do it again in about sixish months!  And more time this time.



DnA2010 said:


> giving up Disney time for future Disney time
> Your band is very talented.



Thanks.  



Flossbolna said:


> Love your updates about your DL adventures!



Thanks! More to come, but over on the cruise thread!



Flossbolna said:


> Fran looks glowingly happy in the picture with the tiki mug.



I know! Doesn't she?



Flossbolna said:


> So, PtN is gone now? What a shame, it was such an amazing parade. I guess it is a sign that I am getting older because I never was into parades and now I really enjoy them. Well, the good ones.



That's one of the only parades that I really liked as well,partially it was the tune, but the floats were really nice!



Steppesister said:


> That was funny! So glad you got your mugs, but I'm with pkondz, this could be a new strategy move for you to get things rolling in the morning. I had to wait 3 hours to get my mug a couple of years ago and adore it!



Yeah, Fran is too smart to fall for that more than once, but did you see in an update on the current TR, SHE was the one getting me out of bed. Then again shopping was involved.


----------



## ACDSNY

Lucky ladies getting your picture with Kurt Russell, I'm so jealous!  Yes I'm way behind and trying to catch up.


----------



## franandaj

ACDSNY said:


> Lucky ladies getting your picture with Kurt Russell, I'm so jealous!  Yes I'm way behind and trying to catch up.



That's OK I'm obviously way behind and trying to catch up too!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> Yeah, Fran is too smart to fall for that more than once, but did you see in an update on the current TR, SHE was the one getting me out of bed. Then again shopping was involved.



She loves her shopping!!


----------



## franandaj

Steppesister said:


> She loves her shopping!!



She certainly does!  Now if I could just get her to chill out so we could get our savings built back up!


----------



## Steppesister

franandaj said:


> She certainly does!  Now if I could just get her to chill out so we could get our savings built back up!


I feel your pain  on this one! more than you know...


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