# BE's never-ending fun ** 4 completed TR's ** Thousands of Photos



## Belle Ella

*Belle Ella's never ending Trip Report*​
I had so much fun chronicling the before, during, and aftermath of my last Disney vacation that I just couldn't stop. Thanks for dropping in and I hope you stick around. I love the company!

*Starring ...*






Me!  My name is Jessica, although I prefer to go by my nickname Jazz, also known as *Belle Ella* here on on the DIS boards. I'm a 23 year old Washington-born gal who was raised in California's Bay Area (just about 6 hours from Walt's park), which I honestly hope never to leave. Crazy, right? I love it here. Despite growing up in a family of non-Disney and non-Theme park lovers, I am a huge Disney addict and I'm always trying to find an excuse and the proper timing to go back. My favorite Disney movie and character of all time is without a doubt the original Princess, Snow White! Belle has to come in for a close second followed by Cinderella (who my cat is named after). I'm currently working with Target, where I have been for almost 6 years now eek: no idea how that happened) and working my way through school. Too bad I still have no idea what I want to study. Ho hum! Apart from Disney I'm also a huge Twilight addict, and I love me some Sharks hockey!!

Just a word of warning to everyone, I love to talk. I am a babbler by nature, so be prepared for some long posts down the road. If that's your thing, awesome  and if it's not your thing ... feel free to ignore the words and enjoy the pretty-pretty-pictures! 

*The Supporting Cast ...*

_(coming soon)_

*Rewind & Fasty-Forward*
read up on my past DL excursions with some handy-dandy clickies to speed up the process!

*July 2006 - DLH - The Vacation that almost never was*

The PTR

1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




*June 2007 - 1 night/3 days - GCH + 3 days of San Diego fun*

The PTR

Day One ... 1

Day Two ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8
*Disneyland Day 1

DLR Day 1 & 2 Photo Album

Day Three ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9
*Disneyland Day 2

Day Four ... 1

Day Five ... 1 || 2 || 3
*Disneyland Day 3

Day Six & Seven ... 1

*March 2009 - 3 nights/4 days - HOJO - Frick & Frack's Excellent Adventure*

Day One ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 ||  5 || 6 || Photo Album

Day Two ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || Photo Album

Day Three ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 || 15 || 16 || 17 || 18 || 19 || 20 || 21 || 22 || 23 || Photo Album

Day Four ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || Photo Album

*September 2009 - 4 nights/5 days - HOJO - Frick & Frack's Bogus Journey*

The PTR

Day One ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || Photo Album

Day Two ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 7 || 8 || 9 || Photo Album

Day Three ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || Photo Album

Day Four ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || Photo Album

Day Five ... 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || Photo Album

Day Six ... 1 || Photo Album


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## DizNee Luver

Looking forward to hearing more!!!


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## Belle Ella

Dun, dun, dun!

I wanted to make a trip report so I could always relive out every minute of this year's _first_ - and I say first because I *will* be back for my birthday in September if it's the last thing I do -  trip to Disneyland. Not to mention there aren't very many people in my life who will tolerate the full extent of my Disney obsession, so it make sense to share with people who will understand. So thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to get this rolling.

*The Cast*

Frick *a.k.a*. Dre *a.k.a* RiverLou (who will be contributing to the madness)
Frack *a.k.a* Jazz *a.k.a* Belle Ella (hey wait, that's me)

*The Journey*

We're making the trek down south from this crazy little town about an hour east of San Francisco - it's about 6 hours give or take (meaning give all thanks to traffic). We're leaving this crap-hole nice and early (try 2 AM - the joys of being a regular on the no sleep train) on a Friday morning (March 27th) and we'll be coming on home sometime Monday afternoon depending on whether or not someone decides she wants to attend her photo class or spend a couple of extra hours park-hopping (guess which of the two will win out).

There will be plenty of input from the both of us about all of the goings-on since it's all we can talk about anyways. Catch 'ya soon!

Ooh! Background on how this trip came about!

We're both total Mouseheads, and this trip has been a long time coming. We've been trying to organize another visit since July 2006 (the last time we went _together_) but things have been falling through since then. The trick, as it would turn out, is to go for the short term so nobody can back out!

I've been looking to take a weekend or so off work, because I need a break badly. I haven't taken a vacation in about 2 years now and it's just about time. Actually, it's overdue. I was _going_ to take the weekend of March 21st off just so I could get my midnight copy of Twilight, and go to a hockey game (go *SHARKS*) on Saturday and just veg on Sunday, but as it turns out my boss (who's the only person I work with who can cover my shift effectively) doesn't get back from her vacation until 2 days later. Well, that option went out the window.

Besides, what kind of vacation is that?

So I get to thinking ... I really, _really_, _*really*_ want to get away. No ... I really, _really_, _*really*_ need to take that Disneyland vacation I have been talking about for close to two years now. Which is when my obsessive nature starts to take over and I don't hesitate in looking online for a cheaper alternative than my past excursions (GCH in 2007 and 2004, DH in 2006) because otherwise I couldn't afford going right now. Let's just say I jumped out of my seat the second I saw an open reservation for the end of March and it was like music to my ears, recalling what my boss had said that morning: "_Now way, Jose. But I could cover for you the next weekend_." It didn't mean much to me at the time, but now it was like sun had just come up after a long winter and birds were chirping, and - well, you get the picture. I didn't hesitate in calling my partner in crime to try and leave her subtle hints (that thankfully she got otherwise I'd have to place a mob hit on her) and the decision is made:

*Disney, here comes trouble!!*​


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## Belle Ella

While I'm here I wanted to share some pics of my past couple of DLR vacations (July '06 and June '07). But then I realize the problem with being a real shutterbug: You have barely any pictures of yourself! I have one out of the hundreds from my '06 trip!

But here's that _*one*_ photo from 2006 with the infamous Captain Jack:




Ah! Not only is it horrible that I don't have many pics of myself but I don't have any with *Frick* and I together either.

And 2007 brought Mary Poppins, which was my highlight (even if it doesn't look like it, ):





I'm taking my new D-SLR along with us and I'm really looking forward to shooting images for my photography class, which means manual all the way. No way is anyone getting their hands on my baby. Not to mention that even if they did, I doubt anyone would get a picture that I'd ever show in public (*Frick,* I'm counting on you here!). Gotta find a way I can make that work.

*Note to self:* Make sure you have plenty of verifiable proof you were there this time *a.k.a.* pics or it didn't happen!

Any ideas on the best way to make it happen?


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## Belle Ella

OK, here is my first *state of the adventure* address!

So the hotel room was booked on Wednesday night (which would make that ... last night). That's a pretty big step right there - we can't really spend three nights in Southern California, hours from home, without a place to sleep now could we? I don't know about *Frick*, but it's all I can think about. I was sitting at work today, gabbing with anyone who would listen about our travel plans, and then in my History class (America after the Civil War) I couldn't concentrate on anthing. You should see my pages of doodled notes related to what we could be doing each day, what I need to pack, you name it. I even started a pro-con list of what character meal we should make a reservation for.

Hey! Speak of the devil, that's my accomplishment for the day. We have 2 official meals planned for our stay. The very, very essential dinner at the Blue Bayou (Saturday night | day 2), and the character meal that we chose: the Minnie & Friends breakfast (Monday morning | day 4).

I can't imagine going to DL anymore without having a stop by the Blue Bayou - it makes the whole trip just for the atmosphere alone. It will be my first time there for dinner service, which for me is exciting. I've promised myself (and *Frick*) that for me this trip is going to be about doing a lot of things I haven't done before. Would that also include a mandatory anything-but-salmon-for-dinner rule? I hope not. I am hoping, however, for a better experience than the last time I went. I was pretty excited because I was there for my birthday (and I was alone for the whole vacation, which I loved) and got seater at a waterside table and proceeded to ahve flash after flash after flash go off in my face from the people on Pirates. It was pretty annoying since I didn't have anything to distract me other than the same idiots with their cameras yelling at you to throw something at them. Ridiculous.

And our breakfast on Monday will also be my first character meal ever.  I've wanted to do this for a while now, but each time I went I either couldn't squeeze it in time wise or else I didn't have the cash-ola. I am fully prepared this time, however. I've always loved to hear stories and see the pictures from these things and they look like so much fun. I can't wait for my turn!


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## DizNee Luver

The character meals are lots of fun!!!  We've done the Minnie & Friends, the food is so-so (IMO) but lots of great classic characters.  In fact, at times it's almost impossible to eat, so the food is not the reason we go to this one.

I've included a couple pics from our trip last March of this meal:

















We saw Minnie, Chip, Dale, Hook, Pooh, Eeyore, Rafiki, Fairy Godmother, & Max..... lots of interaction.
You'll have a blast!!


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## Belle Ella

Thanks for sharing the pics! Ooh, I just love that dining area. *Frick's* done the M&F meal before and she loved it, so after that it was kind of a no-brainer. I hope she doesn't mind not doing a different one, but there's always when we go again in September to do another.


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## Belle Ella

*28 days to go!!*

In reality, it has to be less than that though, since we'll be leaving long, long, long before the break of dawn. I think our current plan (as discussed yesterday) is to leave Martinez around 2 in the morning that Friday. Are we crazy or what? I figure with no traffic, it's about a 6 hour drive, so when you factor in all the morning traffic we'll hit in various areas, we'll still be arriving in the morning. The park opens it's gates at 8 a.m. (10 a.m. for DCA), so we obviously wont be there first thing in the morning, but I'm willing to sacrifice at most a couple of hours. Hopefully we can cover enough ground with the speed demon at the wheel that we can make up some time in traffic areas. That may just be wishful thinking though.

Is it completely crazy of me to think I can start day #1 at Disneyland off with a 2 a.m. morning? Frick has the luxury of sleeping in the car if she's so inclined, but I'll be the one driving all the way from point a to point b. And I don't mind at all. I love driving; or maybe it's that I hate being in a car if someone else is driving, who knows. I've done the straight drive twice before, so I know that wont be an issue, but I don't think I've ever left that early and then done a full day at the park. My sister and I left between 3 and 4 when went, if I'm not mistaken, and I know I was able to last that full day then. I just get so wired sleep is never needed. It's like the magic of Disney keeps me going!

We just want as many full days as possible. We've got Saturday and Sunday for sure, and then Monday morning before we drive home, but I'd rather have another full day (or as close to it as it we can get) then only a half-day. Otherwise I doubt I'd really have time to do everything that we want to do.


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## Belle Ella

Sooner or later I'm going to get that girl over here to share her side of the madness. She's very resistent in every way sometimes. Or maybe I'm just too obsessive. It's part of my charm.

So I got my first LGMH's today!! I'm excited to play around with those. Pretty soon I'm heading back to Home Depot to pick up some other colors because we're going to follow a few suggestions and make a countown calnedar with them! It's going to be a fun project, all done while watching The Little Mermaid!

Oh, and I'm going to start brainstorming some ideas for a Photo Scavenger Hunt, so if anyone has ideas please share them. I'm looking for things that we need to find, or places where we need to get pictures of ourselves, or silly poses. The more input, the merrier!


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## Belle Ella

We started making our countdown calendar!  It's been a fun afternoon! Here are some pics to share:






We were thinking that we were going to use the glitter sticky paper to line our countdown days, then we had the idea to use them with our LGMH as a fun backing. We're still playing around with things. They're foam papers so they're a little tricky to do what we originally had in mind but we're determined to figure it out!

Then of course there is the fun with every Micky paint chip that our Home Depot had (they were out of 3 of the purples). There ended up being just enough for our 28 day countdown (DIS-Day is in the Alien Green) and then the black and white are our "foot prints" on the back of the board.











We had to figure out what order we wanted to arrange them in. We're going to do something fun with an old school Mickey Mouse and the white/black glitter sticky paper on the left hand side and the name of our calendar (because it deserves one) will be going across the center.











And then 2 of us in the process of working on it!






^ *Frick*






^ *Frack *

I'm actually at her house now and I'll be sure she drops in to say hello this time!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> *The Journey*
> 
> We're making the trek down south from this crazy little town about an hour east of San Francisco - it's about 6 hours give or take (meaning give all thanks to traffic). We're leaving this crap-hole nice and early (try 2 AM - the joys of being a regular on the no sleep train) on a Friday morning (March 27th) and we'll be coming on home sometime Monday afternoon depending on whether or not someone decides she wants to attend her photo class or spend a couple of extra hours park-hopping (guess which of the two will win out).
> 
> There will be plenty of input from the both of us about all of the goings-on since it's all we can talk about anyways. Catch 'ya soon!




*ANOUNCEMENT*: *Frack will NOT be going to her photography class!*

-*Frick*


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> *ANOUNCEMENT*: *Frack will NOT be going to her photography class!*



Pff! Why not, my photography class is full of win! Lovell is the funniest and funnest teacher in the history of fun and funny teachers.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Pff! Why not, my photography class is full of win! Lovell is the funniest and funnest teacher in the history of fun and funny teachers.



Well if that is so I'm quite sure she will be when you are back the monday after. Pff 

-*Frick*


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## Belle Ella

That she will be. Except we'll have class on Wednesday night too.

So! Brainstorming our Photo Scavenger Hunt - any ideas?


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> That she will be. Except we'll have class on Wednesday night too.
> 
> So! Brainstorming our Photo Scavenger Hunt - any ideas?




*Jade* Elephant at the ice cream parlor, not much of a hunt because it is pretty huge but anywho.

-*Frick*


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## Michelle2

Your countdown calendar looks like so much fun, be sure to post a pic of it when its all done. Usually all I do it is a cheap and easy paper chain....LOL

I think we might overlap by a day on the 27th!


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## kaoden39

I am all for leaving at two in the morning that is what we used to do when I was younger.  Now though we leave around 7 PM and we miss out on all the rush hour traffic and I can get a few hours sleep when I get down there.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am all for leaving at two in the morning that is what we used to do when I was younger.  Now though we leave around 7 PM and we miss out on all the rush hour traffic and I can get a few hours sleep when I get down there.



We were going to lave earlier but I wouldn't want to get there so much earlier than things opening and we can't get into our hotel room until after 3 I think. Anything we can do to get more time in the park I am all game for, though.



Michelle2 said:


> Your countdown calendar looks like so much fun, be sure to post a pic of it when its all done. Usually all I do it is a cheap and easy paper chain....LOL
> 
> I think we might overlap by a day on the 27th!



Looks like we might!

And I brought the calendar back to my house to finish it and it's all done (minus the actual counting down which will be done every morning)! I did get a little lazy and hand wrote part of it in with a silver Sharpie. Shame one. But other than that, I think it looks great! My back was starting to hurt while I was cutting out the lettering so I kind of gave up. Not to mention I have to go to work at 10 tonight and I want to get some sleep before!


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## kaoden39

Your calender is so cute.


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## RiverLou

*Frick* here! Woohoo I can finally post some pics.  

From 2007-

*En Garde!*


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## Belle Ella

We're really going to be there in 26 days!! It was so awesome to mark down another day on the calendar this morning when I got home from work - it really uplifted my spirits!

So this project has been a few days in the making now, but I have finally gone through and uploaded my photos from the last time *Frick* and I were in Disneyland together (which would be July 2006). Wow, that seems like so long ago.





^ *Frick* is on the left and my little sister is on the right!

Why do I do it to myself? As if DL wasn't already all that I could think about, that was nothing compared to now. I want to be there so, so, so, so badly. And I want to make sure I do it right this time, which means doing a little more pre-planning than I normally would. Too bad Frick and I don't see so eye to eye on this. She's more of a "we'll figure it out when we get there" kind of gal but I need to have something mapped out before we go or I may just have an anxiety attack. Oh yeah, not to self, get more Ativan.

As it stands right now, the only things I know for sure are:

- MM on Saturday (park opens at 8, so be there before 7)
- BB on Saturday night (6:10 p.m.)
- M&F breakfast on Monday morning (8:40 a.m.)

It's not much, but it's a start. I know we're also planning to go see Aladdin, we're just not sure what day/time.

OH! And as it turns out, one of my bosses will be there sometime this week! I'm a little jealous, lol, but I can't wait to hear all about his trip.


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> *En Garde!*



I *love* that one!!


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## DizNee Luver

Those were great pics.....keep em coming!!!


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## prettyprincessbelle

I LOVE your Avatar! Keep up the pics! They are super cute! We're going to Minnie's at the Plaza Inn in April for the first time. It looks like fun!


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## Belle Ella

prettyprincessbelle said:


> I LOVE your Avatar! Keep up the pics! They are super cute! We're going to Minnie's at the Plaza Inn in April for the first time. It looks like fun!



Thanks  I lovels it so much!

We'll be sure to leave a nice report of how the meal was. It really does look like fun, doesn't it? I can't wait for it, and ten to go back to DL so I can try another character meal.

March is a big month for me, a confessed Twilight addict. I can't believe I get my hands on the DVD in 20 days, and then a week later get to go to Disneyland! I'm all for picking my copy up at midnight, it'll bring back memories of the Midnight release party that I had a blast at. I went to Borders (where I'd been at discussion groups for the other books and have made a lot of friends) with Frack and we both dressed up and took part in the costume contest - where I won  because we went all out and made a fake cast and everything.

Add in my first 2 hockey games in a couple months and I'm just ready to party all month long. Can it just be the end of the month already!?!?!?!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Thanks  I lovels it so much!



I think she meant mine, silly. 

Thank you, I love that painting!


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## Belle Ella

Someone's brain never works after an overnight shift. I shall not be held responsible for the stupid **** I say, think, or do on so little sleep.


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## Belle Ella

Oh man! What a day I had. I don't think I should ever try planning 2 vacations at once. Or in this case 3. Some details are bound to be royally screwed up.

By the way, these are the 3 vacations occupying my brain:
- DLR March 27-30
- Texas to visit family the week of June 25th
- DLR September 8-12

So, here's the crazy and horrifying mix up I made today - I pretty much cancelled our reservations for HOJO on 3/27-3/30. All that I wanted to do was make a small change to the reservation that I already made for September. Well, I made the change alright - *to the wrong reservation*. So our March res. went out the window and I suddenly had two res. for 9/8-9/12.

No, _no_, *NO*

Let's just say I started to panic a little. OK, make that a lot. I don't do well with stress and it doesn't take much for me to go into full blown panic attack mode, which isn't pretty. I think I screamed out loud when I realized what I had done and made a very, very, very mad dash for my cell phone to call and try and fix my big old goof. I got to spend 10 minutes on the phone with one person who told me they couldn't do anything and then trying to reach the front desk before being told to call back in 30 minutes because of course it was the magic time of 3 o'clock meaning check-in. I finally get my call through another 20 minutes later and manage to get transferred back to in-house reservations and I swear the woman who I talked to is my new savior. To make a long sobbing story by me short (because that is now what I do when I'm stressed) we got our room back, at a cheaper rate (mousesavers, I believe), and all is right in my world again.

Oh, and* Frick* doesn't have to kill me.

_Yet_.

On to better news though, and completely OT. I get to go to a hockey game tomorrow night! I have been dying to get to another game in over a month and now I have 2 coming up!!


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## kaoden39

That actually ended well for you considering.  How fun for the hockey game.  Hockey is much more exciting live.


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## DizNee Luver

That's a relief you got that fixed!!  I'd been in a full-blown panic attack too!!!    Thank goodness they were able to fix it & get you a better rate......SCORE!!!  

Now, no more messing with your resies!!!!


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That actually ended well for you considering.  How fun for the hockey game.  Hockey is much more exciting live.



That it is! Although I can always watch a game on television no problem - because most of the time it's all I can get! If I lived closer to SJ I would get season tickets. Gas makes it a little crazy.



DizNee Luver said:


> That's a relief you got that fixed!!  I'd been in a full-blown panic attack too!!!    Thank goodness they were able to fix it & get you a better rate......SCORE!!!
> 
> Now, no more messing with your resies!!!!



One of those instances where you learn your lesson the hard way, huh?

Just got back from *Frick's*  We watched The Little Mermaid and created our nice long playlist for the drive to DLR!


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## Belle Ella

*23 days to go!!!*

Last night I realized the main reason why I don't want it to rain during our stay: *I hate driving in the rain*!! Coming home last night from San Jose after the game was a nightmare for me thanks to the rain, and that was only an hours drive. I don't even want to think what it would be like if the whole drive to DLR was rain, rain, and more rain.

But I had a good time. Even with the rain, and getting the entire lower half of my pants soaked before even getting to HP Pavillion (note to self: rain boots might not be a bad investment at some point). Even with the Sharks loss of JoePa at the end of the first period. Even with the flat play the rest of the game. Even with the loss. I had a good time. I needed another hockey game in my system and that's what I got (plus a large Dippin Dots!!).

So I know these are OT, but I wanted to share a few of my pics from last night:

















The play that would give the Sharks their one and only goal of the game:





Last but not least, a very crappy pic of me (talk about raccoon eyes):





I don't have many of me from hockey games, and now I remember why. I forgot to change my settings back to auto before handing my camera off to somebody. Next time, it would really help to have somebody go with me, lol.

On the DLR front, I'm excited to have all the details of our Photoshare worked out. I've never gotten the PhotoPass CD before because it was just too expensive for me to do on my own. Now the problem is solved! Frick and I should be getting out park hoppers on Friday before I get my hair cute. Thankfully, my Credit Union has some cheaper tickets! $147.60 each for 4-day hoppers.


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## kaoden39

Cool pictures!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Last but not least, a very crappy pic of me (talk about raccoon eyes):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have many of me from hockey games, and now I remember why. I forgot to change my settings back to auto before handing my camera off to somebody. *Next time, it would really help to have somebody go with me, lol.*




**Ahem**


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> **Ahem**



I would have gotten you tickets if you'd had any money silly. You always told me you was broke whenever I mentioned games.

Tomorrow we're supposed to be getting our hoppers! I'm so excited, it'll just make everything that much more real to hold some physical evidence that we're actually going! And I get my hair cute. And we're going to go see Coraline. Good day, good day.


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## Belle Ella

So I just finished making my first LGMH. I picked up some neon pony beads the other day and this cool kids craft rope that I liked (it has red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and a light blue in it). I couldn't find the hole puncher until today so it had to be put aside until I located it. I'm going to keep futzing with it though. I just realized that I used the wrong mickey head (I had about 5 that I put into a _I don't like_ pile). I had finally made one that I thought was cut well and my handwriting didn't look horrible on, and it's disappeared. Boo! Then come the troubles of uploading the image off of my SD card and onto my laptop. *All of the files on my memory card were corrupted!* Not good. Not good at all; I had 50+ images on there for my Quality of Light assignment for my photo class. I'm crossing my fingers that I remembered to back the rest of those up on my other hard drive or I am going to be one very upset girl. I had some great shots on there. I'll take a look on the drive later tonight and if not, I'll just have to scramble to re-shoot and edit the assignment by Monday when I have to print. It shouldn't be hard, but I was looking forward to turning in an extra contact sheet. So I reformatted the card which deleted the bad files and tried it again with success!

Anyways, here it is:


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## DizNee Luver

It looks great!!!!   I love it!


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## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> It looks great!!!!   I love it!



Thank you


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## travelmel

Hi!

I love scavenger hunts!!  How about Esmerelda (the fortune teller) or that other fortune teller that's over in NOS somewhere.

Also, there's a really great squished penny machine near Splash Mountain... your penny slides down the tiny splash mountain replica inside the machine!

And yes, the elephant is big but it's SO cool and even after going to DL for 38 yrs I didn't notice it until my last trip a year ago!   But I'm glad I did.


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## Belle Ella

travelmel said:


> Hi!
> 
> I love scavenger hunts!!  How about Esmerelda (the fortune teller) or that other fortune teller that's over in NOS somewhere.
> 
> *Also, there's a really great squished penny machine near Splash Mountain... your penny slides down the tiny splash mountain replica inside the machine!*
> 
> And yes, the elephant is big but it's SO cool and even after going to DL for 38 yrs I didn't notice it until my last trip a year ago!   But I'm glad I did.



I so, so love penny presses, lol. I'll take a look for that one. I usually avoid SM like the plague because it makes me sick just thinking about riding it. I promised *Frick* I would give it a shot for the first time this trip. AH! Giving me the creeps just thinking about it.

Hopefully within the next hour we'll be off to pay for up our PH! I'm so excited. Although if I'm not mistaken we'll still have to hit up the ticket booth to exchange them for the actual tickets. I've never gotten the passes through my Credit Union before (I go the CityPass through Costco last time) so I don't know if they give us the actual passes there or not. We'll see.

Then I get my hair cut!

Then we're going to go see Coraline!


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## travelmel

Belle Ella said:


> I so, so love penny presses, lol. I'll take a look for that one. I usually avoid SM like the plague because it makes me sick just thinking about riding it. I promised *Frick* I would give it a shot for the first time this trip. AH! Giving me the creeps just thinking about it.
> 
> Hopefully within the next hour we'll be off to pay for up our PH! I'm so excited. Although if I'm not mistaken we'll still have to hit up the ticket booth to exchange them for the actual tickets. I've never gotten the passes through my Credit Union before (I go the CityPass through Costco last time) so I don't know if they give us the actual passes there or not. We'll see.
> 
> Then I get my hair cut!
> 
> Then we're going to go see Coraline!



SM is so fun! 

Coraline is one of the most visually pretty movies I have ever seen. The 3-D was awesome and I thought the whole thing was beautiful!


----------



## RiverLou

Just got back from the  with *Frack*. We ended up seeing *Watchmen*, apparently the passes I had are only good for so much $ and Coraline costs more because of it being in 3D (go fig.). Not that we're complaining *at all*. The movie was awesome, I think I'll have to see it again, but in IMAX. I suppose we were fated to see Watchmen. I had asked *Frack* earlier today if she would rather that than Coraline, she said no, because the theater might have too many obnoxious teenagers since it would be after school hours and the movie just came out. Again, quite happy that we did see it. Still, of course, want to see Coraline.

Oh! We finally got our tickets today. Yes, actual tickets. Not time wasting vouchers. Woohoo!  

Er, I'll let *Frack* fill in what happened after we got our PH's.



Three words to end this post....

Patrick-Wilson's-tush!


----------



## kaoden39

I SO want to see that.  Is it to grown up for a mature 13 year old?  My son and I are supposed to go the movies tomorrow and I would really like to see that.


----------



## RiverLou

kaoden39 said:


> I SO want to see that.  Is it to grown up for a mature 13 year old?  My son and I are supposed to go the movies tomorrow and I would really like to see that.



I would say that it is a bit much for a 13 year old. And there is some boots-on, not hidden under covers sex (anyone have a fan? ahem  ). Don't know how comfortable you would be with that. And of course a lot of gore and disturbing violence. I'll say it again though, GREAT movie. Maybe see it with a friend?


----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> I would say that it is a bit much for a 13 year old. And there is some boots-on, not hidden under covers sex (anyone have a fan? ahem  ). Don't know how comfortable you would be with that. And of course a lot of gore and disturbing violence. I'll say it again though, GREAT movie. Maybe see it with a friend?



That's what I am gonna do.  My husband is working so much overtime for our Disneyland trip that he is too tired to go anywhere.  Now to talk my best friend into it.  Oh waot I have an adult nephew......


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> I would say that it is a bit much for a 13 year old. And there is some boots-on, not hidden under covers sex (anyone have a fan? ahem  ). Don't know how comfortable you would be with that. And of course a lot of gore and disturbing violence. I'll say it again though, GREAT movie. Maybe see it with a friend?



I second her assessment. It's R for a reason, lol.

Yesterday didn't turn out at all like we had planned, did it. Yeesh.

1. Work was a total drag. I wanted to ring my co-workers neck for what I can assure was not the first time. Thankfully after tomorrow she'll be out for 2 1/2 weeks for surgery and then I'll be gone the weekend she come s back.

2. My Disney checks came in!! I wasn't expecting them at all. I had totally forgotten I had ordered them until I noticed a funky withdrawal in my checking account, did a little digging and it was the company we order checks through. _Now_ I remembered. Last week was probably the first time in over a year I've physically stepped foot inside our Credit Union. But I went to check the mail and I had a nice little box of checks! First up - Simba and Nala!

3. Went to pick up Frick and we made our way to the Credit Union to go buy our PH's! I was a little more than giddy on that front. Got a little surprise there as my uncle (my very, very, very strange uncle, I might add) was at the window right next to us. He kept whispering "_Jessie_" towards us and it took me a while to realize he meant me. I hate it when people call me Jess or Jessie. Hate it! Thankfully he didn't pester us too much and went on his way. I'm not kidding when I say he scares me a little. But back to the PH's!! They're not vouchers or anything else we need to exchange when we get there, but are our actual PH's!!

Me with my PH:





Frick with my PH (her's has Donald Duck along with Huey, Dewey, and Louie):





4. My hair cut appointment was _supposed_ to be next up at 3:45. I had been worrying that the appointment was actually Thursday and not Friday, but she didn't call me last night so I figured I was in the clear. We get there maybe 15 minutes beforehand and Lisa (the family friend who has been cutting my hair all my life) is busy shampooing someone's hair. Uh-oh, not a good sign. Pretty much she tells me that she had me written down for 2:45, and my mood goes downhill fast. I'm used to getting my days mixed up, but not the actual time of my appointment. What the hell! We get back to my house and I go a little crazy trying to find my appointment card, and sure enough it said 3:45 and not 2:45. I know it's just hair, but I'm still pissed off about the mix-up. I _need_ to have my hair cut before we leave, and because of a vacation she took either last week or is taking this week, I know it's going to be near-impossible for her to fit me in before the 27th. I don't really trust anyone else with my hair. I'll just have to see what happens wen I call her on Monday because she wont have her appointment book until then (since we saw a movie I couldn't call her before she left the studio).

5. Well, the rest Frick filled you in on. So glad we ended up seeing Watchmen! I loved it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay. Got the drama about my hair appointment sorted out. I have another appointment on St. Patrick's Day, and this time it will happen!!

I found my Disney-box the other day and my old Birthday button from my last trip (where I celebrated my 21st birthday a few months early). Aw, it was so exciting to see.

Here's my thought: In honor of this year marking 20 years (gasp! we'll really have known each other for two whole decades coming up) of friendship, we should get some "*We're Celebrating*" buttons.


----------



## kaoden39

I am glad you have straightened around the hair drama.   I think the buttons sound like a great idea.  I got out the disc with the pictures from our last trip and looked at them the other day.  It was great fun.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love how going to DLR can bring some joy even long after you've left, you know? All I have to do is look through my old photos and things I gathered while I was there and it's _almost_ like I'm there again. Then again, it makes me dying to go back so I can't concentrate.


----------



## wvnative

I know what you mean. My English professor is a Disney nut too and was more than happy to look through the ppt I made of all of our pics from the Pirates 3 premiere after class last night. lol

I keep putting off taking my pins off my old backpack and putting them on my new one. I want to be just about ready to go before I do that. lol


----------



## Sarah84

Sounds like a great trip you have planned, though what a long day it will be the day you go leaving at 2am  i dont think id have the energy to walk around Disney for the day after that long drive.

Glad you managed to sort out your hair appointment and the mix up with cancelling the hotel booking and yay at the cheaper rate too 

The hockey game pictures are great, my boyf wanted to see a Hockey game while were on our California & Vegas trip but sadly we won't be there when the season is on so he'll have to wait tilla nother trip to the US for that.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Sounds like a great trip you have planned, though what a long day it will be the day you go leaving at 2am  i dont think id have the energy to walk around Disney for the day after that long drive.
> 
> Glad you managed to sort out your hair appointment and the mix up with cancelling the hotel booking and yay at the cheaper rate too
> 
> The hockey game pictures are great, my boyf wanted to see a Hockey game while were on our California & Vegas trip but sadly we won't be there when the season is on so he'll have to wait tilla nother trip to the US for that.



Just an FYI, a hockey game may not be 100% out of the question. Pre-season games start in September so depending on when you go you could always go that route. The games are cheaper, but still just as much fun! Just to keep that in mind  The schedules wont be released for some time to come, but it's worth a shot in my opinion!


----------



## Sarah84

Belle Ella said:


> Just an FYI, a hockey game may not be 100% out of the question. Pre-season games start in September so depending on when you go you could always go that route. The games are cheaper, but still just as much fun! Just to keep that in mind  The schedules wont be released for some time to come, but it's worth a shot in my opinion!



Ooh thast great, thanks for letting me know that. When usually will the dates for those be released?


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I know what you mean. My English professor is a Disney nut too and was more than happy to look through the ppt I made of all of our pics from the Pirates 3 premiere after class last night. lol
> 
> I keep putting off taking my pins off my old backpack and putting them on my new one. I want to be just about ready to go before I do that. lol



I love that your ticker officially says 2 weeks!! I know it's only one day less than we have, but it's making me want to jump for joy over here. We're all so close.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Ooh thast great, thanks for letting me know that. When usually will the dates for those be released?



Sometime this summer. I don't know how late would be too last minute for you to factor it into your plans, but I believe this past year they released the schedule the first week of August.


----------



## kaoden39

It's funny how much Disneyland touches other parts of our lives.  I was at the DR with my daughter Kody today and I noticed that a mural they had resembled Sleeping Beauty's Castle and said something to the receptionist.  So she started a conversation with me about Disneyland and California Adventure.  Yep it's every where.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It's funny how much Disneyland touches other parts of our lives.  I was at the DR with my daughter Kody today and I noticed that a mural they had resembled Sleeping Beauty's Castle and said something to the receptionist.  So she started a conversation with me about Disneyland and California Adventure.  Yep it's every where.



Everywhere! We had a critique last night for my Photography class and it took me less than a second to realize that there was a photo of a Mickie Mouse painting on one of my classmates' contact sheet. I nearly jumped out of my seat, it was hilarious.


----------



## kaoden39

Disney love is everywhere!


----------



## Belle Ella

We officially have two weeks! 14 days from now we'll be enjoying our late afternoon in the park (although I'll probably be taking a nap maybe now to make up for the drive somewhat)!! That is so exciting!!

We're watching Pinocchio right now  I was so excited to see the little "peek" that Snow White is being re-released "soon". I want it so, so, so bad. I didn't have my own money when it came out on DVD and my parents would buy it for me! Snow White is my all time favorite. The second it came on the TV screen I about screamed.

Today was a bit of silliness and fun at work today! Every Friday we have a Fun event, and this week our HR set up a scavenger hunt around the store (I work for Target, if I haven't mentioned that already). I love games and scavenger hunts and all that so I was excited. We also got a little prize bag when we completed our hunt. I ended up doing all three because I could. And what did I get? Candy and a glow stick   Which were stacking up on for while we're there, because glow sticks are full of win.


----------



## DizNee Luver

You're getting so close now........ are you excited????    Like I had to ask!!
We had a blast & I know you will too!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Excited is the understatement of the year!! Now that some faces have gone and come back it's just making me that much more excited that we're leaving in less than 2 weeks! 11 sleeps! Although I'm not quite sure that last sleep counts  All I can think about is DLR and Mickey Mouse (who of course popped out in a dream last night that had nothing to do with DL). Day or night, I have Disney on the brain!


----------



## wvnative

I seriously think the four of us should hang out for a little while next week.  

I am so not counting the night before we go as one of our sleeps. I know I'll be up half the night looking at the clock to make sure I don't oversleep. It's not like I can't rely on my alarm to wake me up. lol I would love to be able to treat it liek any other night, but since I'll have to pick up my friend at a time that could potentially be past my bedtime, I don't think that's gonna be possible. hehe


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I seriously think the four of us should hang out for a little while next week.
> 
> I am so not counting the night before we go as one of our sleeps. I know I'll be up half the night looking at the clock to make sure I don't oversleep. It's not like I can't rely on my alarm to wake me up. lol I would love to be able to treat it liek any other night, but since I'll have to pick up my friend at a time that could potentially be past my bedtime, I don't think that's gonna be possible. hehe



I'll bring it up with Frick, but I'm all for a meet up  That would be awesome.

So I am amending my previous statement - only 10 more sleeps! Ha. As if I'll even be able to sleep the night before we leave anyways - especially if departure time is looking to be 2 AM!


----------



## Michelle2

I never count the last night, or the travel day either....that's as good as already there! AND heading down is one of the best parts!

I have 3 more sleeps! Even though we won't be in DL until the 23rd, our trip starts early on the 20th!


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> *I'll bring it up with Frick, but I'm all for a meet up  That would be awesome.*
> 
> So I am amending my previous statement - only 10 more sleeps! Ha. *As if I'll even be able to sleep the night before we leave anyways* - especially if departure time is looking to be 2 AM!



Sounds alright to me!

Eh you might sleep a lil..... if I trap you in the guest bedroom. Of course then you'd probably spend that time reading, or doing a mental checklist, or yelling at me. Maybe some combination of all three.


----------



## Sarah84

OMG 10 more sleeps, you must feel so excited i know i will be when i have 10 sleep left, infact i probably wont sleep


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Sounds alright to me!
> 
> Eh you might sleep a lil..... if I trap you in the guest bedroom. Of course then you'd probably spend that time reading, or doing a mental checklist, or yelling at me. Maybe some combination of all three.



Have I ever actually verbally yelled at you before? I know I have in my head plenty of times. 

I'm sure with everything going on next week I'll get some sleep. I just have to make sure that it happens early enough and with my wonderful new discovery - a sleeping mask!! Maybe add in some Tylenol PM or something too, lol.


----------



## Ottilie

This thread has been so fun to read, as we're going the same days as you! I've got to make DD a countdown calendar like yours!


----------



## Belle Ella

Ottilie said:


> This thread has been so fun to read, as we're going the same days as you! I've got to make DD a countdown calendar like yours!



Make sure you make your LMGH! Maybe we'll see you there. The countdown calendar was so much fun to make! Especially while watching and singing along to Mama Mia (although any Disney movie is an excellent replacement).


----------



## wvnative

LOL... I am currently "banned" from any countdown calendar other than numbers on our actual calendar. Apparently anythign other than that is way uncool in the teenage world we live in especially when the teenager is not going on the same trip. hahaha 

I took the kid to breakfast at Mimi's on Sunday. We were discussing what to order. She decided on the ham and cheddar croissant. It looked really good and must have been since she actually ate the leftovers. She was surprised I didn't order that as its' one of my favorites. Boy did I get a look when I told her I hadn't ordered it because I would be having the same thing at Carnation. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

So, hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day yesterday! It's always a fun event in my household because some friends of the family (actually, previously mentioned lady who cuts my hair) come over every year and let's just say hanging out with them should be put into the Olympics - it's not for the faint hearted (or for easy blushers like me).

Oh, and I did get my hair cut!





^ The rats nest from behind. Forgot to take a better "before" picture, but it was a long day and I was a wreck. I hate going to work at 5 in the morning on no sleep.





^ So I went a little crazy.

It was awesome though, and I did feel a little bad. Lisa (hair stylist/good friend of the family) was sick, but came in just so we didn't have to reschedule _again_ after the appointment debacle and because she knew how much I wanted it done before I left for Disneyland. We did figure out what happened, too. She wrote down the 3 before she wrote the :45 thinking I would come in *at* 3, but decided she wanted an extra 15 minutes, so that's where the 2:45 came from, but she forgot to change the 3 to a 2. I hope that made sense.





^ It looks so much nicer now. And it wont take me as long to straighten it in the morning so I might actually do more than pull it back. Cross your fingers. We didn't do a better head-on picture though.

Anyone else love my Snow White shirt? Yeah, I love it!



wvnative said:


> LOL... I am currently "banned" from any countdown calendar other than numbers on our actual calendar. Apparently anythign other than that is way uncool in the teenage world we live in especially when the teenager is not going on the same trip. hahaha



Man, my teenage world would have loved a countdown calendar. Then again, my teenage world wasn't really that long ago now that I think about it, so the same rules still apply to the today. But I guess the whole countdown to Disneyland and not being able to go would be the kicker in the bucket for me!


----------



## wvnative

Look how nice your hair lays. Mine never behaves like that. lol 

Just a week to go!


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> Look how nice your hair lays. Mine never behaves like that. lol
> 
> Just a week to go!



Haha, yeah, it does for all of one day, and then it's back to all hell breaking loose. You know how your hair never looks like it did on that first day? But I'm actually liking the way it's falling today minus the fact I barely had time to straighten it this morning because I was running late to work.

I can't believe that this time next week I'll be getting ready to go to sleep before the early morning drive!!


----------



## wvnative

Shoot. Give mine 20 minutes past the styling and it's back to doin' it's own thing. I am seriously debating the need to bring my curling iron. haha 

I know! This time next week we'll be trying to fit in another ride or two before our PS for Cafe Orleans.


----------



## Belle Ella

Good point! I wish my hair could always look like that. Alas, it's actually holding up on its own when I do it!!

OK, so it is 12:40 and I am officially 15 minutes into watching Twilight! The midnight release at our Hot Topic was so awesome. We got stripping, boys in tutus, and oh, so much more! I have got to share photos and video (first in line to get my DVD, and was home after dropping Frick off all within less than 30 minutes)!!


----------



## Belle Ella

So, here's more pictures, and even a Disney realted one to stay just a touch OT ... Since it's an event leading up to the big Dis-day in less than a week - only one left to go and that's my hockey game in just under 12 hours - it of course has to be mentioned.

I am a Twilight addict and ahve been since I first picked up the book. It's been non-stop obsesion ever since. Breaking Dawn release party? Check. I dressed up as Bella from prom - cast, bite scar included - and won the costume contest. Discussion groups? Of course, talking with other addicts is always a plus. Twilight Tour and Rob Pattinson hitting San Francisco? I had to brave the insanity for that adventure and it was beyond worth it. Midnight showing of the Twilight movie? We were there ready and waiting at 12 noon. Needless to say this series has kept me waiting for so many hours and for so many reasons. Tonight's wait was by far the most entertaining!!

We ended up hanging out at the mall all evening. We got there around 6 to poke around the stores, see how they were going to go about giving out the DVDs, and of course eat. I was determined to get mine first because I'm possessive like that. We even made a stop by the beloved Disney Store.






Have I mentioned that I love Thumper? I already have this fella, but I couldn't resist giving him a hug!! He's so lufable.

For some insane reason the had us go outside at 10 for all of about 20 minutes before the let us line up inside _at_ Hot Topic. I'm sure they gave us a reason, but we were really out there for so short a time that it's just not clicking in my head. But it meant that we went from what could have been about 8th in line to being at the front. So they let us in to shop and enter the raffle for a signed Jacob poster - sure would be nice to add to my "collection" even if I'm not a Taylor/Jacob fan - and I just made a straight line to where the DVD line would start which made us numero uno! Yeah, my Spanish sucks!





Note to self - standing like that is not flattering at all!

And I give you the boys in tutus!





I didn't get a picture of it, but they also put a tiara and a boa on the cardboard Edward. And our friend Hector here (below) gave a little show of his own. Pants were dropping - literally - while he was showing off his tattoos.






So, that's all I got for you (I do have videos though) for now. I've got to get back to paying attention to the movie!!

Seriously though - less than *6 days* until we'll be in Disneyland!!!!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Oh my gosh.....you're down to 4 days!!!!!! How very exciting!!!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I know! I know! I can't believe it's really so close. I was thinking about that all day at work today, and counting out all the things I have left to do before we leave:

- 2 History classes
- 2 Photography Classes
- 2 more shifts at work (one for 4 1/2 hours, the other for 5 1/2 hours)

THEN WE LEAVE!!! OK, yeah, I still have a 1500 word essay that I have to write by Thursday, and an old photo I have to retouch for my photography assignment, but we're in the home stretch!! Mostly all of my packing is done except for the clothes that I need this week (can anyone say late morning laundry run on Thursday?).


----------



## wvnative

I feel your pain. I've opted not to go to my Wed night class because, well, that would be insane. lol I did finish my 1500 word essay this morning. I'll email it to her tomorrow since I forgot to bring my cover sheet in today. I already emailed my Rock History exam since I'll miss that class on Saturday. S has a 15 page essay due Wed. Well, techinically it isn't due until the 29th but she wants it done and sent before we leave. It's all coming together.


----------



## Belle Ella

Haha! Yeah, if I could I would be skipping my Thursday afternoon class, but that's the day that my essay is due! Ah, the horror. I guess I could always send it in with my sister since she's in my class. Ohh, how bad of me would that be? That is going to be the most tedious hour and a half to sit through *ever*!!


----------



## wvnative

Yep! One of the reasons I am not going. Luckily I can simply email mine to the instructor. As long as she receives it before class starts on Wed she's cool.


----------



## Belle Ella

I wish. I'd rather email my paper but it has to be handed in, hard copy. If I can, I'll give into having my sister tunr mine in, but I probably wont. I've missed quite a few classes already and that probably wouldn't help. Sigh.


----------



## wvnative

I think I've "forgotten" myself into having to actually deliver mine. lol I forgot to scan in the cover sheet because I keep forgetting to bring it to work with me. She won't accept it without one. So, I've now printed mine out and will drop it off before class starts. It's no big deal. The school isn't too far from my house and it will allow me to pick up a pizza for dinner from my favorite spot. lol I hate to make her print all that stuff out anyway. Just adds one more errand tomorrow's list.


----------



## Teki

Belle Ella said:


> We officially have two weeks! 14 days from now we'll be enjoying our late afternoon in the park (although I'll probably be taking a nap maybe now to make up for the drive somewhat)!! That is so exciting!!
> 
> We're watching Pinocchio right now  I was so excited to see the little "peek" that Snow White is being re-released "soon". I want it so, so, so bad. I didn't have my own money when it came out on DVD and my parents would buy it for me! Snow White is my all time favorite. The second it came on the TV screen I about screamed.
> 
> Today was a bit of silliness and fun at work today! Every Friday we have a Fun event, and this week our HR set up a scavenger hunt around the store (I work for Target, if I haven't mentioned that already). I love games and scavenger hunts and all that so I was excited. We also got a little prize bag when we completed our hunt. I ended up doing all three because I could. And what did I get? Candy and a glow stick   Which were stacking up on for while we're there, because glow sticks are full of win.



I work at target also! although we dont do any fun stuff. They just pretend to not be aware we are having no fun, and keep telling us how fun it is to work there lol


----------



## Belle Ella

Teki said:


> I work at target also! although we dont do any fun stuff. They just pretend to not be aware we are having no fun, and keep telling us how fun it is to work there lol



That's not very fast, fun and friendly! We didn't use to until we got our new HR a while back ago. Every Friday we have games (like Turkey Bowling around Thanksgiving) and the last Friday of every month we have a big "birthday party" with cake for all of the birthdays of the month. I'm usually there on Friday's, so I usually miss out. What department do you work?

OOH! One day of work left. Too bad it's my longest shift this week. Yeesh.


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh man! I just realized that as of tonight I need to have everything packed and ready to go! I'm heading over to Frick's house as soon as I get out of class tomorrow (work at 6 a.m. and class straight afterwards) to finish a few last minute things and then I am trying to go to sleep nice and early and then we'll be *leaving for Disneyland*!!!!


----------



## Sarah84

Belle Ella said:


> Oh man! I just realized that as of tonight I need to have everything packed and ready to go! I'm heading over to Frick's house as soon as I get out of class tomorrow (work at 6 a.m. and class straight afterwards) to finish a few last minute things and then I am trying to go to sleep nice and early and then we'll be *leaving for Disneyland*!!!!




You must be so excited  have a fantastic time


----------



## Belle Ella

Had to tell someone, but I just finished my paper!! That's practically the biggest hurdle between me and Disneyland right now and it is DONE! It didn't even need to be as long as I thought (maximum 1200 words, mine is 1117). But it's a big sigh of relief. Now I just need to go to class tonight and finish up my retouch assignment and then a fun day at work (I actually love what I do on Thursdays, especially because I get to listen to my iPod my whole shift which means more Twilight) and I am home free.

OK, back to packing now that my laundry is done.


----------



## kaoden39

Woohoo!  You are so close!  Now is the time before the trip that I begin to get hyper and become tunnel visioned.


----------



## Belle Ella

OMFG!!! This is crazy. It's my last night of sleep at home until Monday!! Tomorrow after work/class Frick and I will be putting the finishing touches on whatever we need and then I'll be dreaming of DL!!

Just over 24 hours before we actually *leave*!!!


----------



## RiverLou

So, guess who didn't sleep last night?

*Jumping up and down while waving arms about like a madwoman*
(something between this -  and this- )

"Pray tell Miss River, why did you not get your beauty sleep?" You say...

Well, you see... going to Disneyland tomorrow makes me feel like, this    

And packing makes me feel like so:   

I suppose now that makes me a bit like this ~        

But it's all gravy because I know by this time tomorrow i will be on  .


----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> So, guess who didn't sleep last night?
> 
> *Jumping up and down while waving arms about like a madwoman*
> (something between this -  and this- )
> 
> "Pray tell Miss River, why did you not get your beauty sleep?" You say...
> 
> Well, you see... going to Disneyland tomorrow makes me feel like, this
> 
> And packing makes me feel like so:
> 
> I suppose now that makes me a bit like this ~
> 
> But it's all gravy because I know by this time tomorrow i will be on  .





Have lots of fun!


----------



## Belle Ella

*less than 12 hours to go!!*​


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *less than 12 hours to go!!*​





Woo hoo!


----------



## Belle Ella

I am so crazy excited it's not funny! Waiting for the other one to get ready so we can go get gas and diner for tonight, then I'm painting my nails and off to bed! I so cannot believe it's really, really, *really* here! And I made it through work and class without imploding!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am so crazy excited it's not funny! Waiting for the other one to get ready so we can go get gas and diner for tonight, then I'm painting my nails and off to bed! I so cannot believe it's really, really, *really* here! And I made it through work and class without imploding!



That's good I think the last day before and the last day are the hardest days to get through.  The day before I am so excited I can't concentrate and the last day I am so down because we are leaving.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's good I think the last day before and the last day are the hardest days to get through.  The day before I am so excited I can't concentrate and the last day I am so down because we are leaving.



Yesterday was torture to get through for sure. Work wnt by fast today because there was so much to do. Boy am I glad that I wont be working this weekend! It's really, really hitting me.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yesterday was torture to get through for sure. Work wnt by fast today because there was so much to do. Boy am I glad that I wont be working this weekend! It's really, really hitting me.



I am so happy for you.  You guys should have a lot of fun.  I heard they are starting a new parade this weekend too.  So that should be a lot of fun too.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am so happy for you.  You guys should have a lot of fun.  I heard they are starting a new parade this weekend too.  So that should be a lot of fun too.



Yeah, it's supposed to be some street party thing. We're going to check it out but I'm honestly not so sure that it's something we'll be overly excited about. I *want* the Parade of Dreams!!! Oh well, not something we can change. At least we get Fantasmic.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, it's supposed to be some street party thing. We're going to check it out but I'm honestly not so sure that it's something we'll be overly excited about. I *want* the Parade of Dreams!!! Oh well, not something we can change. At least we get Fantasmic.



I also know that there are going to be some highschool bands there too.  Whether they are performing I don't know.  But watch out for the band geeks.  Says the Mom of a band geek!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Oh your badge says 1 day!!!!  How exciting!!  I hope you guys have super trip & can't wait to hear all about it when you get home...... I want crowd details now that we're heading back in less than 2 weeks!!!!


----------



## RiverLou

kaoden39 said:


> Have lots of fun!


 
Will do!


----------



## RiverLou

DizNee Luver said:


> Oh your badge says 1 day!!!!  How exciting!!  I hope you guys have super trip & can't wait to hear all about it when you get home...... I want crowd details now that we're heading back in less than 2 weeks!!!!




Hehe, I'm sure you'll get updates WHILE we're there. Belle is bringing her laptop. 

Alrighty I better get, last minute stuff to do.


----------



## Teki

Have fun!!!! cant wait to see your trip report.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Hehe, I'm sure you'll get updates WHILE we're there. Belle is bringing her laptop.
> 
> Alrighty I better get, last minute stuff to do.



That I am. Needed something to clean off my many memory cards (I have a feeling a 4G, 2G, 512MB and a 256MB wont last me very long shooting RAW and knowing me) without paying an arm and a leg. I may check in over the course of the weekend.

Gotta go pack the car but I am ready to go!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That I am. Needed something to clean off my many memory cards (I have a feeling a 4G, 2G, 512MB and a 256MB wont last me very long shooting RAW and knowing me) without paying an arm and a leg. I may check in over the course of the weekend.
> 
> Gotta go pack the car but I am ready to go!!



I hope you guys have a wonderful time!


----------



## Belle Ella

I am absolutely *exhausted*, but wanted to say that we got back last night at about 10:15. We had a little "trouble" and ended up leaving later than we meant to, but I'll save that for later!

I'll let the fun begin when I get home from class today. I have so many photos to go through, it's not even funny!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am absolutely *exhausted*, but wanted to say that we got back last night at about 10:15. We had a little "trouble" and ended up leaving later than we meant to, but I'll save that for later!
> 
> I'll let the fun begin when I get home from class today. I have so many photos to go through, it's not even funny!



I look forward to reading all about it.


----------



## DizNee Luver

Can't wait!!!!!  Glad you're back!!!


----------



## Sarah84

Look forward to reading all about it


----------



## Belle Ella

So I'm going through all of my PhotoPass pictures right now, so what better time to start the _actual_ Trip Report?!?! I'm still riding a Disney-high, but I'm so sad this chapter is all over. I can't wait to go back for my birthday because I have decided beyond any shadow of a doubt that it will happen.

_*C'mon everybody, here we go!!!*_​
So Friday morning was pretty interesting. I think *Frick* said she got no sleep the night before, and I know what little sleep I did get wasn't very much. I tried to be in bed by 6 which quickly turned into 8 because I forgot that a hockey game was on. I remember waking up at 10:15 and then trying to go back to sleep, but by 11:00 p.m. or so I gave up on that idea and just went with the flow and decided to start showering and whatnot to get ready for the big drive.

Here's a link to a silly little video (click here since DIS doesn't take HTML) I took in my half-sleepy state of excitement! We didn't take any pictures of the night and most of the drive because I hate flash and you see ... it tends to be dark at night. Not sure if we all knew that!! 

Our goal was to hit the road no later than 2 a.m. and I'm sure *Frick* was getting annoyed with me (and I'm also sure I was returning the favor) because I am the kind of person who when she has a set time to do something, she has to actually be in the process of doing whatever it it _five minutes early_! Let's just say my partner in crime isn't the same way. So we actually hit the road at about 2:15 a.m., so not too bad, but still not 2:00 a.m.

Poopie! I have to get going to class and I am so not starting this over again. So ... I will be back in a couple of hours to continue on in the fun that is our TR!!


----------



## wvnative

It was great to meet you Friday morning. Hopefully you got dried off quickly. lol Can't wait to hear all about your trip!


----------



## kaoden39

I learned a little trick with the family that if I tell them that we are leaving an hour before we actually need to.  That way we are on the road by the time I originally planned it.  Dirty trick I know but it works for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> It was great to meet you Friday morning. Hopefully you got dried off quickly. lol Can't wait to hear all about your trip!



It wasn't too bad for me! We headed to Coke Corner for lunch since nothing had really opened yet after much grumbling from both of us. Sorry we never caught up with you again! We were just so exhausted and ten my phone went on the fritz because I am the genius who forgets to charge everything!



kaoden39 said:


> I learned a little trick with the family that if I tell them that we are leaving an hour before we actually need to.  That way we are on the road by the time I originally planned it.  Dirty trick I know but it works for me.



I've tried that too. Didn't help me 

OK, just got home so I'm trying to find the rest of my pictures so I can keep going here!


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Frick & Frack's Flight*_
Day 1 cont.​
Eek! Where did I leave off? Duh, girl! We were just leaving. Now how to do the actrual drive there justice. Give me a minute to think this one through. 

.
..
...
....
.....
......
.....
....
...
..
.
..
...
....
.....
....
...
..
.

Actually, that sums it up pretty much. Anyone who has ever driven along I-5 knows it's not the most entertaining of experiences in the world. If you ask me, driving at night is even worse - especially when your passenger is passed out and fast asleep meaning you can't blast your music from the stereo to keep yourself awake. I think boring is an understatement, and that's with a capital B!!

Oh yeah, so once we hit L.A. and we actually have some sunlight, we break out the Flip video camcorder thing-a-ma-jig that I borrowed from my dad and decided to entertain ourselves by being the dorks that we are. We'd made a nice long (and I mean long) playlist on my iPod for our drive that had all of our favorite Disney songs and pretty much the entire track list from those Musical History of Disneyland discs, even if we had to skip some because they were just putting a tired me to sleep - not very conducive for driving! At least one honorable mention has to go "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan, which I will refer to as the Man Song until the day I die. *Frick* will demonstrate our usual silliness if you want to check out this video *here*. We also had to throw a few of our favorites from outseide the world of Disney into the mix which included a lot of what my mother would call noise - with a look of disgust on her face in the process - and then Cobra Starship, Family Force 5, and a whole bunch of random other sings from over the years (anyone remember MTV's 2gether movies?? We had some songs from the soundtrack on there as well). Now, since I posted that video of Frick, I guess it's only fair to make a complete fool out of myself and post this video of us being dorks while listening to Cobra Starship's spoof on Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl", properly titled "I Kissed a Boy". *Here* you go. Shoot me now, please. Oh well, we were having fun, and that's what matters here. And just a warning, you may go deaf by the horrible singing.

I don't know if I want to say how good of time we made on the drive. *Frick's* car is very deceiving and half of the time I was driving a whole heck of a lot faster that I thought I was! Add in very little traffic, and we were parking at the hotel before 7:30 a.m. and I had been expecting at least another 20 minutes on the road. Heck, we were there before the park was even open! Talk about making this little lady very, very, very happy!

Alright, I totally forgot to take pictures of the hotel which I am now kicking myself for. I was just so eager to get to the park that I told myself I would come back and do it another day because at this point all we could do was check out luggage for them to hold so we could go straight to the park until we could get into our room. I always take pictures of everything - the hotel sign, the lobby, the envelope they give you your room key-cards in, every inch of the room itself - and this time I got nothing. I just kept getting too distracted by everything. As soon as we finished check our bags and doing the paperwork for check in wanted to make a mad dash over to the park! The walk was sorter than I had mentally prepared myself for, although a certain somebody kept trying to face plant and give the cement a big old kiss - and for once it wasn't me! I thought I was supposed to be the klutz in this duo, but it looks like *Frick* took the bad walking karma off my shoulders for the weekend.

It was so exciting to see all of the banners lining the street and the big Disneyland Resort sign with the celebration balloons at the Harbor Blvd. entrance. And of course, as it would turn out there's another photo op. I'm still kicking myself for missing! I will never tell myself _"Oh, I'll get pictures of it later"_ ever again after this trip. Sometimes you have to learn your lesson the hard way. But in my defense I *really* wanted to get inside the park!

By the way, I swear I have pictures coming. In the end (if I post even half of what I took) you may get sick of them at some point! Then again, if you do, we may have to kick you off the boards!


----------



## kaoden39

You guys seem to have a lot of fun together and thats great.  When my husband was younger if he went anywhere with his friends and someone went to sleep they would slam on the brakes and scream to wake the person up.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You guys seem to have a lot of fun together and thats great.  When my husband was younger if he went anywhere with his friends and someone went to sleep they would slam on the brakes and scream to wake the person up.



Haha! I should have tried that!  I'll keep it in mind for the next trip! Then again, she'd probably wake up thrashing and we'd end up in a ditch. Hehe. At least she got to sleep, lucky lady.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Haha! I should have tried that!  I'll keep it in mind for the next trip! Then again, she'd probably wake up thrashing and we'd end up in a ditch. Hehe. At least she got to sleep, lucky lady.



No next trip you sleep and she drives.  Fair is fair.  Now I am the type of person who cannot sleep in the car as a general rule so that doesn't work for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No next trip you sleep and she drives.  Fair is fair.  Now I am the type of person who cannot sleep in the car as a general rule so that doesn't work for me.



I can sleep in a car if I have too, but I'm so paranoid about seeing where we're going that I usually don't. Now the big issue (if she ends up going) is that as of right now I'm the only one between the two of us with a license. Then again, if all goes according to plan a few others will be joining along so I can pick someone else to drive. They can my chauffeurs for a change.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can sleep in a car if I have too, but I'm so paranoid about seeing where we're going that I usually don't. Now the big issue (if she ends up going) is that as of right now I'm the only one between the two of us with a license. Then again, if all goes according to plan a few others will be joining along so I can pick someone else to drive. They can my chauffeurs for a change.



I think maybe that it is a control issue for me.  I like being in charge of the car, make sure we are getting there right and all that.  Habit is what it is.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think maybe that it is a control issue for me.  I like being in charge of the car, make sure we are getting there right and all that.  Habit is what it is.



Very, very true. Yeah, I say I want them to be my chauffeurs, but it would never happen. I'm too anal about things to let someone else be in the driver's seat.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Down the Rabbit Hole*
Day 1 cont.​
We actually made it to the park gates in one piece and with no bloodshed to speak of! It's pretty much a miracle, if you ask me - or at least when I'm concerned. For someone who hasn't been to the park in an eternity, walking through those gates and hearing that little _**ping**_ as they scan your PH was the most unbelievable feeling in the world.

_*I actually did it! I'm in Disneyland!!​*_
I've been trying to plan a trip for well over a year now and everything has fallen through just when I start to get excited about it. Then of course not long after one of those "episodes" *Frick* leaves to go with her mom again, leaving me as the girl with the green face. But not this time, no siree! This time it's my turn!

And of course the day starts off with a bang. We get our first PhotoPass photo - which we vowed to put to good use since I took initiative and started a PhotoShare a few weeks ago - out in front of the Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station with the flower Mickey and his balloons and then the next thing you know we look over our shoulders and we're just feet away from Alice and the Mad Hatter. I don't know if shes mentioned it yet but she love, love, *loves* Alice in Wonderland. Needless to say, a very magical way to start off the morning! I've never really gotten my pictures with characters before except at the Princess Fantasy Faire the last time that I went, so obviously something needed to be done about that!
















_HAHA! Gotta love my expression here. I swear it's just that I'm tired._​


----------



## kaoden39

Very cool.  I love the Mad Hatter, he is so random.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Very cool.  I love the Mad Hatter, he is so random.



 Random, and mad, and totally *awesome*!! I saw him again a few times, and managed to stop for another photo on our last day when Alice was nowhere in sight. They were hilarious and we totally got some fun time with then. It wasn't a snap and rush.

Man, before I forget I'm posting the link to the Flickr album I made for the trip where I will be uploading _all_ of the pictures I take, because I don't think I will be posting them all here. There are already a few more from that.


----------



## kaoden39

Cool I can hardly wait to see them.  Tomorrow is my daughters big Family Force Five concert.  She is so pumped.  She dyed her bangs blond and has pink she may put in.  She also has glow necklace bunny ears to wear to it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Cool I can hardly wait to see them.  Tomorrow is my daughters big Family Force Five concert.  She is so pumped.  She dyed her bangs blond and has pink she may put in.  She also has glow necklace bunny ears to wear to it.



That's awesome! My sister is going to the same concert. I am still mad she didn't get me tickets like she said she would. I so want to go! Hope she has fun!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's awesome! My sister is going to the same concert. I am still mad she didn't get me tickets like she said she would. I so want to go! Hope she has fun!



That sounds so typical for a sister.


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

Yay for Alice and the Hatter!!! I love them both too, I have a thing (well not that kind of _thing_! ha!) for Alice in Wonderland. Same with Mary Poppins and Sleeping Beauty.

But those two are both fantastic Alice and Hatter!


----------



## RiverLou

Ah yes, we *are* back. Sigh. Can hardly believe we *narrowly * escaped murderizing each other. 



wvnative said:


> It was great to meet you Friday morning. Hopefully you got dried off quickly. lol Can't wait to hear all about your trip!



 It was great to meet you too. Did Sara ever get to go on Tower of Terror? Belle Ella dried up pretty quickly, I on the other hand was stuck with the inner thigh of my jeans staying soaked for a while  . Ha! Oh and first thing I did when we got back to the hotel was empty the purse to let it dry out  some of my stuff was still a little damp.



Belle Ella said:


> kaoden39 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I learned a little trick with the family that if I tell them that we are leaving an hour before we actually need to.  That way we are on the road by the time I originally planned it.  Dirty trick I know but it works for me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've tried that too. Didn't help me
> 
> OK, just got home so I'm trying to find the rest of my pictures so I can keep going here!
Click to expand...


 Haha, yes. Even the stealthiest of tricks won't work on me. 



Belle Ella said:


> kaoden39 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You guys seem to have a lot of fun together and thats great.  When my husband was younger if he went anywhere with his friends and someone went to sleep they would slam on the brakes and scream to wake the person up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Haha! I should have tried that!  I'll keep it in mind for the next trip! Then again, she'd probably wake up thrashing and we'd end up in a ditch. Hehe. At least she got to sleep, lucky lady.
Click to expand...


 Umm...more like wake up cursin' and screamin' like a pirate.


----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> Ah yes, we *are* back. Sigh. Can hardly believe we *narrowly * escaped murderizing each other.
> 
> 
> 
> It was great to meet you too. Did Sara ever get to go on Tower of Terror? Belle Ella dried up pretty quickly, I on the other hand was stuck with the inner thigh of my jeans staying soaked for a while  . Ha! Oh and first thing I did when we got back to the hotel was empty the purse to let it dry out  some of my stuff was still a little damp.
> 
> 
> 
> Haha, yes. Even the stealthiest of tricks won't work on me.
> 
> 
> 
> Umm...more like wake up cursin' and screamin' like a pirate.



Hmm that is what my reaction would be only I might even make a pirate blush.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Umm...more like wake up cursin' and screamin' like a pirate.



Argh!!

Hey, since you aren't on AIM or at least you're ignoring me  Have you added your PhotoPass codes yet? I think some that I'm looking for got added onto your card!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yowzers. I just finished editing/uploading the pictures I took on Friday to my Flickr account. I'll finish day one tomorrow because I am just beat. What a daunting task. I only took about 70 photos the first day, and well over 700 on day 2 alone. I think I have enough pictures altogether to keep me busy for years.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yowzers. I just finished editing/uploading the pictures I took on Friday to my Flickr account. I'll finish day one tomorrow because I am just beat. What a daunting task. I only took about 70 photos the first day, and well over 700 on day 2 alone. I think I have enough pictures altogether to keep me busy for years.



I don't envy you the task of uploading the pictures.  It always seems to take forever.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Celebrate!*
Day 1 cont.​
I always love to look for an excuse to celebrate something so I love the Celebration theme! Once we actually hit Main Street U.S.A., other than thinking _"OMG! We're actually here!!"_ we had to make a stop by City Hall so we could pick up our buttons. I love buttons, and I don't know why. I'd never gotten one until my vacation in 2007 when I was celebrating my 21st birthday, even if it was a couple of months away - it was the only time that I could get off from work. We weren't celebrating any birthdays this time around but it is crazy to think that as of this year we have known each other for 20 whole years. So that's what we were celebrating. OK, well make that 20 years without killing each other over something; anything. I'm glad we remembered to stop there first because throughout the whole weekend the line was astronomically long! It only took us a few minutes to get in, get our buttons, and then get out.



















Once we got our buttons on - I was having a little trouble with getting mine onto my sisters sweater without it popping off in 2 seconds flat - we went over to Celebration Point to get our picture taken for our second PhotoPass opportunity of the day. It's also probably the only we did that we didn't get a shot of with my camera as well, so that will have to wait until we get the PhotoPass CD which will be quite some time still. But I did get pictures of the back side myself.









From there it just takes one decision to decide where we're going to start off first. The general consensus of course is to head straight to New Orleans Square, which is by far a favorite spot for both of us. It definitely is for me because it's where you'll find  pretty much the only 2 rides that I've ever been on: the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't sound much like the adventurous type, do I? That's alright, we made sure that this was remedied this time around and I do have pictures to back it up!

AH! But before I forget there was one quick thing I had to get out of the way! There was something that I was completely set on doing that I have never done before, and that was take a ride around the park in the Lilly Belle. So we made on last pit stop before making our way to NOS and went up the stairs to the Main Street Station to ask if it would be possible to get on board sometime that day. We talked with one of the conductors who told us that the Lilly Belle was indeed out, but they didn't have the staff just yet to allow passengers and to check back later on in the day. That was something we could do, so we made a mental note to come back later!









Rather than wait for the next train to come by to take us to NOS we had to make our first walk down Main Street, my first walk in 2 years!! I still don't think by this point that it really hit me that I was at Disneyland and I wouldn't have to be going home the next afternoon. 3 + whole days in the park is pretty much a new experience for me! It's such a fun place to be. No wait, it's such a magical place to be!

There's more to come as we hit Adventureland on our way to NOS and meet up with another DIS-boarder!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Loving the pics so far..... I think you have me beat in taking 700 pics in one day!!!!  I thought taking over 1750 during our trip was a lot!!!   The uploading & transfering into the TR takes forever!!  Will be patient for the next installment.......


----------



## wvnative

RiverLou said:


> Ah yes, we *are* back. Sigh. Can hardly believe we *narrowly * escaped murderizing each other.
> 
> 
> 
> It was great to meet you too. Did Sara ever get to go on Tower of Terror? Belle Ella dried up pretty quickly, I on the other hand was stuck with the inner thigh of my jeans staying soaked for a while  . Ha! Oh and first thing I did when we got back to the hotel was empty the purse to let it dry out  some of my stuff was still a little damp.



It's actually probably best you two went on and had fun without us. Sarah turned into a whining, complaining chimney stack while we were there.  I was ready to kill her shortly after leaving your wonderful company. lol 

No, we walked over to ToT a couple of times but she opted out. I felt so bad that you were so wet. I was lucky with Splash both times we rode and only had little splashes here and there. A had a good sized damp section after the first time but it was warm so I dried quickly. Sarah's left butt cheek and thigh were wet from the ride we took with you. lol 

I've already begun planning what I hope will be our next trip in September. Just need to be able to pull the funds together. Desert Inn has $59 room rates the 24th - 29th.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Frick & Frack make a splash*
Day 1 cont.​
Once we made our way to Central Plaza, we hung a left to pass through Adventureland on our way to NOS. Come to think of it, all of the rides/attractions I had ever really been on up until now are between Adventureland and NOS. Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and the Enchanted Tiki Room. I don't really get around much! So as we're passing by we're debating about when we should go on the Jungle Cruise, and of course talking about our favorite skippers in the years before - they really make or break that ride! Of course since it's still barely after opening and the line is so short we couldn't really pass it up! Of course it was literally a walk on, and we get on our boat, the Nile Princes, with Skipper Larry. Now the question remains - would it be a hit or a miss with the jokes that we've heard so many times before that we could probably give the tour ourselves? Well, I know it was by far my favorite cruise to date!!




















_Bengal Tigers can jump over 20 feet, and we must be at least, well... 19 feet away!  Don't worry, he'll jump right over us._
























Next up on our own personal tour was Pirates of the Caribbean, plus one added bonus. I had given another DIS-boarder (wvnative/Denise) a call when we were walking down Harbor to get to the park to see if she and her friend had left the HOJO yet and were at the park and it looked like we were going to beat them there. We ended up meeting up with them right our front of Pirates and went on ride #2 for the day and then right afterwards we made a quick skip and a jump over to another favorite, the Haunted Mansion!




I think *Frick* mentioned that the people on the Doom Buggy either in front of us of behind us were people that she knew. Or recognized from somewhere, I'm not really sure. All I know is they were annoying twats who wouldn't shut up. Ho Hum.

After we got off and met up with Denise and Sara again came my little freak out time as my earlier promise came back to bite me in the butt. Was anyone up for Splash Mountain? *GULP*!! I made a promise that I would go on it for the first time ever this year, and as it turned out there was no way I was going to be able to talk myself out of this one. The vote was 3 to 1, and obviously not in my favor! Saying I was nervous is probably an understatement. I just remember trying to tell myself to remember to breathe and stop shaking so much. Yeah, it got worse once I was actually in out little log. At least *Frick* was kind enough to take the brunt of the first seat! That I certainly don't think I could handle.



















As you can see, despite what I was telling myself in my head prior to getting on the ride I did, in fact, survive in one piece. I'm honestly thinking that the drop before the final one was the worst of the whole experience for me, but it could have a lot to do with how freezing cold I got from all of that water, and there sure was a lot of it! But *Frick* got the worst of it. At least I dried pretty quickly.

Now that I can look back on it, we should have all stopped for a photo somewhere, the four of us. Boo! But we do have the Splash Mountain picture that I purchased to show my family proof that I actually went on since nobody believed that I would do it. Once I scan that in before my class today I'll have to share it. I sure as heck look terrified out of my mind!

There's still a little more from Day 1! Coming up next ... did we ever get to go for a ride in the Lilly Belle?


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> It's actually probably best you two went on and had fun without us. Sarah turned into a whining, complaining chimney stack while we were there.  I was ready to kill her shortly after leaving your wonderful company. lol



Yeah, we had a _moment_ not long after where the lack of hunger/exhaustion started to wear us down and things got a little iffy. I was getting beyond frustrated with her because she couldn't pick a damn place to eat and was just get too grouchy for me.



wvnative said:


> I've already begun planning what I hope will be our next trip in September. Just need to be able to pull the funds together. Desert Inn has $59 room rates the 24th - 29th.



Too bad you aren't planning to go a little earlier. I'm taking my birthday trip from the 8th to the 12th if everything goes according to plan. I know the HOJO is offering the Ent. rate for most of the nights I'll be there, so I'm pretty sure that's the route I'll be going. Now I just have to get the time off work and recruit people to go with me to split the costs!


----------



## RiverLou

wvnative said:


> It's actually probably best you two went on and had fun without us. Sarah turned into a whining, complaining chimney stack while we were there.  I was ready to kill her shortly after leaving your wonderful company. lol
> 
> No, we walked over to ToT a couple of times but she opted out. I felt so bad that you were so wet. I was lucky with Splash both times we rode and only had little splashes here and there. A had a good sized damp section after the first time but it was warm so I dried quickly. Sarah's left butt cheek and thigh were wet from the ride we took with you. lol
> 
> I've already begun planning what I hope will be our next trip in September. Just need to be able to pull the funds together. Desert Inn has $59 room rates the 24th - 29th.



Oh, I feel your pain. 

Eh, I've been drenched worse before. I think that's part of the fun. 



Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, we had a _moment_ not long after where the lack of hunger/exhaustion started to wear us down and things got a little iffy. I was getting beyond frustrated with her because she couldn't pick a damn place to eat and was just get too grouchy for me.
> 
> Too bad you aren't planning to go a little earlier. I'm taking my birthday trip from the 8th to the 12th if everything goes according to plan. I know the HOJO is offering the Ent. rate for most of the nights I'll be there, so I'm pretty sure that's the route I'll be going. Now I just have to get the time off work and recruit people to go with me to split the costs!



Ahem! I seem to remember walking around aimlessly looking for something when there were no friggin' carts open yet because _somebody_ didn't want to sit down to eat! No wonder I was pissy. 




Belle Ella said:


> Next up on our own personal tour was Pirates of the Caribbean, plus one added bonus. I had given another DIS-boarder (wvnative/Denise) a call when we were walking down Harbor to get to the park to see if she and her friend had left the HOJO yet and were at the park and it looked like we were going to beat them there. We ended up meeting up with them right our front of Pirates and went on ride #2 for the day and then right afterwards we made a quick skip and a jump over to another favorite, the Haunted Mansion!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think *Frick* mentioned that the people on the Doom Buggy either in front of us of behind us were people that she knew. Or recognized from somewhere, I'm not really sure. All I know is they were annoying twats who wouldn't shut up. Ho Hum.



I knew the _*one *_guy in the group behind us from the baking class that I was teachers assistant in. And yes, they were being annoying as all get-out. Shoulda coulda woulda said somethin'.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Frick & Frack go for a ride*
Conclusion of Day 1​
Things started to go downhill, honestly, after Splash Mountain. It was still only about 10:30 a.m. at that point - 12 hours after I woke up from my 2 hour nap to start the day. *Frick* was in the need for some food and water something awful, and me? I was just in the need of a nice sit down to rest my eyes for a little while. The question of what to eat caused a major headache and melt down and led to our almost-big fight. She needed food, but of course everything was still closed until 11:00 a.m. so we both stalk around with big old scowls on our face. We were walking through Fantasyland when I just got fed up with it all and just had to walk off because she was being stubborn and silent, so I left her at Pinnochio's Daring Journey and kept on walking towards the hub. Of course I happen to see on of the characters at that moment that I would do just about _*anything*_ to get my picture taken with - The Queen. Don't let my screen name fool you, Snow White has always been and always will be my favorite Disney movie, and any characters will make my day in a heartbeat. So I dash off to join the line while trying to find my phone to call *Frick* over. I'm too happy at that point to care about how tired of hungry I am. But of course, as luck would have it, while *Frick* is walking her way over there I get told the line was already closed ahead of me. Gee, thanks for telling me that beforehand. The CM wouldn't even tell me if she'd be back in the area at all for the rest of the day. No, no, no! So now I'm even grumpier than I was beforehand.

So at that point we just decide to go up to Refreshment Corner to grab some food because we're pretty sure it should be time for it to be open and I could do with a Coke, which I hate to say is like water to me. One of these days I *will* cut back on it, and then cut it out completely, but for now it will remain my biggest vice. At least the promise of food cheers us up.





_I think she's going to eat me if we don't get our food soon_




I realize now that I meant to take pictures of all the food we ate to do a dining review, but I think this is the only meal that I actually remembered to do so with! We just split the chili bread bowl, and it was yummy-yummy-in-my-tummy. I am a chili nut, and the bread was perfect. Not to mention when you throw a Coke in, I'll eat just about anything. So we sat there and chilled, and I wanted to jump for joy because we were sitting in the sun which meant that I got to dry off quite a bit more. There is a downside to that too, which you'll see later - not that you can't guess what it was!! We took a little break and tried to plan out when we would do what. We came to the consensus to do DL all day on Saturday and then do DCA on Sunday with DL before and after. But for the rest of Friday we were stumped. I needed a nap really, really, really bad! But it wasn't close to being 3 yet, so it's not like we could go and check into the hotel and get to our room.

When we were satisfied with what we'd eaten and our time sitting down we decided to make our way back to Main Street Station to inquire again about the Lilly Belle. We liked the idea of sitting down, so if we had to wait for a while, we didn't really mind. When we got there we had to do a little waiting while there was a group already there trying to sit up with the conductor on the train and just before we were about to ask about the Lilly Belle a couple comes up behind us and asks first. Uh-huh, great. Thanks for pushing your way in front of two people that were already there waiting and had been for a few minutes. Since the Lilly Belle was already in the station they got escorted straight away while *Frick* and I were left waiting again to see if they would have someone available in 20 minutes when the car came back in. They were going through their lunch shifts, so they weren't sure just yet. After a few more minutes they let us know that we can get our turn on the next go around so we sit down to relax and wait thinking that something is going right again.



















As we're waiting, a party of about 6 or 7 ends up joining us, although it wasn't until someone came to lead us to the Lilly Belle that we knew for sure what they were waiting for. Actually, the CM who took us back barely even registered that *Frick* and I were there. Sign #1 this was not going to be a nice experience. I certainly did love being led to the end of the train with everyone watching us though, it does make you feel special, that whole _"Oh! They get to ride in the Presidential Car? Why can't we?"_ feeling that I know I've felt before. The same with the people pointing at each station as we passed by. But that was the only fun part about it. We didn't get to look around the car because that other party took up the majority of the space and gave me real attitude when I tried to look at the photo of Walt and his girls. I can't even begin to describe how rude they all were to me. So we were very much limited to the front 1/3 of the car. I would have liked to hear something, anything, the CM could have told us about the car but after he took a photo for *Frick* and I (his name was Justin, by the way) he went to the back of the car to talk with the other party and never gave a second thought about us throughout the whole trip. He didn't even turn on the narration until maybe the last leg of the ride. It didn't help my already foul mood so I pretty much sat there, sulking, the entire time. At least we could still get the tender tickets, right? That at least would make up for everything a little bit, to take home a small souvenir. Wrong. They were all out. Maybe I had built up the whole thing a little too much in my head, but I was pretty close to tears when we left Main Street Station and sat on a bench for about 20 minutes before I felt like doing anything at all.








































Do you see what I see? M-I-C ... K-E-Y ... M-O-U-S-E​
You know, I'm still fuming about all of that. But what's done is done. At least I got a couple of nice photographs out of it.

After that we really needed a pick me up, and we realized there _was_ something that we needed to do that we have been anxiously awaiting since we decided to go to DL! We had to go back and get on the train for another pit stop over at NOS because we are both very much addicted to Mint Juleps!!!














With our mint juleps in hand, we just took to meandering around NOS and then through Frontierland and back to Main Street. It was more of just a relaxing walk/time killer for both of us. We poured through the shops until we decided that it was time to walk back to HOJO and check in and take much needed nap! When we get there, it still isn't quite 3:00 p.m. yet, but after about 10 minutes of waiting, we're told our room is ready and we get our key card, our luggage, and we're off!

We ended up staying in the 4th building on the first floor next to the stairs - that's the building right next to the Castaway Cove pool. If I had had enough wits about me, I might have worried about the possible noise level, but as it turned out it never bothered me one little bit. Again, I wish I had taken photos of the room, but you snooze - you lose - and that's exactly what happened. I planned on napping until about 5 when we planned on either (a) going back to the park or (b) going to get some dinner at Mimi's Cafe. My nap only ended up being about 1/2 an hour long, but *Frick* was still passed out and had no intention of getting up by 5:00 p.m. so I ended up showering and heading back to the park for a little me time that was pretty much just shopping for my coveted post cards. It wasn't long before she finally did get up and give me a call and we settled on diner at Mimi's at 7:00 p.m. where I had my second alcoholic beverage in one month. Trust me, that's a new record. Pretty much up until now I've stuck to a single drink at my birthday diner, and nothing else. So as I have told *Frick*, I have now reached my quota until I turn 25. But after a 45 minute wait - the restaurant was packed - dinner was fantastic. I don't remember what *Frick* ordered, but I had a very tasty salmon salad. Let's just say I was pretty much done for the day at that point. There's only so much I can take on a total of 60 minutes of sleep in over 24 hours. We got back to the hotel and I got ready for bed while *Frick* prepared to go back to the park for the night. She'll have to fill you in on the rest of her night.









Oh! Now before I forget, here is the aftermath of my first day in the park. It pretty much sums up how the whole day made me feel for the most part - minus the fact that I didn't have to go to work when I woke up!!!!






Day 1 is *fin*​


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Ahem! I seem to remember walking around aimlessly looking for something when there were no friggin' carts open yet because _somebody_ didn't want to sit down to eat! No wonder I was pissy.



By that point I had already said I was fine eating at Cafe Orleans but it wasn't open so you wanted to wander around. I said I didn't care, just that I would prefer not to sit down just yet. The only thing that was open anyways was the Riverbelle Terrace and you refused to eat there.


----------



## wvnative

Belle Ella said:


> By that point I had already said I was fine eating at Cafe Orleans but it wasn't open so you wanted to wander around. I said I didn't care, just that I would prefer not to sit down just yet. The only thing that was open anyways was the Riverbelle Terrace and you refused to eat there.



So next time you do this, try to remember that Tomorrowland Terrace and Carnation Cafe are also open for breakfast. I love the breakfast at Carnation!

I ended up with a sunburn too, but not until Sunday and not as bad as yours looks. That looks like it hurts.

We were also back at the hotel by 9 pm and in bed shortly thereafter. lol Two hours of sleep just doesn't cut it at my age. lol

Oh, and I checked HOJO for our dates but they are no longer offering the entertainment rate while we're there. I'd go earlier, but that defeats the purpose of going on her birthday. hehe Her birthday was kind of a bust last year since her friends were nonparticipatory so I decided this year I am not waiting around for them to do something. We've done Desert Inn before and it works out fine for as little time as we spend in the room. The shorter walk is a plus too. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> So next time you do this, try to remember that Tomorrowland Terrace and Carnation Cafe are also open for breakfast. I love the breakfast at Carnation!
> 
> I ended up with a sunburn too, but not until Sunday and not as bad as yours looks. That looks like it hurts.
> 
> We were also back at the hotel by 9 pm and in bed shortly thereafter. lol Two hours of sleep just doesn't cut it at my age. lol
> 
> Oh, and I checked HOJO for our dates but they are no longer offering the entertainment rate while we're there. I'd go earlier, but that defeats the purpose of going on her birthday. hehe Her birthday was kind of a bust last year since her friends were nonparticipatory so I decided this year I am not waiting around for them to do something. We've done Desert Inn before and it works out fine for as little time as we spend in the room. The shorter walk is a plus too. lol



Honestly, the sunburn isn't as bad as it looks. It never hurt, and it was definitely more brown than pink by Saturday morning. It was just looking like a lobster Friday night. It takes a lot to get me to burn normally, I'm a born tanner most days. Or at least I used to be. Sheesh. But at least I remembered to put sunscreen on the rest of the week!

OK, so I have a whopping 20 photos from Saturday edited and uploaded. Methinks the next part of the trip report may take me quite some time!


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## blabbermouth

Hi! Just checking out your report. Too bad you had to head to bed early. I'll wait patiently for Frick's evening alone report.


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## Belle Ella

blabbermouth said:


> Hi! Just checking out your report. Too bad you had to head to bed early. I'll wait patiently for Frick's evening alone report.



Hopefully she'll be able to get hers up soon  I'm almost done editing the first installment of my report for Day #2, so hopefully I can get something up tonight, but in the mean time here is a story of me doing something really idiotic today!

I locked my keys in my car when I got to the campus parking lot today. It's actually been 3 years since I've done this, so I guess that's pretty good. But not only did I leave them in my car, but they were very obviously visible - no way was I going to walk to class and ask my sister if she had a key to my car because as it turned out, my cell phone was still in the car too! My only saving grace was the fact that I had popped the trunk so I could put the purse that I was switching out with my school bag back there. Why is this important? Well, as I discovered today there is a little pull tab back there to unluck the back seat to push it forward! Whodauthinkit, right? So all I had to do was climb into my car through the trunk. Boy am I glad I'm a small person, because that could have been ugly. It was embarrassing enough to do that in a full and busy parking lot. Yeesh. Can you just picture it?


----------



## Belle Ella

Just a little note ... I'll post the link to the photo album in the first post, because this was my first day of going a little camera crazy  And I don't really know if I feel like copying and pasting hundreds upon hundreds of URL codes. My wrists are sore enough as it is just from editing them!

_*Frack's Magic Morning*_
Day 2​
Alrighty now, where to begin? Our 4 day park hoppers came with one early admission on a Magic Morning day, which we had two options on our vacation - Saturday and Sunday. We opted to use them on Saturday! The park hours were 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. so that meant MM started ay 7:00 a.m.! We had pretty much decided Friday afternoon/night that we would get up nice and early and get ready so we'd be ready to go at around 6:15 a.m. so adding in our walk down Harbor we would get there ready for them to start checking bags at the esplanade. I've always been an _"I've got to be there early!!"_ kind of person and I like to be in the front of lines if I can do anything about it. So I set the alarm to wake me up at 5:00 a.m. and I was definitely ready to get out the door by 6:15 a.m. *Frick*, not so much. I don't even know what time she got back to the hotel the previous night, so I guess that wasn't a really big surprise. So once again I made my way off to the park all by my onesies. At least it wasn't dark out. 










I love MM! I don't even know why myself and others find it so exciting, but I guess anything that means one more hour in the happiest place on earth is just the best news ever. It was certainly enough to mask over all the blah-ness from the day before. The line for the bag check moved fast, and it was nice not to be surrounded by a gargantuan mob. I can't remember the last time I was at the park gates for a MM. My last vacation, when I was staying at the GCH, I used the monorail entrance so I could get my shot at riding the Nemo submarines without running over there and/or waiting in a line for well over 2 hours. That experience worked out in my favor and I was on the first submarine out that morning. Little did I know about what I was missing by the front gates. There was a family directly ahead of me in line and another family just next to me on my right who were selected as Honorary Citizens and got to "open the park". There's nothing like getting to count down ...

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

*Let the Magic begin!!*
























And then the next thing you know you're waking through the turnstile and your own your way towards Main Street again! The original plan had been for *Frick* and I to hit Fantasyland for our MM since the lines there can get crazy ridiculous and you don't have the Fast Pass option, but since I had left her behind at the hotel I figured I would get in some pictures and then meet her there when she gave me a ring. So I took a few pictures at Central Plaza and then made my way through the Castle to Fantasyland.





































































So once I actually found myself in Fantasyland, my resolve to wait for Frick before going on any rides dissolved faster than you can say_ ice in the sun_. There I am looking at the ride for my favorite Disney movie and Princess of all time, Snow White's Scary Adventure. I couldn't help myself - there was nobody in line at all so I just walked right on. Boy what a fun surprise it was for me to get the Happy cart and then as I get on I'm informed by the CM operating the ride that I'm the first one on for the day! Sweet. He handed me over one of the Happily Ever After buttons, and it pretty much made my day!


----------



## kaoden39

Oh my talk about the perils of Pauline.  I hate it when I do things like that.


----------



## kaoden39

Oh what a cute button.  I love it.  It's a good thing you dodn't wait.


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## Belle Ella

Dagnabit! Who on earth had the crazy idea to limit photos to only 25 in a post? Totally cramping my style here!


----------



## RiverLou

Can y'all tell that I'm *not* a morning person, yet?


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Can y'all tell that I'm *not* a morning person, yet?



Crazy *** night owl. Night time makes me loopy - and not in a good way. Me no likey.

Grr. Are you hiding on AIM again? I has a questions for you.


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Crazy *** night owl. Night time makes me loopy - and not in a good way. Me no likey.
> 
> Grr. Are you hiding on AIM again? I has a questions for you.



I lovels nighttime.

Don't know what yer talkin' 'bout....


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> I lovels nightime.
> 
> Don't know what yer talkin' bout....



Sillies. Anyways, have you uploaded your pics yet. I don't have any from the "next" part of the TR because we used your clickity-click-snap thing.

<---- Needs sleep.


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## kaoden39

I hate mornings but motherhood makes you learn to do it whether you want to or not.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I hate mornings but motherhood makes you learn to do it whether you want to or not.



I am such a morning person. No kids necessary. Glad it also means I can get my work done early and have some daylight left to enjoy.

This makes me happy - I just finished editing pic#100 from day 2!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Together again​​*
Day 2 cont.​
After I made my way off Snow White's Scary Adventure - all smiles of course - I make my own little tour around Fantasyland. I took a ride on the King Arthur Carousel, Peter Pan's Flight, and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Believe it or not, two of of those three I had never actually been on before. Heck, who knows, I may have never actually been on the carousel before but I'm pretty sure that I have. I live for carousel's, they're awesome. I love horses, whether they are real or not. You just have to use your imagination and they come to life!





























I was just about to go on Pinocchio's Daring Journey when I finally got the call from *Frick* that she was in the park. Or at least that I noticed. We kept playing phone tag every time we split up - calling each other back and forth maybe 4 or 5 times before we finally got to talk to each other. We're both stubborn and hate leaving messages, lol! She still had all of the Fantasyland rides to do, so we had to decide what order we wanted to go in. We came to the general consensus that first would be the spinning tea cups on the Mad Tea Party. We had a lot of fun pulling my camera out and taking pictures of each other while spinning our cup - which had to be teal, of course! I show my love for my boys in teal anywhere I go.
























OK, so there are a whole bunch of photos from that, but I would go over my picture limit in this post if I tried to post them all! I did add them to the album though. Afterwards we made our way back over to Snow White's Scary Adventure and on our way in we couldn't pass up a photo op!









After that we went back over to Peter Pan's Flight - still only a 10 or 15 minute wait at that point - so she could get on before the line got packed., and then we went on Dumbo the Flying Elephant!! Yet another ride that I had never been on. I've always been too chicken to even do the kiddie rides. Well, this certainly was a vacation of firsts. I don't have any photos from those two because we used Frick's camera and not mine since she's not exactly use to using manual settings on an SLR like mine as opposed to a point and shoot like the one she has. She'll have to share those ones.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Frick & Frack go wandering​​*
Day 2 cont.​
By that point it was after 8:00 a.m. which meant that the rest of the park was opened. *Frick* wanted to finish her rounds on the Fantasyland rides, and so I was sent on the glorious hunt for Indy Fast Passes since I'm the faster walker between the two of us. You can just call me Speedy. I ended up taking my time along the way though to get a picture of the Adventureland sign. Normally I'm a Sign Queen, and I make sure I take pictures of every single sign, everywhere, but this time things were a little different so it's one of only a few that I have.




She was still nowhere to be found when I got back to Fantasyland, so I sat and watched The Queen appear in the window above Snow White's Scary Adventures and took a few more photos around Fantasyland. 



















I guess again we kept missing each other and we finally met at the carousel after a little confusion. We knew we wanted to go back over to New Orleans Square and ride Pirates and Mansion again. We were going to cut through Frontierland this time, but on the way we made a pit stop through the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough - so, so, so glad this was brought back! While walking through Frontierland, we saw them getting ready for the boarding of the Mark Twain - so this was probably about 9:00 a.m. - and planned to come back sometime over the weekend to make sure we got a ride. Too bad it never happened. I'll just have to add it to my list of things for the next time I go. But we just kept walking along the Rivers of America towards NOS.
























Anybody else out there love to take a look at the names of the boats/cars/trains that they're riding on? This go around on Pirates we got the Valentina. So pretty much our ritual every time we finished one set of our plans we always found ourselves heading back to the hub where I just had to stop *Frick* by a certain little statue.


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Character mania!!*_
Day 2 cont.​
Right about now would have been the point that *Frick* finally decided she was ready to head back down Main Street to use the ATM because she had forgotten to bring cash with her and was fresh out. Yes, we realize now that there was a closer location right over in Frontierland, but we had forgotten at that moment and would discover it's use later on. But it's a good thing we didn't because as soon as we reached the ATM we got bombarded with characters - and who did we see first?!

*Mickey Mouse!!*​
Crazily enough, in all of my Disney vacations I have never really taken the time to do character pictures. I do remember once when I was really little going around with my autograph book, but we don't have any actual photographs in the house and I know for a fact that I have never gotten my picture with Mickey before and *Frick* said that she didn't think she had either. I love seeing character pictures, and I wanted as many as I could get my hands on, regardless of my "age". Disney years are totally different than real people years, I'm telling you. It's like the reverse of dog years or something like that. So of course we had to stop - and not even seconds after we got into the Mickey line, Goofy popped out as well!







































At that point *Frick* ditched me again to go get her cash while I waited out in the sun where it was nice and warm. Well, at least now we figured out where all of the redness and tanness came from. I will admit this, as much as a I love Hockey (a winter sport), I am a summer girl at heart. Life is no fun unless I'm in the sun. OK, tangent! I found a way to pass the time though, because Donald Duck and Pluto weren't far behind Mickey and Goofy, and then I found another favorite.  Oh, and I also saw Cruella come out and walk by while I was waiting in line to see DD. GRR! I wish I had followed her because it was the one and only time I saw her the whole time we were there and I am bummed I never got a picture. Her and The Queen. Dagnabit all! But that's alright because I saw my favorite Bert.
























Have I mentioned yet that he is by far my favorite? When I get around to sharing the photos from the rest of the day it will be clear why. He's just hilarious. We had a nice little conversation about our stripes and how you shouldn't work when you're on Holiday.


----------



## DizNee Luver

You have some of the clearest pictures I've seen on these reports!!!  They're beautiful in color & clarity.

Love the character pics.......they just make you happy all over!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> You have some of the clearest pictures I've seen on these reports!!!  They're beautiful in color & clarity.
> 
> Love the character pics.......they just make you happy all over!!!



Thanks  I love photography and loved taking my fancy new SLR to DL. Well, it's not so new anymore, but it hasn't seen much action outside of hockey games and the town that I live in. This is also the first time I've ever really edited my pictures before. Yeeeps!

I have decided I have to look at the character pics every morning to get me all warm and fuzzy every day. They are so awesome, and there's still tons more. Oooh. Can't wait to get to the rest of them.


----------



## kaoden39

I love your pictures and trip report.  It's making me wish my trip was even sooner.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I love your pictures and trip report.  It's making me wish my trip was even sooner.



Aw! I promises you will be there before you know it. Well, maybe not that soon, but it will get here and then you'll be the one giving me Dis-envy!

Hm. I be startin' to wonder if Frick is gonna share any of her photos one of these days.

OH! Speaking of photos I just edited #200 from day 2.  I am making progress, slowly but surely!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw! I promises you will be there before you know it. Well, maybe not that soon, but it will get here and then you'll be the one giving me Dis-envy!
> 
> Hm. I be startin' to wonder if Frick is gonna share any of her photos one of these days.
> 
> OH! Speaking of photos I just edited #200 from day 2.  I am making progress, slowly but surely!!



Ooh I can hardly wait.


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Aw! I promises you will be there before you know it. Well, maybe not that soon, but it will get here and then you'll be the one giving me Dis-envy!
> 
> *Hm. I be startin' to wonder if Frick is gonna share any of her photos one of these days.*
> OH! Speaking of photos I just edited #200 from day 2.  I am making progress, slowly but surely!!



I be sharin' photos soon-ish. Had to reload them after I accidentally did something to them that couldn't be undid because the computer decided to freeze at that moment. Argh.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> I be sharin' photos soon-ish. Had to reload them after I accidentally did something to them that couldn't be undid because the computer decided to freeze at that moment. Argh.



Well then. I mights be able to forgive you since - you know - you didn't pull a me and erase them for good ...


----------



## Belle Ella

I promise there will be more to come .... on Monday. I finished another 50 photos today but I have to eat and sleep before work tonight (10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. - oh joy!!) and we're heading off to Half Moon Bay tomorrow!


----------



## wvnative

Lol.. we were in the same places several times over the weekend. I was in Fantasyland for early entry on Saturday as well.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> Lol.. we were in the same places several times over the weekend. I was in Fantasyland for early entry on Saturday as well.



That's too funny! We probably kept running circles around each other.


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Dole Whips or bull whips??*_
Day 2 cont.​
Let's see now, what came after character mania? Oh, yeah. There must have been a pretty hefty line at the ATM machine because I got to see all of those characters and Frick still wasn't done getting her money. I'm pretty sure she said something about it not wanting to work for her at first either. I swear she kept getting all of my bad vibes while we were gone - I normally have one heck of a time getting technology to work for me. Well, that's not always true. My laptop and my camera are my friends, but anything outside of that ... not so much.

Next up for us to go grab a Dole Whip - and the first ever that little 'ol me has ever had.















Now, no flaming or anything, but I just don't see the big deal with them. I finished it, but it's not something I think I'll ever try again. I don't even know how to describe why I don't like it, but I don't. I think I may try the float though, but after that I'm done. Maybe I'm just not a pineapple person, who knows because I sure don't. Since they were only a few minutes away from starting another showing, we decided to chill out and sing like the birdies sing. Tweet, tweet tweet, tweet tweet. I am a big fan of the Tiki Room!
























Frick has been having some troubles getting her images onto her computer so hopefully soon she'll be able to start sharing some because I know she took a lot more pictures than I did in the Tiki Room. Without my tripod I hate taking pictures in the dark because in order to really get something most of the time you are either going to get a lot of motion-blur (which I don't like) or if you have your camera on a higher ISO setting you are going to get a grainy image (which I also don't like). But I did like the pictures that I took, so that's all that matters.

After that we made a bee-line straight for Indy to use our FastPass and ended up with less than 10 minutes of wait time. Or actually, make that walk time because to go the ride you sure do have a lot of walking to do!




How bad would it be if I told you closing my eyes on that ride reminds me of me driving my grandmother's convertible? Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I can't believe I ever hated that ride. It's definitely tied for my 3rd favorite at Disneyland. It's only behind Pirates, Mansion, and tied with Jungle Cruise for nostalgia reasons, but it is officially up there for me. I had a lot of fun with it, but I will never get on it without utilizing those FP!!


----------



## kaoden39

The only time I have ever ridden Indiana Jones was right after falling down after tripping.  By the time I was done I felt like I had been in a car wreck.  I will ride I again though because I really thought it was a great ride.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> The only time I have ever ridden Indiana Jones was right after falling down after tripping.  By the time I was done I felt like I had been in a car wreck.  I will ride I again though because I really thought it was a great ride.



Owies! I could see how that may not be a lot of fun! Definitely give it another go when you are able to get down there next. I'm sad I only went on twice while were there. I am definitely making a mental note to go a few more times than that when I go for my birthday.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Owies! I could see how that may not be a lot of fun! Definitely give it another go when you are able to get down there next. I'm sad I only went on twice while were there. I am definitely making a mental note to go a few more times than that when I go for my birthday.



I agree about wanting to use the fastpasses.  That is the only way to ride it.  The queue is so long, although it is a cool one.  One ride I don't think I will ever go on again is Roger Rabbit, unless I have a fastpass.  The last trip we went on we seemed to be in line for ever and the ride wasn't all that great IMHO.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I agree about wanting to use the fastpasses.  That is the only way to ride it.  The queue is so long, although it is a cool one.  One ride I don't think I will ever go on again is Roger Rabbit, unless I have a fastpass.  The last trip we went on we seemed to be in line for ever and the ride wasn't all that great IMHO.



If you go in the morning, Roger Rabbit isn't a bad wait. I'll get around to posting about our last day at some point and I can take a look at when I actually went on, but it wasn't even a 5 minute wait for me, so never used a fastpass for it. Indy was the only one we did, although we got one for Autopia but never used it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> If you go in the morning, Roger Rabbit isn't a bad wait. I'll get around to posting about our last day at some point and I can take a look at when I actually went on, but it wasn't even a 5 minute wait for me, so never used a fastpass for it. Indy was the only one we did, although we got one for Autopia but never used it.



I just didn't like it either.  I haven't done Autopia since Kody was too short to reach the pedals and I would ride with her and do the pedals.  Thankfully I never have to do it again.  Not a favorite, I used to love that ride though.  I think that POTC and HM are my favorites.  I wonder if they are doing the holiday overlay on HM this year.


----------



## disneyland89

So I have to ask how was the Sleeping Beauty's Castle walk-throu. I was so devastated when I went to DLR in 2006 and it was all gone. Sadly the first time I went to DLR and it was still open I was too young to remember any of it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I just didn't like it either.  I haven't done Autopia since Kody was too short to reach the pedals and I would ride with her and do the pedals.  Thankfully I never have to do it again.  Not a favorite, I used to love that ride though.  I think that POTC and HM are my favorites.  I wonder if they are doing the holiday overlay on HM this year.



That could do it. I don't think there are any rides I've been on that I wouldn't go back on because I didn't like them (or dare I say it, even hate??). One reason I've never done too many rides is because I'm more interested in photographs that will last longer than the memory of a ride. I like Autopia. I don't love it, but if the opportunity comes up I would definitely go for a spin.



disneyland89 said:


> So I have to ask how was the Sleeping Beauty's Castle walk-throu. I was so devastated when I went to DLR in 2006 and it was all gone. Sadly the first time I went to DLR and it was still open I was too young to remember any of it.



I am so, so glad it's back! I do have to say that I was never there when it was open before, so for me it's all new, not something that has been brought back. I enjoyed it, although I wish we had found a time to walk through when it wasn't so crowded because I will say that I am a little claustrophobic. I love that the entrance isn't blaringly obvious, I actually overheard quite a few groups talking about how they missed it and didn't know where the entrance was. The 'scenes' weren't anything like I expected them to be either. They really come to life before you and it's more like looking through a window than just a plain old diorama. For some reason I always picture the kinds of things we used to make in elementary school. I know RiverLou got some pictures of it, if you wanted to see some - whenever she gets around to posting them.


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## Belle Ella

_*Step in Time*_
Day 2 cont.​
It's so hard to pick my favorite part of Saturday, each time I think of something I did it's my #1 - but one that definitely stands out in my mind was the little show put on out in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle with non other than the beloved Mary Poppins, the Pearly Band, and my previously mentioned new favorite, Bert. No joke, that guy made my day unlike the _other_ Bert who was seen on Monday before I left. It's a real 'hidden gem' of sorts, seeing as it isn't listed in the entertainment guide, but seeing as I didn't see them on Monday I am thinking it's a weekend thing only and was at about 1:30 p.m. if anyone is interested. Oh, and if anyone knows more about the times/days they do this, please let me know so I can make a note for it in September if they're still doing it.

Now I shall let the pictures do the talking themselves!
oh - and lets see who an spot the cheerleaders!!










































































OK, so there are a whole lot more where those came from in the album. Yay, it makes me want to get up and dance and sing just looking at them. They even pulled a few kids from the audience at the end at started dancing with them. It was so cute!


----------



## LeeLee2U

O.k. i just read to here by using your cheat links (yep Cheater cheater that's me!) I'm glad you had those.  Thank You!!!  *bowing smilie inserted here*

I love Mary Poppins.  Always have!!!  It would be so awesome if DW would do something like this.  you know I guess I better put WDW otherwise it looks like I'm talking about my Dear or Darling Wife and I don't have one.  i have a DH and it just depends on my mood as to what the D stands for!!  J/K  I have a good DH!  

I love your style of writing and all those pics!!!  Can't wait for more!!!


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## wvnative

Belle Ella said:


> _*Step in Time*_
> Day 2 cont.​
> It's so hard to pick my favorite part of Saturday, each time I think of something I did it's my #1 - but one that definitely stands out in my mind was the little show put on out in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle with non other than the beloved Mary Poppins, the Pearly Band, and my previously mentioned new favorite, Bert. No joke, that guy made my day unlike the _other_ Bert who was seen on Monday before I left. It's a real 'hidden gem' of sorts, seeing as it isn't listed in the entertainment guide, but seeing as I didn't see them on Monday I am thinking it's a weekend thing only and was at about 1:30 p.m. if anyone is interested. Oh, and if anyone knows more about the times/days they do this, please let me know so I can make a note for it in September if they're still doing it.
> 
> Now I shall let the pictures do the talking themselves!
> oh - and lets see who an spot the cheerleaders!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> O.k. so.. we are just to the left of those cheerleaders. lol I didn't get nearly as many pics as you did though since my batteries died shortly after they started and I had left the spares in the room. They really were great!​


----------



## Belle Ella

LeeLee2U said:


> O.k. i just read to here by using your cheat links (yep Cheater cheater that's me!) I'm glad you had those.  Thank You!!!  *bowing smilie inserted here*
> 
> I love Mary Poppins.  Always have!!!  It would be so awesome if DW would do something like this.  you know I guess I better put WDW otherwise it looks like I'm talking about my Dear or Darling Wife and I don't have one.  i have a DH and it just depends on my mood as to what the D stands for!!  J/K  I have a good DH!
> 
> I love your style of writing and all those pics!!!  Can't wait for more!!!



I like cheat sheets too - hence why I made it, lol. Not so sure how it'll work once the other girlie drops in to put her two cents in, but hey, the more the merrier so it will all work itself out.

Hope the rest of the TR doesn't disappoint!  There will definitely be plenty more photos to come.



wvnative said:


> O.k. so.. we are just to the left of those cheerleaders. lol I didn't get nearly as many pics as you did though since my batteries died shortly after they started and I had left the spares in the room. They really were great!



Well, dang! We really were just skirting around each other all day, weren't we? If you check the link to my Flickr there are even more pictures from that. It was a lot of fun to watch!


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## Sarah84

Love your photos


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## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Love your photos



Yay  Thank you very much. More to come soon, I promise!


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## Belle Ella

Well ladies (and gents if there are any out there reading this) I have about 30 more images to edit from day 2!! As soon as I do I will work on posting more of the TR, so hopefully by the end of tonight I will have Saturday finished!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well ladies (and gents if there are any out there reading this) I have about 30 more images to edit from day 2!! As soon as I do I will work on posting more of the TR, so hopefully by the end of tonight I will have Saturday finished!



Woo hoo!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Woo hoo!



My sentiments _exactly_. All in all day 2 turned out 453 photos + about 4 videos and a little slideshow I'll post with the next installment. Just uploading the last of them now and then I can begin.


----------



## Sarah84

Belle Ella said:


> My sentiments _exactly_. All in all day 2 turned out 453 photos + about 4 videos and a little slideshow I'll post with the next installment. Just uploading the last of them now and then I can begin.



 you do like to take pictures don't you? i only normally manage about 1000 pictures in a weeks holiday and i thought that was alot


----------



## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> you do like to take pictures don't you? i only normally manage about 1000 pictures in a weeks holiday and i thought that was alot



You have no idea! I practically live with my camera attached to my hand it seems. Wait until I actually count how many I took in all of day 3 because I filled up every single one of my memory cards and even had to use a smaller file size because I was running out of room.

Eek. Almost done typing my next post.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Pretty Pretty Princess*
Day 2 cont.​
_Somehow_ I had this whole page typed up and I closed the stupid page on accident. Why, oh why! So let's try it again!

I can't remember exactly when, but *Frick* and I had split up again. It was obviously before I watched Mary Poppins & Co. in front of SBC because she definitely wasn't with me then. I had gone back to the HoJo as was originally planned by us both to gather what we would need to watch Fantasmic and the fireworks that night. Like I said, the plan was originally to go back together, but *Frick* didn't end up going so I pretty much said to myself _"Screw it, I'm not bringing her things if I'm going back by myself."_ I had to go back and change my clothes and shoes and I was debating about bringing my tripod but I ended up leaving it behind. If I had known the drama we would go through on Sunday night, I never would have left it behind! But I was a much happier me when I got back.

I saw Fairy Godmother in front of SBC and was told she would be back out in about 30 minutes since her visitors line was closed, so I hung around and waited and got another photo op. I would end up seeing her again at our character breakfast, but I'm glad to have one with the castle as a backdrop as well.










After that I wandered around some and made the decision to go and brave the line at the Princess Fantasy Faire since I knew it was going to be my only shot at getting a photo with my favorite Disney character of all time - Snow White. I know that could have been remedied if we had switched out character meal and done the Princess lunch at Ariel's Grotto, but I am saving that one for my birthday and when I get to Monday I'll tell you why I'm so glad we did the one we did. The wait probably was close to 2 hours but I wasn't really paying attention, instead I was using the time to go through the hundreds of pictures I had already taken at that point. On my next trip though, I will be hitting the PFF first, or at least in the morning and try and be there before the line gets crazy. I don't mind waiting in lines for the rides because at least the themes of the spaces can be fun. I was lucky enough to get Cinderella, Snow White goodvibes) and Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. I call that a success, while I wish I had gone back to shoot for Belle. I'm so glad they have PhotoPass photographers there, because they don't always have them with characters around the parks and I really like the Princess borders they have (plus the autographs you can add). But it will be a while still, until we can get that CD.














I had received a call from *Frick* while I was waiting in line and she had been over in Mickey's Toontown to go on Roger Rabbit and since I hadn't heard from her when I was done I went to go and find her. I did see Goofy over there, and I wish I had stopped for another picture, but all is well that ends well. I did get a kick out of the fountains though!



















As luck would have it, as I was wandering over to find her in TT, she was wandering back towards Fantasyland to find me! Silly us, right? So we ended up meeting back up and making our way through Fantasyland when we stopped for another photo that we had been planning on taking before the trip! We _had_ to try our luck with the Sword in the Stone.














We're still a couple of hours away from our PS time at Blue Bayou, but we decide to start making our way back to NOS because in our opinions, you can never ride POTC or HM too many times. I made a quick stop to drop off a postcard that I wanted to mail to myself, and a group of cheerleaders were sitting on the steps practically blocking the box which was annoying. Dont think they understand the urge of a Shutter Bug to snap a picture either judging by their comments when I did just that. Neeldess to say their interference made for a pretty poopie picture (try saying that 3 times fast). On the way we almost walked right past Jungle Cruise, but with a wait time of about 10 minutes we really couldn't pass that up, so we backtracked and made our way towards the line. I wouldn't even say that the wait was 10 minutes, but please don't do what I did! I was leaning against the railway at one point and actually got my knee stuck between the posts! I wish we had thought to take a picture of it because I swear I was so paranoid that it was not going to come out without ripping my knee cap off or something. Yeah, that hurt. It's like that kid who has to put his head through the rails only to find out his ears are in the way when he tries to back out. I know, I'm a genius! We actually got the same boat this time that we had on Friday, although it was definitely a different skipper as she was, well ... a she! Skipper Kelly did a great job, she sounded a little tired though.







































The best part of this cruise was definitely Skipper Kelly's farewell joke. _"... and if you didn't like it, this has been the backlot tour here at Universal Studios and my name is Kevin. So long folks ..."_


----------



## kaoden39

Very cute!


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## Belle Ella

*Don't look down!!*
Day 2 cont.​
Eventually we do get to where we were meaning to go all along, in this case New Orleans Square. We went on HM again and while in line, I definitely recommend to everyone to pay attention to all of the gravestones and one not along the way. My favorite is the pet cemetery!





























We were about to go on POTC again, but we got sidetracked by Tarzan's Treehouse. I can't remember the last time I went through there, although I have pictures of it so it must have happened. I just remember my last trip to DLR it was closed, so it definitely wasn't in 2007. A little reminder to myself afterward though, I hate heights and I don't like steep staircases. It may not be the best bet for you if you don't either.

























_Somebody needs to see a dentist - you're teeth are cracked!!_
































































I will say this though, you can get a nice view of Big Thunder Mountain, although this picture didn't turn out the way I wanted it to...


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## RiverLou

Or Big Thunder Mountain even...


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## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> Or Big Thunder Mountain even...


----------



## Belle Ella

This is what I get for typing two of these at once, I swear. I end up thinking I'm posting the right thing in the right box, but *nope*!

All betters now.


----------



## disneyland89

You are so brave to wear Converse around DL, I tried that once and I thought my feet were going to fall off after one day. I will never wear those there again.


----------



## Belle Ella

*A night on the bayou​​*End of day 2​
To end our day before or diner PS (which was for 6:10 p.m.) we figured we had time to do one more ride on Pirates! The wait was about 30 minutes according to the sign, but that's really not bad. The line always goes fast for POTC. At least this time it wasn't taking up half of NOS like it was earlier in the afternoon. This was the ride that really, really, really got me angry. Well, not so much angry as in the mood to knock a couple of dodo brains in. All was going well, I got a few pictures while waiting in line, noticed the name of our boat (Yvette this time) and we got in with non-wet seats. Then things went downhill because pretty much every row in our boat (plus the ones in front of us and behind us) decided that they didn't want to listen to the audio that said no flash pictures and were using flash on their cameras like nobody's business. I mentioned it in a non-rude a couple of times before it really pissed me off when one flashed me right in the eye and I made a point to tell someone to turn of her flash. She gave me major attitude after that and kept on with the flash. Annoying little prick. They even gave us dirty looks when we got off the boat. Put me in a sour mood with a killer headache right before our diner PS that I was really looking forward to.
























Even after we got off we were still early for our PS but I'm not kidding when I said that experience gave me a killer headache so any excuse to sit down somewhere for a while was a great idea and so we decided to check in for dinner a little early. And where were we eating? Blue Bayou of course! I don't care what anyone else's experience has been, a visit to DLR for me is not complete without BB by a long shot. I have never had a single complaint about the food, and the only bad experience I had was again because of people using flash on POTC while I was sitting at a waterside table. We made our request for a waterside table and were greeted by that _"It could be a 45 minute to an hour long wait"_ which I have never had to wait that long for, but of course we're both a-OK with it and we go to sit down in the lobby and just chill with a few more pictures.





























45minute wait, ha! It barely even felt like 5 minutes although I'm guessing it was a touch longer than that. We were still seated at our waterside table before our actual PS time. So that was pretty nice for us. It still makes me think that a few theories I have heard about saying that to discourage so many people from making the request make for a very good case. I don't have anything negative to say about our diner - it was perfect as far as I am concerned. Our waiter was excellent, and when he heard us contemplating splitting a meal offered up the two options we had right away. Did we want to do the split plate with the $12 fee - which yes is the raised fee - in which we both get the side soup/salad of our choice and then they split the entree for us or did we just want to order one meal and they could bring out an extra plate for us to split ourselves for no extra charge. We opted for the split plate and fee, and went with the Surf & Turf, which is what he had suggested for us and it sounded perfect. My experiences with the split plate fee is that it's worth it. You get a little more food because both plates have the serving of vegetables, and for me it was still too much to eat so I ca't imagine just having one to myself! The new salad that replaced the wedge salad was excellent even if it contains two ingredients that I can't stand (bleu cheese and eggs). I never understood why anyone would want to eat a huge chunk of lettuce how they used to have it. The actual entree itself was just too yummy for words. The steak was melt in your mouth perfection, and much needed for someone like me who doesn't get red meat at home (my sister is on this no red meat kick that I hate, I am so sick of turkey which is nasty) and the lobster was delicious too. And I don't even like lobster. I was very happy again, especially adding in our dessert which I normally never would have had normally.
























Pictures are hard to take in there because it's so dark, and as I have said before I really don't like grain in my photos at all. Even the ones we took in the lobby are way too grainy for me, but I did lighten them up more than I normally would to share. Here's a video where I show of my normal tongue-tiedness inside right before our food came out ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/14076660@N02/3404679892/in/set-72157616134004391/

Afterward it was just time for us to go out to find some seats so we could watch Fantasmic! I'm still waiting to see the pictures that Frick got because I left my camera tucked away while we watched because I never really "saw" it when I watched it before because I kept my eyes closed. Yes, I kept my eyes closed when I saw Fantasmic before. Things with pyro-technics, bright lights and loud noises have never been my thing so that was that. I am glad we were there the last weekend they were showing it before they closed it down this month. At least it's only a refurbishment thing, I definitely plan on trying again when I go back in September, but it will all depend on what days they are showing it. I think I need to adjust my plans to be there the whole weekend than having to leave on Saturday. Afterward, since it was so jam packed over on Rivers of America, we decided to stay there and watch the fireworks from where we were. Not a bad place to view them from, although we definitely were planning on watching from in front of the castle on Sunday night. Little did we know what a headache that would turn out to be! But that's a story for another day.









And another video, this one from Fantasmic! which was my favorite part of the whole thing. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14076660@N02/3404708234/in/set-72157616134004391/ I actually got to spot Snow White, which we didn't when the floats were going by because it had already passed us long before it was lit up. It was a speedy little one, that's for sure. Oh wait, there's one last video from the finale. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14076660@N02/3403908745/in/set-72157616134004391/

After the fireworks were over too we made our way back to the castle where we were going to get a night time photo in front of the castle but we had to wait for them to get the go ahead to let people enter that area from the Fire Marshal so we improvised before we got our chance.









Man, I cannot wait until we get our PhotoPass pictures. I wants them now. Anyways, that was pretty much the end of my night 2. Seeing as I was the one who got up before 5 a.m. I was beyond ready to go back to sleep, so back to the HoJo I went, wishing I had invested in ART more than anything in the world.


----------



## Belle Ella

disneyland89 said:


> You are so brave to wear Converse around DL, I tried that once and I thought my feet were going to fall off after one day. I will never wear those there again.



I'm the total opposite - my feet fall off if I don't have my converse on! They are my go to shoes when I work overnight on my feet for 8 straight hours, so they are my go to shoes for Disneyland. To be fair though, I do have a nice pair of insoles to go with them. They are must haves.


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## prettyprincessbelle

Loved your princess pictures. Glad you got to see Snow White. I know how exciting it is to see your favorite princess..!

I can't wait to see your Minnie breakfast pictureeess!!


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## wvnative

I'm so glad you posted the Tarzan's Treehouse pics. I've never been able to go up there so I had not idea what was there. Maybe I'll try that early in my next trip. I'm fairly certain I can handle the issues with my fear of heights, but I was afraid the walking surface would be too uneven for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I'm so glad you posted the Tarzan's Treehouse pics. I've never been able to go up there so I had not idea what was there. Maybe I'll try that early in my next trip. I'm fairly certain I can handle the issues with my fear of heights, but I was afraid the walking surface would be too uneven for me.



The actual surfaces, yes, are pretty flat - just keep an eye out for the stairs because they are pretty dang steep.


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## Belle Ella

Talk about a long and busy weekend! I am so behind with everything and now getting sick. Boo! I'll get my next round of updates in today for sure!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Talk about a long and busy weekend! I am so behind with everything and now getting sick. Boo! I'll get my next round of updates in today for sure!



It's aliiive!


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> It's aliiive!



Hey, I could say the same about you. So ya'll are officially going?


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Hey, I could say the same about you. So ya'll are officially going?



Yup, June 5th-10th. I'm excited!


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## Belle Ella

Nice. What I wouldn't give for my parents to want to go. Ever. Would save my butt a lot of money.


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## Belle Ella

*Pixies at play*
Day 3​
Never before have I really been able to go to DLR and wake up and think to myself _"I'm actually here for day #3"_! It's not 100% true, but since I've started coming on my own, my days were very limited to less than 2 full days, really. Talk about a big deal for me. So this is day #3, and I really spent the whole day thinking it was unbelievable that I got a whole day, and it wasn't even our last day.

So Sunday morning when we woke up, it was pretty obvious that it wasn't going to be as nice of a day as Friday and Saturday had been. I'm a sunny/hot weather person so I wasn't really looking forward to a day of dreary-ness, but hey, we were still at Disneyland. So it was all good.

I know not everyone is a do DCA in one day typpe, and not everyone is a true park hopper doing both parks in one day. We chose to save DCA for one day, which ended up being Sunday. I don't know about Frick, but with all the walking added up I don't really think that walking back and forth between DL and DCA all day would have been a good idea for me, and then to have to walk back to the hotel. Besides we kept pretty busy at just the one park so far already, it hadn't really been an option. But to maximize our time we still hit DL first for a couple of hours to go on some rides in the early morning and to gather up the fastpasses.

I'm thinking someone made another pit stop by the ATM machine, while I stopped in line to get my picture taken with Minnie Mouse. Since we had been looking for a particular pair of mouse ears all weekend long but hadn't actually bought them yet, we side stepped into the Mad Hatter on Main Street to pick ourselves up a couple!






_I love these!!_








We also ended up stopping by Pixie Hollow while we were walking around, since it was just before 9:00 a.m. and there was such a short line. We probably would have never done it if we had to wait any longer than we did. I think I prefer having that area as the Ariel meet and greet since I'm not really a Pixie-person, but ho-hum. It was fun nonetheless. We had to spot al of the Pixies they had in the line-area. Some cute little decorations, that's for sure. We saw Tinker Bell and Iradessa.






















































We made our way back to Fanasyland at that point so we could do a couple of rides that we had missed on Saturday morning - like Alice in Wonderland! On the way we took another pit stop by the restrooms over there, and posed for a couple of pictures with a certain rabbit.
















_Being late is not my forte_




























Next up, DCA, here we come!


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## DizNee Luver

LOVE the ears...... have a sexy, sassy quality about them!!!
Great pics!!!


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## RiverLou

DizNee Luver said:


> LOVE the ears...... have a sexy, sassy quality about them!!!
> Great pics!!!



Don't they just? I have mine hanging on the wall in my bedroom.


----------



## Teki

woo hoo I finally caught up! tee hee great pics cant wait to read the rest (homework alowing)


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## RiverLou

I swear I look like wax here. Someone plop me somewhere in Madame Tussaud's!


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> I swear I look like wax here. Someone plop me somewhere in Madame Tussaud's!



If you's say so!! But remember ... you'll be stuck there and wont be able to make it to Disneyland again.

So I have tried to take a couple days off from editing pictures because my wrists are killing me, killing me!! I am kind of being bad and doing a batch process to the Aladdin show photos because I am terrified of going through individually to edit them, so I'm just changing the file type so I can upload them and nothing more, which means I'll have a whole lot to update on the next ocuple of days.

OOH! Sharks first game of the playoffs is tonight!! Down with the Ducks, I say!!!


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> If you's say so!! But remember ... you'll be stuck there and wont be able to make it to Disneyland again.
> 
> So I have tried to take a couple days off from editing pictures because my wrists are killing me, killing me!! I am kind of being bad and doing a batch process to the Aladdin show photos because I am terrified of going through individually to edit them, so I'm just changing the file type so I can upload them and nothing more, which means I'll have a whole lot to update on the next ocuple of days.
> 
> *OOH! Sharks first game of the playoffs is tonight!! Down with the Ducks, I say*!!!




Heck yes! Puck the Ducks! (Heh, I can say that here right? Riiight)


----------



## Belle Ella

*California, here we come*
Day 3 cont.​
I'm not going to lie, I haven't ever been that impressed with DCA. Or at the very least I have never really had any urge to really go spend any time there. It probably has something to do with the fact that the last time I made my way down to DLR I was barely there for 2 days and there was just no way that I had the time with everything that I had going on. After the time spent there on Sunday, I think I'll try and make a little more time for DCA for my trip in September.

It was just about 10:00 a.m. when we started to make our way over, and it didn't take long before we were in, had our park maps and were deciding where to start first. The only thing we knew for sure that we were going to do was see the Aladdin musical at Hyperion Theater for the first showing sometime after noon. I had been looking forward to seeing this for a while, and it would be my first time. It looked like fun. But we obviously had a couple of hours to kill. First up (after our first DCA PhotoPass opportunity inf ront of a very familiar sight for the both of us, the Golden Gate Bridge) was a couple of character meet and greets at Sunshine Plaza with Minnie Mouse and Stitch.





























Afterwards we decided to make our way over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area because Frick wanted to show me a couple of things that she knew I would love in the Animation Studio and you had better believe she was right!! But we got derailed first by a couple of superheroes and a big furry blue thing (according to my little sister who surprisingly hasn't seen Monsters Inc.).


































The Animation Studio was by far a great way to start off the morning. I can't say that it was my favorite part of DCA because of the whole Aladdin Musical, but it ranked high up there. I had no idea what fun we would have inside, and I totally forgot that's where Turtle Talk with Crush was located. So we go in and first hit up (I forget what it's called and will fill in this blank when someone reminds me), but none of the displays were lit up yet except for the Woody & Jesse (someone please help me remember what it's called again) thing so we figured we could come back and we made our way over to the Scorcerer's Workshop where she was being so mysterious about how much I was just going to *love* what I was about to walk into. It may not be based on my favorite Disney Princess story, but it would come in a close second. Of course, I had no idea what she was talking about. Walking into the Beast's Library was like waking up on Christmas morning for me, I was that excited. And of course, we had to find out what character I am!






























_the right tale, the wrong character_



















Next up was Ursula's Grotto which was just as much fun! You actually get to put your voice into scenese from Disney movies! We didn't dare try to sing anything but we did act out two scenes. First we did the one with Belle and the Beast and that was a total flop! The dialogue just moved too fast for us too get it right so we did one with Jafar and Iago instead, and well ... it wasn't much better only this time we caught it on video camera! Watch and listen if you dare ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/14076660@N02/3403915779/in/set-72157616134007991/

The part of Iago was played by *Frick*
The part of Jafar was played by *Frack*

Next up was Turtle Talk with Crush, which is a definite *MUST* for anyone, kids or adults. It was just so funny and I don't even have words for it. I knew going into it that it was an interactive thing (hence the title) but I really had no idea. I loved how Crush would ask for someone's name and then say something like Righteous Rob or something like that. It reminded me of a name game we played in my speech class once and how I got my nickname, Jazz. I think the hide & seek was my favorite part. Duuuuuuuuude. I don't ever want to know the details of how it's all done, because that was just ... totally awesome!


----------



## kaoden39

You know the first few times I visited DCA I was kind of underwhelmed by it.  But on our last trip in March 2007, I really enjoyed myself.  I still don't think that I would want to spend more than a day there but we were actually able to keep happily busy for the whole day.


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## Belle Ella

*A musical spectacular, SPECTACULAR*
Day 3 cont.​
By the time we headed out of the Animation Studio I needed a little pick me up so we went off to find an open Churro cart because I wanted one like I can't tell you! Another success because it was perfectly 'fresh' in all of it's warm and cinnamon sugar goodness. And after that we decided to head back over towards the Hyperion Theater and wait there for them to start letting us in. I had been doing a lot of looking into where exactly we should sit, and our big concern was where we could get the pictures that we wanted. We decided on the Mezzanine section and we got the seats we wanted, directly center stage and right on the balcony! I was a happy camper and I spent the time waiting for the show to start to get my camera on the settings that I wanted. I will not touch auto unless I have no other choice because auto usually goes with the super long shutter speed which is definitely now what I wanted!




Oh, and here's a pretty funny story as far as we're concerned. While standing outside before they lead us up the crazy staircases to the upper sections (I feel bad for anyone sitting in Balcony because that is a hike) we were studying the DCA map and we came across a pretty funny sight. Nobody I have ever met knows where the heck our dinky little (and it's not even that small) of a town is. We're an Amtrak station/antique shop town. It's ridiculous and boring. Anyways, right smack dab on that map was one of the Disneyland name tags that said non other than Danielle, Martinez, CA. I had to do a big old double take. Talk about freaky.









And some other photos that I took while we were waiting for what felt like a ridiculously long time.


































It was a good thing that when they finally let us up the stairs that they actually have CM's walk you up - or at least walk in front of you so there isn't some kind of stampede. Much more orderly than anything I have waited at recently (I keep thinking back to the Twilight Tour when it hit San Francisco if anyone heard about that madness). But oh my goodness! It was so windy. I had to take off my mouse ears and even in my hands I was sure they were going to fly away and never be seen again and I would have to cry for hours on end. It was also right about then we got those first doubts and tinges of fear and regret for not bringing my tripod with me the night before. Oh no! What if the fireworks were canceled tonight because of the wind? It wasn't half this windy the last time I was there and the fireworks were pretty much canceled that whole week. It was a stressful little dark cloud on at least my mind for that whole entire day. Talk about crying for hours on end.

We got a little separated on that stair-hike and I did end up saving a seat, even if we were told not to. It's not like anyone came over and wanted to sit there anyways, so it was all good. Then we had a good 10 minutes or so to get everything in order the way we saw fit and I took in the total awesomeness that is the Hyperion Theater.





























Now, I will try and share a whole bunch of my photos from the show, but I am warning you. I took just shy of 400 photos during that 40 minutes. Needless to say, there are way too many to post in this thread alone, but I did get some great ones (I think). I did get lazy with the editing and didn't do any, so ... yeah. They will be coming soon.

This was just what it says in the title, SPECTACULAR. I loved every second of it, and I had had the time I would have gone back to see it again, and again, and again. It was fun, funny, and fantastic and the Geenie was just awesome. I loved all the funny references to things that we all hear about.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*
Part I


----------



## Belle Ella

*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*
Part II


----------



## Belle Ella

*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*
Part III


----------



## Belle Ella

*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*
Part IV


----------



## Belle Ella

*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*
Pat V


----------



## kaoden39

I have never seen Alladin.  I need to take the time and watch it sometime.


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular*_
Part VI


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have never seen Alladin.  I need to take the time and watch it sometime.



Yes, you do! It was absolutely fantastic and I am definitely going to try and see it again the next time that I go if I can.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yes, you do! It was absolutely fantastic and I am definitely going to try and see it again the next time that I go if I can.



It looks beautiful and I enjoy the movie so it's a win win for me.  Now to just talk my husband into it.


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## prettyprincessbelle

Your Aladdin pictures were really really good! I love that show too. I was really impressed, total broadway quality.


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## momto2nenas

Amazing photos!  What settings did you use for your camera (I think we both have the D60?)  I rarely if ever take mine OFF auto b/c I don't know what to do w/ it!


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## glendalais

Belle Ella said:


> Oh, and here's a pretty funny story as far as we're concerned. While standing outside before they lead us up the crazy staircases to the upper sections (I feel bad for anyone sitting in Balcony because that is a hike) we were studying the DCA map and we came across a pretty funny sight. Nobody I have ever met knows where the heck our dinky little (and it's not even that small) of a town is. We're an Amtrak station/antique shop town. It's ridiculous and boring. Anyways, right smack dab on that map was one of the Disneyland name tags that said non other than Danielle, Martinez, CA. I had to do a big old double take. Talk about freaky.



I can explain this one. The nametags are "inside-joke" tributes from the Cast of the _Disneyland_ Resort, and refer to the two members of this year's _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Team, who are selected yearly to serve as the public face of the Resort and our 20,000+ Cast Members to the community. 

In this case, the reference inside the Guidemaps at _Disney's California Adventure_ Park refer to 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Danielle DuBois, originally from Martinez, Calif.

If you look at the Guidemaps over at _Disneyland_ Park, you'll notice a tribute honouring 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Quinn Shurian, originally from Newbury Park, Calif.


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## RiverLou

glendalais said:


> I can explain this one. The nametags are "inside-joke" tributes from the Cast of the _Disneyland_ Resort, and refer to the two members of this year's _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Team, who are selected yearly to serve as the public face of the Resort and our 20,000+ Cast Members to the community.
> 
> In this case, the reference inside the Guidemaps at _Disney's California Adventure_ Park refer to 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Danielle DuBois, originally from Martinez, Calif.
> 
> If you look at the Guidemaps over at _Disneyland_ Park, you'll notice a tribute honouring 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Quinn Shurian, originally from Newbury Park, Calif.



Neat-o!


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## Belle Ella

glendalais said:


> I can explain this one. The nametags are "inside-joke" tributes from the Cast of the _Disneyland_ Resort, and refer to the two members of this year's _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Team, who are selected yearly to serve as the public face of the Resort and our 20,000+ Cast Members to the community.
> 
> In this case, the reference inside the Guidemaps at _Disney's California Adventure_ Park refer to 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Danielle DuBois, originally from Martinez, Calif.
> 
> If you look at the Guidemaps over at _Disneyland_ Park, you'll notice a tribute honouring 2009 _Disneyland_ Resort Ambassador Quinn Shurian, originally from Newbury Park, Calif.



 Thanks for the info. It made for a very random awesome moment, seeing that in there.



momto2nenas said:


> Amazing photos!  What settings did you use for your camera (I think we both have the D60?)  I rarely if ever take mine OFF auto b/c I don't know what to do w/ it!



Mine is actually a D40, it was about all I could afford (otherwise I probably would have gone for a Cannon). I used to be clueless about how to set up a shot, and I'm still learning, but my photography class has helped loads. I only shoot manually now, and change the aperture and shutter speed on my own.

OK, I just got home from my overnight shift at work and I are pooped. Maybe if I don't have too bad of a headache when I wake up I can finish up day 3 sometime today.


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## RiverLou

Stupid Flickr with it's 200 photo showing limit... *grumblegrumblegrumble*  

...back to Webshots I go, or maybe Snapfish, rarr!


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Stupid Flickr with it's 200 photo showing limit... *grumblegrumblegrumble*
> 
> ...back to Webshots I go, or maybe Snapfish, rarr!



Aw, phooey. Oh wells. But holy sheep, she's awake!!!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, phooey. Oh wells. But holy sheep, she's awake!!!



That would be because she didn't sleep last night (proof: she is talking about herself in third person, yup).


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> That would be because she didn't sleep last night (proof: she is talking about herself in third person, yup).



She has serious issues, yup. So since I can't find my phone I will twll you here. I ended up listening to Fantasmic! all night at work last night. Over, and over, and over, and over.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> She has serious issues, yup. So since I can't find my phone I will twll you here. I ended up listening to Fantasmic! all night at work last night. Over, and over, and over, and over.



Haha, really? I don't know how many times in a row I could do that.

This Flickr thing has me very frustrated, I don't know what to do, probably end up using Photobucket, yuck.


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## RiverLou

Aha, so it's not really a limit, it's the _Photostream_ that will only show the most recent 200 photos, but all will show up in sets. Woohoo still usin' Flickr then!


_Well scratch that. Only shows most recent 200 in any form. Crud!_


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## Belle Ella

Ah, that. I thought mybe you had reached your upload limit for the month. I had a small encounter with that problem myself and I thought I had lost some pool photos I took. I was freaking out because of course I had never put them in sets to begin with.


----------



## RiverLou




----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


>



That was me yesterday.  Argh!


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw. You all must love the computer if you expect it to love you back!!

OK, I'm getting ready to get a few more installments up while I watch hockey. Yay. I may be able to finish most of day 3 tonight.


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## Belle Ella

_*Recreational days​*_Day 3 cont.​
The downfall to probably any theater is going to be trying to leave it, unless you're sitting right next to that door. It seemed to take forever and we weren't moving anywhere, which was driving me crazy. I'm also a crowd weaver so I ended up loosing my buddy along the line and had to wait for her down at the bottom when we finally reached ground level again. And to my dismay, as windy as it had been on our way up it was only worse an hour later. Boo on the wind! Watching Aladdin did put me in a good mood, but it was spoiled by the fact that as hungry as I was before, I was even hungrier after seeing as all I had eaten was that silly churro. Let's just say I'm a forgetful and not so great eater. I eat when I'm hungry which usually means no breakfast (I hate waking up any earlier to get ready for a 6:00 a.m. shift at work to grab food). We were both in the need for food but it was a big question of where to eat. I've never eaten anywhere in DCA before, so I really had no idea. Eventually we settled on Taste Pilot's Grill because of my serious hankering for a hamburger. I love hamburgers! I don't get any at home because my sister doesn't eat red meat so everything is substituted with turkey at home which is _*nasty*_!! The line was crazy long to get food, but where is there never a line when you're at Disneyland? It could have been worse though. I played with my camera while we were a-waiting. Yum, yum. I have to say it was one of the best hamburgers I have had in a long time (but to be fair I don't get very many so they're all oh so savory for me).





_The view of ToT on our way down from our seating_



















The 'final' decision for the day was to loop around DCA and hit everything we wanted to see when we saw it and then we would figure out where to go next when we were all done. Since it's pretty much directly across from the restaurant the next thing I made sure I did was go get my picture taken with Mater and Lightning McQueen. Yeah, big screw up here. I have no idea where the PhotoPass Card with those photos on it went! I am so, so, so bummed about that because who knows what else I forgot about that is now lost forever. It's too late now, as we officially ordered our CD on Friday night.

Now, my knowledge on the areas in DCA is a lot more limited compared to DL, so correct me if I'm wrong on where anything is, because I sure as heck am still learning.



















First up after we left the Condor Flats area after we had our fill of food and photos was the Grizzly Peak area. I'm a summer girl who loves the heat, so even though it wasn't a freezing cold day there was no way I would even entertain the thought of going on Grizzly River Run so we passed that up. But *Frick* never made any indication she wanted too, so all that ends well. We did take some time to wander around the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Just for fun I was hoping to see a bit of the totem ceremony, and because I love character photos I wanted to see Kenai and Koda, but we came in on the tail end of it and *Frick* didn't want to wait around there through the crowd for the pictures. Boo! That could have been 2 more to add to my ever increasing bunch. I do love the photo I got of her standing in the tree trunk. It reminds me of this time I went camping in the redwoods with some old family friends and we fit our entire group (which was well over 20+ people) inside one of the hollowed out trunks. I wish I could find that photo because while I hated that vacation with our old neighbors (minus our stop at Disneyland), I love that photo.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Fun in the sun!*
Day 3 cont.​
Here are some more photos from the RCCT before we go on! This whole 25 pictures per post thing is really annoying!!









I remember Frick was having a pretty rough day that day, and she was getting pretty frustrated easily. Especially when it came to my camera, lol. So not too many pictures of me. I tried to set everything up as much for her as I could and then everything should be easy (it was so painful putting it on auto focus, but I did). Of course we got to go over the silliness of shooting manually on the drive _home_. Only 3 days too late. Before we made our way over to Paradise Pier where you enter the construction chaos zone we took a couple of pictures in front of the Pelton Wheel.














The PP-feel isn't my kind of thing if I have to be honest. I have never been big on the carnival atmosphere, and I have never really been to any boardwalk anywhere to the best of my knowledge. Maybe when they are done with everything and I go back I'll have a better take on it. But for that day my favorite thing at PP was the construction walls! As annoying as they can be, at least they aren't boring wooden walls or playing old tarps. I just love that they fit the area according to where they are placed. Besides, I like to see the works in progress so I can go back and enjoy the final product and think to myself _"I remember when they were working on this...."_. It doesn't take any of the magic out of it for me be it at DCA or a DL.

We didn't actually end up doing anything in PP. I did go shopping for a few minutes and remembered to grab some postcards. I love postcards and I have a nice little collection going, lol.


----------



## wannagoback

Belle Ella said:


> Mine is actually a D40, it was about all I could afford (otherwise I probably would have gone for a Cannon). I used to be clueless about how to set up a shot, and I'm still learning, but my photography class has helped loads. I only shoot manually now, and change the aperture and shutter speed on my own.



Hi, I was also going to ask about the settings used for the Aladdin show.  I have a D40 too and am going to DL next weekend.  I've been practicing with manual settings by taking pictures of my children, but they are all daytime shots.  I have no idea how to approach an indoor/low light situation.  Could you be more specific about the settings you used for you photos?  Not necessarily exact, but just a general idea so I know where to start.

Beautiful pictures!

Thank you.


----------



## Belle Ella

wannagoback said:


> Hi, I was also going to ask about the settings used for the Aladdin show.  I have a D40 too and am going to DL next weekend.  I've been practicing with manual settings by taking pictures of my children, but they are all daytime shots.  I have no idea how to approach an indoor/low light situation.  Could you be more specific about the settings you used for you photos?  Not necessarily exact, but just a general idea so I know where to start.
> 
> Beautiful pictures!
> 
> Thank you.



No problem! Let me check real quick ...

ISO - 1600
A - f5.6
S - 1/100

That's from a random photo. I know I changed a couple of settings at different points when I needed to, but that sounds about right for what I was at the whole show. My best suggestion is to get your camera out once you get into your seat and start trying to find out what would work best for you. I stayed at about f4.0 - f5.6 the whole show, which is the lowest settings I can get on the lens I was using (kit lens) and was just changing my shutter speed. The first shots before the show started I was on an 800 ISO.

HTH.


----------



## RiverLou

*Fuuun times!* I was pretty much 2 seconds away from fainting and/or throwing up for a big chunk of that day. Blood sugar and dehydration issues. *No bueno*. My tolerance level was at about negative 100.   

This is not a happy girl, nuh-uh no way Jose.

I assure you, this is my death smirk.


----------



## Belle Ella

*A bug's life for me*
Day 3 cont.​
Next up in our circle around DCA we meandered over to A Bug's Land, and I thought it was pretty fun how everything is supposed to make you feel like you are the size of a bug. My favorite was the walk through cereal box that had the cutouts on the side. We went into It's Tough to be a Bug first where I discovered once and for all that I really, really don't like 3D stuff. Not at all. I prefer my films in nice 2D where they stay on that nice flat screen. Not to mention, it gives me the worst headache as soon as I put those glasses on. I don't think I will be doing that one ever again. Mostly we just walked around but we did go on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. I just love how he's holding and munching on the candy corn, which is one of my favorite candies (and also why I love Halloween). But boy did the 'smells' make me hungry, hungry.


















































On our way out of A Bug's Land we stopped for another PhotoPass picture (that I originally thought was on the card that we lost). I'm a little bummed though. A few of the special 'poses' we had done didn't get done correctly so they didn't have the graphics. Oh well. And if you think we look unhappy ... well, we probably were at that moment in time. On top of sleepiness, exhaustion, dehydration on *Frick's* part this was probably the windiest spot they could find!









After that we split up (again) and I think *Frick's* went to go scout the line for Soarin', but I'm not sure. All that I know was that I was on my own again so I headed back to Sunshine Plaza to see what other characters I could find. Good thing I did too because I saw a Vacationing Mickey Mouse, which rounds out that group (well, Minnie & Mickey so it's more of a pair), and Pluto.














*Frick's* still wasn't back yet so I decided to head back to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to do a little shopping and more character searching. It didn't take me long to find Goofy, but just as luck would have it they had 'closed' the line and said he would be back in about 30 minutes, although the CM couldn't tell me exactly where, just that it would be close. Well, I wanted to wait because I wanted another Goofy picture. Around that time is when *Frick's* made her way back over and we did a little shopping at Off the Page where I finally caved and bought my Jim Shore Princess of Innocence (Snow White) Carousel Horse. Funny thing though, my grandmother actually bought me the same thing this past week and we can't really return either one so I now have two. Now the question is what to do with them. We still had some time to kill waiting for Goofy so we just sat down on one of the stoops and waited, and waited. I swear more than half an hour had gone by and still no sign of Goofy. Great. I finally decided to get up and go see if he was closer towards ToT than we were and tada! Found him literally next to ToT. Wish I had known that about 10 minutes earlier, it probably would have saved me a little time.


































That pretty much ended our time in DCA for the day. I know I had seen all that I wanted to see. On our way out their parade (the Block Party thing, I think) was in full gear so it was utter chaos trying to get out. We decided to make our way through the store right there by the exit and ended up doing a little shopping. *Frick* finally found a mug to buy for her mom, but took forever on the phone with her making sure it was the right one to get. I hate waiting in stores that long so I was getting antsy so I decided to head back towards DL on my own. I neded up getting stopped by one of those survey people, and I figured why not? It's not like I don't have the time. That barely took five minutes and I was back on the esplanade quick as a whistle. I was starting to get a little worried that I still had *Frick*'s PH from when I got the fast passes earlier (obviously not realizing she had to have hers to get into DCA at the time) so I called her to make sure she had hers and she was done with her purchase so we ended up meeting up again before the entry gates to DL.


----------



## Belle Ella

*At the mercy of Mother Nature*
Day 3 cont.​
Once safely back in our home away from home (a.k.a. DL) we had to figure out what we wanted to do to fill the time before the fireworks (that we were hoping with all our hearts would not be canceled because of the wind - fingers and toes crossed). We wanted to have plenty of time to scout or seats and setup. Well, the setup would be more for me. First on our agenda was to go back to the locker that we had rented and switch out the things we didn't need with the ones that we did. We *did* need my tripod and the towel to sit on. We *did not* need my purse and my camera bag so I put the important things from my purse into my camera bag and the purse went into the locker. Of course we also had to break out the totally awesome glowsticks that we had stocked up on at the dollar store before we left. Have I mentioned I love glowsticks? It was an adventure breaking those and putting them on. At least one broke and got the icky stuff everywhere. At least I cleaned it up though! Or better yet, at least it only got on the floor and not all over me, my camera bag, and clothes. One we were sufficiently glowing we decided to make good on those Indy fastpasses!

What fun the second go around was! Even with the FP we did have to wait for a little while, but that was alright. I was hoping it would be nice and dark by the time we got out. It was also the perfect atmosphere for our glowsticks because it was definitely dark enough inside the queue area. And let me say thank goodness for odd numbered groups. When we were just about to come to that final staircase taking you down to the jeeps (we were still a good 30+ people away) one of the CM's was calling out for a party of 2 to fill a jeep. Lucky us, we were the only 2 person group there and we got to hop skip and jump our way ahead of that lovely group of people. Not only that but we were smack dab in the front of the jeep with *Frick* driving. There's some good news!!

Not!

So, yeah, I am making more time for IJ when I go back in September. Stupid memories from the one time I went on it when I was a kid with our old neighbors which pretty much ruined any good memory they touched (they are a very 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' family and just pick on everyone's wekaness and mine was just being a scaredy cat). We also got some notice for our lovely glowstick jewelry. It was just palin awesomeness. When we finally got off the ride and in very, very good spirits barring the nervousness about if the fireworks would actually be on or not. The we hit the air outside and *Frick's* started to get a little cold. It wouldn't be long before she made her way to NOS to buy a sweater she had been eyeing before but hadn't bought.

We made the decision then to go back to SBC and figure out where we wanted to view the fireworks from. I decided I wanted to sit as close to the area that they would rope off as possible so that's where we made camp. We laid out towel out and I got my tripod all set up so I could meter my shots in plenty of time before the fireworks would start. It was a bummer that they have that walkway directly in front of the castle open for people to walk by, but I figured I would just have to live with a few blurring shadows just so long as the fireworks happened. So we waited, and we waited, and we waited with our eyes on the flag at the top of the castle which was flapping away furiously. It wasn't long before the rain drops started. Oh crapola. I don't have anything on my to cover my camera with so I had to call *Frick* while she was buying her sweater to remember to grab a bag even though she was planning on wearing it. I needed to make a makeshift poncho for the camera! I'm sure that was a funny sight for anyone walking by. Me putting a plastic bag over my camera and ripping holes in it as needed. What did I care.

My heart started to drop when the announcements came on that due to high winds the fireworks may be canceled. Yes, it's still a good sing that there has been no definite announcement, but it has never meant good news for me. It has always resulted in a cancellation when I've been there. As time starts getting closer and closer to when they would happen it's silently announced that that walkway in front of the castle that is usually left open to direct traffic in the park was going to be opened up for the fireworks since the rain had led to smaller crowds. Gee, great for letting me know. People make a mad dash up there and it's just impossible to get my camera and tripod up to the rope in time and I had been waiting there for hours. Oh, I wanted to scream. Thankfully this nice gal who had been sitting next to us before managed to make a little room for me, which I am so thankful for. It didn't leave a lot of room for *Frick* but she managed to squeeze in there.

We actually had a pretty good time there, waiting to find out for sure what was going to happen. One of the CM's was playing a little trivia game, and a lot of people were asking me about my camera. One of the CM's even recognized my LGMH. Wish I remembered what he said his SN was though, because I cannot remember. I was too busy trying to set up my shot again. Right about then was when the rain finally died down so I was able to get a little more stabilization. But the angle that I had my camera at because of the walkway was a little awkward and I didn't really have the space to adjust it the way I wanted to. Oh well.



















Now the question was whether or not our efforts would be rewarded or not. The final announcement was made at 9:52 p.m.


----------



## Belle Ella

_*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*_
Part I


----------



## Belle Ella

*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*
Part II


----------



## Belle Ella

_*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*_
Part III


----------



## Belle Ella

*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*
Part IV


----------



## Belle Ella

*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*
Part V


----------



## Belle Ella

_*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*_
Part VI


----------



## Belle Ella

_*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*_
Part VII


----------



## Belle Ella

_*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*_
Part VII


----------



## Belle Ella

*"Remember... Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular*
Part IX


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Dreams do come true*_​Conclusion of day 3​
So in case my photo overload didn't do the trick the fireworks were a *GO*! Sure they had a very late start, but who gives a rats behind? That absolutely made my night. I was so certain that I wasn't going to get any fireworks pictures, and then I would be so mad at myself for neglecting t bring my tripod the night before. But boy was I sore afterward. I had to keep leaning down to my camera to make sure it was where I wanted it, and to top everything off I didn't have the extra 2GB memory card that I thought I did so I had to switch them out like crazy and about halfway through I had to flip to a smaller file size because I just ran out of room. That means between the whole day I filled up a 4 GB, a 2 GB, a 512MB and a 256MB of pictures. That's a lot of photos.

Now, I'm sure I looked like a dork (again) but since I planned on doing more night shots since I had the tripod I just kind of walked around with my camera still attached to the tripod so I didn't spend forever and a day setting up and taking down because I am a little tripodyslexic. It's annoying. While Frick used the restroom I took a moment to delete a few photos I knew that I wouldn't need so I could clear up just a little bit of space. Then we were off to the tea cups for a shot that I had been waiting a long time to take!




























































_by far one of my favorites from the entire vacation_




It was an appropriate end to the day. To think we would actually be going home the next afternoon! But no time to dwell on sad thoughts. I needed sleep so bad, so off to the hotel it was! Nighty night!


----------



## DizNee Luver

WOW....is all I can say about your fireworks pictures!!!  They were amazing!!!  Thank you sooooooo much for sharing them!!!

I loved the same shot you did.....the partners statue with the castle in the background.....beautiful!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Holy Crow, y'all! I actually finished day 3!! Now all that's left is our final (and eventful - eek) day. I'm so sad it's almost over.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> WOW....is all I can say about your fireworks pictures!!!  They were amazing!!!  Thank you sooooooo much for sharing them!!!
> 
> I loved the same shot you did.....the partners statue with the castle in the background.....beautiful!!!



Yay, thank you. I am so, so, so, so stoked they came out. I can't wait to make a few prints out of them so I can make a collage for my binder and tag them along with me to school and everywhere I go.

Oh, and if anyone wants any for any reason, please let me know and I'll see what I can do.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Breakfast at the Plaza*
Day 4​
Our fourth and final Disneyland day was certainly the most eventful in my book, but as you'll see a lot of it was for the wrong reasons!!

The night before when I got back to the hotel I tried to get as much of my stuff packed as I could without stowing away any of the necessities I would need in the morning. I did a pretty good job if you ask me! I just wanted to be able to sleep and get everything in the car that we needed to in the morning before we had breakfast. Did I mention that we had PS for the Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park? Well, today was the morning!! I was so excited for it. But seeing as we had to check out of the hotel today I wanted to stow our luggage a the front desk and check out before we left for breakfast so we could enjoy a couple more hours in the park.

Enter drama, here.

I was taking the pillows and my tripod back to *Frick*'s car and was greeted by a very nasty surprise. We had a flat tire. Well, phooey. That was going to take precious time away from my schedule because I really needed to be on the road no later than 2:00 p.m. and I wanted to spend as much time in the park as I possibly could. Now, I technically _know_ how to change a tire, I would just prefer not to. Take into account that the spare on this particular car (full size, thank God) is literally bolted to the back of the darn vehicle and it was obvious that a call would need to be placed to AAA. OK, fine. At 1:00 we'll make the call to AAA and hopefully it wont take too long to get taken care of.

I go back to the hotel room to tell *Frick* what I had seen (of course hoping she would hurry up and pack so we could get a move on with the check out). She says she needs to call her mom, and of course knowing how that would turn out because her mom will keep her on the phone for an hour over something as silly as asking where the coffee is I ask her to call her mom when we go up to the lobby to check out. She really, really needs to finish packing so we can get to the park in time for our PS which was at 8:40 a.m. I go back to take some of the food things we had brought with us and upon returning to the room she's sitting on her bed on the phone with her mom. Well, ****! I was a little pissed at that point to be honest. We had had a talk earlier in the weekend about her time management and this really wasn't helping the situation, and it's definitely not helping my freak out mode that I had gone into upon seeing the tire. Yeah, this would have been a great Ativan moment but I didn't get the Rx filled because I knew it would make me sleepy and then I can't drive. To be honest, this whole situation had my fuming all day. It's really not that hard.

Anyways, I go to take my luggage up to the front desk for them to hold and start the checkout process (a.k.a. paying the bill) and head back to the room where of course she's still not done. I wanted to be on our way to the park very soon to this point and I had wanted to leave early enough to take the walk slow and get pictures of all the banners that are hanging along Harbour. Well, it didn't happen. We still got to the park, and the special gate for the M&F PS's in time to be the second or third party in line. But still ...



OK, had to get that out of my system

At 8:30 a.m. when they opened the gates and started to let people onto Main St. we went along in as well and to the rope where everyone was held at bay. To be able to duck through the store that's right there (totally blanking on the name, oh no!!) and to come out on the other side and look back at everyone just waiting to be let loose on the park was an awesome feeling! When we checked in at the Plaza Inn we were the second party to arrive. They checked our name of their list and led us in to take our pre-photo which :doh I just realized I forgot to add to our PhotoPass account before I ordered the CD. Oh well. After that when they gave us our hand stamps and special buttons, and we had prepaid we were taken over to our tables. Could not have asked for a better location. We were right next to the windows and we got a lot of natural light.




Character who were there: Minnie Mouse, Brier Fox, Tigger, Eeyore, Max, Chip & Dale, Captain Hook, and Fairy Godmother.

I believe first to our table was Brier Fox. And of course this was at the same moment *Frick* mentioned to needed to go grab her food and whaddya'know. She was offered an arm and then walked over to the food arm in arm by Brier Fox. Classic moment, and probably the highlight of the meal.

Insert dead-brained moment here. I forgot to reformat my memory card that morning and delete all of the photos that were on it (from the fireworks that I had already uploaded to my hard drive) and of course I didn't notice this until after we had taken photos with half of the characters that were there and then *BAM* I had no more memory. Well, dang. The only thing I could do was reformat it then and there because it was the only card that had expendable photos, but that would mean losing every photo I had taken that morning. Needless to say, it was a big bummer. Especially since I lost that photo of *Frick* with Brier Fox. She was a little pissed at me for that. Consider it a returned favor.

Alright, here are some photos finally! I got lazy again and didn't edit any of them, so I feel a little blah about a few of them, but oh well. My wrists hurt.










_Notice the nail color? She loved that my nails matched her cape - Bippity Boppity Blue!!_




















_The hostess with the mostess!_




















_He's Tigger-ific!!_




















_Woe is me ..._


----------



## Belle Ella

*Food, schmood*
Day 4 cont.​
Flickr is being so slow, but here are more pictures from our breakfast!


















































_Look who stopped by again, although we found an even larger language barrier this time ... like a window._
























I seem to remember reading a lot of bad reviews for the food. I really don't get it. Then again, I spent more of my time with my camera or the characters than my food, not to mention I'm not a big eater. But the fruit was to die for, my pancakes were perfect, and i got a coke with my breakfast! That's all that mattered right there. I have a serious problem.

It was totally awesome. I definitely give the whole thing ! Anyone who says differently can just shove it in my opinion. And obviously, as you can see we did make sure that everyone we saw before my major debacle came back for another round. And of course all were told the story of my failure and let me have it. *Frick* even went to hunt down Brier Fox again before we finally left.


----------



## kaoden39

Boy Hook sure is a flirt.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Boy Hook sure is a flirt.



Boy, you can say that again!! 

OK all, I have a proposition for everyone. I should be done with the TR either tonight or tomorrow morning which means I can get started on the next big adventure. A PTR for my birthday vacation! Should I make a new thread or should I make this a never ending TR?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Boy, you can say that again!!
> 
> OK all, I have a proposition for everyone. I should be done with the TR either tonight or tomorrow morning which means I can get started on the next big adventure. A PTR for my birthday vacation! Should I make a new thread or should I make this a never ending TR?



I think keeping this as a never ending thread is a good idea that way it's easier to find.   And you've already got people that visit you.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think keeping this as a never ending thread is a good idea that way it's easier to find.   And you've already got people that visit you.



And oh, how you all are like family!  Those who haven't gotten tired of my extremely long posts. I am a babbler by nature.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And oh, how you all are like family!  Those who haven't gotten tired of my extremely long posts. I am a babbler by nature.



I think that is a good thing.  My daughter Kody is a babbler too.  I get worried when she is quiet.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think that is a good thing.  My daughter Kody is a babbler too.  I get worried when she is quiet.



Yeah, my family is the opposite. They wish I would be quiet. I don't give them too many silent moments to worry about.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, my family is the opposite. They wish I would be quiet. I don't give them too many silent moments to worry about.



Umm yeah that's why I worry.  Most of the time I really enjoy it, just some days.....


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Umm yeah that's why I worry.  Most of the time I really enjoy it, just some days.....



Oh yeah, that's my family. I know they can take it some days. The worst days for them is when all I have is Disney on the brain. They don't share my obsession, unfortunately. Although it may turn into a father/daughter trip for my birthday since as of right now there is nobody I know available to go.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh yeah, that's my family. I know they can take it some days. The worst days for them is when all I have is Disney on the brain. They don't share my obsession, unfortunately. Although it may turn into a father/daughter trip for my birthday since as of right now there is nobody I know available to go.



With Kody it is whomever she is obsessing over.  Today it is Kevin Jonas and Chap Stique.  Tomorrow who knows.  Maybe Brendon Urie.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> With Kody it is whomever she is obsessing over.  Today it is Kevin Jonas and Chap Stique.  Tomorrow who knows.  Maybe Brendon Urie.



Ahhh. The love of FF5. My obsession list is currently stuck between DL and hockey and that's the way it's been for I don't know how long now. We don't get much of a variety over here.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ahhh. The love of FF5. My obsession list is currently stuck between DL and hockey and that's the way it's been for I don't know how long now. We don't get much of a variety over here.



Oh the Shark's had better get their act together.  I cannot believe that they have lost the last two games.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh the Shark's had better get their act together.  I cannot believe that they have lost the last two games.



I can't believe how well Hiller is playing for a rookie goaltender. Eek. I'm hoping the Sharks can pull something out tomorrow night, but it's not ever yet. I'm tired of those darn shots hitting the post though. Every time I hear that *PING* I want to throw something. And I'm waiting to hear if Mitchell is going to b ready to play in this series. I know they've said he "could" in this round. I wont be stressing unless they go down 3-0.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can't believe how well Hiller is playing for a rookie goaltender. Eek. I'm hoping the Sharks can pull something out tomorrow night, but it's not ever yet. I'm tired of those darn shots hitting the post though. Every time I hear that *PING* I want to throw something. And I'm waiting to hear if Mitchell is going to b ready to play in this series. I know they've said he "could" in this round. I wont be stressing unless they go down 3-0.



It certainly doesn't help that Anaheim is playing way over their ability either.


----------



## RiverLou

kaoden39 said:


> It certainly doesn't help that Anaheim is playing way over their ability either.



Nope, it sure as heck doesn't. Oiy.

So this is Frack, by the way - a.k.a. Jazz a.ka. Belle Ella - totally hoarding her account for the moment. Looks like I will be finishing up day 4 tomorrow. We're going to go see _17 Again_ tonight.


----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> Nope, it sure as heck doesn't. Oiy.
> 
> So this is Frack, by the way - a.k.a. Jazz a.ka. Belle Ella - totally hoarding her account for the moment. Looks like I will be finishing up day 4 tomorrow. We're going to go see _17 Again_ tonight.



Ooh let me know how good it is.  And let me know whether it is worth seeing it.


----------



## RiverLou

kaoden39 said:


> Ooh let me know how good it is.  And let me know whether it is worth seeing it.



 You gt it. I hope I like it. I need to see a good movie right about now. OK, we should be off soon. Movie is at 7:00 p.m.


----------



## Belle Ella

We loved the movie last night. It was definitely something that I needed. I totally love Thomas Lennon, holy sheep. I think my sides still hurt. We thought it was pretty funny.


----------



## Belle Ella

*The Magic never ends*
Day 4 cont.​
That was pretty much the last thing we would do together before the big drive home. There were some rides that Rick wanted to go on that she would have to do by herself so after lunch we went our seperate ways again. The plan was for for her to go back to the hotel at 1:00 p.m. so she could call AAA so we could get the tire taken care of then I would meet up with her shortly after and we'd be all good to go.

Who wants to guess what actually ended up happening?

My goal for the day was get as many other photos around the park as I could - all with me in them of course. So I was on the lookout for PhotoPass photographers. Remember, one of my big goals for the vacation was to have plenty of verifiable proof that I was actually there. I stopped in front of SBC again for a photo by myself. After that I made my way over to Mickey's Toon Town. I hadn't really spent any time over there other than maybe 5 minutes or so looking for Frick and I never got to go on Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Lucky enough for me it was listed as a 10 minute wait at that point, but it wasn't even close to being that long - it was maybe 5 minutes tops or what I like to call perfect timing. I also took a walk through Mickey's house and got another photo with the Mouse. Minnie's was too busy for my plans for the day so I opted out.

EEK! Looking at all of these photos makes me realize I really need to be not lazy and go through and really edit them. They are all way too blown out for my taste.










As I go through the photos for the day, Im starting to realize I did a lot of walking back and forth. After MTT I went back to SBC and made my way over to do another PhotoPass picture next to the Partners statue. They didn't come out well, but wowzers it was so sunny. Not a very nice expression for me. Then after that it was back towards Fantasyland but I had to take the roundabouts way through Snow White's Grotto because Mickey & friends, plus the marching band were out in front of the castle. See if you can spot the mouse! And I stayed and watched for a bit and followed them down Main Street for a bit as well. It was all fun. And then, what do you know, I was back at the SBC.






















































I was keeping my eye peeled for any character sightings so I could add to my stockpile. Unfortunately it was a pretty unsuccessful day in that area. I did see Mary Poppins and the 'scary' Bert. I like the other guy better. A lot better. This guy reminds me too much of one of our ETL's at work who I really, really, really dislike. Not to mention, he's scary looking, like I said.





_See? Scary._​
And I did see Peter Pan, prancing his way by Sleeping Beauty Castle. I was chilling out a Snow White's Grotto when he came by. It was pretty funny to see and while I couldn't really stop and get a photo with him (because I ahd nobody to take a picture) I did snap one of him in front of the castle before he could prance off again. Such a hurry, even the photo was in a hurry it was a tad bit blurry.




It was getting closer to 12:30 by that point, closer and closer to when we needed to leave! I kept trying to call Frick since I had no idea what she was up to at that point and wanted to make sure she remembered to be back at the hotel at 1:00 p.m. so she could call AAA. She wasn't answering her phone so I kept trying to reach her every so often and made my way back into Fantasyland for the last time until September! It didn't take long for me to spot the Mad Hatter again, right next to King Arthur's Carousel.










_I need to see if I can salvage this one._​
I started to make my way back up Main Street to do a little shopping before it was time to go. I was looking for a picture frame and wanted to make sure I got all of the postcards that I wanted before it was too late. I succeeded in one goal, the postcards. It was about then that Frick _finally_ called me back. It was 1:15 p.m., that I remember very clearly. She said she had just called AAA so I told her I was going to make one last pit stop at DCA before I made my way to the parking lot to meet up with her and we could leave.



















And that was that! It was a pretty easy going day for me, those last few hours in the park. But that's just how I wanted it. I am not kidding when I say I really, really, really wanted to cry while I was making that final walk back to the HoJo. I wasn't ready for the Disney experience to be over!!! But really, going over all of this again just reminds me that he Magic never really does end. Not really.

This story still has to have it's final chapter however ...


----------



## DizNee Luver

Bummer about the flat tire!!  Doesn't tend to start the day very good....but also knowing its your last day there adds to the disappointment.

What were all the characters doing coming out of Sleeping Beauty's Castle?????  I've never seen that before!!

You really had great pics thru-out the trip!!!!  I've really enjoyed them! (and this report) 

Thanx for sharing !!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Now it's time to say goodbye*
Conclusion of TR​
Of course it wouldn't be a Frick & Frack vacation if everything didn't go to hell at the very end. Remember the plan? 1:00 p.m. be at HoJo and call AAA so you can wait for them to send someone to change the tire and *fingers crossed* be on the road by 2:00 p.m. or as close to it as possible. So, so, so, *so* not the case.

By the time I left DL and got to the hotel parking lot it was probably a little after 1:30 p.m. so I was expecting a little better news than I was greeted with. Apparently she had only _just_ gotten back to the car right before me, when I had been under the impression she had called AAA from the car about 15 minutes earlier. But no, she hadn't. And of course AAA had showed up while she wasn't there and left already. HELLO?!?!?! I kind of thought that was common sense, but whatever. Can't change what's been done but after what had happened earlier in the morning it just set the fire alarms off again in my head so there was no way I was going to sit there with her and wait for someone to come out again. The first time had been fast, the second time I was pretty sure wouldn't be as lucky.

I went back to the hotel lobby to relax and stopped by the game room to pass the time. I decided to have a little fun with the photo booth they had and then browsed the gift shop for a little bit until I decided to go check on the car status, who knows how long later.




To make this very long story a little shorter the tire didn't get changed until ... let's say 3:00 p.m. or after. I'm still a little pissed about it. OK, a lot pissed about it. I had explained the whole situation before. We needed to leave before 2:00 so I could get everything done that I needed to before work the next morning and not to mention sleep. Seeing as she can't drive, the sleep was pretty important since I wouldn't be getting any on the drive. And 2:00 was being generous. I would have preferred to be out at noon or 1:00 p.m. but I kind of wanted a touch more time in the park too. I love her to death, but having a sense of urgency and time management is far from being her forte. So of course I was so completely fed up by the time the guy had changed the tire that I was in one of those _"screw it all"_ moods. So we went to go get our luggage, stopped by the gift shop to buy a couple of things and then do a couple more rounds on the Photo Booth.

















We did finally hit the road after grabbing our luggage. Mind you, it was 4:30 by that point. Well after when I needed to leave. The drive home was long and boring. We stopped off for food at In-N-Out which was really the only good part of the drive for me. Getting sleepy and watching someone fall asleep in the seat next to you knowing you still have a good 3 hours before you get to do the same is painful, especially when you're already at the end of your ropes with said person to begin with. I didn't walk through my door at home until just before 11:00 p.m. and I still had to get things ready for work and try and get sleep before I had to wake back up at 4:00 a.m. which never happened.




















_It aint a meal if we don't get a photo of me stuffing my face._​
It's funny though. The first day was filled with craptastic moments. The last day was filled with craptastic moments. But I still had the time of my life.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> Bummer about the flat tire!!  Doesn't tend to start the day very good....but also knowing its your last day there adds to the disappointment.
> 
> *What were all the characters doing coming out of Sleeping Beauty's Castle?????  I've never seen that before!!*
> 
> You really had great pics thru-out the trip!!!!  I've really enjoyed them! (and this report)
> 
> Thanx for sharing !!!



You know, I really don't remember. The band was playing music and they were dancing along to it I guess. There wasn't a lot of space for me to squeeze in so I barely caught any of it. I just loved watching Mickey and Pinocchio peeking out from behind the drawbridge. It was so funny. I think I remember this from the last time I was there as well. It was around noon - the same time I saw the Mary Poppins thing over the weekend. It was fun while it lasted.

And you're right about the last day blues adding to it all. BLECH. I had a lot of headaches that day.

Glad you enjoyed it  I know I'm glad I actually got to *finish* it because the last one I started never got past day 1 because I lost my password. Maybe I'll have to go back and re-write it.

Although now I get to start my official birthday PTR!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Official Photo Count*

So, adding up all of the photos that are in my Flickr albums there are a whopping *1,546 *photos (and 11 videos) from this Disneyland vacation. 

And that's not including the many that I didn't edit and upload. I'm actually rather dissapointed in myself. I can usually do a lot more than that. Just goes to show you I was too busy having fun!


----------



## glendalais

Belle Ella said:


> One of the CM's was playing a little trivia game, and a lot of people were asking me about my camera. One of the CM's even recognized my LGMH. Wish I remembered what he said his SN was though, because I cannot remember.



Wait a second....this was the 29th??

*I* was doing Disney Trivia duty on the 29th, and I think I remember running into DISers. Funny thing is, I was in the Park before opening the next day for company business, and I swore I ran into the same DISers going to Minnie-Breakfast as I was walking Backstage.

How funny


----------



## Belle Ella

glendalais said:


> Wait a second....this was the 29th??
> 
> *I* was doing Disney Trivia duty on the 29th, and I think I remember running into DISers. Funny thing is, I was in the Park before opening the next day for company business, and I swore I ran into the same DISers going to Minnie-Breakfast as I was walking Backstage.
> 
> How funny



If it was the night that it was all cold and icky (compared to the rest of the week) and it started drizzling it was probably us. Me with my tripod and Nikon ready for the fireworks.


----------



## glendalais

Belle Ella said:


> If it was the night that it was all cold and icky (compared to the rest of the week) and it started drizzling it was probably us. Me with my tripod and Nikon ready for the fireworks.



Oh, now I remember, that was the night we decided to drop Circular Flow and just have everyone view by the castle. The CM who handled that messed up on the execution and caused a mini-rush towards the castle, we had a Guest who nearly got her camera trampled. 

*checks Trip Report*

It WAS you. How funny, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

glendalais said:


> Oh, now I remember, that was the night we decided to drop Circular Flow and just have everyone view by the castle. The CM who handled that messed up on the execution and caused a mini-rush towards the castle, we had a Guest who nearly got her camera trampled.
> 
> *checks Trip Report*
> 
> It WAS you. How funny, lol.



Yup, definitely us. That whole situation had me a little upset for a bit seeing as how long we had been parked out there. But oh well. It all ended up working in my favor getting the photos I wanted without people walking in front of me or anything else in the way. I would have been furious if the gal who had been sitting next to us hadn't made a little room for us to squeeze in.


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## RiverLou

Yes yes yes.....I'm sure all here now know that *each* of us does things that make the other want to hurl her across the states by the roots of her hair, or just give up altogether and kill the brat already...


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## kaoden39

Now Now ladies.


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## Belle Ella

Hm. I posted a reply and now it's gone. Boo! This is not the first time it's happened. Anyways!! Dre, if we didn't need each other we would have killed each other a long, long, long time ago.

*..
...
....
...
..​*
I will officially be turning this into a never ending trip report so I can chronicle the planning of other upcoming DL vacations (and a few other little things thrown into the mix as well). If you notice any changes over the next couple of days (title, first post, etc.) this would be why!! Hope everyone sticks around. I love chatting with everyone.


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## Belle Ella

I have no idea what to do with myself now that the first TR is done!! September and my next DL vacation feel so far away right now I might implode!! I think I may have to add in some quick TR's from 2006 & 2007  We'll see.

In other news - my grandmother is looking to buy me tickets to fly out on Father's Day to Texas for a week! I haven't seen my grandparents since they moved there a few years ago (when they used to live 5 minutes away) and my grandmother has always been one of my closest friends. I am so excited!! I am now 2 months away, and at least it's something to keep me a little occupied until September! It may come up quite often ...

And in _other_ other news - YAY!! Sharks won last night. I was doing a major  when I heard the news. I couldn't watch the game because it was on the evil channel I don't get and we don't get the radio broadcast except online and my internet pooped out on me last night. I pretty much got to hear that Torrey Mitchell was back in the lineup (best news I had heard in days) and then I was waiting on a certain someone to fill me in on the scores .... she never did tell me the final  But I are now a happy camper.

No work again until Friday! I think I'm going to go see Earth today (since it's Earth Day and all).


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## Belle Ella

I'm off to go see *Earth*!! Remember to see it today (or sometime this week) if you can - Disney will plant a tree for you!


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## kaoden39

Yay Sharks!!


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yay Sharks!!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> And in _other_ other news - YAY!! Sharks won last night. I was doing a major  when I heard the news. I couldn't watch the game because it was on the evil channel I don't get and we don't get the radio broadcast except online and my internet pooped out on me last night. I pretty much got to hear that Torrey Mitchell was back in the lineup (best news I had heard in days) and *then I was waiting on a certain someone to fill me in on the scores .... she never did tell me the final*.  But I are now a happy camper.



Heh, sorry about that, I had some wine and was half asleep at that point.   *Yay Sharks!*


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Heh, sorry about that, I had some wine and was half asleep at that point.   *Yay Sharks!*



Of course you did. Then you forgot how to answer a phone.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Of course you did. Then you forgot how to answer a phone.



Woops, always forget to take my phone with me when I leave my room. I still have the volume on low. Besides, was listenin' to music wall vibratin' loud today.


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Woops, always forget to take my phone with me when I leave my room. I still have the volume on low. Besides, was listenin' to music wall vibratin' loud today.



Uh-huh. Of course you did. I know you were just tryin' to ignore me


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## Belle Ella

I am super excited! I just got home from class and there was this package sticking out of our mailbox! My PhotoPass CDs arrived today!! This is a very great little present! I will definitely be posting those pictures today!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> I am super excited! I just got home from class and there was this package sticking out of our mailbox! My PhotoPass CDs arrived today!! This is a very great little present! I will definitely be posting those pictures today!




Yay! Sorry I didn't answer phone like 5 minutes ago, was eating lunch. Mmm lobster sushi.


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Yay! Sorry I didn't answer phone like 5 minutes ago, was eating lunch. Mmm lobster sushi.



More like ICK! I'll get you your copies when we do that photo thing. Gotta get all of the other ones done too!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> More like ICK! *I'll get you your copies when we do that photo thing.* Gotta get all of the other ones done too!



Woohoo!


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## kaoden39

Woohoo!


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## Belle Ella

Here are a few of our photopass pictures!! I went to town with the borders so I could get my moneys worth, so I wont post them all, but you'll get the picture.


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## kaoden39

Very cool!


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## RiverLou

We is pale.


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## DizNee Luver

You were like me with the borders.....got my money's worth on the CD....

I found last years CD after I got it I wished I had used that border on this pic & this border on this one.....etc, etc, etc.  So this time, I used all appropriate borders on every picture..... took 80 to over 400!!!


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## shishigirl

Great trip report!!! It was so fun to read and I LOVED all the pics you took!! They are amazing!!


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## Belle Ella

shishigirl said:


> Great trip report!!! It was so fun to read and I LOVED all the pics you took!! They are amazing!!



 Glad you liked it!!!


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## thmar

...enjoyed your TR and photos...Thanks for sharing.


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## Belle Ella

thmar said:


> ...enjoyed your TR and photos...Thanks for sharing.



 You are very welcome! Glad you liked!


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## Belle Ella

It's PTR time again, folks!!! Anyone willing to follow me on another crazy journey??

*Who?*

(image coming soon)

JellyFace  A friend of mine from work was supposed to be heading to DL in a couple of weeks but had to cancel her plans after some things came up. Such a shame! We've had fun talking Disneyland nonstop for a while, and as of right now it looks like she's going to be coming along!






Me!!!  Of course!

*What?*

We'll be celebrating my birthday at my favorite place on earth!! And this year, instead of going 2 months before my birthday I am taking full advantage of the free admission on my birthday!! Well, I plan on getting the fun card since I'll be buying PH through my credit union since they are cheaper.

*Where?*

Of course we're staying at the HoJo! I had absolutely no complaints with my last stay there and can see why it's a favorite among the board. Adding in the Ent. rate for all 4 nights of our stay, and how on earth could I pass it up? It makes me happy to see less $$$ for four nights than I just spent for three.

*When?*

Tuesday September 8 - Saturday September 12

Unless I have a new job by then I will be working the morning of the 8th after I get off from work, unless I can get that off too (which I probably can't seeing as it's the day our 2nd ad goes up and I'll already be missing the big ad set). Since I start at 5 a.m. that day I'll shoot for getting off at 9 a.m. to give me enough time to get the ad done and then be out of there. And then hopefully we can stay all the way through Saturday night and leave after the park closes which would mean driving all night along I5, but if there's two of us who can drive we can always take turns. Are gas stations on I5 open all night? I never figured that out ... Hm.

I do know 3 meals that I want to make PS for (and that I am saving up for specially). I cannot go to DL without dinner at BB, I just can't. Not everyone may like it, but I love it and have never been disappointed by the food or the service - only stupid idiots riding POTC. And after having so, so, so much fun at our character meal (Minnie & Friends) this past visit I just know for sure that I am doing it again. Only this time I want to do Goofy's Kitchen and Ariel's Grotto. One of them I know for sure I am doing on my birthday (the 10th), but I'm just not sure which. Any ideas?


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## prettyprincessbelle

Your PP pictures came out really really good!!!! I like them a lot!

Now.... The countdown until September! Woooo!!


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## Belle Ella

prettyprincessbelle said:


> Your PP pictures came out really really good!!!! I like them a lot!
> 
> Now.... The countdown until September! Woooo!!



They did! They did! I'm so glad. They turned out a lot better than the PP I did on my last trip. So worth it. I can't wait to seek out every PP photographer on my next trip. They were so, so, so, so much fun to do. Although they did mess up a couple of photos and didn't put the balloons in. Took me a while to figure that one out.

OK, September here we come!! I've been MIA lately becuase life has just been a major pain in my rear end. I'm sitting in class before my final critique for my photography class. Guess what I chose? Disneyland photos!! Although I'm a little PO'ed right now because (a) I turned in the wrong folder with the wrong images and they are darker than I want them to be and (b) I need to print my stupid images and the tech doesn't have the key to the paper lock up. Oh well. It's what I get for procrastinating. At least the photos make me happy regardless of if they're good or not. I chose my night photos because ... well, I've never been good at night photography so I figure at least I chose something that was difficult for me. If anyone wants to see the images I chose you can always take a look at my class blog - http://playingwithcameras.blogspot.com/

Anyways!! Back to the PTR/TR from here on out!


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## Belle Ella

Looks like I have another partner in crime for the Birthday celebration!! I've been trying to convince another friend of mine who I met through work (you gotta love that Target) that this going with me is the most logical thing to do. She's a big Disney lover as well and she's dying to go back but hasn't been able to because of the money. Well, my theory is that between the Ent. rate through the HoJo and splitting the cost of the hotel between 3 people and the cheaper tickets I can get through my Credit Union, it's an opportunity she can't pass up. So far, I believe she's on board!! YAY!!

So here's K and I at last year's AIDS walk in S.F. _before_ we started the 10km walk. Yay for early mornings, cold S.F. days and the prospects of a looooooooong walk.


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## Belle Ella

Not DL related but K. and I are heading to the S.F. Zoo on Saturday!! Something fun to pass the time until Disneyland!! And a great chance to practice my photography more.


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## Sarah84

Your PP photos are gorgeous. Enjoy your day at SF Zoo


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## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Your PP photos are gorgeous. Enjoy your day at SF Zoo



Thank ya!! We had a blast - just got back actually! Had to make sure I was home in time to catch some zzz's before going to work tonight! We acted the fool and I'll probably share some pics from the day sometime this weekend. They had a lot of stuff to do (too bad it was like ice cold and windy - typical S.F.) and I got attacked by a Seagull. Go figure.


----------



## Belle Ella

Things haven't been going so well at home the past couple of weeks. We had to put down Meeko, one of our cats, who got really sick. He's been in the family since I was in second grade, and it's been really hard on everyone - especially my sister who he bonded with more than I have ever seen a cat bond with someone before. We think he had cancer, but we never found out for sure. It was just time, and so sad.

And as if that wasn't hard enough, my cat had to go to the vet today for surgery. She got a really nasty laceration that spans fro her shoulder to her belly and it started to get infected so we had to get that taken care of. We've seen the vet way too much the past two weeks  At least this time we have a better outcome.

The silly part? Today's expenses were more than I spent at Disneyland when I went back in March. I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry about that. It's bumming me out a little (a.k.a. a lot) because it's really set me back on all of my saved Disneyland money for September, and then some - considerably.

But my cat is alright and that's what matters. My Cinderella - a.k.a. Ella










I'm not giving up hope though. In a perfect worl, all of my birthday presents will be to pitch in for the trip. That's all I want.

But first - I leave to spend a week visiting my best friend (a.k.a. Grandmother) in Texas in 19 days. It's been so hard on me since she moved from the same town as me to some place so far away. We're very, very, very close. Plus I get to see my little sister and two little brothers (one of whom I've never met before - he's about 7 months old now). It's enough to keep me occupied. I still have a lot of planning to do before I leave for that adventure. Then all of my attention will be back on Disneyland!!

Needless to say, this PTR hasn't been turning out how I would like it to. That makes me sad. I should post the silly pictures I took of my sister when we went to go see UP. Her with her 3D glasses over her regular glasses was a pretty funny sight!


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## Belle Ella

*We're going back in time!!​*
That's right, I am going to help pass the *ages* that seem to be seperating me from my birthday with the mouse by going back to the summer of 2007 and my last Birthday with the mouse (that I was celebrating 2 1/2 months early) and a few days in San Diego to spice things up. So if nobody minds we'll throw in some Sea World, Zoo, and beach fun into the mix as well. I promise lots and lots of pictures to keep you occupied.

Must not go crazy before September!!

*Who?*






The Graduate  a.k.a. my little sister, Heather! She graduated just days before we left for SoCal. Look at that little overachiever.






The Cousins a.k.a. little brat & big brat, Kayla and Stephanie. Well, other cousin Mark too, but he didn't go with us. These two girls are a handful, and a week with them is more than I can deal with sometimes. Can you say *drama*?!






The Parents - a.k.a. Mom, "Uncle" Kathy, and "Aunt" Steve (not photographed, but looks like a thinner Gary Sinese). Believe it or not, these two gals are twins.

I guess there's also me, but we should all know me by now. I'm the Disneyfreak in my house, and unfortunately the only one in this bunch as well. But what the heck, it was a week off from work and a week in the sun on SoCal!






*What?*

Everyone wanted to take a vacation and with my sister graduating in June 2007, what could be a better time? My mom's twin sister, hubby, and 2 girls frlew out from Colorado to partake in festivities and a weeklong excursion in Southern California was planned. We hadn't had a family vacation in quite some time. My dad didn't come along for the ride this time, he was off doing his own thing at Burning Man that summer so he couldn't take another vacation. Since I was already planning a trip to Disneyland for my birthday that summer as I was turning 21, I decided it would be the perfect time to go, even if it was 2 1/2 months before my actual birthday. Disneyland is Disneyland!!!

*Where?*

We had actually rented a little place in San Diego that was just off the beach where we stayed the full week. Then I took a 2 day detour and spent 1 night at the Grand Californian Hotel. Ah, what a perfect early 21st birthday present to myself that was.

Well, that will kick all of the fun off. Time to go to bed so I don't die working o'night until 6:30 a.m. - That's 30 minutes longer than I'm used to, no fair.


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## disneyland89

> But my cat is alright and that's what matters. My Cinderella - a.k.a. Ella



Your kitty looks like mine! 
My Mr. BJ





YAYY for black kitties. lol


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## Belle Ella

Yay for all kitties!! My girl isn't all black - she's a tortie so she looks more like a rusted black cat, lol. here she is with her shaved bald spot because of her owie:






Her coloring is gorgeous in the sunlight. There's a lot of red.


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## Sherry E

I don't know why it took me so long to get on and finally comment here...you know how some trip reports you follow along with but don't necessarily have anything significant to add in terms of commentary so you just end up lurking?  Or some of them you follow but you forget to actually subscribe to, so you lose track of where it is on the Trip Report page?

Well, anyway, here I am!!  I just quickly skimmed over all your fantastic photos again to jog my memory about what I wanted to say.  Most of it has been covered by everyone else, but I did want to say that I totally understand those little 'moments' that occur when you travel with friends and loved ones, and when you start getting on each other's nerves.  Even if you love your friend and/or family member and/or boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/partner to death, a long, tiring day at Disneyland can bring out those moments.  In fact, most of my DLR trips (at least the ones I can remember - I am very old) have involved some sort of mild conflict or some annoyance at some point in the trip, and sometimes it is easy to bounce back from it and carry on with the merriment, and other times it will annoy me for a few hours.  I have friends with "time management" problems, and overall clocks that seem to be set to their own time and nobody else's....or friends who just don't want to let loose and have FUN!

I don't know if you have followed along with my Trip Report (which is also an ongoing one, encompassing all current or upcoming trips and many, many photos of old trips), but just this last December, I was getting irritated with my friend because she wanted to sit like a lump in a chair while I was trying to get us into a fun, colorful PhotoPass picture with Santa at the GCH.  I had to actually leave her in her GCH chair while I went to blow off some steam and buy some gingerbread man cookies with Mouse ears at Marceline's, and then after I ate a cookie and sat back down with her, I was a bit less annoyed and then I eventually got her in the Santa shot!  Then, she would shy away from any mob of people surrounding a character (for more PhotoPass pictures), but complained later on that PhotoPass needed to add more character locations!!!  Arrrrrgggghhhhh......And we won't get into how she wanted to chat on her cell phone with her cyber-friend while I was trying to sleep...among many other things.

And on another DLR trip - back in 1991 - we had a flat tire as well.  My friend who was driving tried to ignore that the tire was going flat...until it just couldn't be avoided on the freeway.  So we had to pull over on the freeway and, fortunately, we had a male with us in the car who got out and changed the tire.  (Picture in Trip Report!)

Also, I wanted to say that you are a girl after my own heart - I LOVE all your pictures of signs and statuettes!!  I do the same thing (when I can).  I was just saying to Jasmine (WazowskiLOVER) the other day that it is my goal to eventually get all the sign pictures I can - attraction signs, bathroom signs, restaurant signs, shop/store signs, hotel signs, etc. - in case I ever move away from California or lose my memory or something terrible and need to be reminded of every square inch of my favorite places in DLR!  I am glad to find someone else who is sign-crazy!!

And a question - I don't have a cool DSLR, but I just finished using an old 35 mm camera I had for years, and then I bought this Canon point and shoot which comes with 3 books that I will never read all of.  It is too much to read.  I am still trying to get used to it, and get comfortable with just the basic functions.  This may be a ridiculously stupid question, but I have not yet had to format a memory card - when is this necessary?  It seems like I can just load the pictures to the computer and then delete them from the card and start filling up the card all over again without doing anything different.  When would I need to format the card?  (I see the section in one of the booklets that came with the camera about formatting, but it doesn't seem to be a priority in the book.)


----------



## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> I don't know why it took me so long to get on and finally comment here...you know how some trip reports you follow along with but don't necessarily have anything significant to add in terms of commentary so you just end up lurking?  Or some of them you follow but you forget to actually subscribe to, so you lose track of where it is on the Trip Report page?


Man, oh man, do I know what you mean. There are so many that I've been skimming and reading and just haven't even had the time to contemplate adding my own commentary. I love to let everyone know that I'm following them on their journey because it's like we all get to be one bigger happier family. It's awesome!! I have a lot to catch up on as I work on past TR's to keep my sanity before September!



Sherry E said:


> And on another DLR trip - back in 1991 - we had a flat tire as well.  My friend who was driving tried to ignore that the tire was going flat...until it just couldn't be avoided on the freeway.  So we had to pull over on the freeway and, fortunately, we had a male with us in the car who got out and changed the tire.  (Picture in Trip Report!)


Now that right there is my worst nightmare (well, close to it anyways). I never, ever, ever want to have to pull over on the freeway for anything - especially a flat tire. It makes me nervous. If there's one thing to be thankful for, it's that we were in the safety of the parking lot when we noticed it. Dumb construction, and dumb nails! I had an experience on the freeway once that ended up with me spinning out and facing the oncoming traffic and that's as close to being stopped on the freeway as I ever want to get that's not for traffic reasons. Even if there's a nice wide shoulder, no thank you.



Sherry E said:


> Also, I wanted to say that you are a girl after my own heart - I LOVE all your pictures of signs and statuettes!!  I do the same thing (when I can).  I was just saying to Jasmine (WazowskiLOVER) the other day that it is my goal to eventually get all the sign pictures I can - attraction signs, bathroom signs, restaurant signs, shop/store signs, hotel signs, etc. - in case I ever move away from California or lose my memory or something terrible and need to be reminded of every square inch of my favorite places in DLR!  I am glad to find someone else who is sign-crazy!!


I don't want to forget a single detail!! I tried to do it this time, but didn't quote succeed so much as I did in 2006 when I took photos of every single window display along Main St. during one of my MM's worship: for getting each MM when you stay onsite) since it wasn't as crowded. They are always so adorable!!



Sherry E said:


> And a question - I don't have a cool DSLR, but I just finished using an old 35 mm camera I had for years, and then I bought this Canon point and shoot which comes with 3 books that I will never read all of.  It is too much to read.  I am still trying to get used to it, and get comfortable with just the basic functions.  This may be a ridiculously stupid question, but I have not yet had to format a memory card - when is this necessary?  It seems like I can just load the pictures to the computer and then delete them from the card and start filling up the card all over again without doing anything different.  When would I need to format the card?  (I see the section in one of the booklets that came with the camera about formatting, but it doesn't seem to be a priority in the book.)


I end up needing to reformat my cards every now and again, more often than I need to really, because of silly things that I do while transferring the images to my laptop or external HD. Sometimes extra folders sneak into the card which takes up space that you don't notice when it's on your camera, and sometimes I'll get these annoying files that had to do with which program I opened it with, but they all take ups space. You should always do it with a new memory card the first time you get one and I would just suggest doing it every now and again in case they are hidden files stored on the card that are taking up space.


----------



## Sherry E

Belle Ella said:


> Man, oh man, do I know what you mean. There are so many that I've been skimming and reading and just haven't even had the time to contemplate adding my own commentary. I love to let everyone know that I'm following them on their journey because it's like we all get to be one bigger happier family. It's awesome!! I have a lot to catch up on as I work on past TR's to keep my sanity before September!
> 
> Now that right there is my worst nightmare (well, close to it anyways). I never, ever, ever want to have to pull over on the freeway for anything - especially a flat tire. It makes me nervous. If there's one thing to be thankful for, it's that we were in the safety of the parking lot when we noticed it. Dumb construction, and dumb nails! I had an experience on the freeway once that ended up with me spinning out and facing the oncoming traffic and that's as close to being stopped on the freeway as I ever want to get that's not for traffic reasons. Even if there's a nice wide shoulder, no thank you.
> 
> I don't want to forget a single detail!! I tried to do it this time, but didn't quote succeed so much as I did in 2006 when I took photos of every single window display along Main St. during one of my MM's worship: for getting each MM when you stay onsite) since it wasn't as crowded. They are always so adorable!!
> 
> I end up needing to reformat my cards every now and again, more often than I need to really, because of silly things that I do while transferring the images to my laptop or external HD. Sometimes extra folders sneak into the card which takes up space that you don't notice when it's on your camera, and sometimes I'll get these annoying files that had to do with which program I opened it with, but they all take ups space. You should always do it with a new memory card the first time you get one and I would just suggest doing it every now and again in case they are hidden files stored on the card that are taking up space.



I find that reading other people's trip reports definitely keeps me excited to go on my next trip to DLR - if there is a large gap of time between my own trips.

Oh goodness - that spin-out on the freeway sounds terrifying and I can empathize with you.  Anything happening on the freeway is very scary.  One time a friend and I were en route to somewhere or other (it was back in our '80s hair band days, so we were probably going to a club to see a Poison or Warrant show or something), on the freeway, and she was stupidly eating French fries while driving.  She glanced down for one second to grab fries, and in that instant while she looked downward, all the cars in front of us came to a sudden, sharp stop for some reason.  I gasped and my friend looked up and slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of us, and because it was such an abrupt slam on the brakes, the steering wheel gave out and we spun out on the freeway, ending up in a horizontal position perpendicular to the oncoming traffic - and all of the oncoming traffic was headed directly at MY side of the car.  I saw my life flash before my eyes, assuming this was the end.  I was bracing for impact.  The lady who ended up slamming into my side of the car (because she couldn't avoid it) thankfully swerved away a bit, just enough to avoid plowing right into ME, but she hit the back end of my side of the car, shattering glass all over me.  I was braced and had my face and eyes covered, so I basically just had to shake it all off of me.  It could have been SO much worse, but I have been skittish about getting in cars on the freeway ever since.  You are very vulnerable when you are on the freeway.

I love the MM's too!  You can get so much accomplished, ride-wise and photo-wise, during that time!

So I guess every time I put a new memory card in the point and shoot, I should format the card before I start taking any pictures?  And then maybe I should do it again after I have loaded all the pictures from the card and am ready to start shooting again?  I would bet that a lot of people forget to do that or don't think it's necessary until it's too late and they already have photos on the card (like in your case the one time), but if there are hidden files on there, hogging up room, then it seems like it's a good idea to do it before I get into taking any pictures.


----------



## Belle Ella

*The Drive*
Day One - June 16, 2007





_Life the night before we leave_​
First let me say - the SoCal City Passes are just about the greatest things *ever*!! If I was going to do at least 2 days at Disney, why not throw in another day, and the opportunity to go to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park, and Universal Studios - all for a lower price than purchasing each ticket individually. We picked mine up from Costco just a few days before we left on the big adventure, and I swear I didn't put it down for a second. I was actually going to go to Disneyland!! That was all that mattered to me, I could have cared less about every other opportunity at the moment.

I don't think the drive down to SoCal has ever taken me as long as it did this particular year. When we went this past March we left earlier enough that we arrived early in the morning without hitting any traffic. This is what happens when I'm in charge. When you add into the mix 3 other 'kids' (only one of us was still in HS, but we were the kids of the group), and 3 'adults' (our parents) and a 13-passenger van stuffed to the brim with anything we could possibly need for a week leaving really early in the morning does not happen.

Then, of course, we couldn't get into the beach house until after 3, so we couldn't leave too early.

One of my cousins and I ended up driving down separately from everyone else because I needed to have my car since I wold be ditching everyone for some DL fun. My stay at the GCH wouldn't be until Sunday night so I had to drive to San Diego first. It was horrible! First of all, I made the mistake of not stopping often enough or taking turns driving with my cousin. I'm very protective of my car and hate when anyone driver her - and for very good reason as everyone will see later on in this TR thanks to my sister.

The drive was pretty uneventful until we hit L.A. I had never seen L.A. traffic before, and it was horrible. I swear it took 4 hours to get from L.A. to the beach house in San Diego, and by the time we did get there I was absolutely miserable. At least it was after 3, which meant we could access the house. We arrived before everyone else so we had to call and get the code to let us in.





_The dark blue one is where we stayed_​
I don't know what I was expecting in the place we had rented, but it was perfect. I'll admit, my favorite area was the balcony. I didn't spend a whole lot of time there except for some reading in the sun on that balcony. We were less than a block away from the beach, and it was just perfect.





_The beach is *just* on the other side_​
The only downfall? Parking. I don't know how anyone can possibly park their cars in spaces smaller than sardine cans. It took me a good 30 minutes to get my car parked, which was not what I needed in the mood I was in. But at least I did so without damaging my car. Wish everyone had been so lucky.

I can't say there was much else done that day. As soon as the rest of the family arrived we all had to pitch in to unpack the monstrosity that is my dad's blue bus/van thing. You can fit a lot of crap in a 13-passenger van. After some hamburgers for dinner I made my way to bed early since I was planning on starting my Sunday very early - I wanted as much Disney time as I could get my little hands on!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> I find that reading other people's trip reports definitely keeps me excited to go on my next trip to DLR - if there is a large gap of time between my own trips.
> 
> Oh goodness - that spin-out on the freeway sounds terrifying and I can empathize with you.  Anything happening on the freeway is very scary.  One time a friend and I were en route to somewhere or other (it was back in our '80s hair band days, so we were probably going to a club to see a Poison or Warrant show or something), on the freeway, and she was stupidly eating French fries while driving.  She glanced down for one second to grab fries, and in that instant while she looked downward, all the cars in front of us came to a sudden, sharp stop for some reason.  I gasped and my friend looked up and slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of us, and because it was such an abrupt slam on the brakes, the steering wheel gave out and we spun out on the freeway, ending up in a horizontal position perpendicular to the oncoming traffic - and all of the oncoming traffic was headed directly at MY side of the car.  I saw my life flash before my eyes, assuming this was the end.  I was bracing for impact.  The lady who ended up slamming into my side of the car (because she couldn't avoid it) thankfully swerved away a bit, just enough to avoid plowing right into ME, but she hit the back end of my side of the car, shattering glass all over me.  I was braced and had my face and eyes covered, so I basically just had to shake it all off of me.  It could have been SO much worse, but I have been skittish about getting in cars on the freeway ever since.  You are very vulnerable when you are on the freeway.
> 
> I love the MM's too!  You can get so much accomplished, ride-wise and photo-wise, during that time!
> 
> So I guess every time I put a new memory card in the point and shoot, I should format the card before I start taking any pictures?  And then maybe I should do it again after I have loaded all the pictures from the card and am ready to start shooting again?  I would bet that a lot of people forget to do that or don't think it's necessary until it's too late and they already have photos on the card (like in your case the one time), but if there are hidden files on there, hogging up room, then it seems like it's a good idea to do it before I get into taking any pictures.



I'm a big ball of anxiety and everyone used to pick on my fear of something happening in a car. It's better when I'm the one driving, but it was really my first 'accident' and thankfully I didn't hit anything. Things get confusing when there is construction going on and there was still a sign up that said a lane was ending from pre-construction and to merge over and an SUV was coming into my lane - while I was there. I drive a little Civic, so it was very intimidating. I over corrected to avoid being hit and the next thing you know I'm facing backwards. Terrifying. I saw the same thing happen to someone else the other day and narrowly avoided hitting them. 

The way I see it, unless you have photos on the car you don't want to loose, it never hurts to reformat it. It doesn't damage the card and you'll always be sure you have the available space and that it will be compatible with your camera. Better to be safe than sorry, right?


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## Belle Ella

*Happy early Birthday to me*
Day 2 - June 17, 2007​
Like I already said, I wanted to treat myself to Disneyland for my 21st birthday. Seeing as we were in SoCal, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, and decided that this birthday treat would just come a couple of months early!

The morning started off nice and early, which is nothing new for me. I work very early in the morning, so waking up before 5AM is my norm. I had made the genius decision that rather than drive the 6 hours (more with traffic) straight to DL and have less time and less energy in the park I would drive the 7 or so hours (again, more with traffic) to San Diego and then drive back to Anaheim another day after a long night of sleep. Sure it bit when it came to using more gas, but that was kind of why I had been saving my money for this vacation.

So I would probably say that I left the beach house in San Diego between 645 and 7 in the morning, and easily made it to DLR at some time between 8 and 820 arriving at my destination of choice: The Grand Californian Hotel. I absolutely love that place! I stayed there for the first time in December 04 on a vacation my family had won from my sister's softball league raffle. The style is very reminiscent of my grandfather's woodworking and the way that he has built the past two homes that he has lived in, always a big plus for me! After getting my car parked, and my luggage checked in, I realized that I had completely forgotten about the entrance into the hotel! I had to stare at it for a few minutes and completely forgot to get a photo of it, which is a bummer for me. 500+ photos I took, and I didn't get much of the hotel. That makes me sad. But checking in and stowing my luggage went quickly, I got some postcards to use when I get around to making my summer scrapbook (the CM gave me a couple more when I mentioned that so I had extras to use as well), and yes, I even got a birthday pin. I can't help it! My birthday may not have be until September, but I repeat, this was my birthday present to myself. So why not?

While I didn't get as many photos of the hotel as I had originally planned during the entire stay I did get a few from the lobby at random times:


























_I love these mini rockers for the little ones._









































_OK, not from the lobby itself, but I took it on my way out of the hotel to the park._​
There's more to come, like me actually making it into the park, and finally getting into my hotel room!

** Might I also add that every photo from this trip is with my pre-Nikon D40 camera, a Sony point & shoot with limited manual features. Not to mention, before my photography class.


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## Sherry E

Honestly, you may not have taken as many GCH pictures as you would have liked, but the ones you took are GREAT!  Truly!  They look like pictures I would expect to see in a DLR brochure or booklet in the GCH section.  And to think you did that with a point and shoot! That is tremendous!  I wish my point and shoot could do that - well, I say that having just bought the darn thing and not really being sure of what its capabilites are yet.  Maybe my P&S _can_ do that!  I love the GCH too - ESPECIALLY during the holiday season when the tree is up and the carolers are lurking and the guitar player is by the hearth - and I wanted to get just a couple of decent pictures there.  The GCH, as you know, is dimly lit, and it is hard to get a good photo, as you run the risk of either having pictures that are TOO dark or if you use a flash, the flash may illuminate the shot too much and overpower the natural, rustic, earthy tones of the GCH surroundings.  Your photos do a great job of capturing the real essence and mood of the GCH in a way that is not too dark but not too bright.  It looks very natural - and it makes me want to get back there soon and plunk down in those comfy chairs in the lobby!


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## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> Honestly, you may not have taken as many GCH pictures as you would have liked, but the ones you took are GREAT!  Truly!  They look like pictures I would expect to see in a DLR brochure or booklet in the GCH section.  And to think you did that with a point and shoot! That is tremendous!  I wish my point and shoot could do that - well, I say that having just bought the darn thing and not really being sure of what its capabilites are yet.  Maybe my P&S _can_ do that!  I love the GCH too - ESPECIALLY during the holiday season when the tree is up and the carolers are lurking and the guiater player is by the hearth - and I wanted to get just a couple of decent pictures there.  The GCH, as you know, is dimly lit, and it is hard to get a good photo, as you run the risk of either having pictures that are TOO dark or if you use a flash, the flash may illuminate the shot too much and overpower the natural, rustic, earthy tones of the GCH surroundings.  Your photos do a great job of capturing the real essence and mood of the GCH in a way that is not too dark but not too bright.  It looks very natural - and it makes me want to get back there soon and plunk down in those comfy chairs in the lobby!



 Thank you! I think the moral is I'm very hyper-critical of the photos I take, lol. I'm jealous because my friend is going to DL with her mom in 2 weeks and they'll be staying at GCH. Did I mention I was jealous. Very, very, very jealous. Heck, I would love to take a full day and just relax in the chairs in the lobby. They are very comfy!


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## Belle Ella

*Summer Daze*
Day 2 cont.​
Since my room was not going to be available until sometime around/after 3PM, I had plenty of time to go and hit to park (and I do say *park* because on this particular excursion, I never made my way over to DCA). I did have to make a detour and exchange my CityPass voucher for an actual 3-day PH. Then I was all good to go.

Looking back, one thing that I am really hitting myself for not doing was utilizing the PhotoPass system! When Dre and I went in March '09 we had a lot of fun with the PP opportunities and absolutely loved having those photos and the borders/frames when all was said and done. I learned my lesson the hard way, and never again will I make this rookie mistake. Although, I hope, that I'll have others to split the cost with any other time I go in the future!

Once I got into the park with a couple of character sightings on the way (most notable, Chip & Dale) I made my way towards SBC to start off my day!





















_The last time I was in DL in July '06 these paintings had been the "Happiest Faces on Earth" mosaics, so it was exciting to see the new artwork. Nothing has replaced them since, however, as I saw in March '09._











_I love this fountain!!_​
Now, since I was in Fantasyland at that point, it made sense to go on what rides I actually would go on at this point. This vacation was about the ambiance and relaxing more than seeing how much I could get done in one day. So ... I went on Snow White!! Actually, to the best of my knowledge, this was the first time I had ever gone on Snow White's Scary Adventure. I almost couldn't believe it myself.






_I got the Happy cart, which made me ... happy!_






_Trying to get a photo in a moving 'vehicle' does not work if you can't control your settings correctly._​
I had a lot of DADD (disney attention deficit disorder) during my stay. I hopped around from one place to another with no real rhyme or reason other than "Wait, I want to see this"! Case in point, I went to do a little shopping and took some photos of the awesome decorations. I believe I was in Disney Clothiers, Ltd. But me and remembering things doesn't always work out in my favor!






_Ladies, how'd you like to still be dressing like this ... and then spend a day in DL?_






_So purdy._









Then it was back to SBC and a little scenic route over to Snow White's Grotto, easily one of my favorite little 'nooks' in DL.









Then it was another split decision to head over to New Orleans Square and one of my favorite rides of all time, the Haunted Mansion.






_Every time I rode HM while I was there I focused on a different haunted/stretching painting. My favorite went first._
















_Confession time ... I took flash pictures. I feel so ashamed of myself, but I must come clean. Never again, never again._




After that it was time to grab some food. Now, while in NOS it's impossible not to be reminded of the fact that I neglected to make a PS at Blue Bayou before I arrived. I love eating at BB, and had to see if I could get myself in at all over the weekend. I checked in with the Hostess and was able to get a PS in for the next afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. Score! But that didn't help the hunger pains of the moment so I waited a few minutes and had lunch at Cafe Orleans, which I don't recall ever having dined at before. I remember ordering a Salmon Salad that was too die for. I normally don't finish meals at restaurants, but I was so close to licking that plate clean. It was delicious!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*It's always the Castle*
Day 2 cont.​
I had myself lots of time to wander, wander, and wander some more, so I picked my around through Frontierland and passed by BTMRR and then found my way back to Fantasyland and SBC. I always seem to end up there no matter what I do. It really would be my home 'land' in DL - followed closely behind by NOS. These were also the days before Pixie Hollow when the area was Ariel's Grotto where you could meet & greet everyone's favorite mermaid.































_How often do we take photos of the *back* of SBC?_






_Horses make me happy._





















_It is impossible to have too many photos of SBC._


























_She's my mom's favorite Disney character._​


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## Belle Ella

*Happy Father's Day*
Day 2 cont.​
Since I was back at Fantasyland by this point (like I said, I always wind up there) I stopped by to watch and listen to the Pearly Band.














As it turns out, June 17, 2007 was more than just my first day in Disneyland. It also happened to be father's day. My dad ended up getting exactly what he wanted. A week alone with the all the noise that is me. Apparently I talk to much - go figure. But I ended up stopping by the Castle Heraldry Shoppe while I was there to pick him up a gift. I walked out with one of the matted family Histories of our Clan (my dad's family is Scottish) and then went off on my way once more.


































As I went back to my aimless wandering I took a stroll through some of the other little shops there in the castle and afterward, look who I saw!!


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## Belle Ella

*Checking In*
Day 2 cont.​
I finally got the go ahead that I could get into my room at about 345PM and I was ready to go take a quick nap before returning to the park for more fun. Rather than walk all the way back to the hotel I decided to hop over to Tomorrowland and take the Monorail and do a quick stroll through DTD as well. 

This was also the year that the Nemo Subs opened! I was really excited about this, although not so excited about the wait times I had been hearing throughout the day. I can't see staying in one line for hours and hours when there are so many other things to do. So I hadn't gone on them yet. But it was exciting to take a peek at the subs from above while waiting for the Monorail. I think it was the time I ever had to wait in line for the Monorail, now that I think about it. But that's alright, because when it was our turn to board, we got the special yellow submarine Monorail 














I really love watching everything go by when on the Monorail - and I totally forgot that it actually passes _through_ the GCH so it was neat to see it from another perspective.
























This wasn't the first time that I'd stayed at the GCH. I think I mentioned before that we spent Christmas in 2004 there after winning a free trip from my sister's softball league, but we never got any photos from the experience. I was so excited to go and find my room, get inside, and take a look around. I was very glad I made the decision to splurge and stay there though. I would have regretted it, had I not.

Originally my sister and 2 cousins were going to be coming along with me to DL so we had booked a standard room with 2 beds. At least I could pick which side I wanted to sleep on, and change my mind if I so desired.














































_Still my favorite._






_I wish I had one of these in my room at home. Or anywhere at home. All of our televisions are crap._


























_This was my view._


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## Belle Ella

*It was a day of dreams*
Day 2 cont.

After a quick nap in the hotel, and an even quicker shower, I was back enjoying my time in the park.






I went over to refreshment corner for a chili bowl and some cherry Coke for dinner and was greeted by a very friendly face (make that two very freindly faces)!






I wish I had gotten a photo with them then and there, but they were just about to leave and I was still trying to stuff my face with food. I did manage to remedy the problem at a later time though.

Not long after I finished eating it was time to find myself a seat for the dearly missed Parade of Dreams, kicked off by everyone's favorite rat chef, Remy and friends!!





















And the honorary Grand Marshall of the day ...






... Surrounded by friends.







































































^ This photo really reminds me of an old teacher I had in high school. And how funny - she worked at DL once, and I can't for the life of me remember what character she was.





















Might I add, I have officially realized why these are all lower quality that I thought - I changed the resolution to 72. OUCH. Okay, that explains all the distortion and I will keep that in mind when I upload any more.


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## kaoden39

We didn't watch the parade in March 2007, and looking at your pictures I wish that we had.  I especially enjoy the Ratatoullie (spelling?) float.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> We didn't watch the parade in March 2007, and looking at your pictures I wish that we had.  I especially enjoy the Ratatoullie (spelling?) float.



I could never remember how to spell it - that's why I took a picture of the sign 

It's a shame you missed it. I saw it in '06, and then when I was there in '07 I sat and watched it three different times from three different areas. There will be lots of pictures, and I'm going to see if I can go through and get the better quality ones 'cuz these are just frustrating me, lol.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I could never remember how to spell it - that's why I took a picture of the sign
> 
> It's a shame you missed it. I saw it in '06, and then when I was there in '07 I sat and watched it three different times from three different areas. There will be lots of pictures, and I'm going to see if I can go through and get the better quality ones 'cuz these are just frustrating me, lol.



I have a disc of pictures my niece took that trip that I have been so tempted to post on our thread.


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## Belle Ella

*It's a Parade of Dreams*
Day 2 cont.

More photos, less talk!


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have a disc of pictures my niece took that trip that I have been so tempted to post on our thread.


Do it! Do it! Do it! It's never too late to share you pictures. I'm going backwards. When all this is said and done I'll add the ones from '06. The more pictures, the better!


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Do it! Do it! Do it! It's never too late to share you pictures. I'm going backwards. When all this is said and done I'll add the ones from '06. The more pictures, the better!



Well, I guess I will have to add the pictures to photobucket.  That's a good chore for tomorrow.

I love all of the pictures that everybody takes.  It's so fun to see how everyone sees the park.  And what they take pictures of.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, I guess I will have to add the pictures to photobucket.  That's a good chore for tomorrow.
> 
> I love all of the pictures that everybody takes.  It's so fun to see how everyone sees the park.  And what they take pictures of.



At least it's a more enjoyable chore than some!! It's what I love about photography - getting the see the world from somebody else's perspective. It's just plain old fun. Adding DL as the subject just makes it that much better.


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## Belle Ella

*Even more dreams*
Day 2 cont.
























































_I will always <3 Snow White the most._











_See, I knew I had better quality pictures in here somwhere. Wonder where exactly I started changing the resolution ..._









That's just about all of the photos that I got from this viewing of the POD, but I have plenty more to share later on down the road. Worst of all - I filled up my memory card and that was it for the pictures until I could get them downloaded. Back in the lovely days before I had my laptop that involved going to the Photo store on Main St. and paying an arm and a leg for them to do it for me. Oh well. I know better now!!


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## Belle Ella

_*Calling it a day*_
End of Day 2​
I believe I mentioned before how much I enjoy getting photos of everything! For most of the rest of that night in particular while I still had enough light I went around with a map in hand so I could use something to keep track of what I as doing, and started going around to get pictures of signs, rides, you name it. Unfortunately for me, however, the light didn't last very long, which meant I had to retire the camera until the morning. I was soooo not ready to attempt night shots back then.





























































_I do believe this is now the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique._





























Right about then it was time for me to head back to the hotel. These were the days of my full on fireworks phobia so I was not planning on being in the park when they started so it was time to head back to the hotel and do some more relaxing for the day. Not to mention I am not a night person and I was ready to go to sleep. Sad, right?

Well, that's all from day 2!


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## Belle Ella

*Guess who found Nemo?*
Day 3 - June 17, 2009​
So, first, I realized I have all of these dates wrong. My sister's graduation was on a Thursday (the 14th) which means we left for San Diego on Friday after she got back from Grad Night. This is the problem with trying to remember a vacation from 2 years ago! But it makes more sense now because Day 3 (Disney day 2) was my Magic Morning! I had already decided what my goal was going to be for the morning before returning to the hotel to stow my bags and check out. I wish I could stay at the GCH again, and again, and again, but I think it's fair to say it's going to be a very long while before I can manage that again. But even for one night, it was worth it!

But back to the plan! I had been hearing all day long (as well as before leaving) just how *long* the lines for the new Nemo Submarine Voyage were going to be. With only 2 days I really wasn't willing to spend 4 hours in line for one ride, not that I do as much in a general day as others may. I figured that my best shot at a shorter wait was going to be making a mad dash over to Tomorrowland on a MM day. Then I took a gamble and decided to take the Monorail to the Tomorrowland station which we all know is directly above to loading area for the subs. Would it pay off, would it screw us over? It all depended on what time they loaded us into the cars and what time they left the station. We were seated and ready to go just before 7AM and were starting to get worried when the minutes passed and we weren't going anywhere figuring we would be beat by a ton of people who were already getting the go ahead at the main gates, but we were told they hadn't been admitted in either so all was good.

As it was, it turned out to be a very good mood in our situation (me & everyone else on board). By the time I got off the Monorail and made the mad dash down to get in line I was only 20-30 people back. It would have been a very perfect wait if it hadn't been for 'technical problems' that kept us waiting another 30 minutes before they loaded the first sub. It didn't matter. 30 minutes or 4 hours? 4 hours or 30 minutes? Sorry, I'll take the 30 minutes!!





















_*BUBBLES!!*_





































































I really hope to get to go on this again when I'm in DLR this September because I really loved it! The only downside to it is that it's very tight quarters. I'm just a touch claustrophobic so it was a little unnerving for a while. But once everything starts your mind is off it and you're having fun!!

After Nemo I had to make a dash back to the hotel so I could check my luggage again and check out from the wonderful GCH. I had the rest of the day to play before making the drive back to San Diego and the beach house!


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## Sherry E

See, I am a huge fan of Nemo, the movie, but I found the Nemo Sub to be lackluster.  I wished there had been a whole separate Nemo ride, and not just an enhancement to an existing DLR ride.  I didn't feel as though the movie complemented the existing Sub ride, nor did the Sub ride complement the Nemo plot.  I was underwhelmed.  I would have preferred more Animatronic characters (other than Darla) and less of the 'stick-some-screens-under-the-water-and-play-the-scenes-from-the-movie' gimic.  But, oh well, it's not like they are going to make a whole separate Nemo ride now.  They still have a totally empty Peoplemover/Rocket Rods track that have to do something with!  

That said, I LOVE your Nemo Sub pictures!!  They almost make me want to ride it again!  I must admit - I rarely see too many shots taken on the Nemo ride, and IF I have seen them, it is straight through the glass.  I love your pictures - especially the ones with the portholes in the view, because the portholes frame each shot so nicely and make them much more interesting.  Great job!!  Good point and shoot you were using - what kind was it?  Sony?


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## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> See, I am a huge fan of Nemo, the movie, but I found the Nemo Sub to be lackluster.  I wished there had been a whole separate Nemo ride, and not just an enhancement to an existing DLR ride.  I didn't feel as though the movie complemented the existing Sub ride, nor did the Sub ride complement the Nemo plot.  I was underwhelmed.  I would have preferred more Animatronic characters (other than Darla) and less of the 'stick-some-screens-under-the-water-and-play-the-scenes-from-the-movie' gimic.  But, oh well, it's not like they are going to make a whole separate Nemo ride now.  They still have a totally empty Peoplemover/Rocket Rods track that have to do something with!
> 
> That said, I LOVE your Nemo Sub pictures!!  They almost make me want to ride it again!  I must admit - I rarely see too many shots taken on the Nemo ride, and IF I have seen them, it is straight through the glass.  I love your pictures - especially the ones with the portholes in the view, because the portholes frame each shot so nicely and make them much more interesting.  Great job!!  Good point and shoot you were using - what kind was it?  Sony?


You know, a big part of why I liked it so much may be the fact that I had never been on it when it was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I know I'd been there when it was still operating, but I just never went on it for some reason (probably my same old ride-phobias). Since it was never connected in my mind with something else it doesn't take away from the experience. I wouldn't put it in my top 3 or 4 favorites, but I definitely liked it.

As for the camera, it's not your typical p&s. It was a Sony H2, that I still have now that I thin about it. I bought it mostly for shooting at hockey games because of the 12X zoom it has on it, and the first time I took it to Disneyland in '06 it did me proud. It's a bit of a clunker though.


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## Belle Ella

*My adventure*
Day 3 cont.​
So fresh-full of bouncy happiness after the Nemo subs, and checking my bags in until I was ready to leave the next item on my agenda was to head over to Adventureland for one some of my favorite rides - Jungle Cruise.































_I did end up going to go see this on when I came back for my 3rd day. It was cute, a shame it's not offered anymore. Wonder if they'll ever reopen it again._































_Not my boat ..._











_My boat ..._






_At the time, she became my favorite Skipper - but has subsequently been replaced by Skipper Larry circa March '09._​


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## Belle Ella

_*We interrupt this re-broadcast of Jazz's 2007 SoCal Excursion to bring you a brand spanking new installment of the 23rd Birthday PTR*_​
Things are starting to fall into place for September, and I couldn't be more excited!!

It's a running joke these days between my boss and I, all of these 'vacations' I seem to be taking lately. First I take a weekend off in March to go to Disneyland, then it's a full week to fly to Texas and visit family in June, and now it's another week to go back to Disneyland in September. When will it end? And this is all coming from the girl who hasn't taken a vacation, or called off sick in 2 years (alright, so I _did_ play hookie *one* day to go to the Twilight Tour in S.F., but that was the only day in 2 years I called off for). The way I see it, it's about darn time!! But I have officially been given the go ahead for that week in September - my time off request has been *approved*!!

  ​
This makes for one happy me. I will actually be celebrating my birthday at the Disneyland Resort! It will really be happening. Sure, it's still 3 months away, but there is nothing holding me back now. Actually, now that I think about it, I am 90 days out from our arrival date and 3 months exactly from my 23rd birthday (September 10).

I still have one friend unconfirmed for the trip, but I'm trying to think positive here. If I think it will happen, it *will* happen. I just sent her an email about the prices we're looking at so far:


4 nights at the HoJo at the Ent. rate = $271.40
3 day PH (good for 5 days) from my Credit Union = $161.10
We're also in the process of deciding which character meal we want to try. I had an absolute blast at the Minnie & Friends breakfast back in March, so that one will never be off the table but my top two choices right now would be Ariel's Grotto or Goofy's Kitchen as the big meal on my birthday. Eating at BB is a no-brainer since a trip to DL for me is not complete without it although we'll probably only do desert this time. I just can't pass it up.

Now I'm only a week and a half until my time visiting family in Texas, so I'm stocking up on things I'm going to need that will also (hopefully) do some good for DLR in a few more months. Went out and got these really cute flip flops that I love from Payless today (gotta love BOGO) and earlier this week I ordered a pair of Crocs flats. I was debating between the Olivia and the Malindi for days, but finally ordered the Malindi although I'm still pining for the Olivia as well. Gr. I can't justify buying them both right now though, such a shame.


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## kaoden39

Your Croc's are cute.  I have the ballerina slipper ones, I wore them to Disneyland trip in 2007 and they gave me blisters.  They ended up being a great purchase because after I got out of the hospital they made great shower shoes, that way I didn't slip when I was first able to stand up when I showered.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Your Croc's are cute.  I have the ballerina slipper ones, I wore them to Disneyland trip in 2007 and they gave me blisters.  They ended up being a great purchase because after I got out of the hospital they made great shower shoes, that way I didn't slip when I was first able to stand up when I showered.



I've got a few flats that are like the ballerina slipper style - I think the shape of those shoes only hurts the prospect of blisters than helps. I'll have to see how my feet fare in these, but right now everything that I have gives me blisters at one time or another. I'm normally sitting down all day but anytime I'm up on my feet I expect them. Finally got some gel pads for the heels of my flats that have helped out a lot. Hopefully the test run in Texas doesn't disappoint!

OOH! 30 minutes until So You Think You Can Dance!!


----------



## kaoden39

I have never watched that.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm addicted to it! It makes me wish I had been able to stick with dance when I was younger. But I had to stop because my Grandmother was the one who took me and injured her back so she couldn't drive me anymore. My mother watches Dancing with the Stars, but I think SYTYCD is *soooo* much better. Tonight is the first actual performance night (auditions episodes ended last week) so I'm all giddy. A lot of my favorites made it through this year so far. You should watch it if you can. You never know, you may like it (it's on FOX at 8). Just be forwarned if you do - there's a judge named Mary Murphy who shrieks a whole heck of a lot.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm about to go log back into my Flickr to start posting more photos - YAY!! - But I'm also excited because I got the confirmation that my shoes were shipped today. Now they just need to get here before next Saturday and all will be great. Also need to remember to make an appointment with my Dr. because I'm a little nervous about some swelling in my calf I've been getting when I sit and my upcoming flight. My dad's having blood clot issues in his legs and it frekas me out a little. WORRY WART = me.


----------



## kaoden39

I am excited for you about your shoes.  Try drinking more water that might help the swelling.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am excited for you about your shoes.  Try drinking more water that might help the swelling.


I hope it's no more than a water thing. I've never been good with water - it tastes *nasty*!! Yuck. Of course my family thinks I'm crazy because water has no taste (but it does). But since I have to go get some Ativan so I don't have another full-blown panic attack anyways, why not ask about it right?

OH! And Ella gets her stitches out tomorrow. Officially. Because about 2/3 of them are gone already anyways because she got them caught on something and pulled them out.


----------



## kaoden39

I am not fond of water myself, so I get bottled water and I go to Walmart where they sell these flavor packs to put in the water.  It works as water and I am more willing to drink it.


----------



## Belle Ella

The funny thing is, I have a pile of those flavor packet things that I just keep forgetting I have until I start to clean my room and find them mixed in with my clothes (of allt he places to find them). I'm going to need to put forth some effort here.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The funny thing is, I have a pile of those flavor packet things that I just keep forgetting I have until I start to clean my room and find them mixed in with my clothes (of allt he places to find them). I'm going to need to put forth some effort here.



Yes, do that.  The reason I suggested the water packets is because my legs swell when I drink sodas and not water.  So try it okay?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yes, do that.  The reason I suggested the water packets is because my legs swell when I drink sodas and not water.  So try it okay?


 I really will. I think my problem is always that I don't have anyone keeping me honest with it. I don't always have the will power to do things on my own. Too bad I didn't do this today. It's normally days like I had today at work that I notice it the most which is why it's on my mind.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Taking a Cruise*
Day 3 cont.






_And we're off! With a sign of things to come._











_No indecency here, they all have their trunks on!_
















_Not your ideal house guests!_
















_Can't let anything go to waste._






_How do we know these are African elephants? Well ... we were on a cruise through *Africa* ... duh!_


























_Just your friendly neighborhood pride, watching over the sleeping zebra._






_Ear wiggling, but no bubbles - we must be safe!_






_Or maybe not._






_Not a great place to beheaded._











_We laughed, we cried - we almost died. Now we're back to Adventureland._​


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I really will. I think my problem is always that I don't have anyone keeping me honest with it. I don't always have the will power to do things on my own. Too bad I didn't do this today. It's normally days like I had today at work that I notice it the most which is why it's on my mind.



I'll try to remember to say something on your thread everyday too remind you.  Drink your water!


----------



## travelmel

I'm subscribed but must have lost this thread... GREAT PICTURES!  Im going to have to catch up on all my reading here eventually!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'll try to remember to say something on your thread everyday too remind you.  Drink your water!


This counts as a reminder today. I think I'm going to go try and find my little green Disney Earth Day water bottle thing that I got and fill it up and keep it by me.



travelmel said:


> I'm subscribed but must have lost this thread... GREAT PICTURES!  Im going to have to catch up on all my reading here eventually!


I've had that happen to me too, welcome 'back' and I hope you do get a chance to catch up. They'll always be here


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Witch Doctors, Pirates, and Critters - Oh my!*_
Day 3 cont.​
AHH! Now things are starting to make some sense again. I totally forgot that Disneyland changed MM days between the time of this trip in June 07 and now. I thought I was getting confused by what day was my MM and what day wasn't. Everything makes sense now. So all of this was on Monday, the 18th. Which reminds me of one little thing that happened the night before, a couple of hours before I left the park. I had been walking down towards Snow White's Grotto where I was stopped briefly by a CM passing something out to random people. Too bad I wasn't a ride person back then (or too bad I hadn't received it earlier in the day) but it turned out to be one of the Year of a Million Dreams Dream FastPass. Pretty cool, even though I didn't end up using it. But it's so nice to look at, and have back at home to remember 2007.












_I love getting my diagnosis from Shrunken Ned. Does anyone else actually do what he tells you to do - all out?_
















_I love NOS!_




















_
Of course, what should come after this other than ..._





_
Pirates!! I could have gone on this all day long, over and over and over. I actually did do it a couple of times in a row more than once._
















_I did make my way to Critter Country, but I didn't do much there other than take pictures. These were my pre-SM days so that was out. I looked around in the shops as well, but that was it. I didn't even get to see Pooh!_






_I chose Tigger._






_And Pooh with the honey pot._









































*GULP!!*









If you've never done the Davy Crockett Canoes, I really recommend them. I have nothing but fond memories from the few times that I went on them wen I was at DLR as a kid. I wish I had thought to give them another go when I was there in '06, '07, or even this year. It's such a shame. I will always make a mental note to be sure to do them again the next time that I go!


----------



## kaoden39

Be sure and drink your water today!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Be sure and drink your water today!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Running chills*
Day 3 cont.​
After a little detour through Critter Country I found myself back in NOS, of course. I had already done Pirates (not that there is such a thing as riding POTC too many times) so this time I made my way straight for the Haunted Mansion, another favorite of mine. One thing I really need to remember is to stop by HM at night and actually get a photograph rather than keeping my camera locked up once it gets dark.


























_I picked another painting to follow again ..._
















_This would not be my preferred method of exit from a chamber with no windows and no doors._











_OK, I have to cringe. I used flash again ... Never again will it happen, but I can't change the past ..._






_I really wanted to catch her with the axe, but oh well._






_I've never actually stopped to eat here, I don't think. Although I am a frequent customer of the Mint Julep Bar at the back._
















_I love the play on the name._


----------



## Sherry E

I am loving all the sign pictures again!!! 

I forgot to ask you the last time you posted the HM pictures that you took with the flash - did the voice come on over the speakers reminding you of no flash photography?  I have heard that recording before in the HM ride when someone has flashed, but sometimes it gets lost in all the music and activity going on.  In any case, I know this is the politically incorrect thing to say, for obvious reasons, but the pictures with the flash came out great.  You can see details really well.  It is so dark in that ride as it is (the regular HM - not the HMH, which seems to be brighter), the only time I have seen anything REALLY clear taken from it is when the pictures are professionally taken for Disney books or brochures or something.  

But flash photography is a real hot button issue, so I won't profess to like the flash HM pictures TOOO much!!


----------



## Belle Ella

You know, I don't actually remember the voive coming over the speakers to say no flash pictures either time that I took photos on HM, but that doens't necessarily mean it didn't happen - just that I was so far past paying attention and being a little devil photographer. I will say one thing though, as far as flash photography on dark rides, it bothers me least of all on HM because you're pretty much sheltered in your buggies and it doesn't flash in someone else's face the same way it does on say ... POTC. But it's still very aggrivating if you're not the one taking the picture. But for scenes like that one, it's really the best way to get a picture you'll love. For the ones in the hallway, I'm not too big of a fan because the way the flash hits the blue walls just makes it look weird to me.









It's just something I didn't really think about when I went a few years ago (I was even worse about it in 2006 when seeing the new Jack Sparrow additions on POTC). Now I know better and must find new ways to get something good away from the rides. I think I will try bringing the little camcorder thing and see how we fare with that if I cover the LCD screen.


----------



## kaoden39

Have you been drinking your water today?


----------



## travelmel

Has anybody managed to get that walpaper for their home use yet??  

Your pictures are so great. I wish I would have known you when I was like 2 yrs old going to DL - talk about retro!


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> You know, I don't actually remember the voive coming over the speakers to say no flash pictures either time that I took photos on HM, but that doens't necessarily mean it didn't happen - just that I was so far past paying attention and being a little devil photographer. I will say one thing though, as far as flash photography on dark rides, it bothers me least of all on HM because you're pretty much sheltered in your buggies and it doesn't flash in someone else's face the same way it does on say ... POTC. But it's still very aggrivating if you're not the one taking the picture. But for scenes like that one, it's really the best way to get a picture you'll love. For the ones in the hallway, I'm not too big of a fan because the way the flash hits the blue walls just makes it look weird to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's just something I didn't really think about when I went a few years ago *(I was even worse about it in 2006 when seeing the new Jack Sparrow additions on POTC).* Now I know better and must find new ways to get something good away from the rides. I think I will try bringing the little camcorder thing and see how we fare with that if I cover the LCD screen.




Heh, I can vouch for _that_.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Have you been drinking your water today?


I did, I did. Well, it was a start. I had a glass of water in the morning and took a small water bottle with me to my cousin's graduation. Now to just keep the ball rolling today as well. Perfect opportunity though, I really need to drink more water when I work overnight (tonight). Maybe it will help me feel less like crap when I get home in the morning.



travelmel said:


> Has anybody managed to get that walpaper for their home use yet??


Haha! That would be so awesome. Somebody, somewhere, has to have it.



RiverLou said:


> Heh, I can vouch for _that_.


Yeah well, at least I learned my lesson.

 I have to edit the photos from my cousin's Graduation before I can think about getting to anything else. Must get them back to her family before I leave next Sunday.


----------



## kaoden39

Good girl on the water!  Be sure and keep that up.


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> I did, I did. Well, it was a start. I had a glass of water in the morning and took a small water bottle with me to my cousin's graduation. Now to just keep the ball rolling today as well. Perfect opportunity though, I really need to drink more water when I work overnight (tonight). Maybe it will help me feel less like crap when I get home in the morning.



Now the question is, how are you doing on your soda consumption?


----------



## kaoden39

RiverLou said:


> Now the question is, how are you doing on your soda consumption?



Hmm good question....


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Now the question is, how are you doing on your soda consumption?





kaoden39 said:


> Hmm good question....



Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't say it was a success - just that it was a start. Yesterday I only had one soda at the BBQ after graduation. Today ... Well, my mom and I went out. We took our year's worth of recycling in (totaled just under $99) and afterwards I got a green tea, and then we went to lunch and I got a soda. I cannot skip the coffee before work tonight, but I'll try and skip the soda and replace it with a water on my lunch break to get me through the rest of the night. I'll even remember to put in one of those flavor packet things.

But boy were we bad today. I'm 'stocking' up already on things for (and after) September. I got a whole bunch of Disney scrapbooking supplies today. At least I'll get one of the big packets for free. Then I bought some tanks and shorts for Texas and the rest of the summer because my clothes are so limited right now!


----------



## Belle Ella

Life is really testing me right now! It's like it doesn't want me to go to DLR for my birthday. First there was my cat and the $600+ vet bill. Then on Monday this week I got into a little fender bender on my way home from work. *If* we decide to get it fixed our deductible is about $500 ... Which would be all the money I have been saving up for DLR for my birthday and then some. To be honest though, I don't think I'm going to get it fixed. It's just a 'cosmetic' thing that doesn't interfere with driving. I just hate seeing the passenger side of my car all messed up because there was already damage there from a little parking accident my sister had while we were in San Diego (which I'm trying to get around to in the other TR). Super annoyed.

To top that off I ahd a cruddy day at work on Monday and came within seconds of violating on my 5th hour which under my circumstances thanks to problems I have with a co-worker could have lead to me being fired. Not good! And my stupid probation period ends tomorrow of all days. But now I'm very paranoid about it!

Two very not good things to happen while trying to plan a vacation!!

On the bright side, I got a check for $75 in the mail yesterday. Turns out I overpaid on my taxes. Go figure.


----------



## Belle Ella

Good news, good news, and more good news!

(1) My Crocs finally came yesterday! I'm so excited. I was getting so annoyed watching the shipment tracker. It's like when you wach the clock and it feels like the time goes 1,00,000 times slower. I ordered the Malindi sometime last week. oh! I love them. I was surprised at _just_ how lightweight they actually are. And the little nub-things on the bottom feel so good to walk on. I can't wait to officially test them out in Texas next week in preperation for future DLR vacations!!






(2) We're getting closer to getting this whole claim thing over with. I hate dealing with insurance companies. I've talked with my insurance company and now we're just waiting for them tot alk to the other driver before everything is final but it looks like we may actually be able to get the damage on my car fixed after all!! Our insurance company has said I'm not at fault so it's just a waiting game to see if their insurance is going to accept liability and pay for the repairs. I wish they could get ahold of the other driver fast-like. I want this taken care of before I leave on Sunday, so tomorrow would be great!

(3) I'm stocking up already to make my first official scrapbook after we go to DLR in September!! I had to go out shopping for some clothes (tank tops and shorts are a must for Texas and I am fresh out) and found a bunch of Disney scrapbooking stuff that we couldn't pass up. Oh!! They're so cute. One of them I actually got for free after I won a silly little contest at work a couple of weeks ago.






We have a lot of silly little games and contests. I love it.

(4) I think I have officially settled on doing both Ariel's Grotto _and_ Goofy's Kitchen in September rather than just one. I've been debating back and forth which one I wanted to do (on my actual birthday) but I think I'd much rather do both of them!! How much longer until I get to actually make my PS! Eek, it can't come soon enough. That will make everything so real!! Now the only thing to decide is which one is going to be my actual birthday meal. Decisions, decisions ...


----------



## kaoden39

Warning...scrapbooking can become very addicting.  I started making one for y husbands bicycle racing and now I want to scrapbook everything.  I am printing all my pictures to scrapbook them.  You are warned!!


----------



## Sherry E

I don't know what they do at Ariel's for birthdays, but at Goofy's, if they know it is your birthday and show your birthday button (get that at City Hall) when you go (you will mention it when you make the PS), they will bring you out a cupcake and sing a (very bad) song of some kind and then give you a Goofy's Kitchen button.

I am sorry to hear about the fender bender.  I know how it is when things just seem to pile up on you and suddenly there is one bill after another.  But I am glad you didn't get hurt in the fender bender.  

I had the opposite situation with the IRS this year.  I had different forms to fill out than what I have been used to for 20 years, and I thought I filled them out properly and paid off everything, but they sent me a notice saying that somehow I was $300 short on what I paid them and now I owe that to them!!!  First of all, I don't even know how they came to that conclusion, as I made less money last year than I had in previous years, but somehow owed MORE Federal taxes than previous years???  How does that work?  I hate to say it, but I think the IRS goofed on the figures, or I filled out something incorrectly that made them think I owed more than I do...otherwise I don't know how it was actually possible!  In any case, try convincing the IRS they made a mistake or that I did something wrong to cause them to make an error.  It is not easy or fast!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Warning...scrapbooking can become very addicting.  I started making one for y husbands bicycle racing and now I want to scrapbook everything.  I am printing all my pictures to scrapbook them.  You are warned!!



Yes, I have been warned!!

The funny things is, I have been telling myself I am going to give it a try for so freaking long now, it's ridiculous! I just never get around to it because I'm a lazy procrastinator most days. I mean, if I'm taking all of these photos I better put them to some kind of use, right?!? Right.

We'll have to see how addicting it is once I've started, lol!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yes, I have been warned!!
> 
> The funny things is, I have been telling myself I am going to give it a try for so freaking long now, it's ridiculous! I just never get around to it because I'm a lazy procrastinator most days. I mean, if I'm taking all of these photos I better put them to some kind of use, right?!? Right.
> 
> We'll have to see how addicting it is once I've started, lol!



I have some advice on when you do scrapbook.  Be sure and put paper behind your pictures to make them pop out.

Here is an example of a page I have done.  As a matter of fact it was my first one.


----------



## Sherry E

Oh, and I forgot to mention in my last post above - the cupcake was not very good when my friend had it.  We love to eat there and the food is always fresh, but the cupcake tasted as if it had been in a storage room for a month.  Dark chocolate and dry.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> I don't know what they do at Ariel's for birthdays, but at Goofy's, if they know it is your birthday and show your birthday button (get that at City Hall) when you go (you will mention it when you make the PS), they will bring you out a cupcake and sing a (very bad) song of some kind and then give you a Goofy's Kitchen button.
> 
> I am sorry to hear about the fender bender.  I know how it is when things just seem to pile up on you and suddenly there is one bill after another.  But I am glad you didn't get hurt in the fender bender.
> 
> I had the opposite situation with the IRS this year.  I had different forms to fill out than what I have been used to for 20 years, and I thought I filled them out properly and paid off everything, but they sent me a notice saying that somehow I was $300 short on what I paid them and now I owe that to them!!!  First of all, I don't even know how they came to that conclusion, as I made less money last year than I had in previous years, but somehow owed MORE Federal taxes than previous years???  How does that work?  I hate to say it, but I think the IRS goofed on the figures, or I filled out something incorrectly that made them think I owed more than I do...otherwise I don't know how it was actually possible!  In any case, try convincing the IRS they made a mistake or that I did something wrong to cause them to make an error.  It is not easy or fast!



Well, that may be the winning ticket for the birthday meal then. I love really bad random songs when they're sung to me at DLR! Or anytime really. I will definitely be mentioning my birthday when I call to make the PS. I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. Even if it's still sof ar away I love that it keeps getting closer and closer. Like now instead of seeing 3 months away I get to see 2 months away (plus 3 weeks, but really, what is that!).

I'm lucky that it was a very minor incident. But it's also my first and it's really been freaking me out. No injuries (other than my poor car *sigh*). Add in a couple of cruddy days at work and I was in tears for most of the day on Tuesday. It was a nightmare. AHH!

Right now my taxes are still very, very simple to do. I'm going to be so lost when I have to start filling out new forms. So lost. It's nice to get something back because I had already said my farewells to that money. It's great to be getting something back when you didn't expect but I think I would sh!t my pants if I still _owed_!! Wowzers.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have some advice on when you do scrapbook.  Be sure and put paper behind your pictures to make them pop out.
> 
> Here is an example of a page I have done.  As a matter of fact it was my first one.



I like framing pictures like that  It's kind of fun, we got to play with glitter and stuff at work today (I'm not kidding, I feel like I'm in kindergarten all over again sometimes - not that I'm complaining) and we were doing a lot of stuff like that to make cards for everyone.

And cute, BTW. And how cool that your first page was for a first race.

OH! And how is your weather today? Jeez. I loved the past few days, temperature wise. Then bam, it's so hot here again. And here I am complaining, a gal who claims to love the heat and will be spending a week in Texas in a couple of days.



Sherry E said:


> Oh, and I forgot to mention in my last post above - the cupcake was not very good when my friend had it.  We love to eat there and the food is always fresh, but the cupcake tasted as if it had been in a storage room for a month.  Dark chocolate and dry.



To be honest, I probably wouldn't eat it anyways. I can't really have chocolate. But it would be fun to get a picture of  That's how I live my life. Would it make for a good picture?!? But really, the bad singing is what it's all about!


----------



## kaoden39

Actually we have a little breeze bowing so it isn't so bad.  I know that tonight I will hate it when I go to bed.  Our bedroom is upstairs and I won't run the air conditioner so it will be hot up there.  Yeah the race pages are the only ones I have done so far.  I have pictures from a day trip we took over to San Rafael that I am going to scrapbook next.  I have like five more race pages to do.  I just started but I got some advice from a friend that does to do the framing.  I love doing it and I have started making decorations on the computer to use.  I have looked all over for bicycle decorations to use but they are rare.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Actually we have a little breeze bowing so it isn't so bad.  I know that tonight I will hate it when I go to bed.  Our bedroom is upstairs and I won't run the air conditioner so it will be hot up there.  Yeah the race pages are the only ones I have done so far.  I have pictures from a day trip we took over to San Rafael that I am going to scrapbook next.  I have like five more race pages to do.  I just started but I got some advice from a friend that does to do the framing.  I love doing it and I have started making decorations on the computer to use.  I have looked all over for bicycle decorations to use but they are rare.



I've actually taken a stab at some digital scrap booking here and there. Mostly just because I love to download and play with graphics, lol. It will be a new experience for me, doing it with actual things in my hands.

You're lucky you've got some breeze. I walked out of our store this afternoon and it felt like I couldn't breathe. No breeze at all. Just hot, hot. Night is horrible because I went form being the one in the house with the swamp cooler in her room (so it was always freezing and icky) to being the only one in the house with no AC in her room. It's just so stale in my room and so hot. Yucky, yucky, yucky.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I've actually taken a stab at some digital scrap booking here and there. Mostly just because I love to download and play with graphics, lol. It will be a new experience for me, doing it with actual things in my hands.
> 
> You're lucky you've got some breeze. I walked out of our store this afternoon and it felt like I couldn't breathe. No breeze at all. Just hot, hot. Night is horrible because I went form being the one in the house with the swamp cooler in her room (so it was always freezing and icky) to being the only one in the house with no AC in her room. It's just so stale in my room and so hot. Yucky, yucky, yucky.



Fairfield always has a breeze.  I am having a ball with the scrapbooking.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Fairfield always has a breeze.  I am having a ball with the scrapbooking.



I have seriously been missing breezes until I got home a couple of days ago! I spent a week in Texas visiting my Grandmother and almost all of my dad's side of the family (everyone minus my dad who couldn't fly for medical reasons) and I don't think I can ever complain about the heat in California again. I will take the dryness to 104 degrees + humidity any day of the week. It was so yucky!!

And to top off a couple of weeks of non-stop bad luck that ends up costing me money guess what happened on my very first day in Texas? The HD on my laptop crashed. Oh boy, how fun! First the vet, then my car, now my laptop - I wonder what will be next!!

In better news, I am now only 9 days away from being able to make my first PS, which means only 2 weeks and I can make a PS for any day that I am at DLR and I think I have decided (somewhat) what we'll be doing:

- Goofy's Kitchen for my birthday (9/10). Still undecided what meal I would rather do. It will be a Thursday, and depending on if we'd rather use our MM that day or on Saturday (I'm leaning towards Satruday for MM right now) breakfast will still be an option, but I'm thinking I might prefer dinner.

- Ariel's Grotto for lunch on Tuesday (9/8), the day that we arrive to have something really fun to look forward to after the long drive early in the morning and before we can check in to HoJo.

- BB is a must for Friday (9/11). Angelica has never eaten there before and I can't go to DLR without stopping by. I think we'll be doing lunch though, and we may even just do dessert instead of a whole meal.

I wonder if I can talk her (and anyone else going) into doing a 3rd character meal and doing Minnie's for breakfast on Wednesday morning. I'm all for it and ready to save the money. Then again I think I may ditch that idea and try talking her/them into doing the WWF tour instead because that is something I *really* want to do!


----------



## RiverLou

So you _are_ back.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> So you _are_ back.



Uh-huuuuh, miss never-hears-her-phone .... Got back Sunday night.


----------



## kaoden39

Welcome back.  I have been to Texas twice and to me it was two too many.  I will keep my area of California and the Delta breezes.  Sorry to hear about the laptop.  I have gone through that myself.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Welcome back.  I have been to Texas twice and to me it was two too many.  I will keep my area of California and the Delta breezes.  Sorry to hear about the laptop.  I have gone through that myself.



With the exception of getting to see the family that I miss terribly, it's been 2 too many trips to Texas for me as well. Every day that I was there last week was pretty much 104+ and the humidity was worse than I remembered. Then again, I wasn't right on the coast last time.

I really need to get a new HD fast. I don't know what to do without it. And I have so many photos I have to edit and no Photoshop!! I'm going crazy here.

In other news, back to DLR for Sept. 2009!! It looks like we have a very strong candidate for a 3rd attendee of the Birthday Party!! I just got off the phone with Dre a.k.a. RiverLou a.k.a. Frick and after a very lack-luster trip to DLR last week she's itching to go back (*snowball* alert!!) when she wont be sick so it's looking very much like she'll be going. Just one thing she's waiting to hear about before we know for sure.


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> With the exception of getting to see the family that I miss terribly, it's been 2 too many trips to Texas for me as well. Every day that I was there last week was pretty much 104+ and the humidity was worse than I remembered. Then again, I wasn't right on the coast last time.
> 
> I really need to get a new HD fast. I don't know what to do without it. And I have so many photos I have to edit and no Photoshop!! I'm going crazy here.
> 
> In other news, back to DLR for Sept. 2009!! It looks like we have a very strong candidate for a 3rd attendee of the Birthday Party!! I just got off the phone with Dre a.k.a. RiverLou a.k.a. Frick and *after a very lack-luster trip to DLR last week *she's itching to go back (*snowball* alert!!) when she wont be sick so it's looking very much like she'll be going. Just one thing she's waiting to hear about before we know for sure.



Hey hey hey, it wasn't _*that*_ lackluster. I just would've enjoyed it _*much*_ more if my head hadn't been all muffly/fuzzy/floaty and heavy, and if I had been able to breathe....annnd if I didn't want to cry every time I coughed. Oh yeah, musn't forget that it all started with a very raw, swollen, sore throat that required the swiping of salt packets from Blue Ribbon Bakery and a nice person who works at White Water Snacks at the GCH that went to get some from their stockroom or something. Heh. Yeah, I was just a _*wee*_ bit miserable, once or twice telling my mom that I wanted to go home to my bed (and wishing that I had at least stowed away my Dumbo plush for some comfort). Something about being sick like that makes me feel like a little kid, in that 'waaah I want my mommy to take care of me, whine, complain, ***** and moan' way.  

_*BUT*_ (_and there is a butt_), I had the best time I could have considering the circumstances.  

I am still  but slooowly getting better. My hearing is still horrible right now, and my right ear is popping (wrote "pooping" the first time, _what_?!) all the time (ouchies). Still having respiratory issues too (thank goodness for cough syrup), but (_and there is a butt_), Belle Ella and I are going to try to see Transformers 2 tomorrow.


----------



## Belle Ella

*The Happiest Cruise*
Day 3 cont.​
So it's back to 2007 time, is it? I really have some land-ADD or something like that. I hop, skip, and jump my way around with no real rhyme or reason. Or at least I used to. It's hard to really make the most out of your time when you spend more than half of it walking from one place to another. My next stop was IASW, the ride that I think will haunt my dad for life. Once when we went on it when I was really little the boatsstalled and we were in there for quite some time. Not so horrible for a little kid, but it wasn't my dad's favorite experience ever. I think he'd skin me alive if he ever had to listen to that song again. It's sad to think these are the only photos I have of this ride before they added the Disney characters to it.




























































































































​


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## Belle Ella

_*Sailing the world and singing a song*_
Day 3 cont.​
And to finish off the only photos that I have of IASW, I shall continue with a few more. I really can't wait to go back in September and get some photos of the added Disney characters. I can't believe I didn't while we were there in March. Shame on Jazz!



























































Is it just me or does anybody else totally wish they could take those postcards home for keeps or to put on their wall? I absolutely love them. And my favorite part about riding IASW this particular time was this little kid who was sitting behind me with his grandmother. They were from Australia and it was fun to listen to him ask questions about all of the different scenes.

Here are a few more photos from me just wandering through Fantasyland. For a first time, I spotted Merlin!! If I had been the smarter me that I am today, I would have joined the throng of people for a photo with everyone. I can't believe how almost character-phobic I used to me. Now all I can do is kick myself in the behind over what I could have done.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Stories and Song in Adventureland*
Day 3 cont.​
I did finally end up doing something completely on purpose! Does anybody remember Aladdin and Jasmine's Story Tale Adventures, that 20 minute show at Aladdin's Oasis over in Adventureland? I wish they still did this, because it was pretty cute and even I enjoyed it, by myself, at 21 years old. I know I would have loved it that much more as a kid since they brought kids from the audience to help tell the tail. We had one particularly rebellious little dude playing Jafar who didn't want to be defeated in the end.
































































The only downfall to the show was that not a lot of the seating was shaded. Sitting down for 20 minutes in the hot-hot sun (because it was *hot*) was a nightmare, and you had better believe I got burned. To be quite honest, it was bad enough that I got blisters on the tops of my ears. I don't reccommend that!

Since I was in Adventureland and practically right next door to the Enchanted Tiki Room, I made my way in! That show never gets old, and I love singing along. The most exciting part this time though? I got to wake up Jose! Must have been because of the Birthday button. I totally didn't even think they meant me when they were looking for someone celebrating a birhtday. I didn't even think they meant me when they said my name. I mean they usually pick kids for stuff right? I was stunned into silence, but I did wake up Jose all on my lonesome!


----------



## Belle Ella

*A birthday dinner*
Day 3 Cont.​
First, there are of course more photos from the Tiki Room. Comparing these to the photos I took back in March is just another reason I never want to go back to a P&S. I love shooting manually. The other pictures are so much better, but any DLR photo makes me smile just to see it.










































































I was so glad I managed to get a spot in for BB. I had totally spaced to call _before_ to make sure I had my PS like a good planner does. But at least I remembered to ask the day before if there was any time open for me to come on on this day. I needed to get my BB fix before I left to head back to San Diego that night. It was actually more a late lunch than a dinner, but who cares! I got my BB meal, so I was happy. I will say it was about the longest I have ever had to wait for a waterside table (which I requested once I got there, but they never really gave me a timeframe, just told me to wait in the lobby area) but I will guess it was longer than 30 minutes. After that, I wouldn't know. Me and the lapsing of time are never on the same page. It was also my worst experience at a waterside table. Every two minutes it felt like there was some idiot riding POTC using flash to get a photo of the restaurant. Insert another rant right here about using flash on dark rides. Being by myself I didn't have anyone to really chit chat with to take my mind of going blind constantly. Not a good experience in my book. The bright side was the birthday ice cream and even a little birthday card to boot! I know I still have that card somewhere, and I must go find it now.














I hate to say it, but that wraps up all of the photos that I got that day. I didn't really do much after my meal except ride POTC and HM once more. I needed to leave back for SD while it was still light out otherwise I never would have found my way back to the beach house. It was a sad moment, walking back to the GCH for the final time, getting in my car, and waving goodbye - even if I was going to be back for one more day later that week. It's always hard to leave.


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## Belle Ella

Today is a pretty important day as far as I'm concerned. Can anyone guess why? Well, it doesn't matter because I'm going to tell you regardless!

I am now officially *60 days* away from my next DLR adventure!!​
For some reason, the whole 60 day point makes it that much more exciting. We passed the 2 month mark a couple of days ago and this is just that much sweeter. I had a couple of calls to make this morning, and having just finished them I am in a pretty gosh-darned good mood.

1. We officially have our 'group' settled. There will be 3 of us: myself, my friend Angelica, and Dre/Frick/RiverLou. It's a bummer but my other friend wont be able to make it after a little debacle with work and traffic violations. But it also means we know how sleeping arrangements will play out for the most part. I made a call and requested a rollaway for our room (only downer is the extra $10 a night it tacks on to the bill - but we're still splitting it 3 ways which only works out to just under $104.00 for each of us for the four nights). Now the question is who is going to end up on the rollaway. Watch - it'll probably end up being me. Oh well. It's a place to sleep.

2. 60 days out means today marked the first day that we can make a PS for one of the meals we've been talking about. Sure I could wait 4 more days and get them all out of the way at once, but where's the fun in that? I kind of like having something to look forward to doing over the next few days. It's even better since we settled on what meals we are doing when. And I should mention my will power sucks and we added one more to the plan:

*Tuesday* - Ariel's Grotto @ 9:40 a.m. for breakfast. The plan was originally to lunch since the website only had lunch and dinner listed. But I just called and they had breakfast times which will be better for us in the long run. I was worried about holding out on a meal until lunch after the long drive. Made that mistake once and wont be making it again. Plus the chance of seeing Snow White our first morning there? Ha, it's a must for me. I'm also holding out hopes that this means DL will be opening the gates at 8 a.m. the day that we arrive so we can get a little time there before heading over to DCA with enough time that we aren't late for our PS.

*Wednesday* - Blue Bayou for lunch, so I get to make this PS tomorrow! Angelica is totally looking forward to this one. I can't believe she's never been there before. Say what you want, I still love BB (and always will).

*Thursday* - Goofy's Kitchen and I just decided right now that I want to do lunch rather than breakfast. Breakfast food isn't really my favorite meal of the day. I have to wait until Sunday to make this PS?! That's a shame!

*Friday* - Minnie & Friend's for breakfast (obviously, lol). I caved! Everyone else is game for doing a 3rd character meal, and I absolutely loved this when we went in March. I'm so glad we're going to do it again. YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

3. This doesn't really have much to do with anything, but I will share anyways. We have begun stocking up on things we'll need to take with us, and if I haven't mentioned it before I found these awesome sequin lanyards at the Dollar Station one day and I keep going back for more. You'd think I'd learn and just buy one of each color they had since they're only a dollar to begin with! I already have an awesome lime green one that I've been using with my house/car keys. Now I have a pink and fuschia one to match (Dre got herself purple and blue I think). They'll be fun to take with us to hold our PH and PP cards. And they didn't cost a freaking fortune.

4. In other completely unrelated news that I have to get out to someone I am so anxious for the opening of Harry Potter next week. Going to try and get Angelica to come and see it with us since she and Dre have yet to officially meet. Plus an author whose books I am devouring lately will be in S.F. next month when the next one comes out to do a signing and I am definitely planning on being there.


----------



## wazowskiLOVER:)

Wow Jazz, your dark pictures are great!! I never try to photograph in IASW because it just frustrates me that they don't come out clear. OH & I totally know what you mean about the postcards. TOTALLLLLY cute. I love them!!!!

Woo 60 days!!


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## Sherry E

Yay!  The Snowball got you and you are now doing 3 character meals!!  Make sure that if you want more brunch-ish things at Goofy's on the day you are there that they are open until 2:00 p.m.  Otherwise, on the non-2:00 p.m. days they close at noon, I think, and you don't want to get there so late that the characters are starting to leave.  In any case, you will enjoy it and the bad birthday song, but you may still have mostly breakfast stuff to choose from.  Although Goofy's has such a wide variety of things at their buffet for breakfast and dinner that you may find plenty of things that are not breakfasty.

One thing that just occurred to me is that I am amazed - and pleased - by all of the people who have ventured out on solo trips to DLR.  Not only you but also Boo Bear, Molly (Bumbershoot) and, I think, Wendylady36 have all done solo trips.  I have done solo trips to other places like Catalina before, and I spend a lot of time all by myself, but there is a sort of an invisible hurdle to get over with being at DLR all by oneself because it just seems like a place to be enjoyed with loved ones.  I finally had a brief taste of some golden alone time last December, when my friend left me at DLR to go to work, and then she picked me up when she was done with work.  I spent a lot of the time concentrating on picture-taking and really 'noticing' some detailas that were ordinarily missed.  I was actually disappointed that my friend came back to pick me up earlier than expected!!  I know I could do a full DLR weekend trip by myself, but I think my ideal trip would be a combination of being along for a couple of days and having friends with me for a couple of days.  But I noticed I definitely got much more done in terms of snapping pictures when I didn't have to worry about making my friends stop while I get the shot.


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## Belle Ella

wazowskiLOVER:) said:


> Wow Jazz, your dark pictures are great!! I never try to photograph in IASW because it just frustrates me that they don't come out clear. OH & I totally know what you mean about the postcards. TOTALLLLLY cute. I love them!!!!
> 
> Woo 60 days!!



Thanks! It was the first time I'd ever really thought to even try and photograph the ride - it never hurts to give something a go at least once, right?



Sherry E said:


> Yay!  The Snowball got you and you are now doing 3 character meals!!  Make sure that if you want more brunch-ish things at Goofy's on the day you are there that they are open until 2:00 p.m.  Otherwise, on the non-2:00 p.m. days they close at noon, I think, and you don't want to get there so late that the characters are starting to leave.  In any case, you will enjoy it and the bad birthday song, but you may still have mostly breakfast stuff to choose from.  Although Goofy's has such a wide variety of things at their buffet for breakfast and dinner that you may find plenty of things that are not breakfasty.
> 
> One thing that just occurred to me is that I am amazed - and pleased - by all of the people who have ventured out on solo trips to DLR.  Not only you but also Boo Bear, Molly (Bumbershoot) and, I think, Wendylady36 have all done solo trips.  I have done solo trips to other places like Catalina before, and I spend a lot of time all by myself, but there is a sort of an invisible hurdle to get over with being at DLR all by oneself because it just seems like a place to be enjoyed with loved ones.  I finally had a brief taste of some golden alone time last December, when my friend left me at DLR to go to work, and then she picked me up when she was done with work.  I spent a lot of the time concentrating on picture-taking and really 'noticing' some detailas that were ordinarily missed.  I was actually disappointed that my friend came back to pick me up earlier than expected!!  I know I could do a full DLR weekend trip by myself, but I think my ideal trip would be a combination of being along for a couple of days and having friends with me for a couple of days.  But I noticed I definitely got much more done in terms of snapping pictures when I didn't have to worry about making my friends stop while I get the shot.



Thanks for the tip. The final decision on the time will happen when I make the call for the PS. Who knows, I may change my mind again and decide we do need an early breakfast before we hit the parks. I am so indecisive at times that it's maddening. At least once I make a final decision I can be pretty happy about it. And I wasn't putting too much stock in my ability to hold out on that 3rd character meal, lol. I'm too self-indulgent and impulsive sometimes, and birthdays seem like a perfect time to give in and be care-free about it. I'm just sitting here, singing to myself!

_I'm so excited ... And I just can't hide it ..._

I don't think I could ever do DLR (or anything for that matter) constantly in somebody else's company. Part of it is the major introvert in me, and part of it is just being able to enjoy things without the distraction that other people provide. Not to say that the distraction isn't enjoyable either. I love hanging out with my friends, but you see things differently when you're with someone than when you are by yourself. The good thing about Dre is that she's a bit of a shutter-bug herself so my picture taking doesn't get in the way of things but I do tend to get more out of the 'sessions' when I'm by myself. I like having the mixture of both.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> 1. We officially have our 'group' settled. There will be 3 of us: myself, my friend Angelica, and Dre/Frick/RiverLou. It's a bummer but my other friend wont be able to make it after a little debacle with work and traffic violations. But it also means we know how sleeping arrangements will play out for the most part. I made a call and requested a rollaway for our room (only downer is the extra $10 a night it tacks on to the bill - but we're still splitting it 3 ways which only works out to just under $104.00 for each of us for the four nights). *Now the question is who is going to end up on the rollaway. Watch - it'll probably end up being me. Oh well. It's a place to sleep.*



Oh boo, I think we should rotate.



Belle Ella said:


> 3. This doesn't really have much to do with anything, but I will share anyways. We have begun stocking up on things we'll need to take with us, and if I haven't mentioned it before I found these awesome sequin lanyards at the Dollar Station one day and I keep going back for more. You'd think I'd learn and just buy one of each color they had since they're only a dollar to begin with! I already have an awesome lime green one that I've been using with my house/car keys. Now I have a pink and fuschia one to match (Dre got herself purple and blue I think). They'll be fun to take with us to hold our PH and PP cards. And they didn't cost a freaking fortune.



Purple and *green*.




Belle Ella said:


> *Thursday* - Goofy's Kitchen and I just decided right now that I want to do lunch rather than breakfast. Breakfast food isn't really my favorite meal of the day. I have to wait until Sunday to make this PS?! That's a shame!



Turkey Butt!


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> Oh boo, I think we should rotate.


However it ends up working out, is how it'll work out. I wont be rotating beds though. That I can guarantee you.



RiverLou said:


> Purple and *green*.


I don't have the world's greatest memory, we all know this.



RiverLou said:


> Turkey Butt!


Like you really want to deal with me in the morning getting ready for yet _another_ breakfast  Now I actually want dinner instead. I'll give you a call on Monday before I actually make the PS.

I _just_ got off the phone with Disney Dining and we now have our second PS officially locked up!! Grabbed the earliest lunch time available at Blue Bayou (11:30) and now I'm halfway done with this stage of the planning! It was nice to get a _*"Happy Early Birthday"*_ from the CM on the phone when asked if we were celebrating anyhting. It's really not that far away now.

I was just taking a look at the DL and DCA closings that will be in effect while we're there:

_*Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years*  closed through December 16 to return Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln to the Main Street Opera House._

Not exactly going to effect us, although I can't wait to go again nect year when Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is back! If I could get away in December, believe me, I would.

_*Casey Jr. Circus Trains*  closed August 31  November 20 for refurbishment. 
*Storybook Land Canal Boats*  closed August 31  November 20 for refurbishment. _

I will admit that these two have put a small damper on my spirits. Back in March we never really found the time to do either of these even though we kept making mental notes to find our way back (do mental notes ever work??). Oh well. It's not enough to ruin a whole vacation though.

_*Mark Twain Riverboat*  closed September 8  10 for refurbishment. _

Well, darn. Closes the day we get there. Another small bummer but at least this one I can say we probably never would have made it around to even though I would have made another mental note for it.

_*Space Mountain*  closed September 8  24 for refurbishment. _

This one doesn't bother me at all. You couldn't pay me to go on SM to begin with. I can't remember if this was one of Dre's favorites, so it could be a bummer for her. I'm not even sure about Angelica. But like I said it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

_*Minnie's House*  closed September 9 for refurbishment._ 

Although none of my mental notes have been that successdul to date, I am now making one to make sure we hit Toontown the day that we get there so I can go through Minnie's House. I did Mickey's House back in March but never made my way through Minnie's. It'll be the only day I've got for it.

_*Haunted Mansion* - closed September 10  24 for refurbishment._

This is the one I've been most interested in. The whole reason I have never gone *on* my birthday before was because HM is always closed during that time. Since we arrive early on the 8th we'll have enough time to get a good fix although it will be so wierd when it's no longer an option the rest of the days we are there. It's only of my daily musts. Remember Jazz, two days are better than no days!​
Everything else (like the POTC refurb) wont interfere with the dates we'll be there. So all in all, pretty darn good!


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> _*Casey Jr. Circus Trains*  closed August 31  November 20 for refurbishment.
> *Storybook Land Canal Boats*  closed August 31  November 20 for refurbishment. _
> 
> I will admit that these two have put a small damper on my spirits. Back in March we never really found the time to do either of these even though we kept making mental notes to find our way back *(do mental notes ever work??)*. Oh well. It's not enough to ruin a whole vacation though.



No, we manage to lose even _those_. 

No monkey cages for us, oh wells. We have to remember to do Dumbo a few times though.




Belle Ella said:


> _*Space Mountain*  closed September 8  24 for refurbishment. _
> 
> This one doesn't bother me at all. You couldn't pay me to go on SM to begin with. *I can't remember if this was one of Dre's favorites, so it could be a bummer for her.* I'm not even sure about Angelica. But like I said it doesn't bother me in the slightest.



Yes, yes it is a favorite of mine.


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## Sherry E

Space Mountain is closing for the Halloween overlay, but I wonder if the Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr are closing for some sort of holiday overlay.  They are opening just in time for the official start of holiday season, and I know people have spotted little Christmas trees next to the miniature houses before, so I wonder if they are doing it up bigger this year.


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## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> Space Mountain is closing for the Halloween overlay, but I wonder if the Storybook Land Canal Boats and Casey Jr are closing for some sort of holiday overlay.  They are opening just in time for the official start of holiday season, and I know people have spotted little Christmas trees next to the miniature houses before, so I wonder if they are doing it up bigger this year.



I saw about the Halloween thing. I really wish I could go in October this year - really, really, really, really wish! But I couldn't afford to go just one month after being there. At least the months between March and September give me some $$$ saving time. My goal is to get to DLR at least once a year and I'm already thinking next year will be for Halloween. I'm even trying to talk my mom into it, but if I do Halloween '10 I already have 2 candidates to take along with me.

But you could very well have a point about SLCB and CJ. I can't really remember the one Holiday that we did spend at DLR well enough to say if that was something I noticed while I was there. But the timing does sound suggestive if it opens back up mid-November.

Either way, it wont have any other impact on this trip other than the fact it's 2 less rides I will get to do.


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## Belle Ella

*57 days
    *​
So as of 10 minutes ago we have ourselves PS for our final two character meals! And I did finally stick to a decision with what time to do GK.  Sometimes I just can't make up my mind until I tell myself it's too late to change it again.

*Goofy's Kitchen* - Thursday, (9/10) at 7:00 a.m. for my birthday!! We will be there for breakfast nice and early. Crud. I forgot to mention while on the phone that we'll be celebrating a birthday. My mind was distracted.

*Minnie & Friends* - Friday (9/11) at 8:40 a.m. Same time that we went back in March. I really liked that time because we got a little more one-on-one time with the characters as everyone else filled in. I hope it works out just as well this time!!

Now I've got to get my butt moving to go pick up the movie tickets for Harry Potter!! I'm so slow today. I've gotten less than 8 hours of sleep since Friday and I am exhausted. No happy me today. Well, minus the awesome DLR planning euphoria!!


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## wazowskiLOVER:)

Awesome!! 

Two great character meal places!! How fun! You're officially less than 2 months away from your trip


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## Belle Ella

wazowskiLOVER:) said:


> Awesome!!
> 
> Two great character meal places!! How fun! You're officially less than 2 months away from your trip



 I can't believe I'm actually doing 3 character meals on 1 vacation! I have to keep pinching myself, my arm will be so raw by the time September rolls around.

I remember back on the 8th when were officially 2 months away from our first day. I was doing happy dances all day long and kept breaking out into song. Actually ... I've still been doing that!


----------



## Sherry E

Belle Ella said:


> I saw about the Halloween thing. I really wish I could go in October this year - really, really, really, really wish! But I couldn't afford to go just one month after being there. At least the months between March and September give me some $$$ saving time. My goal is to get to DLR at least once a year and I'm already thinking next year will be for Halloween. I'm even trying to talk my mom into it, but if I do Halloween '10 I already have 2 candidates to take along with me.
> 
> But you could very well have a point about SLCB and CJ. I can't really remember the one Holiday that we did spend at DLR well enough to say if that was something I noticed while I was there. But the timing does sound suggestive if it opens back up mid-November.
> 
> Either way, it wont have any other impact on this trip other than the fact it's 2 less rides I will get to do.



I know what you mean - let's face it, it is hard to come up with the cash to go to DLR often.  Even one day, once a year, for some folks can be tough to manage, let alone a few times a year.  Even with an AP (which expires in October), I have just been to DLR twice since I got it, and I have not been there since December, whereas everyone else with an AP has gone several times since then!  (Though I will be there for a mini-trip next week to get my Fun Card, but it will literally just be for a few hours, basically.)  For me, because I don't have a car, that means ANY kind of transportation will cost $$$, and since I am freelancing at the moment, if it happens to be a month when work is slow, I can't justify spending food/rent/bill money on transportation to DLR.  I got lucky in that I was able to get my AP at a low price last year.  If I had not gotten that low price, I wouldn't have gotten the AP.  So I feel like I got lucky, but if I had paid FULL price for it, I would be upset that I wasn't using the AP to its full advantage after plunking down that kind of money.  Meanwhile my friend (who is one of the people who always goes to DLR with me) lives 5 minutes up the street from DLR (close enough for the fireworks to disturb her every night) and she does NOT have an AP and is not interested in one.  If I lived where she lived, I would probably go to DLR all the time - just in shorter increments, like 2 hours here, 4 hours there, a random trip to scout for Hidden Mickeys there, a trip to look i all the shops here, that sort of thing.  I would just walk there and walk back.

So I know what you mean - I told myself that I would just try to plan on one day in October to go and see the Halloween decorations, but that I would not plan on a hotel at that point, and rather concentrate my efforts towards DLR at Christmastime, which is my favorite!  I would rather make Decembe a more special trip than the October one, but I don't want to miss out on seeing the Halloween stuff, so I have to compromise!

As for SLCB and CJ being closed and then opening JUST in time for the beginning of Christmas season, I think they first go down in late August.  Now, 3 months is a LOOOOOONNNNGGGG time for just a holiday overlay, so they must be doing a regular refurb. Maybe they are adding in some other miniature houses?  Whose houses can they add, I wonder?  Anyway, they have not 'officially' announced any Christmas decorations on SLCB in the past (so I think a lot of people missed them), but maybe, this year, if they go all out and REALLY do a bigger, more elaborate Christmasy thing in there, they will list it as part of their holiday events.  That darn line for SLCB is so long anyway.  A holiday overlay line will be crazy, if that's what they do.



Belle Ella said:


> *57 days
> *​
> So as of 10 minutes ago we have ourselves PS for our final two character meals! And I did finally stick to a decision with what time to do GK.  Sometimes I just can't make up my mind until I tell myself it's too late to change it again.
> 
> *Goofy's Kitchen* - Thursday, (9/10) at 7:00 a.m. for my birthday!! We will be there for breakfast nice and early. Crud. I forgot to mention while on the phone that we'll be celebrating a birthday. My mind was distracted.
> 
> *Minnie & Friends* - Friday (9/11) at 8:40 a.m. Same time that we went back in March. I really liked that time because we got a little more one-on-one time with the characters as everyone else filled in. I hope it works out just as well this time!!
> 
> Now I've got to get my butt moving to go pick up the movie tickets for Harry Potter!! I'm so slow today. I've gotten less than 8 hours of sleep since Friday and I am exhausted. No happy me today. Well, minus the awesome DLR planning euphoria!!



Wow, I am surprised you ended up going for the super early Goofy's time rather than a late morning brucnhy time!  We did 7:00 a.m. at Goofy's last December, and we opened the place, along with maybe two other groups of people.  So in terms of crowds, it was relatively quiet.  In terms of characters, they slowly trickled in as the morning wore on.  Goofy and Baloo were right there when we all came in, and they stood at the entrance to Goofy's as though they were sizing us all up, thinking, "Typical weekend crowd..."  Eventually, Chip and Dale, Pluto, Jasmine and Aurora & Prince Phillip showed up.  So you may have to wait for some of them to appear!  But the food is super fresh and yummy at that time!

You've got to call Disney Dining back and make sure they know it is your birthday!  Take all precautions necessary to ensure bad singing!!

Anyway, your birthday is fast approaching!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> I know what you mean - let's face it, it is hard to come up with the cash to go go to DLR often.



I'm not going to get my hopes up too high. But I sure can dream  In a perfect world I can talk my mom into going and then my sister and my dad as well. We haven't done anything with us 4 since December '03. Besides, she's mentioned she'd like to go, but she wants to do Christmas again with all of us. Not such a great idea with my sister and I both working retail. BLOCKOUT!!!! Halloween was my alternative. The good news is my car has 7 months or so until it is finally paid off which will mean a little extra cash that I can put away each month. It would also be great if stupid things didn't stop breaking on me too. Oh well. DLR has become a lot more feasible for me since I found the DIS (and especially learning about the HoJo).



Sherry E said:


> Wow, I am surprised you ended up going for the super early Goofy's time rather than a late morning brucnhy time!  We did 7:00 a.m. at Goofy's last December, and we opened the place, along with maybe two other groups of people.  So in terms of crowds, it was relatively quiet.  In terms of characters, they slowly trickled in as the morning wore on.  Goofy and Baloo were right there when we all came in, and they stood at the entrance to Goofy's as though they were sizing us all up, thinking, "Typical weekend crowd..."  Eventually, Chip and Dale, Pluto, Jasmine and Aurora & Prince Phillip showed up.  So you may have to wait for some of them to appear!  But the food is super fresh and yummy at that time!
> 
> You've got to call Disney Dining back and make sure they know it is your birthday!  Take all precautions necessary to ensure bad singing!!
> 
> Anyway, your birthday is fast approaching!!


The final decision for the 7:00 a.m. time also came about because it won't take time any time out of our park day, if that makes any sense. Even with waiting for characters who weren't there right away. It worked perfectly with Minnie's for me, so now we'll see if it's going to be hit or miss with GK. Besides, if I do breakfast I should do it early since I'm such an early riser. Othwerise I get grumpy because I haven't had food, or I eat a little snack that is never just a small bit of food and spoil my appetite.

I'm going to call back tomorrow after I get off work! I never got around to it today.

OH!! So I was at the mall with my mom on Saturday and I swear there were DLR conversations in every store we went to. The woman waiting next to my mom at the Clinique counter has AP's and we got into a conversation about going on our birthdays, the CM at the Disney store is going to be there the week before me for the half marathon, and then another woman who was leaving the Disney Store at the same time struck up a conversation about the Princess bags lol.

They have some new mugs, Disney zodiac!! I was very, very, very happy to see who was the character on the Virgo mug, seeing as I'm a Virgo. My favoritest!!! Snow White. So we had to get it. I can't tell you how many Snow White mugs I have now. Or Snow White anything really. It's crazy, but I love it.


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## Sarah84

Well done on making your PS, im just thinking about making a couple not sure if we need to (our first ever visit)

The storybook land canal boats & Casey Jnr circus trains are also closed while we are there, i was dissapointed when i read that was looking forward to both of those


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## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Well done on making your PS, im just thinking about making a couple not sure if we need to (our first ever visit)
> 
> The storybook land canal boats & Casey Jnr circus trains are also closed while we are there, i was dissapointed when i read that was looking forward to both of those


Where were you thinking of making your PS for? I would suggest doing them that way it's off your mind from worrying. I'm very, very, very glad to have all of ours in!

And I really wish there was a way for them to do the refurbs and stuff without actually closing the rides down. It's such shame even though it's necessary. But there's always going to be someone there who is really going to miss out on somehting they have never done or really wanted to do.

Not so much to update today. Dre and I went and saw HP at midnight on Tuesday and had a blast. She left the movie a little confused as someone who has never read the books and I am still pretty miffed about all of the _important_ plotline that they left out but I did still love the film for other reasons. Getting home after the movie made me reread the actual book so I could put a finger on just how much they left out. It's dissapointing that WB is more concerned with raking in the dough than producing a movie for us that actually follows the book (like the first two did). But on to the DLR world .... *52 days* away ya'll!!


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## Sarah84

Belle Ella said:


> Where were you thinking of making your PS for? I would suggest doing them that way it's off your mind from worrying. I'm very, very, very glad to have all of ours in!
> 
> And I really wish there was a way for them to do the refurbs and stuff without actually closing the rides down. It's such shame even though it's necessary. But there's always going to be someone there who is really going to miss out on somehting they have never done or really wanted to do.
> 
> Not so much to update today. Dre and I went and saw HP at midnight on Tuesday and had a blast. She left the movie a little confused as someone who has never read the books and I am still pretty miffed about all of the _important_ plotline that they left out but I did still love the film for other reasons. Getting home after the movie made me reread the actual book so I could put a finger on just how much they left out. It's dissapointing that WB is more concerned with raking in the dough than producing a movie for us that actually follows the book (like the first two did). But on to the DLR world .... *52 days* away ya'll!!



Ended up making the PS for breakfast at Carnation cafe, can't wait to try those mickey waffles 
Glad you had a good time watching HP and a little dance for only being 52 days from your trip now


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## Belle Ella

I really want to have a crying fit right now.  2 of our 4 have had to cancel on the September trip. First my friend Karolina had a run in with a traffic light that sapped her DLR fund and doomed her time off from work and now Angelica officially has to back out because if she misses more than 2 classes this semester she'll fail her class and that's just not an option. Ho hum. I know I'll still have an absolute blast but this is not turning out to be the birthday trip that I had planned.

On the bright side? My laptop is fixed and I am a somewhat happier camper.


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## wazowskiLOVER:)

I'm sorry to hear the sad news. I really hope that you still have a good time on your trip. I know how it is to get disappointed about people not showing up for trips. So I here ya! Good news though on your laptop being fixed! YAY


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## prettyprincessbelle

I'm sorry about your 2 people who can't go, but you'll still have a wondeful time!!


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## Belle Ella

prettyprincessbelle said:


> I'm sorry about your 2 people who can't go, but you'll still have a wondeful time!!





wazowskiLOVER:) said:


> I'm sorry to hear the sad news. I really hope that you still have a good time on your trip. I know how it is to get disappointed about people not showing up for trips. So I here ya! Good news though on your laptop being fixed! YAY



Thanks. I swear I've been pretty low about it the past couple of days. I know we'll still have a blast when we get there, but it really throws a kink in planning!! Now I'm second guessing our choice to do 3 character meals since we'll only be splitting the cost 2 ways instead of 3 or 4. Oh well. This is why I've been saving up money.

Speaking of our meals and PSs, now that the schedule is out for the week that we are there Dre and I have made a couple of changes.

Tuesday 9/8: 10 am - 8 pm
Wednesday 9/9: 10 am - 8 pm
Thursday 9/10: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday 9/11: 9 am - midnight
Saturday 9/12: 9 am - midnight

Originally we had AG slotted for Tuesday at 9:40 am and BB on Wednesday for lunch at 11:30 am, but after talking about it we'd really rather actually head to DL first so we can get our walk down Main St. in and do our usual morning tour of JC, POTC, and HM (which we'll be repeating again and again and again, since we'll only get two days to ride) we've decided to switch the dates on the two. So we'll do BB on the day we get there and have a full DL day and do AG and some DCA on Wednesday.

And we're *38* days away now!!


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## Sarah84

Sorry to hear 2 of your friends aren't able to come anymore though im sure you will still have a wonderful trip.


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## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Sorry to hear 2 of your friends aren't able to come anymore though im sure you will still have a wonderful trip.



Well, I will say this - I am feeling much, much better about the trip today than I was last week. Once again we've amended our plans and tacked on another night at the HoJo so we can enjoy every second of our last day and not worry about if I can stay awake for the whole drive. This way we can take our sweet time getting home on Sunday, hit DTD if we'd like to, and we're making plans to swing by the Soda Fountain & Studio Store  before hitting the road.

The next 37 days - heck, make that 36. No 35 (today is almost over and the day before we leave is a holiday and doesn't count) - need to go by super-duper fast.

Now, to celebrate my mom's birthday tomorrow.

GRR. Too bad my birthday can't be the following week. Snow White is going to be showing at The El Capitan. Have I mentioned before how much I love Snow White?


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> GRR. Too bad my birthday can't be the following week. Snow White is going to be showing at The El Capitan. Have I mentioned before how much I love Snow White?



It is?! Aww,dang. That would've been awesome.


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## Belle Ella

Holy cheap digital camera, Batman!!

Today was one of those days where I love my job because we find all of the cheap clearance at our store. As much as I love my D-SLR I've wanted a small little P&S with a decent enough MP that could fit in my pocket and be easy to whip out when we go to Disneyland. It's hard to get pictures of our group when I don't trust anyone other than the PhotoPass photogs with my camera. I thought I founf a solution when this little Kodak at our store went on clearance and we have a whole heck of a lot of them and nobody was buying them. Week after week about 10 team members at our store have been waiting for them to get reduced even further before we bought them. Well, yesterday was the big day and they went down to about $45 dollars.

The bad news? We sold out before I could get my hands on one.

The good news? It all worked out for me to be honest. With a P&S I'm not really that picky and we still had the display which are honestly hardly ever touched in our store and we keep all of the packaging and everything. At $45 dollars, plus an addition 30% off for it being a display, plus my 10% store discount (which ends up being about $31) I'll take it. Tested it out in the store and it works perfectly, no scratches, no nothing. It's perfect for the use I plan of getting out of it. Plus it uses the same memory cards that I already have about 5-million of.

Then again - I'm most likely letting my sister keep it and then just borrowing it for DLR. She wanted it pretty badly and doesn't have a camera at all right now and was fully planing on buying it today anyways.





^ $31 for that!


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## Sarah84

Glad you are feeling better about your trip now  Thats great you added another night at the hotel is always nice to extend a trip.
Oh no shame about you missing Snow white, does the El Captain show different Disney films every now and then or is it like theatre shows?

What a great bargin with the camera, looks nice (I love pink cameras )


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## Docter419

Hello! Love your report, I've been skimming it at work for some time now. But I just watched you "be a man" video and it made me laugh so hard. You see my wife does the same thing in the car. Plays that song and practically screams in my ear. "BE A MAN!". Why do you women like that song so much?!? I've seen Mulan once and it was okay, but my wife has to play that song every time we drive down just to scream that dang line! I can't complain too much though, it cracks me the heck up.


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## RiverLou

Docter419 said:


> Hello! Love your report, I've been skimming it at work for some time now. But I just watched you "be a man" video and it made me laugh so hard. You see my wife does the same thing in the car. Plays that song and practically screams in my ear. "BE A MAN!". Why do you women like that song so much?!? I've seen Mulan once and it was okay, but my wife has to play that song every time we drive down just to scream that dang line! I can't complain too much though, it cracks me the heck up.





Well, thank you much, I love making people laugh.  
(Hmph, just realized I've been saying that lyric wrong all this time... anywho!)

As to why we love the man song, it's just so ridiculous and fun. All that machismo, hilarious!

Donny Osmond + Machismo =


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## Belle Ella

Sarah84 said:


> Glad you are feeling better about your trip now  Thats great you added another night at the hotel is always nice to extend a trip.
> Oh no shame about you missing Snow white, does the El Captain show different Disney films every now and then or is it like theatre shows?
> 
> What a great bargin with the camera, looks nice (I love pink cameras )


I really have no idea how they do their schedule, but they only have one film showing at a time and up until the week that we get there they are showing G-Force, nothing the week we are there, and then Snow White the week after. I wonder if anyone else knows more about it.



Docter419 said:


> Hello! Love your report, I've been skimming it at work for some time now. But I just watched you "be a man" video and it made me laugh so hard. You see my wife does the same thing in the car. Plays that song and practically screams in my ear. "BE A MAN!". Why do you women like that song so much?!? I've seen Mulan once and it was okay, but my wife has to play that song every time we drive down just to scream that dang line! I can't complain too much though, it cracks me the heck up.


Glad to hear you're enjoying the report! Always makes us feel better, lol. And gives inspiration to keep on going.

And hey - your wife has good taste!! That song just brings out all of the fun randomness in me. That line just makes the song for me! That and the little commentary _"boy was i a fool in school for cutting gym..."_.



RiverLou said:


> Donny Osmond + Machismo =


Perfection!!! 

...
......
.........
......
...

Boy, oh boy!! We had a pretty big freak out yesterday when I went over to Dre/RiverLou's and got to take a look at the PS vouchers they had left over from the trip they took at the end of June and thought they only had one booklet!! I was looking forward to possibly doing Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness, mostly just to add something new and because it's another photo op. for me.  We were trying to figure out for what felt like forever why she only had the one because we're going to need two if we actually end up doing it!! But thank goodness we found the other booklet, so the waters are calm on that front.

But when I got home I had a nice surprise! I wanted a new cell phone with my contract renewal this month, and if I could get one cheap I wanted one with better internet access and a QWERTY keypad so I can type little notes while we're in the park faster, or even update while we're actually in the park if need be. Well, the phone I ordered came in the mail yesterday and was waiting for me on my bed!!






You would think I would be tired of all the red in my life after working for Target for the past 5 years. But it stood out for me out of everything they had to offer that wasn't an iPhone (which to be honest I'm still longing for, but I can't justify spending hundred of dollars on something that's not directly related to my Disneyland birthday right now).

And Dre, you will be happy to know I officially have a phone with GPS. Because we both know I need it.

I also finally fixed the photos from my last day of Disneyland back in 2007 so I'm going to try and finish that TR this week if I don't get sidetracked by who knows what else. I have a trip planned into S.F. to go to Pier 39 on Saturday so I probably will get a little distracted!


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> But when I got home I had a nice surprise! I wanted a new cell phone with my contract renewal this month, and if I could get one cheap I wanted one with better internet access and a QWERTY keypad so I can type little notes while we're in the park faster, or even update while we're actually in the park if need be. *Well, the phone I ordered came in the mail yesterday and was waiting for me on my bed!!*



Yeah -huh, exactly where I told ya it would be. 




Belle Ella said:


> And Dre, you will be happy to know I officially have a phone with GPS. Because we both know I need it.



 

So you can do this  without ending up like this , or ya know, in Pittsburg.


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> So you can do this  without ending up like this , or ya know, in Pittsburg.



Ah. Good old Pittsburg  I still can't believe I did that.

So, I know you have to take it with a grain of salt, but Al Lutz's last article said something to the effect of Fantasmic! being dark for all of September following Labor day. Then there was the following editor's note:

Editor's Note  8/1: Flotsam & Jetski's night vision cameras are working well, and Murphy the Fantasmic dragon is meshing with his new programming, which has emboldened Disneyland to add two Fantasmic shows per night back to the weekend schedule in September, at least until HalloweenTime begins. 

I really, really, really hope that what is reflected in the Entertainment schedule is what will be happening and we will be getting our Fantasmic! fix in. I would rather watch it twice than watch Magical.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Ah. Good old Pittsburg  I still can't believe I did that.
> 
> So, I know you have to take it with a grain of salt, but Al Lutz's last article said something to the effect of Fantasmic! being dark for all of September following Labor day. Then there was the following editor's note:
> 
> *Editor's Note  8/1: Flotsam & Jetski's night vision cameras are working well, and Murphy the Fantasmic dragon is meshing with his new programming, which has emboldened Disneyland to add two Fantasmic shows per night back to the weekend schedule in September, at least until HalloweenTime begins.*



Crossin my eyes, fingers, toes, arms and legs...



Belle Ella said:


> *I really, really, really hope that what is reflected in the Entertainment schedule is what will be happening and we will be getting our Fantasmic! fix in. I would rather watch it twice than watch Magical*.



Ditto. Magical, IMNSHO, kind of sucked butt after seeing the awesomeness that was RDCT.


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## Belle Ella

OK, before I get myself so caught up in worrying about I need to remind myself: _This will be a success no matter *WHAT*!!!_

^ I just need to keep saying that over and over and it will be true onc I convince myself it to be true.

And hey, I finally added you to the September thread, lol. Can't believe it took me so long to do.


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## Belle Ella

Recent development!! I was out in San Francisco (boy it was warm out there today in my opinion) with K, the friend of mine who couldn't go because of work and whatnot. _*Well!!*_ I may just be able to talk her into driving down Friday after she gets off work so she can at least get one day if not two (depending on how Sunday works out) to take care of that DLR fix she needs!

I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Plus I think I'm going to get her hooked on the DIS as well ... It can't hurt any, right?


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## Belle Ella

*
1 month away baby!!!!!*​


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Recent development!! I was out in San Francisco (boy it was warm out there today in my opinion) with K, the friend of mine who couldn't go because of work and whatnot. _*Well!!*_ *I may just be able to talk her into driving down Friday after she gets off work so she can at least get one day if not two (depending on how Sunday works out) to take care of that DLR fix she needs!*
> I am keeping my fingers crossed!
> 
> Plus I think I'm going to get her hooked on the DIS as well ... It can't hurt any, right?



Erm...would she be staying with us?


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## Belle Ella

* 27 days *​
That number is just so awesome. I love seeing it get smaller and smaller every single day. It's just making me all giddy inside. Then it makes me want to plan, plan, plan even more because I don't want to stop thinking about it for a second.

No, siree!!

Right now I'm just trying to figure out all of the things we'd like to do while we're there. I keep telling Dre I need to have something along the lines of a flashcard for me to keep in my pocket so I can highlight everything we've done and not forget about all of the things we want to do. You know - a substitute for those mental notes that never seem to get us anywhere!  I'm also just making a list of things we know we're going to do on certain days. And I just love doing that because actually writing out how many days we're going to be there this time is really giving me the chills. It's brand new territory for me. 6 days we'll be in SoCal. 6 freaking days!!!! That just feels like an eternity to me, and I am loving it.

*Tuesday*
DL: 10AM - 8PM (MM)
DCA: 10AM - 6PM

Arrive @ HoJo & stow luggage.  Hopefully get there between 8:00 and 8:30 (the point is not to drive like a bat outta hell). Which should give us plenty of time before the parks open at 10 to take our time and make sure I actually get pictures of the walk along Harbor and all the Celebrate banners that I meant to back in March but never got around to.
Line up for regular entry whenever we reach the esplanade. No plans for doing MM this day. But I'd still like to get there early just so by the time the park opens we wont be at the tail end of the any long line - even though we could just hang out by the MM gate that stays open ...
PP photograph (if there is a photographer there already) by the Mickey flowers at the entrance & if they have any characters in the morning we'll stop by. That's when we saw Alice and the Mad Hatter last year.
Stop by City Hall to pick up our pins (a _Birthday_ one for me, and another _I'm Celebrating_ one for Dre). We'll also be there to ask about particular characters we hope to find in the park.
We'll make our routine ride tour after a walk down Main Street. Jungle Cruise (because it's so fun to do first thing when nobody is in line and the jokes are fresh), grab Indy FP, Pirates, and HM.
We have a PS for an early lunch at BB and we want to check in there no later than 11:15 to request a waterside table. We already know we'll probably split the meal (just an extra plate, no split plate fee this time).
Did I mention HM? We'll only get 2 days before they close it down for the overlay, so we have to make sure we get our fix.

*Wednesday*
DL: 10AM - 8PM
DCA: 10AM - 6PM

PS for Ariel's Grotto for breakfast at 9:40 so when we get to the Esplanade we'll head find where we check in for that. I'm assuming it's a similar process to when we ate did the Minnie & Friends breakfast a couple of months ago and there will be a gate for everyone with PS to line up at until they let us into the park. Would love some input if anyone has done their breakfast before and can give us some insight into what time they let you in and how all of that works.

*Thursday*
DL: 10AM - 8PM (MM)
DCA: 10AM - 6PM

*Happy Birthday* to me!!!!!
Another PS, this time we're doing breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen right at 7. We loved the first seating at M&F back in March and hope to have just as good an experience with an early breakfast at GK. Plus we wanted to still have plenty of time to get to the Esplanade and line up for regular entry (again, no MM planned today) without having to rush and still get as much park time as possible.
Ride the Lily Belle! After the horrible experience we had doing this back in March I really want to do it again and Thursday would be a good day in my books (well, any day would be a good day).

*Friday*
DL: 9AM - 12AM
DCA: 10AM - 8PM

I plan on getting to the Esplanade very early today, along with my tripod (open later means more time for me to get night shots) and I'm going to make sure I get one last chance to photograph the California letters while they are still there, and while there aren't hundreds of people in my way. Just something to remember them by, I guess. I will be happy, but a little sad, when they are finally gone.
PS for Minnie & Friends at 8:40 so we'll get to the gate for that when we're done taking morning photos. I really, really loved this character meal the last time we did!! I am so glad I am being horrible and doing 3 character meals + BB.
Fantasmic! is still on the calendar for the 11th-13th and I will be keeping everything possible crossed that it will stay that way, with or without the new dragon. I just want to see Fantasmic! because I do love it so. If not, I guarantee you I will break out my iPod and listen to the music from F! at 9 and 10:30 and will cry accordingly.

Alright, so that's as far as I've gotten at this point. Plus I have a list of things that I have to do and they will just be done when we feel like it. The Mark Twain, trying a dole whip float thing (because I didn't like the dole whip itself and I think it looks tastier), hunting down as many PhotoPass photographers as possible, hunting down as many characters as possible ... you get the idea.

I will add more to this later.


----------



## Belle Ella

Ah I got my Park Hopper today!!! $161.34 for the 3-day PH (good for 5 days) + 1 MM. Oooooh, I'm a happy camper!!


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## Sarah84

Your plans all sound great and yay for getting your ticket today


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## Docter419

Great Plan! Can't wait to hear how it goes, I'm sure it will be fine as long as you "BE A MAN". LOL


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## Belle Ella

Docter419 said:


> Great Plan! Can't wait to hear how it goes, I'm sure it will be fine as long as you "BE A MAN". LOL



Hey! Total reminder here to get that song back on my iPod since I lost all of my music when my HD crashed. Couldn't possibly drive down there without singing it. Never!!



Sarah84 said:


> Your plans all sound great and yay for getting your ticket today



 It's a big step that is!! Can;t get into the parks without it. Now RiverLou just needs to get hers.

OK, so here's what I know will be going down on Saturday and Sunday:

_*Saturday*_
DL: 9AM - 12AM (MM)
DCA: 10AM - 8PM

- Sometime before 11AM we need to check out of hotel room A. And yes, we will be checking back in later to hotel room B since we didn't decide to do that extra night back when we originally booked. Whatever, no biggee so long as we're getting on more full nights rest!
- MM today! I realize that we're saving our MM for the very end of the trip, but really it works out best for us. We'll hit up Fantasyland right off the bat (unless somehow that changes to try and get on Nemo, but I don't see that happening). And I prefer to go on Snow White first and then peter Pan second before finishing up in a little circle of Fantasyland.
- The plan so far is to do MTTMM on Saturday. It's something that I would like to get to see and get to take photos of as well. And hey, we've got the little vouchers, so why not?

*Sunday*
DL: N/A
DCA: N/A

- *Sleep in!!!!* Well, sleep in but still be ready for check out.
- Check out of HoJo and hit the road!
- One pit stop before we officially head home, however. We have to go to the Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store since we'll have the whole day to make our way home


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## Belle Ella

I did it! I somehow survived my first two days of class - even if I had to do half of one of them medicated. Ativan is just ........................................................

BUT, and there _is_ a but (Mia Michales, I <3 you)

We will be in Disneyland in just 3 weeks!!!!!


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## Belle Ella

*14 days!!*

I've been so busy the past couple of weeks with work (my boss was on vacation and everything went haywire) and now I'm back in school - yuck. The only good thing is it means it's almost September!!

Not much to update though. I'm going to go pick up Dre's PH tomorrow after my dance class gets out, and I finally remembered to order the entertainment card off eBay. Can you imagine if I had forgotten that? :eek I got it in the mail just the other day. There's really not much left to do except pack which I can guarantee you I will be starting sometime after this weekend. I'm crazy, right?


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## Docter419

Belle Ella said:


> *14 days!!*
> 
> I've been so busy the past couple of weeks with work (my boss was on vacation and everything went haywire) and now I'm back in school - yuck. The only good thing is it means it's almost September!!
> 
> Not much to update though. I'm going to go pick up Dre's PH tomorrow after my dance class gets out, and I finally remembered to order the entertainment card off eBay. Can you imagine if I had forgotten that? :eek I got it in the mail just the other day. There's really not much left to do except pack which I can guarantee you I will be starting sometime after this weekend. I'm crazy, right?



Entertainment Card? Never heard of that. Is it Disney related?


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## Belle Ella

Docter419 said:


> Entertainment Card? Never heard of that. Is it Disney related?



Nope - it's the car you get with the entertainment books that lets you get discounts at places. This is so we can get the Entertainment Rate at the HoJo!


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## Belle Ella

*1 week to go!!​​*
    ​
The time is getting closer ... and closer ... and closer!!! I've really got to start getting my butt in gear as far as the whole packing thing goes. I never wait this long to start packing and I feel so unprepared here! But hey, the important stuff I have ready to go.

Park Hoppers (*check*) One for each of us. This time we got Minnie & Mickey and then Goofy. I'm so excited to get 5 whole days in the parks. I thought the 4 days we had back in March with the "child price" was the greatest thing ever. But really? A 3 day PH tops that by far!! Maybe the next time I go I can push it to 6 days, and then 7, and ... You get the idea, right?

Admission voucher (*check*) OK, so I think it's safe to say I don't plan on using the free admission for my birthday since we'll already have the PH that I got through my credit union (saved us about $20 each) it's unnecessary. Birthday Fun Card, here I come!! I have absolutely no clue what I'll be spending it on just yet, but I'm pretty sure I will find something. Too bad we can't use it on the dining or I would use it for the character meals that we have planned. At least I have already set aside the cash for that, and who knows what money I have coming my way for my birthday since everyone knows that cash is greatly appreciated.

I've already looked at my schedule for the next week and I only have to get through the following:

*Tuesday:*

Work: 5 am - 12 pm
Bio & Lab: 12:30 pm - 4:50 pm

*Wednesday*

Dance: 11 am - 12:15 pm
Art & Studio: 2 pm - 4:50 pm

*Thursday*

Work: 5 am - 12 pm
Bio: 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm

*Friday*

Work: 6 am - 2:30 pm

*Saturday*

Birthday lunch w/ friends
Work: 10 pm - 6:30 am (the only thing I'm dreading all week)

*Sunday*

*SLEEP*

*Monday*

Work: 6 am - 10:30 am (maybe later, it's time and a half and I don't have class so I'm pushing to stay later)
Birthday dinner w/ family and my Disney-buddy RiverLou

Pshhh! Even factoring in my obsessive packing and all of that homework time this week should be relatively easy and go by fast.  Now if only I could stop having Disneyland vacation nightmares!!

Does this happen to anyone else? I'm so uber-paranoid that I'm going to forget something important and die when I get there and realize it's at home. Last night? Oh yeah, I had a dream that I left *both* of my cameras at home. I am not kidding when I say if I did that the world would come to an end.  Then somehow I forgot _all_ of my luggage, another dream was all of my money, and in yet another we somehow lost our car and were stranded in the middle of nowhere.

I haven't been sleeping well, in case you can't tell.


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## Belle Ella

There's been a change in park hours on Saturday (9/12)!! Instead of opening at 9 AM, DL is opening at 8 AM (7AM for MM). Now I'm really, really glad that we've got an extra night added to our stay, because driving home that night would be killer.

By the way - 6 days away!!!!


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## RiverLou

So I actually had my first pre-Disneyland trip dream last night. We were on our way, driving through some hilly grapevine-but-not area, and I woke up from my nap (it is so confusing to me to wake up in a dream) babbling about how we were almost there, even though it was about 4 hours away. I was very happy to be correct that we were indeed going to get there by 7:30 am, and not later as planned.


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> So I actually had my first pre-Disneyland trip dream last night. We were on our way, driving through some hilly grapevine-but-not area, and I woke up from my nap (it is so confusing to me to wake up in a dream) babbling about how we were almost there, even though it was about 4 hours away. I was very happy to be correct that we were indeed going to get there by 7:30 am, and not later as planned.



Remember when ...  ... Not that we want to get there _that_ early this time. Can you imagine getting there at 7:30 a.m. - not being able to get into your hotel room - and the park not opening until 10 a.m.? Talk about a nightmare. I would just want to take a nap in the car.

So, I just got through my biggest challenge to end out the rest of the week: my Art class. It's fun and I love it, but I'm missing an exam next Wednesday because of this trip.  I knew this would be a possibility but I choose Disneyland over an exam any day of the week. But at least he pushed back the due date on our second assignment until the Monday I get back which gives me plenty of time to complete it, even if it means no feedback on my progress since it was only assigned today. Symmetrical designs, nothing too tricky.

But hey - I got to do some Salsa dancing this morning. How could anything go wrong after that.

Tomorrow is my Biology lecture, which is no big deal. But I do start work at 5 a.m. and go to class from there at 12 p.m. which will suck. But afterwards I am heading over to Dre's house to start on our last minute preparations!!

- Creating a new playlist for the drive. It need's a fun name too. Last trip was Frick & Frack's Excellent Adventure. We have to top that.

- Make a new LGMH. With the D23 Expo there will be a lot of DIS'ers there at the same time as us who are planning some extra days in the parks so I'm hoping we'll spot a few this time. We already have one small meet up planned. It should be fun. But my old one finally broke a couple of weekends ago when I went to S.F. with a friend for her birthday.

- Make our list (remember, no more mental notes!!) of things we know we want to get done that we're going to carry on us, including a list of characters we would most like to see.

Oh, poopie. I'm forgetting some stuff here!


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## Belle Ella

How, oh how, can we not name this trip again? Let's see ... how about:
*Frick & Frack's Bogus Journey*​
We had our Excellent Adventure back in March and now here we are - days away from the beginning of another trip. I'm so excited cool1: _and I just can't hide it - I'm about to loose control and I think I like it_). We're trying to get the last minute planning out of the way. Getting a few snacks we want on the drive there, planning out a few things we know we want to do for sure each day, yada, yada, yada!

But I had to share this! I made my new LGMH last night. My old one broke in S.F. the other day so I needed a new one. I can't say it's much different than the old one, but I'm excited about it. There's a lot of DIS'ers who will be there while we are because of the D23-Expo so I'm hoping to spot a few this time:


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## Belle Ella

Right now is officially the start of my Sunday since I will be at work until 6:30 AM - so as far as I am concerned .... 

2 days away!!!


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## Belle Ella

Forget actual days! We will be hitting the road in just about 14 or 15 hours. It's so close I can taste it!! I just got off work, which means my vacation has officially begun. No more *red* and *khaki* (go Target!!) for me for a whole week 

Now if only I could figure out how to get all the clothes from the dryer into my luggage ... It will be a challenge, it will. But somehow I will conquer it.

Hey! I just realized this, but it exactly 24 hours Frick (a.k.a RiverLou, a.k.a. Dre) and I will be getting ready to make our way over to BB for lunch (PS is for 11:30)!

Sometimes I really cannot believe I made the decision to do this for my birthday!


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## kaoden39

Have a great birthday.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Have a great birthday.



Thank you 

We're all getting ourselves ready for the day - and hoping we used up all the bad juju yesterday (because there was a lot of it) so we'll be bad juju free all week. We're packing up the car in 30 minutes, and hitting the road in an hour!

It's finally here!!


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## Belle Ella

One last question before we go. How many suitcases does it take for two girls to spend 5 nights and 6 days in Disneyland? Let's see if we can count ...










*See you on the other side!!*​


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## Belle Ella

I jsut wanted to drop in and say hello! We had a very, very long day between the early morning drive and trying to spend every minute that we could in the park! We had a lot of fun today, and met up with another DIS'er!! The sun was out, the crowds were light, and all went well (including the best meal at BB I have ever had, complete with 2 birthday candles - which you'll have to wait for the actual TR for )


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## Belle Ella

Just checking in from the HoJo!! It's only the end of day 2 and I already feel like I could go home happier than anyone in the world right now. And we aren't even halfway through yet!! 3 more whole days in the parks and one more to do as we please in SoCal.

*WOW*!!


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## bubbamomma

Glad your having an awesome time!! How could one not have the best time ever though?  DH and I will be there in a little over 48 hours now!  Celebrating my bday too!   CANT WAIT!!


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## Belle Ella

bubbamomma said:


> Glad your having an awesome time!! How could one not have the best time ever though?  DH and I will be there in a little over 48 hours now!  Celebrating my bday too!   CANT WAIT!!


Happy early birthday to you! I know you'll have an amazing time!

Today was exciting. Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen where I will leave you with this photo:






You'll get the whole story when I write the whole trip report  I also ran into a couple of DIS'ers this morning which was great. My Fun Card has been spent and I still have lots of shopping to do ...  for birthday money!


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## Belle Ella

Aw, we're home! The fun and excitement is over, and I'm a little sad. It's back to the real world today. And it's a double whammy - work and school. Boo!

I have a lot of photos to share though. Well over 2,000 to edit from this trip so this could take a while. But I hope to get everything started tonight!


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## Belle Ella

*Day 1*
September 8, 2009​
It is now officially time for me to get this trip report underway! If you're willing to stick with me for this one it will be more of the same. Probably a lot of me babbling, but always with a ton of photos to go along with the words. Hopefully everything will stay fresh in my mind for some time to come, because this one is going to take some time to finish. At least I was somewhat smart (S.M.R.T.) this time and took a few notes of what we did each day!

Where, oh where, should I begin?

I'm pretty sure we can do a quick gloss over of the drive. It was long. It was dark. It was rather boring. And boohoo for us, we hit traffic in L.A. this time because (a) I was driving more like a normal human being and not like a bat out of _H-E-double-hockey-sticks_ and (b) we left a little later than we did back in March. How did we keep ourselves awake this time? We sang songs of course! No more "Man Song" since I couldn't find the CD in time to add it to my library. But we did start up a road trip classic - "99 Bottles of Beer". I think our voices are thankful that we didn't just start back over once we hit zero.

_No more bottles of beer on the wall, no more bottles of beer
Go to the store and buy some more, 99 bottles of beer on the wall_​
Now that I think about it, we should have changed it to "99 Mint Juleps" or something to get us more in the mood for Disneyland, but what can you do, right? The worst part is that we recorded it on the Flip camcorder from about 87 on downward. But I think I'll spare you that nightmare 

We left home at 2:30 a.m. practically on the dot and we finally reached our destination of choice, the Howard Johnson (HoJo for those who still don't know the acronym), by roughly 8:30 a.m. which is still good time for the drive, I guess. We had booked the first 4 nights of our stay with the completely awesome Entertainment Rate at $57 a night! I doubt this trip would have been the same without it since money would have been a little tighter. Splitting a room between 2 people for under $300 is a lot better and easier on the bank account than if the room was more than $500. It just meant more money to play with - and play we would do! There's not much more I can say about the HoJo that hasn't been reiterated about 1000 times before here on the DIS. The rooms were clean and comfortable, the staff was friendly and helpful as ever, and it was all around a great experience. Heck, our room was even ready for us when we checked in and that is always a plus. We were in building 3 on the first floor facing the courtyard. I can't say we had to deal with any outside noise although whoever was in the room above us sure loved to stomp around at all hours of the day!














​
Once we got our luggage into the room and certain valuables locked away it was off we were to the esplanade (which I still have trouble saying) and to the Parks! It felt like it has been forever since the last time I got to speed walk along Harbor - because I am not one for taking a leisurely stroll anywhere, especially with so much pent up excitement!! It was even exciting to see the D23 Expo banners that were up along Harbor, even though we wouldn't be attending. For me, time in the Parks takes precedent over all else.



















​
I got to the park gates a little before 9:30 a.m. (both Disneyland and California Adventure were scheduled to open at 10 a.m. but it was also a Magic Morning) and lined up with the regular entry folks. The plan was to meet up with my partner in crime at our first usual haunt - the Jungle Cruise. But since I was there in time for the 9:30 a.m. rush onto Main Street to wait for the rope drop at 10 a.m. I made a quick pit stop by City Hall to take care of a little business that I like to call _picking up my birthday badge_! OK, so technically my birthday was still a couple of days away but the whole reason I booked this trip was to celebrate my birthday the whole time I was there, not just on the 10th. So as far as I was concerned that birthday badge would be somewhere on my person all day, every day. Where's the fun in only wearing it for one day?!















​
By the time I was done getting the buttons (and I do mean plural because Dre needed her own _I'm Celebrating_ button) it was minutes to rope drop which gave us just about an hour and a half before our PS at Blue Bayou for lunch. I met up with her right outside the entrance to the Jungle Cruise for our first Disneyland ride of September 2009! It's not our 100% favorite ride by any means, but it's just become tradition to get on the first boat out that we could while the jokes are fresh for the day - even though we've heard them all before! We also got our first taste of how the lines would be pretty much all week. The wait time was listed at 5 minutes, but in reality we just walked right on. It became a pattern rather quickly for any ride that wasn't Indiana Jones.































​
By no means was this my all time favorite experience on the Jungle Cruise, but it was just as fun regardless. I don't know about you, but I love hearing the jokes over and over and over, and it will stay in my top 5 Disneyland rides for some time to come. I wont even say these were that great as far as photos go. It took me some time to get rolling with my camera this time, but it's not like I wouldn't be back. In the meantime, we had a couple of more stops to make before lunch!

On our way into New Orleans Square we had to stop for a quick moment before almost running to the Haunted Mansion in excitement to show our support for the Jambalaya Jazz Band. I wish we could have stayed to listen to them play for a little while longer but we wanted to make sure we had time to get both the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean in before checking in for lunch! But we did stop and get pictures with the band. They loved my birthday badge  Instead of having them write Jessica I had them put my nickname, Jazz, on my button. Let's just say it was remembered all around over the course of our 5 days in the Parks.









Day 1 to be continued ...​


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## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
The normal tradition is to go on the Jungle Cruise, grab a FastPass for Indy, hop in the boats for Pirates, and then take a tour through the Haunted Mansion. But then again, we don't normally have one of our favorite rides closed down during a Disneyland vacation so we did grab our FastPasses for Indy, but decided to do HM before POTC to continue our morning. Our second walk on ride. Off-seasons rock, let me tell you. I have never just walked on to anything except for Snow White before - ever. As if the excitement wasn't high enough already. It just made everything 10 times better to just go and *do*!











































​
We did finally make our way over to Pirates after the Haunted Mansion, of course, before we checked in for our PS time. How fitting, eating at the Blue Bayou, just after riding Pirates of the Caribbean? Once again, the wait time was listed at 5 minutes and we just walked right on. I should just time how long it takes us to walk through the arch to the time it takes us to actually step into the boat. That would be all of what, 1 minute?



​
I did notice something, and if you know the answer, please help me! What happened to the knife that was supposed to be with the sign at the entrance warning you about getting wet? It was the first thing that I noticed when we walked by and it's been nagging me ever since. I did take a photo of it but I can't find it at the moment. It just looks so ... alone ... now.

And there was another first while riding POTC that morning. I have never, not once, heard an announcement come on _during_ the ride before to warn you about flash photography. All I have ever heard was the little speech given when you are boarding. But there we were, passing through the battle scene when a CM's voice comes booming out from everywhere and nowhere at the same time: "No flash photography". And I hadn't even seen a single flash go off the entire time. Yet when there's a flash going off every 5 seconds I have heard nothing. Go figure.

It's still only about 11 a.m. when we get off of POTC, which is a good 30 minutes before our actual PS time at BB, but there is no way we are missing out on our waterside table because we thought maybe we could squeeze something in real fast. It didn't take long for the little alley in front of the restaurant's entrance to get packed with people checking in so our little 1 our morning tour worked out perfectly. But we still had some time to wait so we took turns saving our 'spot' while the other wandered in and out of the shops and caught some more live entertainment in the form of the Bootstrappers!















































​
I have a few more photos from watching them that I will post tomorrow when I can get a few more photos edited to go with them. They were a lot of fun to watch, if only for a few minutes. Sorry about the sun flares in some of these photos by the way. There was no way around them at the moment, but I think they add to the look


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## merrrydeath

yay the start! makes me sooo excited for my trip in a week!


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## Sherry E

I'm here, too, Jazz (of course).  I have been silent, but I am reading along!  I am so envious that you were able to have so many days in the parks and nights at the hotel!  Gotta love that Entertainment rate!


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## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> yay the start! makes me sooo excited for my trip in a week!


 I'm excited for you too! I'll try to keep everything coming so the excitement can keep boiling over for you!!



Sherry E said:


> I'm here, too, Jazz (of course).  I have been silent, but I am reading along!  I am so envious that you were able to have so many days in the parks and nights at the hotel!  Gotta love that Entertainment rate!


Great to see you stopping by Sherry!!  Goodness, the Ent. rate is like the best thing ever! I'll always be keeping an eye out for it for future trips. I know a group who wants to do October with me next year!

OK, so I'm working on editing some more photos right now so I can keep going. I've only gone through about 91 of the photos I took on day one (out of 297) so there's a bit to go!!


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## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
Before I get a move on here are the rest of the photos I took while watching the Bootstrappers perform. I want to try and include as many photos for you here as possible! And I'll be posting the official album link as soon as all of the photos are added.



















​
They finished their little show with perfect timing too. We were let into the lobby not long after that, waiting for our turn to be seated. Not that we had to wait very long.































​
Our actual lunch at Blue Bayou was excellent, excellent. My experiences there only keep getting better and better and better and *better*!! I think I've only had one not-so-great experience eating there and it had nothing to do with the service or the food. We had planned on possibly splitting a meal depending on (a) how hungry we were and (b) how much we really felt like spending on food the first day. But in the end we ended up ordering our own entrees. Heck, we ended up ordering _the same_ entree! The funny thing about that was that she had been giving me a little grief every time it was brought up beforehand because I always order the same thing no matter where I am. I am a salmon-lover! She didn't want to split the meal if I was getting salmon and then she goes and orders it for herself  But it was a great choice. So we both had the Cajun-Spiced Salmon. Holy Crow it was delicious. I wish I could have finished mine. Maybe if I hadn't eaten so much of the salad to begin with I might have been able to pack more in. But I was stuffffffffffed.







​
But to be honest, the best part of the meal were my *TWO* birthday candles. Heck yeah! I got one in my iced tea and in my desert. Who ever thought of putting the candle in the tea is a genius. That there, alone, made my day. I could hardly stop laughing it was great.















​
And I totally grabbed a couple of the green mickey mouse sprinkles off the desert to keep. Do I have any idea what I'm going to do them just yet. But I have them nonetheless!
And just because I can, I had to take these two photos (although one of them is so fuzzy it drives me bananas). Lucky friend of mine got to eat there with her mom over the summer. One day, it will be my turn.









Day 1 to be continued ...​


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## kaoden39

Put them in a scrapbook.  Be sure and spray them with hairspray to preserve them.


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## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Our actual lunch at Blue Bayou was excellent, excellent. My experiences there only keep getting better and better and better and *better*!! I think I've only had one not-so-great experience eating there and it had nothing to do with the service or the food. We had planned on possibly splitting a meal depending on (a) how hungry we were and (b) how much we really felt like spending on food the first day. But in the end we ended up ordering our own entrees. Heck, we ended up ordering _the same_ entree! *The funny thing about that was that she had been giving me a little grief every time it was brought up beforehand because I always order the same thing no matter where I am. I am a salmon-lover! She didn't want to split the meal if I was getting salmon and then she goes and orders it for herself*  But it was a great choice. So we both had the Cajun-Spiced Salmon. Holy Crow it was delicious. I wish I could have finished mine. Maybe if I hadn't eaten so much of the salad to begin with I might have been able to pack more in. But I was stuffffffffffed.



Pfff!  Only because the Surf and Turf wasn't an option! The salmon was yummy though.



Belle Ella said:


> And I totally grabbed a couple of the green mickey mouse sprinkles off the desert to keep. Do I have any idea what I'm going to do them just yet. But I have them nonetheless!



You could ask Lisa if she knows how to preserve them in resin, like make a necklace or something? 



Belle Ella said:


> And just because I can, I had to take these two photos (although one of them is so fuzzy it drives me bananas). *Lucky friend of mine got to eat there with her mom over the summer.* One day, it will be my turn.



I sure did, 'twas awesome.


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## Docter419

AWESOME AWESOME AWEsOME, Keep writing. This is a fantastic TR. And you'll get into Club 33, I never thought I ever would and I was able to go last december. If I can do it, you can do it!


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Put them in a scrapbook.  Be sure and spray them with hairspray to preserve them.


Sounds like a great idea, seeing as I was planning on starting to scrapbook this trip at some point.

OH! Speaking of scrap booking, as my luck would have it all of the Disney scrap booking things that I had bought at work over the weeks leading up to our trip finally go clearance right when I get back to work. We were marking down stationery yesterday and I go to scan some of the Disney embellishments and paper packs and sure enough they are going down to 30%. What the heck. Now I have to see if I have the old receipts so I can take the ones I have back and just buy them at the clearance price.



Docter419 said:


> AWESOME AWESOME AWEsOME, Keep writing. This is a fantastic TR. And you'll get into Club 33, I never thought I ever would and I was able to go last december. If I can do it, you can do it!


I shant give up hope! I shant give up hope!

OK, so I'm just about through editing the next 25 or so photos so I hope to have the next update soon. I'm already starting to forget things though! My notes say I did something and I don't have photos from it so I can't remember.  I can't be forgetting already. Nononononono!


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## kaoden39

Oh boy I know where I am going on Friday.   I love all that stuff and I need to scrapbook our pictures from 2007.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh boy I know where I am going on Friday.   I love all that stuff and I need to scrapbook our pictures from 2007.



I hope they're clearance in your area  I can't remember if that store is in the same group as ours. But even then it varies. I know I have to see if they did at Walnut Creek because they had the Tinkerbell packs which we never carried at our store. Grawr.

I do hope it means we'll be getting some new selection in soon. I should see when they'll be resetting that department. It can't be too far away. Half of the scrapbooking aisle went clearance (eell, about 111 different items).

And how is this for sharing the DLR love? One of my co-workers is going to Disneyland later this month with her husband and their two girls and I'm going to get them their Park Hoppers through my Credit Union since they were cheaper and the 2 free days when you buy 3 are still available.


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## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
So I wish I could have kept a real journal or something of everything that we did. When and where we were at what time. Really all I have to rely on are the photos, and if photos of the Jungle Cruise come before photos of Pirates it's pretty easy to tell what I was doing, right? Well, right after our beyond-amazing lunch at Blue Bayou I have about an hours gap in my photos. That's just wrong, I tell you! I should never leave my camera in my bag for an hour at a time at Disneyland.

What I _*do*_ know is that it wasn't long before we found our way over to Critter Country so we could grab Fast Passes for Splash Mountain (which I was yet unsure of the reality of me going on this again). And when in the area, why not stop by to see Winnie the Pooh & Friends?!?! So of course we did, stopping by to visit with our old friends Tigger, Eeyore, and Pooh Bear himself!



































































​
AHA! Now I remember something else - I saw Br'er Fox while I was by my lonesome!! After our experience with the Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park back in March we both really, really, really wanted to see Br'er Fox again. But Dre was nowhere to be found at the moment, but he was on his way buh-bye so I didn't get a photo either. I have no idea why we had split up already, but there you has it. And I have now made sense of my notes.

Memo to self: Add Br'er Fox to the list of characters to ask about at City Hall!

Here's something that I just noticed. We didn't do too much of the back and forth between different areas. We kind of stuck to one place. Normally I'm bouncing from left to right faster than you can ask for directions, but that's when I'm on my own, which I will demonstrate to you later in the Report. Our haunt for the day didn't get much variety outside of Adventureland and New Orleans Square with a little Critter Country thrown in for kicks.

We didn't want to wander too far though. We had planned to meet up with another DIS'er, _Rachaface_, so we didn't want to get stuck who knows where at the time we were supposed to meet up with her. And now I have another hour-long gap where I have no idea what we did. I knew I would run out of Disney memory in my brain sooner or later. What with all the song lyrics and everything else I have to remember all the time. This just isn't fair.

So we're going to take a break while I figure out which photo comes next. Next time I need to remember to set the time and date on the new camera before using it! If you remember that cute little Kodak P&S I got for about $30 dollars it got some use of it. So now I have to go between the two folders trying to figure out what is next, and one of them is telling me it's January 2nd at 2 a.m. when in reality it should be about 4 in the afternoon on September 8!

But regardless, coming up next we've got our meet up with another DIS'er!! And just to note, my photos progress for day 1 is at about 125/279

to be continued ...​


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## kaoden39

I think Fairfield is the same region.   Even if it isn't I can always use a trip to Target.  I am loving your trip report as usual.


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## Belle Ella

It might be. Sometimes the way they group our regions is really, really wierd. There's one store that's near us (can't remember which) that you would think is in our region, but in fact it's not. The only one I remember for sure is Walnut Creek because they come up in our huddles a lot. But clearance items can be down to specific stores only sometimes. It's wierd.

OK, just about to start writing the next part - now that I cleared up whatever issues I was having in the order of things.


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## kaoden39

Jazz, before I forget I wanted to tell you that Family Force 5 is playing in Orangevale, near Sacramento on October 4.  The tickets are like $15 a piece.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Jazz, before I forget I wanted to tell you that Family Force 5 is playing in Orangevale, near Sacramento on October 4.  The tickets are like $15 a piece.



Ah! My sister hasn't mentioned it ... I wonder if she knows about it. Thanks for sharing. I may just have to get me some tix  Although if I do that will be one *long* weekend! I'm doing to Walk for Hope in S.F. on Saturday with work (which is lame only because I'm missing the Celtic Festival which I was dying to go to this year) and then I work overnight Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Eh, that's what coffee is for.


----------



## kaoden39

I am getting tickets for my three kids and I am going to find someplace to hang out during the concert.  They have VIP tickets in which I think you get to meet the artists and the tickets are only $20 a piece.  I told Kody I was going to check it out and if it means a meet and greet I will get them the VIP tickets.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
So it's sometime before 3 p.m. which is where I will pick up again. We had planned to meet up with another DIS'er, Rachaface/Rachel, in New Orleans Square to grab some Mint Juleps. There was one very big catch, however. I have never been to Disneyland during the week be it off season or not, and I completely forgot that the Mint Julep Bar is only open on the weekends. I wanted to just die. I have been craving a Mint Julep like I cannot tell you for months. Ever since we got back in March I had been counting down the days until I could get my hands on them again. And now it was looking like I would have to wait a few more days.

If this had been the first day back in March I literally wold have broken down, crying! But I wasn't going to let the disappointment faze me this time. I would just have a lot to make up for come the weekend!

When we met up with Rachel outside of the Pirates exit we had some brainstorming to do of what we should do since we wouldn't be grabbing our Mint Juleps. Well, we came to an agreement that we would take a cruise through the jungle! As it would happen we got Skipper Sarah again!



















































































​
I really wish we had thought to stop by a PhotoPass photographer or something and get a photo of all three of us. It wouldn't be the only time we saw her, but we never did get a picture with all of us  You'd think we would have thought about that, right? After we got off JC Rachel had to go get ready for her PS at Blue Bayou. It was awesome meeting her though! And did I mention that she made me a totally & completely awesome birthday card? It rocks and I love it. I really should take a photo of it so you all can see it.

So after saying our goodbyes Dre and I made our way back over to Critter Country. I had to share the little piece of information that I had never been on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh before, so we absolutely had to do that. It's funny that we ended up waiting for that longer than we did for any ride so far that morning and afternoon, 7 minutes. But we passed the time trying to get a photo of the two of us in line with the Kodak, which was absolutely not happening seeing as I have never mastered the art of taking my own photo. But we did get one of us in our honey pot (Kanga).







​
After Winnie the Pooh we had to do a little exploring of the shops in Critter Country (where I fell in love with the Halloween mouse ears they have out) and I got some photos that I will be posting very soon that I know for a fact many of you will enjoy 

to be continued ...​


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am getting tickets for my three kids and I am going to find someplace to hang out during the concert.  They have VIP tickets in which I think you get to meet the artists and the tickets are only $20 a piece.  I told Kody I was going to check it out and if it means a meet and greet I will get them the VIP tickets.



Let me know what she finds out  I'm going to bring it up with my sister tonight and see if she and her friend would like to go with me. That is certainly something I am interested in going to. Doing a little dance just thinking abouts it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Let me know what she finds out  I'm going to bring it up with my sister tonight and see if she and her friend would like to go with me. That is certainly something I am interested in going to. Doing a little dance just thinking abouts it.



I'll find the number and give the club a call in a while.  I will send you the ticket info in a PM.


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## kaoden39

This is a list of the bands.  I did a copy and paste so here goes.  

Family Force 5
Breathe Carolina
Cash Cash
Queens Club
Irival


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'll find the number and give the club a call in a while.  I will send you the ticket info in a PM.





kaoden39 said:


> This is a list of the bands.  I did a copy and paste so here goes.
> 
> Family Force 5
> Breathe Carolina
> Cash Cash
> Queens Club
> Irival



 You are full of awesome.


----------



## Belle Ella

Alrighty then! I just finished editing all of the photos from day 1 and when all is said and done I have *193*/279 photos to show for it. There were a lot of crummy shots that just were not salvageable. Not a bad start to the week, however.

And just wait until I get to the weekend. I got some amazing shots of Murphy, but you'll ahve to wait for them.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
I took some photos of some delicious treats in Pooh's Corner. Are there any other mouths watering just looking at these or what?



































After a nice long browse through the candy (which unfortunately I knew I should stay far, far away from if I wanted to stay in high spirits) it was time to hit the world of action and adventure once more! Our FP for Indiana Jones were just burning a hole in our pockets so we figured it would be safe to go and tour the Temple of the Forbidden Eye! I want to know what it was about this ride that petrified me as a kid, really I do. I blame it on my neighbors growing up who thought it was funny to terrorize anyone for sport. I didn't discover my actual love for IJ until last March when I promised Dre I would give it at least one try as an 'adult'.  As you'd have it it is now one of my favorites depending on what mood I am in (I'm always bouncing back and forth between IJ, POTC, HM, and JC). The whole day the wait time was never listed past 35 minutes so the FP didn't exactly save us that much time (I believe we made it through in 20) but that was alright. It was only for the day as I would soon discover the total awesomeness that are Single Rider passes!









And before I forget to mention it, I swear I am happy in that photo (and many others of me that don't completely show the extent of my joy). I am not a big smiler, lol. Don't ask me why, but I just don't have one of those big toothy grins that you can spot from a mile away. A family friend just made a comment to me about that. I swear I was so happy I could cry every minute of every day while we were there!

And look at that, I did manage to get a photo of the two of us all on my lonesome. SCORE!

Afterwards we were walking back towards the Hub and while we were passing the Tiki Room we noticed that the next show was just about 5 minutes to go. Well, then! Our decision was made for us. We hopped on through the turnstile and I snuck my way around taking photos until the doors opened to go inside. And what do you know? I was right by the entrance and walked in first without having to wait. I just love being able to pick where I want to sit. And I didn't have to be rude to do it (not that I would be - but we all know how some people can be).







































































to be continued ...​


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## Belle Ella

_*Day 1 Cont.*_
September 8, 2009​
Let's play a little guessing game. I'm going to post a few photos and before I say what's next let's see if you can figure it out! 







































If you guessed .... Aladdin's Oasis - Congratulations!! I think it got a touch easier tot ell towards the end, right? Well, thanks for playing along with my simple trivia game here. I'm just trying to make this entertaining.

The only time I ever physically saw Aladdin and Jasmine at the Oasis was back when they were still doing their story time show, and for me that was back in 2007! I thought it was pretty cute and it was a shame to hear it was no longer in the parks, but what can you do? But walking by on our out-of-the-blue decision to head towards Tomorrowland and spotting a the pair of them _with_ a PhotoPass Photographer? Was I supposed to pass this up. This could have been my one and only shot at seeing Jasmine the whole week who I *never* see, and certainly the only shot at seeing Aladdin. I was on a mission to hunt down as many characters as possible, let me tell you!

Dre didn't seem to in the mood for the photo op at the present time so I hit the line myself. I couldn't tell you what shenanigans she was up to, I simply remember that we split up for another short little minute because she is nowhere to be found in the photos and we had the _single-together-single_ routine of character picture taking down to a science.




It's not such a great shot with my camera. There was another but it was in so much motion it would make you dizzy sitting down!

A few minutes later I must have been looking for her in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Maybe you can help me find her? I was searching so hard I had to get down on my hands and knees to peek into the cracks of the sidewalk but I still couldn't find her.









We had decided to take a break from the Adventureland-New Orleans Square-Critter Country connection that we had made and go for my second first of the day: the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Again, how on earth is it possible that I have never been on this before? I mean, sure, I usually spent the least amount of time in Tomorrowland because Space Mountain and Star Tours both give me anxiety like there's no tomorrow, but what was I thinking when it came to Buzz? It was like, the funnest thing ever. And to top it off, I totally owned Dre, which was surprising because I got off to a rather cruddy start in my honest opinion. Not too bad for a 6 minute wait.














I won the game. The end.

Now, I believe that I will finish up the ending of our first day in my next post with a 3rd and final first for me at Disneyland. We took a tour through Innoventions!


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


>



Adding to list of things to eat... Where is the drooling smiley?


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 1 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
It seems like I always find something new to do at Disneyland, which is great! I actually like knowing that there are still new experiences to find and things that I didn't already know - it really makes the trip that much more enjoyable even though I would be perfectly happy reliving the same experiences over and over and over again when Disneyland is involved. Innoventions is just something that I never really thought to go and explore, and I couldn't tell you why. Maybe I will use the same excuse I used about the Astro Blasters. I don't go into Tomorrowland all that often because there really wasn't anything that I found appealing. But after seeing the photos from a couple of other Trip Reports we knew we had to add it to the list of things we had to make sure we did!

At least we didn't forget to do everything we meant to (like we did with actually make a list so we wouldn't forget ... we forgot to).

I'll really just let the photos do the talking for me. But I will say this, if you haven't been through Innoventions yet, you really should. As an added bonus to all the fun stuff you get to see, it's nice and cool inside and totally beats the heat!




















I was ready to sit and watch this all day. I *love* Lucy.










Some recreational reading.





As someone who collects Snow Globes, let me say this: "Me want"!!








































This would make more sense if you could see the ful poster behind me.















It was a very important phone call.





That left me exhausted.





I have always been a multi-tasker.









I really had a lot of fun exploring all of the different rooms and unlocking all of the fun stuff that they have to offer (remember to look for the CM's to show you all the cool stuff there is). The next time I do this I just need to make sure that it's not at the tail end of an exhausting day. It was about 6:50 when I finally left Innoventions (the park closed at 8 p.m. that day) and I was just exhausted as can be. Luckily the whole second floor held absolutely no appeal to me so I didn't feel too bad about leaving after exploring the home. It was time for me to head back to the hotel so I could get a good nights sleep and be ready to have my full energy all day on Wednesday.

Remember to look for the link to my album for Day 1 back on the main post!

And so I will leave you with the final photo that I took of the day as I left Innoventions:


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Adding to list of things to eat... Where is the drooling smiley?


There is now a lack in the smiley department!! It sure does look tasty. Let me know how they are if you have one.


----------



## Sherry E

Buzz Lightyear is a great ride - one of my favorites!  I am happy you finally discovered it (and kicked some booty in your score too)!!  

I also love Lucy, so I would have been tempted to sit down and watch _I Love Lucy_ if I had seen it.  One of my all-time favorite shows.

I am glad to see where the pumpkin cupcake is being sold this year.  I knew they had a pumpkin cupcake in Marceline's last year, but it was mainly the pumpkin muffin that was sold around the parks more visibly, and I think a couple of DIS-ers were getting confused and thinking that the muffin _was_ the cupcake and that they were one and the same!  I knew there was a muffin and a cupcake - two separate entities - but I am glad to see photographic evidence of it now, which I can refer people to who have only seen photos of the pumpkin muffin thus far!!  The cupcake, folks, does indeed exist!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Sherry E said:


> Buzz Lightyear is a great ride - one of my favorites!  I am happy you finally discovered it (and kicked some booty in your score too)!!


Are you a fan of TSMM as well? I gave that a try as well (which will be coming up within the next few posts). Totally opposite results for me!



Sherry E said:


> I also love Lucy, so I would have been tempted to sit down and watch _I Love Lucy_ if I had seen it.  One of my all-time favorite shows.


Good taste there!  Do you have a favorite episode? Man, now I want to break out my DVD's and watch the show but I am busy getting ready for work. Phooey.



Sherry E said:


> I am glad to see where the pumpkin cupcake is being sold this year.  I knew they had a pumpkin cupcake in Marceline's last year, but it was mainly the pumpkin muffin that was sold around the parks more visibly, and I think a couple of DIS-ers were getting confused and thinking that the muffin _was_ the cupcake and that they were one and the same!  I knew there was a muffin and a cupcake - two separate entities - but I am glad to see photographic evidence of it now, which I can refer people to who have only seen photos of the pumpkin muffin thus far!!  The cupcake, folks, does indeed exist!!


Glad my photos were of some help  I've never seen these guys before (probably because I have never been in September/October months before). They look so delicious. Wish I could tolerate sweets and stuff, because I could have gone nuts in there.


----------



## Sherry E

Belle Ella said:


> Are you a fan of TSMM as well? I gave that a try as well (which will be coming up within the next few posts). Totally opposite results for me!
> 
> 
> Good taste there!  Do you have a favorite episode? Man, now I want to break out my DVD's and watch the show but I am busy getting ready for work. Phooey.
> 
> 
> Glad my photos were of some help  I've never seen these guys before (probably because I have never been in September/October months before). They look so delicious. Wish I could tolerate sweets and stuff, because I could have gone nuts in there.



Oh yes!  I love love love TSMM!!  It has got to be my in my top 2 favorites at DLR (POTC is the favorite classic ride; TSMM is the favorite 'new' ride).  Now, mind you, my TSMM scores are never really impressive - I think the highest I ever scored was maybe a 98,000 or so - but I can see improvement as I go along, and I have beaten a couple of people, and I just think the ride is fun fun fun!!  Plus, I love the Little Green Men.

Hmmm....favorite episode of Lucy...that is tough.  I know a lot of people who prefer the older episodes of Lucy, and of course those were great too, but I really liked it when they got out of the apartment and went places like California, Europe, Florida and moved to the country.  I even liked the hour-long 'special' episodes (The Lucy and Desi Hour, I think it was called - or maybe it was "We Love Lucy") that aired after the series ended (where the gang travels to Japan, Mexico and Vegas and all over the place and meets all kinds of celebrities like Milton Berle, Fernando Lamas, Danny Thomas, Tallulah Bankhead, Fred MacMurray).  I swear I have watched the entire series of Lucy and all its episodes over the years (since childhood) and I know every episode like the back of my hand and yet I still watch them when I catch them on TV now and I never get tired of them!!  There was such great chemistry between the 4 lead actors, along with all the zany antics, and they all had such fantastic comedic timing.

So what would be a favorite episode?  So hard to pick.  Well, I like the one where they build the BBQ at their house in the country.  I love the episode wher they get trapped in a cabin in Switzerland because of an avalanche.  I love it when Lucy gets to dance with Van Johnson in California.  I love the one where they are on the way to California and they have to spend the night in a rickety old, run down motel.  I love the one where Lucy decides to bake a loaf of bread and it traps her in the kitchen.  There are so many great ones.  That is truly a classic show.

The pumpkin muffin at DLR has a little dollop of cream cheese on the top, raisins in the middle and a hard sugar Mickey jack-o-lantern stuck in the top of it.  It's more savory than sweet, really.  The pumpkin cupcake in your photo looks as thought the frosting is sweet and the cake part is probably much sweeter than the muffin too.  If I get there any time in the near future (knock wood), I would like to try one.  I can't eat sweets or heavy carbs without having some good protein first, but after I grab a chicken sandwich or something, I will sample a cupcake.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2*
September 9, 2009​
 Day 2 was our first character meal!! We had a PS for Ariel's Grotto at DCA for 9:40 a.m. (with both parks opening at 10 a.m.). We loved doing the earliest PS we could get with Minnie's & Friends back in March where we were literally the first table seated, so we wanted to be there nice and early this time as well. The only problem was that we really had no idea where to go.

I reached the esplanade earlier than Dre did since I was ready, and I wanted to be able to get those final photos of the California letters since this is was my last trip before they get removed (unless something insanely awesome happens between now and then). I was really looking forward to it. Little did I know that the photos I wanted to get would be impossible after Tuesday. As soon as we reached the bag check nice and early to wait (where some guy was having a hissy fit because nobody knew that he had been there 'first', not that any of us really cared, it was annoying - I don't need to start my morning being ******* at) I was greeted by those marvelous construction walls that we all know by know that were blocking off a huge chunk of the esplanade in front of the letters, but not the letters themselves. I meant to get photos so you could see what I mean, but I kind of forgot. It's cute though, directly opposite the letters the walls have letters of there own, each with some Disney characters. My assumption is that they are removing the bricks close to the letters for safe keeping/relocation for the big remodel of DCA's entrance and the removal of the letters. I never asked anyone about it, but that just seems sensible. I was really wondering what they would be doing with those.

But back to our breakfast! It was a little confusing for me as far as where we actually had to go since they let you into DCA at about 9:30 and not everything is opened up yet. One CM that I asked at the gate told us that we could walk straight through to Ariel's Grotto through the Sunshine Plaza and over by the Golden State/Bug's Land area. Well, he was wrong, which meant a whole lot of extra walking for us. Once we got to the rope they had there another CM informed us that we needed to take the path along Condor Flatts until we reached the rope that was over there and the CM would let us through if we informed them we had a PS at Ariel's Grotto and tell us where to go. It was pretty annoying to keep being told one thing after another, but eventually we got the information that we needed. Once we got past the rope we just followed the road and a bunch of sings towards Paradise Pier and we had made it! I even got the opportunity to take photos with no guests in front of me whatsoever!






























Wrong direction, Jazz!










We're almost there ...





We made it.​
After we finally made it we had to wait just a moment before they were ready for us to head downstairs for our photo with Ariel and to be seated. I love the blue dress that she wears, but it really makes me miss when she had her own meet & greet in true mermaid fashion. But that's Pixie Hollow now. Phooey. Of course I ordered the photo, however, and I'll add it to our PhotoPass CD whenever I remember to actually do it. But here is the one from my camera. I always look so awkward in photos, lol. I'll also post a few of the restaurant as we were being seated. I absolutely loved it.


































Then, of course, there is the food! Where am I to start with the food other than saying it was delicious. You always hear mixed reviews about AG around here, although one thing that you hear over and over is that it's gotten much better recently. Then again, I don't really hear people talking about the breakfast very much. The food is served family style, meaning you get a whole lot of it to share with everyone at your table. First they bring out the three-tiered platter with an assortment of fruits, cheeses, and breads while your waiter takes your order for your drinks and they they bring out a big waffle as well as another tray filled with meats, potatoes, and eggs. Then you just dive in


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## thmar

I didn't realize you could make reservations before the park opens...good to know.  The breakfast does look good!  Did you see any other princesses?


----------



## kaoden39

Oh yum, that looks good.  Did you get my pm about the concert and everything?


----------



## Belle Ella

thmar said:


> I didn't realize you could make reservations before the park opens...good to know.  The breakfast does look good!  Did you see any other princesses?


We did, we did! I still have much to post from Ariel's Grotto and the rest of day 2. I'm just getting ready for class right now but it will be up sometime today since I already have the photos edited.



kaoden39 said:


> Oh yum, that looks good.  Did you get my pm about the concert and everything?


It made me hungry all over again. And I'm not normally a big breakfast eater. Lo and behold, I actually ate breakfast this morning (although not nearly as full as that).

And I did  Thank you for that. I've been trying to figure out if there was any way that I could go, but I think I'm going to have to pass on it because of work. There's no way I would be able to get out there and then back home again. Such a shame.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We did, we did! I still have much to post from Ariel's Grotto and the rest of day 2. I'm just getting ready for class right now but it will be up sometime today since I already have the photos edited.
> 
> 
> It made me hungry all over again. And I'm not normally a big breakfast eater. Lo and behold, I actually ate breakfast this morning (although not nearly as full as that).
> 
> And I did  Thank you for that. I've been trying to figure out if there was any way that I could go, but I think I'm going to have to pass on it because of work. There's no way I would be able to get out there and then back home again. Such a shame.



That's too bad.  Did you see the list of concerts they have coming up?  I was amazed at the amount of concerts that they have in that area.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 9, 2009








Me so happy!​
There was much entertainment for us to be had that morning, and lots and lots of signing. We even got a little rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung by the CM's along with a tasty little brownie that I dared dive into!




What an attractive first image you see 




But even more impressive was the Squire (who I only wish we had thought to capture on video) who before making the announcements of each Princesses arrival sung ... OH! What is that song that was used for the TV promotions not too long ago? I can't remember. But dang, was this guy good  And then of course each of the Princesses is introduced individually at spaced intervals to give them time to circulate through the dining are before the next princess enters. We got to see Cinderella, Snow White cool1:), Belle, and Sleeping Beauty/Aurora. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Heck, all I really wanted to see was Snow White anyways. Have I mentioned she is my absolute favorite? And I have officially decided that Belle looks like one of our Execs. at my store, which is way random.







































Coming up: a short tour of DCA and then back to Disneyland!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's too bad.  Did you see the list of concerts they have coming up?  I was amazed at the amount of concerts that they have in that area.



No, I didn't. That was really the only date that I saw. Gah. Oh well. If it was in some place like San Jose I could go. It's a more familiar drive (I still get lost driving to see my grandparents in Auburn) plus it doesn't have the bridge toll. Yuckies.

I will console myself by blasting my iPod with some FF5 while I'm at work on Saturday into Sunday. And then gear up for my first hockey game of the season, and getting my hands on Snow White and a new book that also comes out on the 6th.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> No, I didn't. That was really the only date that I saw. Gah. Oh well. If it was in some place like San Jose I could go. It's a more familiar drive (I still get lost driving to see my grandparents in Auburn) plus it doesn't have the bridge toll. Yuckies.
> 
> I will console myself by blasting my iPod with some FF5 while I'm at work on Saturday into Sunday. And then gear up for my first hockey game of the season, and getting my hands on Snow White and a new book that also comes out on the 6th.



I was thinking that while the kids are at the concert I am going to either Barnes and Noble or Borders while they are at the concert.  There is a book I want coming out around that time.  I would rather go to the hockey game.  I was amazed at the prices of the concerts the most expensive ones were less than $20.  I was amazed.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I was thinking that while the kids are at the concert I am going to either Barnes and Noble or Borders while they are at the concert.  There is a book I want coming out around that time.  I would rather go to the hockey game.  I was amazed at the prices of the concerts the most expensive ones were less than $20.  I was amazed.



It's pretty hard t find some cheap entertainment these days, isn't it? Such a shame. I swear I would get out more if everything didn't cost an arm and a leg to do. I'm not interested enough in most things to spend a small fortune on them (like I will for Disneyland every now and again).

Ack! This totally reminds me that I need to pick a day to go out to the Disney Family Museum next month. I was discussing it with a girl from my Biology class yesterday (OK, so I have convinced yet one more person to go to Disneyland - she's 'blaming' me for the trip she is now planning for December) and I really need to go as soon as I can.

Alright, I'm off to my dance class. I have a performance/exam today. Should be fun, right? We'll see. I missed the second half of the ballet choreography while I was at Disneyland and I still haven't picked it up 100%.

I'll have another trip update coming afterward!


----------



## firefox2

Your report is great, awesome pictures.  It was great meeting both of you.  Looking forward to reading some more.


----------



## Belle Ella

firefox2 said:


> Your report is great, awesome pictures.  It was great meeting both of you.  Looking forward to reading some more.



Tahnk you! It was great meeting you & your DH  Just noticed you started your TR, I'll have to go through and read it and not just look at the photos. Did I ever know before now that you're a Ducks fan?

Speaking of hockey I can officially say I have tickets for the Sharks home opener against the Blue Jackets in 2 weeks. I need my hockey fix and I need it *NOW*!!!


----------



## firefox2

Belle Ella said:


> Tahnk you! It was great meeting you & your DH  Just noticed you started your TR, I'll have to go through and read it and not just look at the photos. Did I ever know before now that you're a Ducks fan?
> 
> Speaking of hockey I can officially say I have tickets for the Sharks home opener against the Blue Jackets in 2 weeks. I need my hockey fix and I need it *NOW*!!!



I don't know if you knew I was a Ducks fan, but if you like hockey, stay tuned to my TR, day 7 may be of some interest to you 
I agree, I am more than ready to get hockey season under way, can't wait for October, just for that reason.


----------



## Belle Ella

firefox2 said:


> I don't know if you knew I was a Ducks fan, but if you like hockey, stay tuned to my TR, day 7 may be of some interest to you
> I agree, I am more than ready to get hockey season under way, can't wait for October, just for that reason.



Hehe, big *non* Ducks fan. Been a Sharks (home team) fan all my life. My dad took me to their first game as an NHL club when I was a toddler and got me hooked. Did you go to a preseason game? I wish my birthday had been a little later so we could have gone to one.

Oh well. I'll have my chance soon enough. October 8th isn't that far away.

OK, so I'm a little behind here with the TR. I've been super busy the past weekend between work, school, and errands I have had to run. Not to mention my nose has been buried in a huge new book (Outlander = <3) any spare moment I've had which includes my sleeping time which I have had extremely little of.

I'll try and get a new update in today after my Bio lab gets out.


----------



## firefox2

Belle Ella said:


> Hehe, big *non* Ducks fan. Been a Sharks (home team) fan all my life. My dad took me to their first game as an NHL club when I was a toddler and got me hooked. Did you go to a preseason game? I wish my birthday had been a little later so we could have gone to one.
> 
> Oh well. I'll have my chance soon enough. October 8th isn't that far away.
> 
> OK, so I'm a little behind here with the TR. I've been super busy the past weekend between work, school, and errands I have had to run. Not to mention my nose has been buried in a huge new book (Outlander = <3) any spare moment I've had which includes my sleeping time which I have had extremely little of.
> 
> I'll try and get a new update in today after my Bio lab gets out.



Ys, it was the first pre-season game, and it was a great one at that.  I grew up in Ontario, Canada, so we use to go to all of the Toronto Maple Leafs home games, as my Dad would always get seasons tickets.  I became a ducks fan when they became an official NHL team  LOL.  My Dad wasn't disappointed like I thought he would be, he is a good sport. 

I am looking forward to reading more of your TR, I'm loving the pictures.  Going to go work on mine right now while I have some free time.


----------



## firefox2

Belle Ella said:


> Hehe, big *non* Ducks fan.



I should have mentioned, as Doug pointed out that ALOT of people don't know this, and I assumed that everyone on Disboards DO know.....Anaheim Ducks were originally owned by Disney, that is what drew me in.    I've been following them ever since.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 9, 2009​
Here are a few photos that I took after breakfast right outside the restaurant while I waited on Dre. Including one of the PhotoPass poses that I did (with my camera). Why, oh why, did I forget to put my sunglasses back on?




















After we left our delicious breakfast at Ariel's Grotto we decided to head over to Toy Story Midway Mania, which as I mentioned before is yet another ride I have never been on. I'm not adventurous in that department and unless I know exactly what it is I'm getting into I usually stay away. The thing that really, really turns me off on this particular attraction is that fact that it's in 3-D. Have I mentioned how much I hate 3-D? Because I really, really do. But I figured that I had enjoyed the Astro Blasters the day before so I might as well give this one a try.









While I did enjoy it, I can't say this is a ride I will purposefully go back to on my own. Like I said, I'm not a fan of 3-D so that was hard for my to get past. Not to mention, unlike your little blasters on Buzz, you have to keep pulling the string at the back of this thing and that had my arm begging to be chopped off in seconds it hurt so bad and ended up cramping up. Not exactly a side effect I was going for, you know? The most stand-out part of the ride was watching Mr. Potato Head in the queue, which I could have easily watched from outside the railing.

Then again, maybe I'm just sore because she beat me this time? Couldn't remember our scores. But I had caught up big time after the big deficit I was in after the first 'game'. That's all I care about.
But here's something you may get a laugh at: While in the queue I managed to take a look down at what I was carrying and noticed something that made me just about scream! I was missing the little bag that held the photo from Ariel's Grotto!! It made me so mad and I started to freak out because I had absolutely no idea where I left it. Had I brought it with me outside after I left AG? Maybe I left it with the PhotoPass photographer I had seen when I set my things down. A whole list of possibilities went flying through my had because an awful lot of things happened in those 20 minutes after I left AG and was waiting for Dre.

Luckily it was pretty simple: I had in fact left the photo at our table and all I had to do was wait a couple of minutes for them to bring it up for me. What a major sigh of relief.

As for the rest of the time in DCA that afternoon, we didn't do much. After TSMM we decided to make our way back to the Land and just stop for some PhotoPass poses along the way.









A slight bummer though. After going through our photos on the website we noticed that we're missing a post that we did (a variation of the top one here) where Dre was looking at the park map like we were lost while I was flying away with the balloons. I was really looking forward to that one, but alas, it is nowhere to be found. And it's not like I lost a card this time.

So sad!

In light of our attempt to get photos with as many characters as possible (well, my attempt at least) our first stop back in Disneyland was to Pixie Hollow. Actually, we had decided to go see how the line was before we decided if we would go in or not. It looked short enough to us, and we weren't disappointed in our judgment when we only had to wait about 15 minutes. This time through we got to see Tink (of course) and Silvermist.









































Coming up: Peeking around Cemeteries and islands invaded by Pirate's​


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## Belle Ella

I've finally got a few more photos edited! I'll post a new update tonight. I've been so busy with school and work it's insane.

And wohoo! Hockey season is back! I can't wait until I get to go to the Sharks home opener next week! Even more photos to add to my never-ending folder that needs to be edited.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I've finally got a few more photos edited! I'll post a new update tonight. I've been so busy with school and work it's insane.
> 
> And wohoo! Hockey season is back! I can't wait until I get to go to the Sharks home opener next week! Even more photos to add to my never-ending folder that needs to be edited.



I look forward to reading more later.


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## disneynerd420

I'm loving the TR. I can't wait to see more pics!


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## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 9, 2009​
After meeting Tinker Bell and one of her friends at Pixie Hollow we had to make our way back over to New Orleans Square. This was the very last chance we would have to experience the Haunted Mansion since Wednesday (the 10th) was the first day it would be officially closed for the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay. Of course we had to get our fix in! And so we did (which was a walk-on, by the way)! Although directly after we parted ways, and I believe it was so she could go do some things that I was set not to do, like Big Thunder Mountain. Nooooo, thank you!

So what did I do? I went right back on the Haunted Mansion because there were even less people this time than there were before we had just got on. I did make one small detour though. I may not have gotten photos of one pet cemetery (the lines were never long enough to warrant all that queue space) so instead I sought after the ones you don't see every day before jumping in for the second time in a row.






































Oh? And did I mention I attempted to take some video? All I had on me was the Flip Camcorder, but it's worth a try, right? I need some practice, let me tell you. I had to hold something against the back of it since there's nothing to cover the LCD screen and I didn't want to ruin the experience for anyone so lets just say that my 'aim' was a little off. But hey, I have something too look at while I'm at home other than just photos!







​
Next up was another favorite, Pirates! And this time I remembered to take a photo of something that had seemed amiss the day before. The best part? I got the front of the boat, finally! Sometimes it pays off to be by yourself.











Notice the difference?








Doing the solo thing proved productive. Have I mentioned the fact that I'm a speed walker? Well, I mean that more as just in general I walk very fast, not that I consider myself a professional or anything like that (isn't it actually something they have in the Olympics? I know I've seen it). Well, it probably caters to why when I'm by myself I bounce around a lot normally - from one end of the park to the other. It just doesn't take me that long to do. And it's easier to do when you're by yourself. Since it was so close I went back for my 3rd Jungle Cruise since our arrival! My seat this time wasn't the best place to be attempting to take photos because of the bars, but there you have it. I got a few. The funnest part this time for me was right before we got to unload at the dock those of us celebrating birthdays got serenaded with a little birthday diddy:

_This is your birthday song,
it isn't very long!_






































And last, but not least (there's still plenty to come from Day 2 that I almost forgot about) here are a couple of photos I took while meeting back up with Dre.





Note to self: Remember the Mark Twain later in the week! You have always seemed to bypass it in the last 3 years somehow.





All I wanted a photo of the water falling from the trough-thing ...





... but a better opportunity presented itself moments later.

Coming up: Fantasyland (_finally!_) and who do you think is taller, me or Peter Pan?​


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## disneynerd420

Great pics! I can't wait to see more.


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## Belle Ella

disneynerd420 said:


> Great pics! I can't wait to see more.



Thank ya!

I don't think I'll have any more posted until Sunday. I've got the Walk for Hope tomorrow morning and an overnight shift at work (BOO!). Talk about a very long day, seeing as I doubt I will get sleep before going in to work at 10 PM.

Oh! And I'm seeing Toy Story/Toy Story 2 in 3-D on Sunday!


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## disneynerd420

That's ok... I can wait


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## Belle Ella

I might actually have the next update done before I leave to see Toy Story. I just wish my photos would upload faster. Silly Flickr.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 8, 2009​
It wasn't too long before we parted way again, and at this point I forget what she was off doing each time, lol. My memory isn't so good anymore, especially not after practically zero sleep in 2 days. But first we did finally make our way into Fantasyland for the absolute _first_ time this trip. What is up with that?! I wouldn't have even thought it possible, but there you have it. We didn't stick around for long, however, we just gave ourselves enough time to go on Snow White's Scary Adventures - since there is never anybody in line. If I've said it once, I know I've said it a thousand times before. I *love* Snow White!
























Before we left Fantasyland we also took a peek inside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to see what it was like. They were still working on it when we went back in March. It really makes me wish I were a little girl again, although I know it's not something my parents would have ever done for me or my sister. We also did a little browsing of our own, contemplating what things we might be buying when it came time to make all of our purchases. I believe it was also the first time Dre spotted the Alice in Wonderland spinning teacup snow globe that she simply had to have!




I'm not quite sure what compelled us at that point to make our way back to Main Street, but that's where we found ourselves next with a couple of quick photos with Mickey _and_ Minnie Mouse. Normally when I see them on Main Street they are by themselves so I had to stop for this photo.














And after that we split up again. Hmm. Maybe she was going back to Star Tours, I'm really not sure. Although it is my best guess because somehow I ended up back in Tomorrowland and found myself on Buzz all by my lonesome where I totally kicked my own previous score out of the park.




























So there I was, fresh off the Astro Blasters and on my way towards Frontierland when I just happened to spot two characters that we kept forgetting to add to our list of characters to ask about at City Hall every monring: Peter Pan & Captain Hook. Between both of our run ins with Peter Pan (well, both of mine seeing as Dre wasn't with me for this one) I have officially decided that he's my favorite character find in the park. Ever encounter leaves me in a fit of giggles. This particular one involved a lo of climbing, Hook getting scared of heights, and debates as well as cheating over who is taller. And did I mention to fascination with spider webs?















Somebody was chickening out.





Always trying to strangle me! How rude.





Trying to find the perfect flying leaf.















What's everyone staring at? Oh, it's just a giant spider.






Now, to end this little segment I leave you with a question: Who's taller - me or Peter Pan?






Coming up: a Pirate invasion!​


----------



## kaoden39

I love how Peter Pan is your height.  I can remember a million years ago when I thought that the guy that was Peter Pan was hot.


----------



## disneynerd420

Oh wow! Peter is cute....

Does that mean I have some secret dark desire for young boys... I hope not. 

I want to get a picture with Peter Pan! I never see him in the parks except for in the parade.  

Lucky


----------



## kaoden39

disneynerd420 said:


> Oh wow! Peter is cute....
> 
> Does that mean I have some secret dark desire for young boys... I hope not.
> 
> I want to get a picture with Peter Pan! I never see him in the parks except for in the parade.
> 
> Lucky



No, just clean shaven ones.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I love how Peter Pan is your height.  I can remember a million years ago when I thought that the guy that was Peter Pan was hot.



 He's adorable. And hilarious to boot. The second time I found him was the funniest darn thing .. but I'm still a ways away from that part.

A little perspective (to kick my butt in gear): I've gone through about 500/2670 photos so far.



disneynerd420 said:


> Oh wow! Peter is cute....
> 
> Does that mean I have some secret dark desire for young boys... I hope not.
> 
> I want to get a picture with Peter Pan! I never see him in the parks except for in the parade.
> 
> Lucky





kaoden39 said:


> No, just clean shaven ones.





I dunno. Anyone's gonna have to fight with the Princesses over this one. He seems to have gotten it into his head that he's hansdome enough to lure one out.


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> I dunno. Anyone's gonna have to fight with the Princesses over this one. He seems to have gotten it into his head that he's hansdome enough to lure one out.



That was hilarious...

"They go in regular and come out princesses." (Or something like that)


...acorn potion 


Oh I *so* have a Pan crush.  

Doesn't hurt that he looks a bit like he could be Ryan Gosling's brother...


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 9, 2009

By the way, of course I'm taller than Peter Pan.




Cheat? Me? Never!




Now, we may have forgotten to check with City Hall earlier in the day to find out _exactly_ when Peter Pan would be out, but we did remember to find out about one character we wanted to find: Br'er Fox! It was getting close to the time the CM had given us which was supposed to be our rendezvous time back over in Critter Country as well. I almost missed it too! For some reason I was thinking it was an hour earlier than it really was. But I made it over in time, but it looked like I wasn't the only one who forgot. Dre was nowhere in sight by the time I got over there but Br'er Fox _and_ Br'er Bear were so I gave her a call so she could make her way over. Luckily she made it in time. I don't think I would have lived to see my birthday if she missed Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear, Captain Hook _and_ Peter Pan while I did. Nope, pretty sure I wouldn't have.







































We had to do a little thinking after that. What would be the next best place to go? We hadn't done Pirate's Lair @ Tom Sawyer's Island - ever - so that won out. We never made that hard journey across the River's of America when we were at Disneyland back in March and before then the last time I had been there was before the Pirate invasion had happened. I think ... Anyways! It was really a spur of the moment decision. We were walking back towards New Orleans Square and noticed that another raft was just moments away from departure so it was perfect timing really.












































































Coming up: More from the Pirate's Lair on TSI​


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm home sick today (BOO! I hate feeling like ****) and I've made a little progress with my photos. I actually just finished editing day 2 - I ended up with 191 keepers out of 412. That's still a lot of photos any way you look at it.

I'll finish up the rest of the report for Day 2 in a moment. Then it's off to Day 3 - my *BIRTHDAY*!!!


----------



## firefox2

Great job, looking forward to more


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 2 Cont.*
September 9, 2009



















What a pair of devils we were, going in the wrong way! So what is there to say about the Dead Man's Grotto? I can;t think of much as far as words go, other than don't skip it. It's a lot of fun, and a little frightening to boot! I captured some video in here but the first one is easily my favorite. Somebody spooks a little easily now and again! I also managed to get a few good photos inside the caves as well, although there were a lot of unsuccessful attempts!
















The treasure will disappear right before your eyes!








































Rebels, like I said.​
I didn't realize that the bone cage from Pirates 2 was back in the Smugler's Cove area ready for photo ops. But I had a lot of fun with that one, although it was reminding me just how tired and worn out I was. How I was lead to that thought I'm not quite sure, but it did. We took the raft back across the Rivers of America not long after that. But we did go play in the Crows Nest, although I believe Dre has those photos as it appears that I have none!









































Coming up: the end of Day 2!​


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## PrincessKell

I Love it! Your photos rock. I love your Peter Pan pictures, those are awesome!


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## Belle Ella

_*Conclusion of Day 2*_
September 9, 2009​
It was getting to be close to that time when I would need to head back to the hotel because I was so tired from being out in the sun all day long, but we had time to fit in a couple more rides before we parted ways for the last time. First up was Pirates with another short wait (I doubt it was even 5 minutes) where we managed to snag the front row again (YAY!) and I tried to snag some video again without being a disturbance to anyone else on the ride. Once again that proved a little difficult since I couldn't see where I was aiming the camcorder, but it's decent enough and better than nothing!



​
Afterward we used up our FastPasses for Indiana Jones! I honestly think that this was the longest wait that we had all week for this ride. I didn't keep close tabs on my watch but it was easily over a 25 minute wait, but considering how long the stand by line was, it wasn't that bad.










My momma always said my face would freeze this way!​
And that was that! It was nearing 6:30 or so at that point and I knew I wasn't going to last any longer if I wanted to make it back to the hotel (again). So I took myself along Main Street, stopping for a quick bite to eat and something to drink. I have never had a cream cheese filled pretzel before, and honestly I had never even though about using cream cheese as a filling but it was so delicious that it wasn't the only one I ended up eating that week. I had to wait about 5 minutes because they didn't have any ready, but that was alright. I was zoning out as it was. Add in my favorite cherry Coke and I was a happy camper and good to go relax and if I could stay awake long enough, watch me some So You Think You Can Dance and Glee (which I did). On the way out I did stop and do a quick PhotoPass pose since there was no line.









And so we reach the end of Day 2! 

And before I officially close this post I found a couple of images on my small Kodak that I forgot to transfer over with all of the photos from day 2, so here are the last minute additions!





Dole Float > Dole Whip


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## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> That was hilarious...
> 
> "They go in regular and come out princesses." (Or something like that)
> 
> 
> ...acorn potion


Hush now, don't be spoiling the story. I hasn't gotten there yet.



firefox2 said:


> Great job, looking forward to more


 Yays. More to come soon, I hope!



PrincessKell said:


> I Love it! Your photos rock. I love your Peter Pan pictures, those are awesome!


 Peter Pan rocks, for sure. And thank you!!


----------



## RiverLou

Belle Ella said:


> Hush now, don't be spoiling the story. I hasn't gotten there yet.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


>



Uh-huh, _suuuuuuure_.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 3*
September 10, 209
*Happy Birthday to me!!*​
Alright, my 23rd birthday was easily the *best* birthday ever, even including the really annoying bits that made me angry. The good outweighed the bad by a country mile. And it all started with an amazing birthday-breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen! Our PS was for 7 AM so we would have time to make it to the gates before the park officially opened with plenty of time to spare and diddy-dawdled at the restaurant. The only downside to breakfast that early (and that far of a walk from the hotel) is that it's pretty cold outside! I never actually thought about how long of a walk it would be from the HoJo to the Disneyland Hotel and it uwasn't until we were on our way, marching along, that we realized something - we didn't quite know exactly where we were going. Sure we knew it's located at the Disneyland Hotel and we've both seen it before but we couldn't actually visualize where we needed to be headed. Luckily for us we ran into a [not so] stranger along Downtown Disney - Rachaface, the DIS'er that we had met Tuesday afternoon. She was able to tell us exactly where to go seeing as she was lucky enough to be staying at the Disneyland Hotel _and_ had just eaten at Goofy's Kitchen the day before. Sweet!

I honestly cannot recall what time we left the hotel at, but we arrived at Goofy's Kitchen with plenty of time to spare and so we took to enjoying the wonder that is the Disneyland Hotel (to be more specific the DLH Convention Center). It's like walking into a world sprinkled with pixie dust. I love it!
























Wanna know something that I love even more? Being first. Maybe it's the competitive nature in me or maybe it's just me being anal about things again, but whatever it is I have an obsession with being first and being the first person to do something. It's why I get to hockey games early, it's why I get to everything early. It's just part of who I am and everyone just has to deal with that rolleyes1). It didn't take long before they let us start checking in, although we had to wait for the cashier before we could actually pay for our meals. Then we got to take a seat in the lobby while we waited for our photo op with Pluto before being seated at our table.





























What is there to say about the food? It was everywhere. And there was just about anything you could imagine (including the much-talked about PB&J pizza). I had to go around and get a little bit of a lot of stuff. Mickey shaped pancakes, sausages, fruit, croissants, even some jello (that I will always love no matter what it's made from). Plus the orange juice. You gotta have breakfast with some orange juice. And I even kept true to my word and didn't have soda to start off the morning. You know, trying to be good since it's a major addiction of mine. Here are a couple of my plates. I did get more than just this. Especially since I kept going towards the foot to keep warm. It was just so inviting.









We had barely gotten settled when we got our first visitor ... Baloo!! Who we would actually see quite a bit of. In fact, Baloo succeeded in scaring me half to death when I didn't realize he was right behind me. I am not joking when I say I let out a little (or maybe loud) scream. The same thing had also happened to Dre not too long before. The character meals stand out a little more for me when you get to see characters that you wont have the chance to see in the parks. I think they should always have at least one exclusive character at each meal. Then I'd be sure never to miss one - ever!














Before settling down to eat for a few moments we were also visited by Chef Goofy himself! There was a lot more fun with Goofy shortly after that. I may not be a little kid, but I still got a kick out of it. Especially when he dropped the cake the first time trying to unveil his creation. That is totally something I would do in the kitchen!























​
And did I mention the birthday cupcake? And the birthday song? Well, they were both the perfect addition to any complete Disney-breakfast.





Coming up: more from Goofy's Kitchen​


----------



## DisneySuiteFreak

Jazz I'm really enjoying your TR! Nice photos too! I was wondering what type of Flip video you have? Is it the HD version or the regular version? I was really impressed by the quality especially since you posted that you were not even looking at the LCD to see what you were videotaping. Did you have to render the video via software or was it as simple as plug and play/upload? Just wondering because I'm debating getting a new camcorder and looking at all types.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneySuiteFreak said:


> Jazz I'm really enjoying your TR! Nice photos too! I was wondering what type of Flip video you have? Is it the HD version or the regular version? I was really impressed by the quality especially since you posted that you were not even looking at the LCD to see what you were videotaping. Did you have to render the video via software or was it as simple as plug and play/upload? Just wondering because I'm debating getting a new camcorder and looking at all types.



Thank you 

As for the Flip Camcorder we have the regular Mino in black. It's very easy to use and just has a little USB that flips out from the side to make downloading to your computer very easy. I don't have anything to convert the .VID files to anything else on my MacBook so I can't actually view them just yet (but I can hear them, it's annoying when I have a 25 minute long video of Fantasmic that I want to watch) but I can upload them to anywhere that accepts that particular file size of video. It's great to sue if you're looking for something simple.

But what annoys me was the fact that as far as I know you can't turn off the LCD screen while filming, so in dark rides I would cover the back of it with a package or something.

But since I'm not much of a videographer or anything it's perfect.


----------



## Yakety76

What great pictures you got with Peter Pan.  They are amazing.
You look so happy at your birthday breakfast.  Looks like you had a great trip.


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## disneynerd420

Yay! I just got caught up! Ilm stuck at work and only can get on the internet by my phone. I will watch the vids as soon as I am not surrounded by coworkers in my cubicle!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 3 Cont.*
September 10, 2009
*Happy Birthday to me!!*​
You don't think breakfast was actually over yet, right?

Here are a couple of photos from our visit from Cinderella. She was the start of the recognition that turned up _everywhere_ on Thursday. She remembered us from Ariel's Grotto the morning before. That put an even bigger smile on my face - I'm beginning to wonder how I can even feel my face anymore! So we went ahead and did a different Princess pose this time.









The best part about the meal though? Well, my favorite, at least. I kind of made the mistake of leaving my sweater back at the hotel. Maybe I was thinking that I didn't want to be carrying it around if we were going into the park right afterward when it was just going to get hot again, who knows? But the problem there is that I get cold when I eat - very, very, very, very cold! So there I was, feeling like I was freezing (it was pretty cool to start off with where we were seated) with nothing to keep me warm. So I went off to go warm up by the food and when I got back to the table Dale came by with a little present - a tablecloth to use as coat. And of course where there is Dale, there is also Chip!






























Brilliant photo ...​
And last but not least we got a visit from another Princess, Jasmine, and once again at least one of us was recognized. She remembered Dre from the day before when she had done the photo at Aladdin's Oasis.



















And of course what would life be without a little dancing?













And I just have to share a photo of me being silly again.














After breakfast I made the decision to go ahead and head back to the hotel before up with Dre again at the gates for our regular entry. Heck, we could have gone ahead and done Magic Morning on Thursday, but we had already decided that we were saving it for Saturday when we would also do Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness. Really, I just wanted to go back to the hotel so I could drop off the photo that we had purchased from Goofy's Kitchen. I didn't want to ruin it, carrying it around the park all day. On the way I also stopped off to get what inspired the whole trip in the first place - my birthday fun card!




I figured that I was a fast enough walker that I could take a few moments back at the hotel before I needed to head back to the opening gates, and so I did. And guess what? While walking across Harbor I saw my first LGMH that didn't belong to someone I had planned to meet up with!  I was so excited. Now, I wish I could remember her SN, but I'm having one of those moments. We chit chatted during the rest of the walk until we met up with our respective parties at the gates.











Coming up: we start off the morning with a couple of hours in DL​


----------



## disneynerd420

it looks like you guys had a great time at Goofy's! I never see Cinderella there! That is so awesome. I can't wait to see what happens next.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yakety76 said:


> What great pictures you got with Peter Pan.  They are amazing.
> You look so happy at your birthday breakfast.  Looks like you had a great trip.


 I did! I did! Thank you.
Definitely more to come for sure (including even better Peter Pan photos).



disneynerd420 said:


> Yay! I just got caught up! Ilm stuck at work and only can get on the internet by my phone. I will watch the vids as soon as I am not surrounded by coworkers in my cubicle!





disneynerd420 said:


> it looks like you guys had a great time at Goofy's! I never see Cinderella there! That is so awesome. I can't wait to see what happens next.


I have yet to really figure out how to use the internet on my phone. I suck at it, big time! I did manage to get on my thread yesterday in my Biology lecture and saw your comment, but ask me to post anything and I'll be stuck for weeks before anything actually happens. What happened to phones you just used to call people with? Those I had no problem with (minus the face I rarely had anyone to call).

I'm hoping to get a couple of updates in tonight to make up for the lack of any tomorrow.

 Sharks home opener!!  And I has me a ticket.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 3 Cont.*
September 10, 2009
*happy birthday to me!!*​
It was so hard to be waiting at the gates on a MM day knowing full well that you could be going in already rather than waiting in the regular entrance lines. A big part of me just wanted to hop on over to the other line and get in, but I planned on using p every second of my MM and by that point it wouldn't do my plans any good to get lost in a crowd (even if the MM crowd is much smaller than the regular entry crowd). By the time they started letting us file into the park for the rope drop that would still be happening we had already made our plans for the morning - a usual pit stop by City Hall to see if any of the characters we were still looking for would be out (which of course they weren't). I didn't want to get clogged up with all the people at the end of Main Street until the regular entry people cleared out after the rope drop so we stuck close by the Main Street station so we could as one of the Conductors about the Lilly Belle as soon as we could. They told us to check back in around noon and see if they could get us on. 












































Alright. Well, we were going to take the train to New Orleans Square for our first ride (Pirates) but we spotted two of Dre's favorite characters and there was no way we could pass it up. Now ... I got a little frustrated (to put it nicely) with the crowd that was surrounding them. Is it _really_ so hard to be nice and orderly and wait your turn? It's one thing when they've got a CM handler there with them to kind of direct a line, but when there's nobody there it doesn't mean that you get to walk right up and push someone aside who was patiently waiting there turn which is what happened to quite a few of us. We had a line started, but nobody else cared to follow suit. I wont go off into a long rant other than that but the whole situation was making my blood boil a little which was not the way I wanted to start off my birthday morning in the park. At least we got our photos.



















We decided at that point to just go ahead and walk over to New Orleans Square, rather than take the train. Really? I just had no inclination to walk up those stairs again. Walking in a straight line for a mine sounds better than take a few flights of stairs in my addled brain. I'm glad we did because it reminded us of a PhotoPass opportunity that we had to do. The ones on my camera are pretty boring, the actual PhotoPass photos are more fun but of course I have yet to order the CD because editing them takes forever (we still have another week, by which point it will be ordered if I'm done or not).

Then again, someone does have bunny ears in the second photo ...









So of course we got side tracked on our walk to NOS. We can't walk by the Jungle Cruise or Indiana Jones without jumping in line or grabbing a FastPass. So of course that is exactly what we did (meaning we got in line for Jungle Cruise and then grabbed some FP's for Indy).






























Say hello to Skipper Matt, everybody!














But we did finally get ourselves to Pirates, which was the main goal to begin with. What can I say? I get side tracked easily. And it's always the same things over and over that steal my attention.

Coming up: Fun & annoyance in DCA​


----------



## kaoden39

I absolutely love the Mad Hatter.  I have had more fun watching him than most characters.

Your birthday breakfast looked great.  I am jealous.


----------



## Yakety76

I love all your pictures of the Disney details.  My goal for our upcoming trip is to remember to slow down and notice those types of details.  Great Job.


----------



## Belle Ella

Totally non-TR and non-Disney realted but tonight I get to go to my first hockey game of the season! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!


----------



## disneynerd420

Looks like good times! I love the jungle cruise. 



I hope you enjoyed the hockey game!


----------



## firefox2

I hope you had a good time at the game.  Looking forward to reading more of your TR.


----------



## RiverLou

disneynerd420 said:


> Looks like good times! I love the jungle cruise.
> 
> 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the hockey game!





firefox2 said:


> I hope you had a good time at the game.  Looking forward to reading more of your TR.




Oh I'm sure we'll hear all about it here. She called me during the intermission and said she even had her face painted. 

Dany Heatley got a hat trick! 


*sigh*


So jealous that she could be there, oh well at least I can watch games in HD here at home, I can pretend.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hehe! I just got home. Game was uh-may-zing. So much so that I literally cannot talk save a squek or two. Or at least pathetic attempts.

Gotta go to sleep. Hopefulyl I'll have a new DLR-update tomorrow and a few photos from the game since I know we've got some Sharks fans around these parts.


----------



## JustAKid

Lurker here wondering where the great Belle Ella is, cause I'm itchin' to read some more of the trip report!!!  I check back everyday, sometimes a couple of times a day but...nada.


----------



## Belle Ella

JustAKid said:


> Lurker here wondering where the great Belle Ella is, cause I'm itchin' to read some more of the trip report!!!  I check back everyday, sometimes a couple of times a day but...nada.



 Awww. Nice to feel some love for a moment.

I'm working on an update right now. It's just been one heck of a week + for me and work has had me so stressed out I just haven't had the time to sit down and edit any more photos.

I can't just flake out now though, hehe. I should have something up within the next hour though!!


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Day 3 Cont.*_
September 10, 2009
_*Happy birthday to me!!*_​
Before I continue, here are a couple of photos from Pirates that I promised. Nothing extravagant, just some pirates! And another case of me getting a little distracted!!





















Sad face!​
We had some time for one last hurrah in Disneyland before we made our way back over to DCA. We never do much actual park hopping, usually just sticking to designating certain days for Disneyland and leaving one day open to do DCA, and the plan this time was to do things a little differently. Not to mention the amazing and spectacular Aladdin Musical is a must see and we planned to hitch on over so we could see it again. The plan (I sure do have a lot of those ... ) was to catch that since we had priority seating vouchers. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We made a stop by the shooting range in Frontierland. Dre was dead set on not skipping over this, although it's not exactly my idea of entertaining. But I will admit it was a little funny to see what happened when you got your targets. On some of them.

No photos to share at the moment though, not of that!

So we make that long trek across the esplanade and we're back in DCA for the second time this trip. We've got a couple of hours until Aladdin is set to start. Might I just add at this point that Dre looks like she's about to pass out and it's obvious to just about anyone that she's feeling like absolute crap and really needs to just go get some rest, preferably back at the hotel (well, obvious to me - she kept insisting that she'd be fine if she just sat down for a minute or two). But she kept pushing on. So we did a photo op in the Sunshine Plaza with everyone's favorite Mouse and then she went to get a little cool air in the Off the Page shop and I took a couple photos of some window displays.


----------



## Belle Ella

Alright, a real quick update, but I am officially back in the game. Going to go see _Where The Wild Things Are_ with my sister (otherwise I'd try and get a little more posted)!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I can't believe I haven't been on to update or ever finish this in months. I've been missing my daily DIS fix like I can't tell you. Anyone still willing to tune in for a Summer '09 Trip Report just say the word and I'll break out the folders of photos and get to work.

But now I have a _new_ trip to plan for - October 2010 - I am celebrating a Disneyland Halloween if it's the last thing I ever do!!


----------



## firefox2

I'm here, waiting patiently!


----------



## kaoden39

I'm always here for your trip report!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'm always here for your trip report!!





firefox2 said:


> I'm here, waiting patiently!



I'm glad to see you both still here. And aw mannnnnnnn I'm so excited to see the trips you've both got planning. It just makes me happy.

Heck, my sister was visiting my home away from home for Christmas and her birthday - I got to live vicariously through her the lucky brat.

Boo. Hiss. I'm getting ready for my night of work, but tomorrow I think I shall dig myself a cozy little burrow and get to work.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm glad to see you both still here. And aw mannnnnnnn I'm so excited to see the trips you've both got planning. It just makes me happy.
> 
> Heck, my sister was visiting my home away from home for Christmas and her birthday - I got to live vicariously through her the lucky brat.
> 
> Boo. Hiss. I'm getting ready for my night of work, but tomorrow I think I shall dig myself a cozy little burrow and get to work.



Digging in sounds pretty good to me.


----------



## Belle Ella

And dig in, I shall  I've got the comfy blanket, my all-time favorite V-Day treat (conversation hearts - the only redeeming thing about V-Day to begin with, I wait all year long for these bad boys) and still more photos than I know what to do with!


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Day 3 Cont.*_
September 10, 2009
_*Happy birthday to me!!*_​
So when we last left off (you know, back in the last decade ...) little shorty _*a.k.a.*_ Dre _*a.k.a.*_ *Frick* had stopped for a little breather while we were at DCA and it didn't take all that long before that little breather turned into a lot more and she _finally_ made the call to head back to the hotel to rest. So the birthday girl, _*a.k.a.*_ me, was officially on her own for who knew how long. But that's alright, I'm a lone wolf - I do just fine on my lonesome. And I get around a lot faster on my own to boot so I was hauling you-know-what. I'm not the leisurely stroller kind of vacationer. I know what I want and I'll barrel towards it, full-steam ahead. So the first thing my speed-walking-demon self did was take a full but brief self-tour through DCA stopping to visit a few friends along the way.














I even went through the Mission Tortilla Factory for the first time - all so I could get my free birthday tortillas which I continued to munch on. I'm nothing if not an all day grazer who loves her food. I had a lot of fun taking photographs inside.












































I was pretty bummed that TSMM was down when I was passing by because I would have loved to go for another round, even by myself, but that's how things work. I can't remember what else I did, if anything. But since I had a date with the Lilly Belle around 3 p.m. I wanted to make sure I was at least in DL so that's where I went with plans to ride IJ until I was tired of (whoever came up with the Single Rider line is my hero). But of course, that was down too. These things happen. But while I was sitting there in the shade for a breather of my own it was fun to listen in on the conversations of people who had family members on the ride when it stopped. They all came out in full chat-mode about getting to walk through the ride with the lights on. Not something you get to see everyday, huh?




Rather than go on any rides I made my way back to Main Street to get some photos while I waited for 3 o'clock to roll around. I know I take a lot of photos, but I hadn't really just stopped and taken photos so much until that point. Every time we saw any characters we would get a few, and I have plenty from the rides and from waiting in the queue but I love to have photos of anything and everything. Especially when there are treats involved.









































*Coming up:* The Lilly Belle revisited​


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 3 Cont.*
September 10, 2009
_*Happy Birthday to me!!*_


































For those of you who have stuck around (or even any newbies who've been brave enough to retrace my reports) since my March '09 adventure with the *Frick*-ster you may recall that we had a rather unpleasant (putting it nicely) experience riding the Lilly Belle. I was determined to make up for it, and I did get my chance. My second time aboard the Lilly Belle was just about a million times better than the first. It was just me and one awesome nice CM/conductor who actually took time to answer my questions and tell me what she new. And then just chat in general. It's really a great experience, and if you can have the time I recommend asking to see if they could accommodate you for one round-trip. The only bad thing that I have to say (and it will be quite obvious when you see the photos) is how absolutely hot it can get - especially in the late afternoon on a hot summer day. I was in Hades. But that's alright, I got to take my time taking photos of the interior, and a little video for my dad who was intrigued when I told him about it. And hey - who doesn't like to be the center of attention when everyone you are passing by or who is on the train keeps pointing and wondering what makes me so special?  I kid, I kid. Sort of ...

And this time I also was able to get the tender tickets which they were out of back in March!



















































Is it hot in here, or is it just me?



And, if anyone is interested, here is the video I shot for my dad so he could see the interior. Not the best, but if you were curious for yourself, here is it!



​


----------



## disneyland89

The Lilly Belle looks awesome! I want to ride in it now.....lol.


----------



## kaoden39

I love your trip report.  Welcome back.  I really enjoy the Lilly Belle pictures.  And I am kind of jealous about your getting to ride in it.


----------



## Belle Ella

disneyland89 said:


> The Lilly Belle looks awesome! I want to ride in it now.....lol.



That's how I felt when I fist saw photos of the inside and I decided I had to get in for myself. Maybe you'll get a chance  It's not difficult to get on for a round-trip - provided she's out and about, and they have the staff available to get you on. You just ask any of the conductors at the Main Street station and they're good about letting you know if/when they'll be able to get you on.



kaoden39 said:


> I love your trip report.  Welcome back.  I really enjoy the Lilly Belle pictures.  And I am kind of jealous about your getting to ride in it.



Aw  Thankies. I'm silently kicking myself for it taking me this long to get back on it. I mean, I'm not even done with day 3 of my trip in _September_. It's crazy. I have missed this.

I'm trying to figure out how to convert my stupid videos right now, and then I'll have another post up soon. We pretty much recorded the entire Billy Hill set. I can't believe it was the first time I've ever sat down to watch them.

And hey, maybe if you have time when you're there you'll get to go on it to??


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's how I felt when I fist saw photos of the inside and I decided I had to get in for myself. Maybe you'll get a chance  It's not difficult to get on for a round-trip - provided she's out and about, and they have the staff available to get you on. You just ask any of the conductors at the Main Street station and they're good about letting you know if/when they'll be able to get you on.
> 
> 
> 
> Aw  Thankies. I'm silently kicking myself for it taking me this long to get back on it. I mean, I'm not even done with day 3 of my trip in _September_. It's crazy. I have missed this.
> 
> I'm trying to figure out how to convert my stupid videos right now, and then I'll have another post up soon. We pretty much recorded the entire Billy Hill set. I can't believe it was the first time I've ever sat down to watch them.
> 
> And hey, maybe if you have time when you're there you'll get to go on it to??



I hope so.  And this year I plan on taking the time to go to the Golden Horseshoe.  I haven't gone for years and years, not since I was a teenager.


----------



## Belle Ella

Good! You should (both!!). I'm trying to talk my parents into tagging along with me in October, and I think they might be actually considering it. I was just told not to bring it up again until they get back from Colorado in April for my Grandfather's 80th birthday. If so, I'm taking my dad to the Golden Horshoe. He'd absolutely love it.

OK, I have one more post coming up tonight. Just as soon as Photobucket finished uploading the videos which may be a little while longer, lol. But it will be my last update from Day #3.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Conclusion of Day 3*
September 10, 2009
_*Happy Birthday to me!!*_​
By the time I had finished my trip around the Land in the Lilly Belle I got a call from *Frick* that she was going to be leaving the hotel pretty soon to meet back up with me at The Golden Horseshoe for a bite to eat and to catch Billy Hill & the Hillbillies - the *big* from our to-do list back in March that we had completely forgotten about. If we had skipped catching them again with a whole 5 days in the parks we both would have been extremely upset with ourselves which doesn't work when you're trying to ride a Disney high. But we still had a little time before we needed to meet up in Adventureland, especially since I knew it would take her a little while to walk from the hotel to the parks so I made my way to Pixie Hollow to see if I could spot a new fairy this time. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. But I did see a Tinkerbell who looks a lot like my younger cousin ... strange. Oh, and of course a few more photos of the things we pass all the time. But of course from the perspective of a Fairy.













































It was only about 20 minutes and I was on my way to meet up with Dre at The Golden Horseshoe and we decided that I would go and stake us out a table if she took charge of the hunting party to bring us back some grub. And BBQ sauce. She couldn't forget the BBQ sauce or I would never forgive her. I'm a touch addicted and will put it on anything, but that's another story altogether. She met me up along the balcony at a table with perfect timing to sit back and laugh and enjoy the show. The next time I can drag my family down there (which I am hoping and praying for will be this year) I'm dragging my dad to see these guys again. I know he'd just absolutely love it, which is why we had to bust out the Flip camcorder once again. Of course I'll share a couple of the photos I took, and maybe even some video so we can all get a fix in 














































​
We spent the next couple of hours hoping from ride to ride, never waiting for anything more than maybe 15 minutes at max but I couldn't tell you what we did anymore. My little notes are long since gone, and unless it's documented on film (*cough*memorycard*cough) I don't remember diddly squat. I think ... But I can tell you three things we did: (1) We rode Alice in Wonderland, (2) we rode Indiana Jones, and (3) we parted ways for the night as she is the night Owl and I am not.














And what better way to finish off your actual birthday than spending a little birthday cash? I didn't go _straight_ back to the hotel after I left the park. Not at all. I spent some time wandering around Downtown Disney because and made a stop into the World of Disney so I could start looking for what I was going to spend my Birthday Fun Card on. Well, needless to say I found more than enough. I will show you my spoils (and my awesome group of the few birthday cards that I was given before we left home).




If you look closely at the card on the far right you'll see some Mickey Mouse heads. That was given to me by fellow DIS'er Rachaface who we met up with on Day 1 and ran into a couple of times on our adventures. She made it herself 

I hate to say it (or maybe I don't because it means I get to go on to even more fun things) but the story of Day #3 is officially over because it didn't take long for me to pass out and go to sleep. Not long at all!


----------



## kaoden39

I see a Precious Moments there.  I love them, and everytime we are at Disneyland my hubby tries to talk me into getting one.  I may this trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I see a Precious Moments there.  I love them, and everytime we are at Disneyland my hubby tries to talk me into getting one.  I may this trip.



I love them too! I picked this one out when we went back in March and told myself I was bringing it home with me on my birthday trip no matter what. I ended up with 3 others by the time we got home.  One was a birthday present from *Frick* and then another of them is a Snow Globe. Combining three of my favorite things into one! Actually, between this trip and Christmas my Snow White figurine collection kind of quadrupled. Haha.

OK, so I have the next 3 days off and today I am trying to edit as many photos as I can so I can put up a few updates tomorrow. I'm on a roll, here! I've already got 100 images from day 4 done.  Go me.

But for now I am off to see a movie with the mother.


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## kaoden39

Ooh what movie are you going to see.  I still want to see Sherlock Holmes.  I figure at this point I may end up waiting to see it until it comes out on DVD.


----------



## tinkslite

I was enjoying your trip report, and getting amped because my boys (ages 14 and 11) are going this Friday; when I came to the Martinez CA nametag.  I, also, grew up in that tiny little podunk!  Went to Alhambra High (won't say what years) just like my parents did!  
It is a small world after all.
My husband asks why I like Disney so much.  Well, if you ask me, growing up in Martinez is a breeding ground for a rich fantasy life and love of escapism.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Ooh what movie are you going to see.  I still want to see Sherlock Holmes.  I figure at this point I may end up waiting to see it until it comes out on DVD.



We went and saw It's Complicated. We're both the only people we know who would go see it, so since she had the day off it was a no-brainer. We both really liked it.  She saw Sherlock Holmes with my dad a while back, but I think I'm on the _wait 'till the DVD comes out_ route for that one.



tinkslite said:


> I was enjoying your trip report, and getting amped because my boys (ages 14 and 11) are going this Friday; when I came to the Martinez CA nametag.  I, also, grew up in that tiny little podunk!  Went to Alhambra High (won't say what years) just like my parents did!
> It is a small world after all.
> My husband asks why I like Disney so much.  Well, if you ask me, growing up in Martinez is a breeding ground for a rich fantasy life and love of escapism.



Well, fancy that! Dear, sweet old Martinez and Alhambra. I can't say that it's really been that long since I graduated. The things we find in common with people in the most unlikely of places sometimes. Small world it is.

And close Disney trips sound like fun! I hope everyone going has a blast


----------



## kaoden39

I thought that looked good.


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## Belle Ella

It was a lot funnier than I thought it would be  But I would definitely watch it again when it comes out on DVD and I can add it to my Netflix queue.

 I just noticed - I have over 20,000 views. Holy mackerel!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It was a lot funnier than I thought it would be  But I would definitely watch it again when it comes out on DVD and I can add it to my Netflix queue.
> 
> I just noticed - I have over 20,000 views. Holy mackerel!



That's great.  And did you notice that you are only ten posts from 1100 posts?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's great.  And did you notice that you are only ten posts from 1100 posts?



 Why no, no I didn't. I can do that easily, lol. Such milestones. Makes me happy.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Why no, no I didn't. I can do that easily, lol. Such milestones. Makes me happy.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4*
September 11, 2009​
So, the start of a brand new day = our third and final character breakfast. So sad, right? We'd had a lot of fun between Ariel's Grotto and Goofy's Kitchen but we saved Minnie & Friends for last. Back in March it was my first character meal and we had so, so, so, *so* much fun that we had to add it to the 'menu' again. But let's just say the morning didn't go so smoothly when someone didn't really want to get up in the morning and I lost my cool a little bit. My co-hort and I have been best friends since we were in preschool, but not at the expense of wanting to rip each others throats out. We clash easily and one of my biggest problems is her _in_-abillity to manage her time and be ready when she says she will be. Without going into all the sordid details because I was at my breaking point that morning, I left for our PS all by my lonesome to get in line at the gates for Minnie & Friends. We prefer the earliest PS that we can get so it doesn't take time away from enjoying the park (besides, I still get a little satisfaction walking around the people who are waiting for the rope drop and having a clear view of areas of the park with no people in my way) and _my_ little bad-habit is a serious need to be first for things or get there as early as possible. I wasn't in any mood to compromise this morning, so like I said, I was off on my own and she either got there in time or she didn't. I honestly didn't care, even if it would mean a lonely breakfast and possibly no photos.














The wait wasn't even that bad. I love chatting with other Disneyland-lovers while waiting to get into the Park. Sometimes you even learn something about the park that you didn't know or remember something that you always wanted to do which is never a bad thing. It made up for the fact that I was in line by myself. And did I mention how much I like unobstructed views of Disneyland? I managed to take some photos on our walk down to the China Closet where we lined up again at the little door at the end that the CM's would let us through to walk over to the Plaza Inn to check in for our meal. An empty Main Street is not something you get to see everyday.


























And how about one from the _other_ side? Everyone lined up at the rope.



After checking in for our PS I got my photo taken for the photo op and to pay for my meal. The funny thing about my table is that I was seated in the exact same spot as we were back in March, just on the opposite side. Instead of going to the left, I was on the right. At least, I found it funny. I had time to grab myself some food and get a solitary visit from Tigger and Dale and Pooh Bear too, before *Frick* finally showed up. I tried my best not to be in a grumpy mood, but it's still a sore spot for me now, all of 4 months after the fact. 
















Yes ... that's a soda with breakfast. It's an addiction I'm working on.













Unfortunately it made for a tense breakfast and as soon as I was done eating I was ready to high-tail it out of there rather than wait for any more characters, which meant we only saw Captain Hook, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and Minnie Mouse. It's a far cry from the insane amount of characters that we saw back in March but I couldn't sit there much longer with *Frick* or I think I would have exploded. If I remember correctly she was sill eating when I left, but I do know we spent most of the day doing out own thing with plans to meet back up to save ourselves some seats for Fantasmic! which we weren't going to miss for the world, especially with the debut of the new dragon just a week or so before we arrived. But before I forget, here are the photos from our breakfast:









































*Coming up:* Adventures with Peter Pan​


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Day 4 Cont.*_
*September 11, 2009*​
_Now_ I remember. Since we planned on catching Fantasmic! later that night we were going to need a few extra things from the hotel with us for a night in the Park. Mainly, I was going to need my tripod if I expected to get any photos worth keeping. And since it is me that would be a definite *yes*. But I didn't want to bring everything with me into at breakfast without anywhere to put it all so when I left breakfast I made my way back to the HOJO and grabbed my tripod along with a change in clothes. The black pants were already a little too warm for my taste so I knew I wouldn't last the whole day. When I got back to the park and stowed my tripod and a sweater for later in the night in a locker I started to make my way towards Fantasyland and got side tracked by a couple of things, one proving to be a fun distraction that *Frick* would have killed me if I hadn't gotten her involved in. She was a little bummed about my little encounter with Peter Pan the other day and was determined to see him at some point before we left. Well, I did happen to spot him off to the side of SBC and had to give her a call.

First, there was Mickey & Friends along with the Disneyland Band heading back towards Main Street from Sleeping Beauty Castle.



What followed was probably the funnest 30 minutes I have ever spent at DLR, even if it sounds a little silly. We went on a little adventure with Pan and a little girl dressed as Wendy who were trying to set up a trap for Chi & Dale. Sitting there and watching the interaction between the two really made you want to be a kid and get to experience the magic of Disneyland like that, because I sure as heck don't have stories like that to tell when I was her age. I mean, I don't see how it can get much better than that. I'll try and give you a run-down of what happened, but it sure was an adventure.

Only the best acorns will do for the sticker trap!





Too bad they weren't good enough.






























Step quietly away from the trap and let's catch something!





Too bad it didn't work. He hid and watched groups of people walk by and not touch the trap. Well, darn! A new plan was needed!





Brainstorming ...





He can fly! He can fly! He can fly!





New plan: We had to capture a Princess. With a pine cone. And what do Princesses like? Jewelry, flowers ... pretty boys? That got someone's attention.















But no Princesses to speak of so we needed _another_ plan.





So we're off to find an evil witch to aid us in our quest.





Dear Evil Queen. Please help us and cast a spell on this acorn to make a Princess fall asleep so we may capture her and enlist her help in trapping Chip & Dale.





We should have known that she would never help us. Off to find another way.





Perhaps a Wishing Well is just what we need?





No such luck. But a new plan has been formed. We need to find Alice to help shrink *us* to chipmunk size!!





He got a little side-tracked though ... no new recruits!



But eventually he managed to find Alice and brought her out to say hi to the little girl. It was a fun half an hour to spend watching the interaction. You really had to have been there! And some other things we learned straight from the Pan's mouth ... He can speak Whale (he must be friends with Dory), spit isn't sticky and he has no boogers, girls aren't _that_ smart, the best way to attract a Princess is with flowers, making traps takes too long and hunting is better, and where is the fun in capturing Hook if you don't release him in the end so you can capture him once again?

*Coming Up:* I wander around Main Street and Fantasyland.​


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4 Cont.*
September 11, 2009​
*Frick* and I kept to ourselves for much of the day after that. We had plans to meet up around 3 (if I remember correctly) in front of POTC to meet up with another DIS'er  you know who you are! And if we had enough time we wanted to watch the Flag Retreat ceremony in the evening before Fantasmic! It was all play it by ear, but other than that we left each other to our own devices and I still don't know how she spent her day. As for me? I took a minute to admire some of the Halloween merchandise that they had out on the window displays and a few other sights along Main Street.


























*October 2010 - I will make it!!*


























So I guess ... I hadn't changed yet? Weird.



Did I mention I got side-tracked? I had been on my way to Fantasyland and somehow ended up back where I started, over an hour later. Silly how that works out. Actually, forget what I said earlier about going back to the HOJO, I must have done it after the escapades with Peter Pan, because I was still wearing those darn black things and sweating up a storm in them. So that's when I must have made the tripod errand and changed my clothes. But I did make it to FL, _eventually_, making my rounds on the rides and never waiting in any line more than 20 minutes. And that 20 minutes was the longest by a good 10 minutes. Take a guess which ride it was for. Why, Peter Pan's Flight of course! And as I was asked to do by my dad when I borrowed his Flip camcorder, I got video of each of the rides. It makes me happy to have them and watch them, even if the focus is slightly off since not to disturb anyone else I covered the LCD screen and couldn't see exactly where I was filming. It usually ended up being too low or too high.  My bad!














































I just love the murals!










Aha! So now I changed ...





*Coming Up:* More photos from Fantasyland.​


----------



## kaoden39

That sequence with Peter Pan was adorable.  I got a great kick out of it.  I always thought Peter was so hot when I was younger.  And great fun to flirt with.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That sequence with Peter Pan was adorable.  I got a great kick out of it.  I always thought Peter was so hot when I was younger.  And great fun to flirt with.



It was definitely one of the top highlights from the trip, simply because of how adorable and funny it was. Especially after seeing him climbing all over things the day before (or was it 2 days before ... I can't remember). You don't see that with the other face characters. It's worth it to keep an eye out whenever you go if you ask me because something fun and funny is bound to happen.

And hahah  I have hit 1100!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It was definitely one of the top highlights from the trip, simply because of how adorable and funny it was. Especially after seeing him climbing all over things the day before (or was it 2 days before ... I can't remember). You don't see that with the other face characters. It's worth it to keep an eye out whenever you go if you ask me because something fun and funny is bound to happen.
> 
> And hahah  I have hit 1100!



Woo hoo!!  1100!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Woo hoo!!  1100!!



Why thank you - thank you very much!

Now I'm taking a well deserved break. I have 300 photos from Day 4 edited and my wrists are killing me.

Nighty.Night!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Why thank you - thank you very much!
> 
> Now I'm taking a well deserved break. I have 300 photos from Day 4 edited and my wrists are killing me.
> 
> Nighty.Night!



Ciao!!


----------



## kaoden39

Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that Family Force 5 is going to be playing Arco Arena on April 2.  My daughter tells me the tickets are $10.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that Family Force 5 is going to be playing Arco Arena on April 2.  My daughter tells me the tickets are $10.


Thanks for the heads up. Now I wonder when my Spring Break is this semester because it's the only way my sister or I would be able to go.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4 Cont.*
September 11, 2009​
I like taking photos of some things we don't always look too closely at. But I think we may have noticed that already. Here are some more photos from the afternoon in Fantasyland as I continued making the rounds.

*Mr. Toad's Wild Ride*




























































*Pinnochio's Daring Journey*








































*Snow White's Scary Adventures*








I even made my way back to the Princess Fantasy Faire, even though I'd already gotten my Princess photos (some a few times, as a matter of fact). I like getting different backgrounds in, what can I say? The wait wasn't even that long to be honest, not like the waits I had back in March or last year. I know I didn't wait for more than 20 minutes this time. I wonder how I pulled that off? It was also the first time that _I_ have seen Ariel here at PPF. I know it's nothing new, but never once when I have gone through have I seen her before, so I found it exciting. I do still miss her having her own photo op. area where she was in her tail, but oh well. I am still curious to know if Mulan still ever makes an appearance.
















*Coming Up:* We meet another DIS'er!​


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Now I wonder when my Spring Break is this semester because it's the only way my sister or I would be able to go.



I do know that it is a Friday if that helps.  And that there are like 6 other "Christian" artists or groups performing that night too.


----------



## kaoden39

One thing I am so looking forward to about our trip in June is having a four year old with us and being able to see the Princesses with her.  The excitement from her will make it great.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I do know that it is a Friday if that helps.  And that there are like 6 other "Christian" artists or groups performing that night too.



Unless it's the week of Spring Break it wouldn't, unfortunately I have night classes every day this semester so I can keep my work schedule up. Blah. I'm really wishing I hadn't taken a few breaks from school right about now, but it couldn't be helped.



kaoden39 said:


> One thing I am so looking forward to about our trip in June is having a four year old with us and being able to see the Princesses with her.  The excitement from her will make it great.



See, I would kill to go with my youngest sister or my little niece. So I'm always trying to talk my Aunt or my step-mom to come out to CA for a Disneyland vacation and let me tag along. I would love to experience their first time at Disneyland right along with them. So far, no such luck though. But I'm not giving up. And it's not like I'll be having any kids of my own anytime soon, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

_*Day 4 Cont.*_
September 11, 2009​
Outside of our character breakfast and the half an hour we spent following Peter Pan and the little girl around the park we have been off doing our very own thing. She was probably off going on all of the rides that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, seeing as a chicken. Or, as my high school biology teacher would say during our blood typing lab - "I am a *wuss*"!! But we did have plans to meet back up later. Obviously we'd have to find each other at some point to watch Fantasmic! but at 3 o'clock we had plans to meet up with another DIS'er outside of POTC and it was almost time to head over there. But not before grabbing one of my all-time favorite treats at Disneyland. I know I have said it before, but I am _addicted_ to them and I need them like air or water. I'd been waiting as patiently as I could since we had arrived on Tuesday since they wouldn't be open until the weekend. Or at least until Friday. Which, surprise surprise, it was. Sure, I had one at lunch at the BB, but it just isn't the same.




I love grabbing a mint julep from the Mint Julep bar. And luckily enough it's behind the French Market near the New Orleans Square Station and I had just enough time to stop by before finding a place to outside of POTC to just relax while I waited for *Frick* and none other than .... Firefox2 to show up  A nice, relaxing, few minutes it turned out to be while I finished off my drink and my co-hort showed up. The funny thing is, as soon as she saw what I was drinking sh had to go and grab one for herself before Firefox2 showed up. Now, forgive me because I can hardly remember all of my co-workers names half of the time and I can't remember your name. I should wear the cone of shame right now. EEK. We all ended up on a ride through POTC and chit-chatted for a while. It was great to meet another DIS'er  And I loved the LGMH that she had made out of some lime green foam. It was a genius creation! And so big to boot.




By the time that we all got off of Pirates and said our goodbyes it was a little too late for us to head back towards Main Street for the Flag Retreat Ceremony which we had a tentative plan to go back for and there was more of that "well, what should we do next" talk that drives me up the wall and is part of why I like to plan things the way that I do and that *Frick* is very resistant to. So guess what we did again? We split up, of course! I made my way towards Critter Country to take some photos over there and to take a spin on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Mostly I wanted to go into Pooh's Corner and get some photos of some Tigger Tails and try one for myself.

Avert your eyes everyone!! 






















































































*Coming Up:* Another quick tour of Adventureland​


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Unless it's the week of Spring Break it wouldn't, unfortunately I have night classes every day this semester so I can keep my work schedule up. Blah. I'm really wishing I hadn't taken a few breaks from school right about now, but it couldn't be helped.
> 
> 
> 
> See, I would kill to go with my youngest sister or my little niece. So I'm always trying to talk my Aunt or my step-mom to come out to CA for a Disneyland vacation and let me tag along. I would love to experience their first time at Disneyland right along with them. So far, no such luck though. But I'm not giving up. And it's not like I'll be having any kids of my own anytime soon, lol.



I hope you can get to go.  And no you don't want to hurry your having your kids.  I didn't and I don't regret it for a minute.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4 Cont.*
September 11,2009​
Since we had just gotten off of Pirates moments before and I couldn't exactly get on the Haunted Mansion because it was shut down for the Holiday overlay sad1 I made my way back to Adventureland and Indiana Jones. It's now an absolute favorite of mine and I'm sure I already mentioned that I could ride it again and again and again. And I'm done with the FP as well. When it comes to IJ I am 100% committed to the Single Rider line. It never let me down once. 8  minutes from the start of the long walk to the loading are to the end of the long walk back to the entrance? I am there every time.






The light at the end of the tunnel!






































Afterward it was time for another daily-must for me, and something I have never had to wait for more than say ... 8 minutes ... as well. The Jungle Cruise. It was a lot later in the day than I am used to riding it, seeing as it's usually the first ride that we hit. Even so it was only about 4:30 in the afternoon. One of these days I'm going to get on at night. That is officially one of my notes for things I have to do in October.

Yet another new Skipper





Sure looks like ... fun























Well, here's something that I actually managed to scratch off of my seemingly never-ending Disney to-do list (because it always seems to get longer with each trip and I'm not sure how that works): The Mark Twain Riverboat!! That's not to say I've never been on it, because I have, and the same goes for the Columbia. It's just been a lot longer since I've stepped on board the MT. I almost can't remember; _almost_. So I made the short walk after retuning from my little cruise and managed to make it there just in time. Well, I must have done something in between because it seems like it was almost an hour later  But I made it on board for the last departure of the day which would be just about perfect timing for meeting back up with *Frick* on the ROA at 6 plus give me some time to eat some dinner because I was hungry.









































*Coming Up:* More photos from the Mark Twain​


----------



## kaoden39

I love watching them make the candies.  To me that is a highlight of the trip.  You and Frick amaze me.  Frankly some of the best trips I had when I was younger was when I was alone in the park.


----------



## kaoden39

I love the pictures of the Mark Twain, and of course the Jungle Cruise, but you know it is not my favorite rie and it doesn't hurt my feelings if I miss it.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4 Cont.*
September 11, 2009​
Here's something that I wish they still did, and I also wish I knew exactly _when_ they stopped allowing it: riding in the Pilot House with the Captain. I know I have read about people doing it in the past and unfortunately they had to stop allowing this fun privilege some time ago because somehow people were getting injured. Not that I'm sure how they managed to do that, but it's what I was told. It's a shame really, because it's probably something really idiotic that happened no less. That's what usually happens, right? The idiocy of some ruins the fun for all. They said it will probably be something they will start doing again when they figure out safety concerns, but it didn't really help me in September now, did it? But I can tell you one thing - if they ever start allowing this again I'm definitely going to ask about it again.

How about some more photos from the interior of the Mark Twain and our trip around to Rivers of America? It sounds like a great idea, you say? That's what I thought  It's a good thing I aim to please.































I got a kick out of watching them set up for Fantasmic!

























Gosh darnitt all! I really want to do these again.

































































*Coming Up:* A night of waterside entertainment!​


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I love watching them make the candies.  To me that is a highlight of the trip.  You and Frick amaze me.  Frankly some of the best trips I had when I was younger was when I was alone in the park.



I wont lie. I absolutely adore my time alone in the Park. There's nothing better than getting to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, with nobody to spoil anything for you. No awkward squabbles, no grumbling about rather be off doing something else. It's pure freedom. The whole trip would have been a lot different if it had started out just me myself and I. I wouldn't have been burdened with all of the resentment of some of her behavior along the way. Which is why, she wont be there with me in October, lol.



kaoden39 said:


> I love the pictures of the Mark Twain, and of course the Jungle Cruise, but you know it is not my favorite rie and it doesn't hurt my feelings if I miss it.



I don't know what it is about the JC that I love so much. It's probably just the corny jokes. No matter how many times I hear them, I love them. It reminds me a lot of being back home and having dinner with my family whenever I try and tell a joke. They are so lame. So I fit right in. But maybe it also has something to do with the fact that it's not a ride that I'm afraid of, because there are plenty of ones that I am!

OK, I'm officially going to be finishing Day 4 today! I feel like this is such an accomplishment. I may even have the whole TR (well, September anyway - I still have that 2007 backtrack that I want to keep sharing so I can keep Disneyland on the brain until October) done by the end of the week.


----------



## DizNee Luver

I forgot how much I  LOVED your photography!!!!  So glad I found myself back over here on the trip reports!!!!!


----------



## kaoden39

I didn't get to ride the Mark Twain last time we were there.  And in June I hope to ride it and the Columbia that in all my years of going to Disneyland I have only ridden on once.  

I think that one thing that is nice about going with someone else is not having to do that drive alone.  

I have no ride fears, well except for the Maliboomer.  I can hardly wait for June.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 4 Cont.*
September 11, 2009​
After disembarking from the Mark Twain after our sails around the ROA I gave *Frick* a call to see what the plan was for Fantasmic! I'd already noticed some people staking out their spots along the ROA and I had thought she said that she would be there by now with our blanket marking our own teritory but she was nowhere in sight. Actually, she was all the way back at the hotel which meant it would probably be another hour before she finally showed up. Maybe long. I was going to suck it up and go claim our own spot (I don't mind waiting the 3 hours to snag a seat right along the railing) then and there but I did need food so I hiked over to The French Market for some tasty chicken.

Yummy-yummy in my tummy!



And after that I did go an try to find us a good place to sit and hopefully for me to get some great photos. I was really, really, _really_ looking forward to this one! I wasn't exactly able to get any space right along the railing which was going to make things interesting for me (and I was silently frustrated that once again a certain someone wasn't where she said she was going to be _when_ she said she was going to be there - she could have called) and sitting right on the ground wasn't very fun. But I did enjoy marking some space for our blanket that would eventually be on its way with my shoes and whatever else I could find with me and chatting it up with everyone around me.

By the time she actually showed up with the blanket I kind of let *Frick* sit there by herself for awhile. Petty of me, maybe, but I wanted a little payback. I had to go get my stuff from the locker anyways, so it had to happen either way. But I did sneak a run through of Indiana Jones courtesy of the single rider line. So I didn't feel so bad. She was relaxing and listening to her iPod by the time I got back so I was just playing around with my camera and tripod as it got darker hoping I could get some fun shots and have everything ready once the show started. I even managed to talk my way in between a couple of families right along the railing since I take up very little space. I just needed enough room to put my tripod really. I was really excited to get some photos without anything blocking my view. By the time the Jambalaya Band came out on the raft to give us a little pre-show entertainment I didn't think I could handle waiting any longer. But we did meet an awesome family from Australia who we chatted with for the better part of an hour 

Saying goodbye to the Columbia until showtime!








Now as for photos from Fantasmic! itself, I got a good 300+ on Friday night, unfortunately I set my ISO too high and I really didn't like how grainy they came out. If it wasn't for the fact that we caught _*both*_ shows on Saturday night I would have edited every single one of them, but I got plenty (and I do mean _plenty_) more that turned out much better so I only edited the ones that I thought I could salvage. I'll post my favorites and if you're interested in seeing the others that I kept they will be up in the photo album - link coming soon.










































































































And just like that, day 4 is *FIN*!!​


----------



## kaoden39

Beautiful pictures.  I love Fantasmic but if we see it one night on our trip will be enough for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> I forgot how much I  LOVED your photography!!!!  So glad I found myself back over here on the trip reports!!!!!



Aww!  I'm glad you found your way back over here too. And I'm glad I found _myself_ back over here. These photos need to be appreciated somewhere other than my laptop!



kaoden39 said:


> I didn't get to ride the Mark Twain last time we were there.  And in June I hope to ride it and the Columbia that in all my years of going to Disneyland I have only ridden on once.
> 
> I think that one thing that is nice about going with someone else is not having to do that drive alone.
> 
> I have no ride fears, well except for the Maliboomer.  I can hardly wait for June.



OK, you got me there on the drive part! That is very, very, very true! Especially seeing as I don't fly so driving is the only option. A different friend will be joining me in October so I'm hoping this means far different (and better) results.

I hope you get both in when you go in June!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Beautiful pictures.  I love Fantasmic but if we see it one night on our trip will be enough for me.



If I had gotten the photos I wanted Friday night we probably wouldn't have done Saturday as well. But I didn't, and so we did. And I'm not quite sure _why_ we stayed for the second show after the Magical fireworks. All I know is that we did. But I'm also the girl who puts the Fantasmic! soundtrack on repeat for a full 8-hour shift overnight and never gets bored listening to it. It gives me the chills every time.

And the funniest part? I absolutely *hated* it the first time that I saw it in 2006. Something to do with my detestment for fireworks, bright lights and loud noises.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5*
September 12, 2009​
The plan to save our Magic Morning for our last day, Saturday, turned out to be a bad idea for one of us, and an excellent idea for the other. Take a guess which if the two categories I fall into?  Let's just say it was a fantastical morning for me. I'm an early riser (my wake-up time for work is usually 4 or 5 a.m. depending on the day, and 5 a.m. is just when my internal alarm clock goes off to begin with) so getting up early was in no way a hard thing for me. But a certain somebody didn't want to get up in the morning, which is fine by all means, but it was frustrating that yet _another_ thing we were going to do together wouldn't be happening. But anywhooooooooo. New days = new beginnings. And since I was all ready for my day by no later than 5:30 and with nothing better to do I took my time walking down Harbor and getting myself situated comfortably to wait for them to start checking bags before I could wait at the gate. And thank goodness I have the DIS to remind me that if you don't they'll come ang grab you from the gates and plop you in the line at some point.

Needless to say I beat everyone there (CM's included) by quite some time. It made for plenty of time to chit chat until things actually started to get rolling.

I just felt like it 



A group of about 6 of u tried to pass ourselves off as one big happy family to see if we could be the lucky ones to open up the park for the day. Well, we were a happy family while it lasted. We all should have worn the same shirts, maybe that would have gotten us somewhere, lol. I really love being there for the countdown. If you ask me, it really gets the excitement flowing!

* 10 ... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ... 6 ... 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Let the Magic begin!!*​


I may have gotten there a lot earlier than is considered reasonably sane, but it paid off in the long run. I led the pack down Main Street with absolutely uninterrupted space before me. I will admit that I literally skipped down all of Main Street before slowing it to a walk as I neared the castle so I could get a few non-bouncy shots. Either way, I was still the first one to cross the drawbridge and enter Fantasyland! 

Not a bad photo - for being on the move








Add to that, I was also the first person on two rides in a row (Peter Pan and then Snow White) and I was a very, _very_ happy camper. I even got another "Happily Ever After" button for being the first one on Snow White. That's pretty much why it was my next choice after Peter Pan. That and my obsession with Snow White. Well, these were pretty awesome accomplishments in my book. It just meant that I had even _less_ time waiting in line and more time to go on some rides more than once. I toured all of Fantasyland, and some rides twice: Dumbe (x1), Peter Pan (x2), Snow White (x2), Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad, Pinnochio. Yup. Yup. Magic Morning is the best time to tour Fantasyland, although next time I will probably save the day for Nemo since it has now been two trips in a row that I haven't been on. Oh! And I even went on the Carousel and had to find my favorite horse of all. Next time I want to photograph all of them. Is that going a little overboard, do you think?











Flying elephant's view




















It's Jingles!








































This one made me sad



The real reason that I saved my MM for Saturday instead of using it on Thursday for my birthday was two-part. (1) because Saturdays are a lot busier than Thursdays so I figured I would get in as much as I could before the crowds hit and (2) because *Frick* and her mother never used their vouchers for Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness when they came during the Summer and it's a silly-little something that I have always wanted to watch. So this way I could enjoy my time in Fantasyland not not have to make a mad dash back towards TT in order to make it in time. I had to do a little waiting, but that was OK. I seem to enjoy taking photos of the ground. Because ... well ... because ... Disneyland ground is the best kind of ground there is!





















*Coming Up:* Toontown, here I come!​


----------



## kaoden39

That definitely looks like the time to go and visit Fantasyland.


----------



## MeLaNie9

Hey Belle Ella - I'm on board.  Now back to the start to catch up!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That definitely looks like the time to go and visit Fantasyland.


Isn't it fantastic?!?



MeLaNie9 said:


> Hey Belle Ella - I'm on board.  Now back to the start to catch up!


Welcome to the insanity! There sure is a lot to look through - I hope you enjoy!

New update coming within the hour I hope. We'll see. I'm aiming at 1 update per day until I finish so I don't completely burn through what photos I have edited.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 Cont.*
September 12, 2009​
If you've never gotten to witness Mickey's Toonown Morning Madness in person before, you are in luck because I have more photos from it than I have any idea what to do with. The kid in me really enjoyed all of it, especially the chance to get photos with Mickey and friends without waiting in huge, long, never-ending (well, it seems that way sometimes ) line. Plus I love the environment. It's totally wacky and perfect.

Once it's time they let you walk down to the TT gates with your little voucher to gain entrance. We also received these little little "search & scratch" cards with little challenges on them. I took a photo of the challenges and I'm pretty sure I went around and took photos of each answer. It gave me a way to pass time before the fun started at City Hall, and I'm sure little kids would really love it too. It was all about finding those hidden experiences all around TT.











Here comes the gang!



I love how gloomy and overcast it looks in the morning, when it couldn't have been a more inaccurate indicator of the weather. It was actually a very warm morning and I was had been doing just fine without a sweater or anything.

I snuck in a few photos with Mickey, Minney, and Donald before they had to go get ready for the show.































Is it safe for a mouse to drive a car?













I can see how Toontown can get a little overrun with people for the morning madness thing since the vouchers come with packages through WDC, but it wasn't all that crowded for me on a Saturday morning. There was seating for a lot of the people standing by to watch and become an honorary citizen and the rest just formed a semi circle around us all. And even afterward the street weren't busy and I was still able to walk right on to RRCS.

But before I get to photos from the little show they put on, here are a few random ones I took around TT while waiting:



















































*Coming Up:* A few words from Mayor Mickey & Co.​


----------



## kaoden39

I must tell you, you have some cute tank tops.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 cont.*
September 12, 2009​
 The real fun started a little while later with a little speech for Mickey Mouse himself - or should I say his grocery list. It made me giggle. Then some general singing and dancing ensued along with a special honorary family and you have yourself a classic Disney moment. And of course, at the end we each got our Honorary Citizens of Toontown buttons to top it off.



















Something that I love about Toontown are all of the little fun touches that you find all over the place. Things like the brass plaques around Mickey's fountain (when you stomp on them, be ready to listen with your ears) were even fun for me to play around with. Before making my way out of Toontown I had time to stop by Minnie and Mickey's homes, and said good morning to a few other friends.






*The four plaques I mentioned ... Guess what sound they make?*





















*Minnie wasn't home when I stopped by, so I made myself at home.*































*But Mickey was home!*


























*Someone's ready for their closeup!*





















*Coming Up: Cruising the world*​


----------



## kaoden39

I have never noticed those plaques before.  I need to go to Toontown if only to see them.  I know I won't ride Roger Rabbit, I have horrible memories of getting violently ill in the que last time we were there.  All that and I didn't really enjoy the ride.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I must tell you, you have some cute tank tops.



Why thank you. In this TR you are probably looking at all the clothes I own that aren't red and khaki (Target has taken over my life in so many ways). I think I end up wearing the same things every 3 or 4 days.

Now, would it be sad if I said I was already stocking up on things to wear in October? It's not like it's 8 months away or anything ...



kaoden39 said:


> I have never noticed those plaques before.  I need to go to Toontown if only to see them.  I know I won't ride Roger Rabbit, I have horrible memories of getting violently ill in the que last time we were there.  All that and I didn't really enjoy the ride.



I probably wouldn't have noticed them either. But it was one of the things on the little scavenger hunt card the CM handed to us on our walk in. So I learned something new that day. TT isn't usually on the list of places to stop for most of the people I've gone with. It's easily the one place in the park that caters more to the kids than the adults while everywhere else is fair game, if you know what I mean. The appeal to me is how absolutely crazy everything is. It's an eyeful to take in with curves out the wazoo. As for RRCS, it's not my favorite but I don't hate it either. I've probably only ever been on it twice in my life. But I have a soft spot for the world of Roger Rabbit. Did I ever mention that I was named after Jessica Rabbit? Thanks, parents!


----------



## kaoden39

I am like you in the clothes planning.  I was thinking yesterday about what clothes I will take in June, and all that.  With Roger Rabbit, I think it was the experience of how sick I really was that trip.  I almost died like 2 weeks later from how sick I was.  I love TT and all the over the topness of it all.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's funny how the most planning that I do clothes-wise always has something to do with my Disneyland vacations. And I think all of my clothes-buying always falls around packing time for said vacations and not so much in between. And you have a point about you being sick = bad memories. I know a few experiences of mine have been foiled forever simply because I got sick during them, myself.

So this semester is officially underway. I had my new dance class on Friday night - it's a Salsa/Latin dance class and I know I'm going to love it but man is it a work out. I better have some nice legs come the end of this semester. But otherwise today marks my first full week of classes. It's going to be interesting because everything I am taking this semester is a night course so it doesn't interfere with my working in the mornings which will equal some _looooong_ days coming up. Fun times. So we'll see how the finishing up of this portion of the TR goes. I'm hoping to get 2 posts up tonight when I get home from class (1 to make up for yesterday).


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 Cont.*
September 12, 2009​
After I was done exploring all of Toontown that I felt like exploring it was just a few minutes until 9 and as I was walking back towards Fantasyland I happened to see the line waiting for PFF to open up for the morning and it was _short_. So, even though I've already got quite a few Princess photos already, I hopped in line and it only ended up being about 10 minutes. I don't regret the decision. At least they were photos that I got to add to our PhotoPass card, and to top it all off it was the 3 Princesses I needed: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (since it had been Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine the day before). I was told Mulan still comes through now and again, but I had no luck seeing her anywhere while we were there but I did see her and Pocahontas when I went back in 2007. One day I'll even get some of our PP photos posted on here as well.














Afterward I embarked on the "_happiest cruise that ever sailed 'round the world_". I still really love all the additions of the Disney characters and I tried to get photos of them all as we passed, but I just couldn't. There's always next time - right? I probably enjoy it more now than I did before they added the characters because the first few times it's been all about trying to spot the new additions which can be a fun challenge in itself until you've memorized them all.









































*Aladdin & Jasmine*





*Simba & Pumba*

























*The Three Caballeros*





*Ariel*















*Woody & Bullseye*




















*Coming Up:* Going back to Main Street​


----------



## kaoden39

I think we will do our MM on Saturday too.  I am thinking about getting 6 day park hoppers, this is something we have never done.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think we will do our MM on Saturday too.  I am thinking about getting 6 day park hoppers, this is something we have never done.



Ooh! 6 day PH sound awesome to me  My vote would go for them, lol. We almost could have done 6 days back in September but our last day we slept in and went to the Soda Fountain & Studio Store before driving home.

I found MM on Saturday to be the best of the days that I've gone. It's earlier in the morning generally than the weekdays so maybe people like my co-hort wont bake it as early, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ooh! 6 day PH sound awesome to me  My vote would go for them, lol. We almost could have done 6 days back in September but our last day we slept in and went to the Soda Fountain & Studio Store before driving home.
> 
> I found MM on Saturday to be the best of the days that I've gone. It's earlier in the morning generally than the weekdays so maybe people like my co-hort wont bake it as early, lol.



What I figure is most people don't want to get up that early on a Saturday morning.  Especially if they close the park on Friday night.


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## Belle Ella

Haha, I sake 'bake' it as early. Wow, I am having issues with typing. But yeah, the whole getting up early in the morning after closing the park doesn't always work.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Haha, I sake 'bake' it as early. Wow, I am having issues with typing. But yeah, the whole getting up early in the morning after closing the park doesn't always work.



No, I agree, we have done open to close when the kids were younger and I am not sure I can do it anymore.


----------



## Belle Ella

Heck, I can't even do it now - and I'm only 23. Early mornings I can do. Anything past 10 pm and I don't usually mix. It's kind of pathetic, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Heck, I can't even do it now - and I'm only 23. Early mornings I can do. Anything past 10 pm and I don't usually mix. It's kind of pathetic, lol.



I think that there are morning people and there are night people.  I am a night person as a general rule but I can do mornings.  I pimped out your trip report over on my trip report.


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so I have my next trip on my mind right now so I might as well get it out right here. I'm trying to figure out when we're going to go and it's looking like our original plan of Halloweentime just wont cut it because of my friend's work schedule. So we'll either do my birthday again for Sept. 9-12 (not as crowded, but I hate the lack of ent. and ride closures)  or we'll do June (21-24 or 29-2) or July (7-10, 15-18, or 23-26). I am just stuck on exactly when.

I'm leaning towards June or July because I really miss the summer entertainment and I honestly don't mind the crowds. I'd kind of like to be there again on July 17th for the 55th Anniversary (I went the same dates back in '06 or '07 I believe) but I don't know if that's me being crazy or what.

At this point I'm tempted to book all of them at the HOJO and see if the Ent. rate comes up for anything and then do that and cancel everything else. I'm so horrible.

Any thoughts?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so I have my next trip on my mind right now so I might as well get it out right here. I'm trying to figure out when we're going to go and it's looking like our original plan of Halloweentime just wont cut it because of my friend's work schedule. So we'll either do my birthday again for Sept. 9-12 (not as crowded, but I hate the lack of ent. and ride closures)  or we'll do June (21-24 or 29-2) or July (7-10, 15-18, or 23-26). I am just stuck on exactly when.
> 
> I'm leaning towards June or July because I really miss the summer entertainment and I honestly don't mind the crowds. I'd kind of like to be there again on July 17th for the 55th Anniversary (I went the same dates back in '06 or '07 I believe) but I don't know if that's me being crazy or what.
> 
> At this point I'm tempted to book all of them at the HOJO and see if the Ent. rate comes up for anything and then do that and cancel everything else. I'm so horrible.
> 
> Any thoughts?



I am thinking that I would shoot for September, there is more time to save money for the trip.  Oh gosh I hadn't thought of the anniversary, maybe that will lesson the crowds when we go.  Maybe people will be waiting for the anniversary.  Oh you made my day!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am thinking that I would shoot for September, there is more time to save money for the trip.  Oh gosh I hadn't thought of the anniversary, maybe that will lesson the crowds when we go.  Maybe people will be waiting for the anniversary.  Oh you made my day!!



And I think I'm leaning more towards July, lol. HM will be closed on the 1 date in September we could do, like always (minus last year because of 09-09-09) and that's enough to really make me hesitant because I love HM. And I haven't been for a summer in a few years and I would love to have more options open, even if it's more crowded. I just don't know, lol. I hate decision making. I just need to pick one and stick with it or I'll never get anywhere.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 Cont.*
September 12, 2009​
Unfortunately my memory loss has kicked in. It was the last day, which I spent the majority of going to the places I hadn't been quite as often over the previous days so I could get some photos. Ride signs, things like that. Given a couple hour time gap I can't say what I did for sure anymore, but I somehow found my way back in front of the Main St. station where I found a couple of characters that I hardly ever see - from Pinnochio! And the worst part was when I completely forgot the name of Honest John's tag-along. You know when you have a word or name right on the tip of your tongue but you can't spit it out? It was one of those moments.















By the way, I did finally remember. Maybe an hour late!! *Gideon*!! One of these days I would love to see Honest John outside of a parade. By getting those photos I _just_ missed out on seeing Cruella de Ville, but a CM suggested I be near the Fire Station a little later if I wanted to see her. So I made note of the time and went off to take some photos.

Like the Halloween decorations inside of the shops and along Main St. *ONE* of these days I will make it for the actual Halloween season, but I keep having to put it off. Ho hum.





















*And I just like this one. Can you guess where it is?*



So after that I finally got around to take some photos of the sights around Tomorrowland. I hadn't set foot there in a couple of days it feels like, so I'm glad I did. I even fit in another go on the Astro Blasters - although I was by myself. The ride stopped in a few places and let all of us rack up the points . Here a few of them.































*I seem to have taken a special interest in the FP machines ...*

























*I couldn't help myself with an *****turbed view*








I never knew you could get name paintings and things like this at Disneyland! I have a few that I've gotten down in S.F. at Pier 39 but how could I pass on one from Disneyland? I got a small one though  No need to spend _too_ much money. Yeah, right! It's got my nickname "Jazz" and Snow White on it. As if that's a surprise. Maybe I'll take a picture of it sometime. It's cute. And it has glitter, which is my downfall. I will put glitter on just about anything (except myself).

I had time to head towards Frontierland and get a few more photos before I headed back to the Fire Station.











*Coming Up:* Where's the fire?​


----------



## kaoden39

I have a question that maybe you can answer, is Cmdr Zurg ever a walk around character?  Bawb is a huge Toy Story fans and wants Zurg's autograph.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have a question that maybe you can answer, is Cmdr Zurg ever a walk around character?  Bawb is a huge Toy Story fans and wants Zurg's autograph.



I don't think so. Not that I have seen in my own experiences or reading about anyone elses.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't think so. Not that I have seen in my own experiences or reading about anyone elses.



Oh no, that's too bad.  I was really hoping he would get his autograph, aw well.  One more question if I might, well one more for today that is.  Can they get autographs from the cars?  Mater and Lightening Mc Queen?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh no, that's too bad.  I was really hoping he would get his autograph, aw well.  One more question if I might, well one more for today that is.  Can they get autographs from the cars?  Mater and Lightening Mc Queen?



Not that I'm aware of. If you do PhotoPass I believe you can add the autographs to your photos when you edit them, but I'm not 100% sure. Every time I did that photo op the CM either didn't scan my photos onto my card or I misplaced one somewhere because they all disappeared


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not that I'm aware of. If you do PhotoPass I believe you can add the autographs to your photos when you edit them, but I'm not 100% sure. Every time I did that photo op the CM either didn't scan my photos onto my card or I misplaced one somewhere because they all disappeared



Oh no.  I plan on doing PhotoPass this trip and getting every picture that we can taken.  I figure that it is on season so there will be a lot of opportunities.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh no.  I plan on doing PhotoPass this trip and getting every picture that we can taken.  I figure that it is on season so there will be a lot of opportunities.


I'm sure there will be plenty. Even in the off-season I manage to get more than I expected to on my PhotoPass. But I actively seek some out sometimes, lol. Just don't be like me and keep forgetting that you already have a PP card so that you end up with about 10 in one day alone. That's how you end up loosing a few photos.

There was one we did in DCA where I was supposed to be carried away by balloons somewhere and those disappeared somewhere in the shuffle of things.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm sure there will be plenty. Even in the off-season I manage to get more than I expected to on my PhotoPass. But I actively seek some out sometimes, lol. Just don't be like me and keep forgetting that you already have a PP card so that you end up with about 10 in one day alone. That's how you end up loosing a few photos.
> 
> There was one we did in DCA where I was supposed to be carried away by balloons somewhere and those disappeared somewhere in the shuffle of things.



Yeah, you're right.  What I did last trip was I put it with my ticket.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah, you're right.  What I did last trip was I put it with my ticket.



That always works  Do you put yours in a lanyard? A friend of mine did that and wore it around her neck. I never could though, I hate having things around my neck. Especially when I've already got my camera bag slung over my should and the strap to my camera around my neck. It gets too itch and icky. Plus I just feel like something is strangling me. Heck, I'm still training myself to wear necklaces.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That always works  Do you put yours in a lanyard? A friend of mine did that and wore it around her neck. I never could though, I hate having things around my neck. Especially when I've already got my camera bag slung over my should and the strap to my camera around my neck. It gets too itch and icky. Plus I just feel like something is strangling me. Heck, I'm still training myself to wear necklaces.



I usually do, because we get our trips through Disney travel, but this trip I am planning it all so we are not getting the lanyards.  I will put them in this small wallet where I carry my ID and bankcard.  It will work.


----------



## Belle Ella

As long as it works - it's all good! I think I kept mine (when I remembered *not* to put it back in my pocked) in a front compartment of my camera bag. My problem is just remembering that it's there. I'm not supposed to ahve these kidns of memory problems at my age, yet they still happen.

Quite regularly.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> As long as it works - it's all good! I think I kept mine (when I remembered *not* to put it back in my pocked) in a front compartment of my camera bag. My problem is just remembering that it's there. I'm not supposed to ahve these kidns of memory problems at my age, yet they still happen.
> 
> Quite regularly.



I think that is normal.  I have done that for years.  My dad used to tease me about it all the time when I was younger.  I think my memory is better now, so there is hope for you.


----------



## Belle Ella

I hop you don't mean my memory will improve after I have kids, because I highly doubt that one, 

I'm kind of excited right now. We have officially settled on July 14-18 for our Disneyland summer. My friend and I have just completely talked one antother into the fact that we absolutely cannot do another weekend since we can't do Halloween this time around. The only thing that would make us change our dates to one of the other weekends we have pegged as possibilities is if they come up with the Ent rate.

On top of that, I have my official "Give a Day, Get a Day" volunteerwork scheduled. Normally I do a lot of events through work so it'll be just me. But it is a clean-up and maintenance day for a preschool that's literally a 5 minute walk from my house. I didn't think I would get the opportunity to help out in my own community, quite literally. February 20th is my day which is plenty of time for our trip.

And last, but not least ... I totally forgot what my final point was. All I know is I was going to say something as a third. Oh well. It must not have been important.

I hope people are still tagging along (I know you're hear Michelle, but I don't hear much from anyone else). I don't want to abandon the thread I call home. I'll have a new update tonight. We're in the home stretch people!! And then the planning crazies begin once more.


----------



## kaoden39

Of course I am here.  I was looking at the volunteer opportunities in my area and so far it looks like I am going to have to drive to like Napa to help and there is no way I am driving to Napa.  I hate to sound awful but facts are facts.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 Cont.*
September 12, 2009​
I made sure to get back to the Fire Depot with plenty of time to spare, just as I always do. This way I could take my take and get some photos of everything inside. I really love going in there, no matter how many times I have before.




































*Some other photos before the fun started*



















If you ever have the time to do so, I definitely recommend taking time ou of your days to try and see as many of the different entertainment options available to you outside of just the rides - especially when there is music involved. Between the Bootstrappers, the Jambalaya Jazz Band, Disneyland Band - you name it, I enjoyed everything I saw and heard. Especially when said musical entertainment is accompanied by some Disney friends. The Hook and Ladder Company had some help from Cruella and Goofy to Chip & Dale. It was all good fun, and some of the kids got to get involved as well (and some not-so-kids as well).




































*Let's all dance like Goofy!*











*And I finally got that photo with Cruella*





*Coming Up:* A few laughs before Fantasmic take 2 (and 3).​


----------



## kaoden39

I love the picture of you and Cruella.  That is priceless.


----------



## Belle Ella

It was just one of those moments 

O.M.G. I never thought this day would come but I have officially finished editing all of my _daytime_ Disneyland photos. I still have 500+ photos of Fantasmic to shuffle through, however *sniffles* it means this portion of my TR is that much closer to the end.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It was just one of those moments
> 
> O.M.G. I never thought this day would come but I have officially finished editing all of my _daytime_ Disneyland photos. I still have 500+ photos of Fantasmic to shuffle through, however *sniffles* it means this portion of my TR is that much closer to the end.



Well, just think, now the planning for the July trip can be started in earnest!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

That they can, that they can. I will say, I'm so excited we cut off a good 3 months off our countdown. It's just all sorts of magical. I'm going to try really hard to not plan anything else until this part is 100% complete. But then ... all bets are off.


----------



## Belle Ella

Confession time!!

I really do not feel like editing and uploading all 550 photos I took of Fantasmic - or even half of them - anytime soon. So, I picked 20 or so of my favorites and they will ahve to do for now.

Which means? 3 more posts and the September 2009 segment of this TR will be laid to rest!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Confession time!!
> 
> I really do not feel like editing and uploading all 550 photos I took of Fantasmic - or even half of them - anytime soon. So, I picked 20 or so of my favorites and they will ahve to do for now.
> 
> Which means? 3 more posts and the September 2009 segment of this TR will be laid to rest!!





Then the merriment of planning can begin!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

That it can. In the dream world & beyond, since I'm beat and need to be up around 5'ish. Dance class tomorrow night after work though. Yipee! But after that my mind will solely be focused on Disneyland in July!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 5 Cont.*
September 12, 2009​
We're going to finish up Day #5 pretty fast here! Heck, the day itself felt like a blur (what I can remember of it, which is apparently not that much) so it's only fitting that the final posts of Day #5 go just as fast. I wish I could have lingered around the park for a few more days, but there's always "_next_" year, right?

I couldn't live with myself if I didn't head back to New Orleans Square to close out the final day - my favorite place in the park (outside of the walk down Main Street after walking through the front gates). On the way I managed to add in another ride (SR line) on Indiana Jones as well as Pirates and got to enjoy a little more music courtesy of the Jambalaya Band and Queenie. I even got some more Mardi Gras beads.





I also took some time out to watch the Laughing Stock Co. outside of The Golden Horseshoe. Every time I've ever seen them outside I always happen to be passing during the same skit - the one where they are playing that Bachelor "game" show one, so I figured since I had time to "kill" (do you ever have time to kill at Disneyland? I think not, but I was trying to experience a little bit of everything) so I stuck around the general area to watch all of their little skits. It was pretty entertaining for the most part, although I can see how it's not really peoples style. Plus, when they're doing it outside you're standing in the hot sun!! I believe they also perform onstage as well at TGH, but I've obviously never seen them in there. These were a couple of my favorite photos:






*This guys' reaction was priceless!*













Who knows what I did after that?

I have no idea either. All I know is that when it was time I grabbed some grub from the Stage Door Cafe and met up with *Frick* at our new designated Fantasmic location where we once again found ourselves chatting away with the people around us about anything and everything. I also had to go grab my fina-farewell mint julep before I set up my tripod for the night's photo taking adventure. I don't thin we had planned it originally, but we ended up staying through the first showing of Fantasmic, the Magical fireworks, and then the second showing on Fantasmic. It was a great way to end the night and say goodbye to the Land, knowing we wouldn't be coming back the next morning because we had to head home! How sad, right? Here are a few of the photos - which turned out much better than the previous night!!














































*Have I mentioned that Snow White is my favorite?*













After Fantasmic, *Frick* and I parted ways once more - it feels like I didn't see her at all of Saturday! I spent my last moments in the park simply wandering around and loving everything at nighttime. Sure, we didn't have to get up super early in the morning but I was still going to be the only driver on the way home so I didn't want to stay until closing like she planned on.

It was a great 5 days in the park, but I didn't want to leave! We've still got one more thing left to do on this _almost-a-full-week_ of vacation time, so tune in for Day 6 coming soon!


----------



## kaoden39

Pretty new ticker there.  Wow, Queenie is tall.  What pretty pictures.  I plan on getting myself one of those little video cameras before we go in June so I can take some impromptu videos.


----------



## Belle Ella

When it has S.W. in it, I couldn't pass it up!

The Flip camcorder is a really grat addition to have. I have video of Fantasmic in it's entirenty as well as Magical (from ROA). I'm so glad I have them now, I can watch them whenever I want.

As for Queenie, she's a different one than I'm used to seeing (who is a lot shorter). But yeah, she sure is tall! It's like stnading next to my step mom (who is over 6').


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> When it has S.W. in it, I couldn't pass it up!
> 
> The Flip camcorder is a really grat addition to have. I have video of Fantasmic in it's entirenty as well as Magical (from ROA). I'm so glad I have them now, I can watch them whenever I want.
> 
> As for Queenie, she's a different one than I'm used to seeing (who is a lot shorter). But yeah, she sure is tall! It's like stnading next to my step mom (who is over 6').



Honestly I almost looked for an adams apple.  I am looking at the Flip for sure, I want to get that and a net book.  But I think I may just take my laptop if there is a place to put it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Everytime I see those netbooks (like when I pass our displays at wokr) I can't help but chuckle. I don't think I could ever use one, but who knows. I took my laptops with us in September (March as well, for that matter). I have to have somewhere to charge the Flip and download all of my photos so I can start up again the next day. Luckily the safe at the HOJO was big enough to fit it - it was rather spacious actually. It's pretty low, but long.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Everytime I see those netbooks (like when I pass our displays at wokr) I can't help but chuckle. I don't think I could ever use one, but who knows. I took my laptops with us in September (March as well, for that matter). I have to have somewhere to charge the Flip and download all of my photos so I can start up again the next day. Luckily the safe at the HOJO was big enough to fit it - it was rather spacious actually. It's pretty low, but long.



We are staying at BW Stovall's so I don't what kind of safes they have in their rooms or not and I don't know how big the safe deposit box is.  Maybe somebody knows.  That is why I am looking at the netbooks.


----------



## Belle Ella

Makse sense. You could always try calling them and asking them about it?

Off to dance class  Then my dad's birthday dinner!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Makse sense. You could always try calling them and asking them about it?
> 
> Off to dance class  Then my dad's birthday dinner!



Have fun!!!


----------



## disneyland89

Belle Ella said:


> Everytime I see those netbooks (like when I pass our displays at wokr) I can't help but chuckle. I don't think I could ever use one, but who knows. I took my laptops with us in September (March as well, for that matter). I have to have somewhere to charge the Flip and download all of my photos so I can start up again the next day. Luckily the safe at the HOJO was big enough to fit it - it was rather spacious actually. It's pretty low, but long.



not disney related but......I bought a net book for school and I thought that I would never get used to it. Everything is so small on it. But they are awesome. Its light and you can take it anywhere........I love my net book.


----------



## Belle Ella

disneyland89 said:


> not disney related but......I bought a net book for school and I thought that I would never get used to it. Everything is so small on it. But they are awesome. Its light and you can take it anywhere........I love my net book.



Good to have another opinion on it. I'll probably be sticking with my MacBook though. I loves it a little too much.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Day 6*
September 13, 2009​
As much as I would have loved to stay another few days and just relax in all things Disney, our little pit stop on the drive home was something that I was really looking forward to. And we finally got to sleep in since we weren't trying to get to the park at opening. We were finally rounding up all of our things for check-out sometime around 10 a.m. so we could hit the road and cross our fingers that I wouldn't get lost along the way (because I'm usually real good at that). I had no problems until we got of 101, though. But once we got off I managed to do what I always do no matter where I go, take a wrong turn and spend the next 10 minutes trying to figure out just where I made my mistake. But hey, I figure it out eventually and found our way onto Hollywood Blvd.

By the way, did I mention our "_pit stop_" was Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store?
















*We decided to take our seats at the counter, rather than a table - it would have ruined the experience*






*A couple photos of the menu*











*Our chili in a bread bowl!*






*I got the Pin Trader's Delight* (no photo of the cute Lil & Stitch eating a sundae pin though)






*Frick got the Peppermint Sundae*









We were having so much fun photographing our sundaes that we almost forgot to eat them. The key word here being _almost_. I don't remember the last time that I was so stuffed. Everything was delicious and it's a wonder that I even made it the entire drive home without falling into a food coma. Of course we couldn't be there and not check out what they had to offer for us to buy and I know that I left with a new Snow White pin that I absolutely love and a new Snow White wallet (image here) and a Disney's Soda Fountain & Studio Store magnet. I think I'm going to make it a habit to stop here every time I go to DLR from now on. Either on the drive down, the drive home, or if I'm ever there for a few days and have an afternoon to spare. I took a few more photos inside so I guess I'll share those as well:



















Our walk back to the car took us past the El Capitan Theatre, where I was once again reminded that we were missing out on seeing Snow White there by less than one week. I was sorely disappointed, I will not lie. That would have made the day a million times better I'm sure. We also had to stop at Grauman's Chinese Theatre and take a look for a few of our favorites. I've always thought it was a silly thing to do, but it was a lot of fun. And yes, I took my photo with one and since I was not going to be wearing heels (the imprint in the cement sure makes me giggle a little) I went for the hands instead. Julie Andrews is an all-time favorite of mine, so it was a no brainer that we had to search hers out (and her star as well).









Eventually I had to put an end to our fun since we needed to get home in time for me to get some sleep before work early the next morning. I hated putting an end to this vacation because it was by far the best time I have ever had at DLR to date. I have no idea how I'm going to top this with my upcoming July trip, but it's a challenge I am ready to take!

And with that, I officially close the September 2009 segment of this TR!​


----------



## kaoden39

I debate doing the soda fountain instead of a sixth day at Disneyland but I think Disneyland has to win for us.  Although I would love to see it, next trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm always so worried that if I go in the parks on the day we're supposed to leave, we'll never get out of there! Plus it tires me out and since Frick doesn't drive that task fell solely on my shoulders and I wouldn't make it if we'd gone into the parks. Maybe this summer will be different since I wont be the only one driving. We'll see. I still don't know if I'm doing 3 days or 4.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm always so worried that if I go in the parks on the day we're supposed to leave, we'll never get out of there! Plus it tires me out and since Frick doesn't drive that task fell solely on my shoulders and I wouldn't make it if we'd gone into the parks. Maybe this summer will be different since I wont be the only one driving. We'll see. I still don't know if I'm doing 3 days or 4.



Scotty and I both drive so that isn't an issue and he is off until Monday so that works out just fine.  It's hard when you are the only one driving.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Scotty and I both drive so that isn't an issue and he is off until Monday so that works out just fine.  It's hard when you are the only one driving.



That it is. I hope to never-never-never-ever do it again. There were moments when it ruined the vacation for me, but oh well. I was at Disneyland. The good news for July is we're driving Wed. afternoon/night after my friend get's off work so we'll be ready to go on a night of sleep for Thursday. Sunday is our questionable day of what to do before we drive home. It will all depend on how late we feel like arriving back in CCC.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That it is. I hope to never-never-never-ever do it again. There were moments when it ruined the vacation for me, but oh well. I was at Disneyland. The good news for July is we're driving Wed. afternoon/night after my friend get's off work so we'll be ready to go on a night of sleep for Thursday. Sunday is our questionable day of what to do before we drive home. It will all depend on how late we feel like arriving back in CCC.



We are going to leave early on Sunday morning and drive on through and sleep Sunday night for Monday morning.  We normally drive during the nigth and then spend a very tired first day at Disneyland.  Not this year.


----------



## Belle Ella

That's pretty much what I've normally done as well. When we leave home around 2 a.m. we usually make it there before Disneyland opens. This will be my first time driving down there the night before. I think we're planning on leaving around 4 p.m. or so. I forget what time my friend will be getting off from work. I hate to think what the drive is going to be like, but that's what is going to happen


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's pretty much what I've normally done as well. When we leave home around 2 a.m. we usually make it there before Disneyland opens. This will be my first time driving down there the night before. I think we're planning on leaving around 4 p.m. or so. I forget what time my friend will be getting off from work. I hate to think what the drive is going to be like, but that's what is going to happen



I am much worse we leave at around 7:30 after Scotty gets off work.  We stop along the way for food and things and then we stop at the rest areas to walk around to stay awake and then stop in Buttonwillow to nap for a little while, and go through LA during rush hour traffic.  Not this time.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sounds like our drive when I went to San Diego with my family back in '07. Whoever's decision it was to leave then should not be in charge of said decision ever again. Worst drive ever. I have to say, one thing that makes me nervous about leaving when we are is how much I hate driving at night which it very much will be when we arrive. Yuckies. If I wasn't so afraid of flying I'd seriously consider it this time around. Heck, then we _would_ be able to do our last day in the park.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Sounds like our drive when I went to San Diego with my family back in '07. Whoever's decision it was to leave then should not be in charge of said decision ever again. Worst drive ever. I have to say, one thing that makes me nervous about leaving when we are is how much I hate driving at night which it very much will be when we arrive. Yuckies. If I wasn't so afraid of flying I'd seriously consider it this time around. Heck, then we _would_ be able to do our last day in the park.



Well, what about the train?  That might be a fun trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, what about the train?  That might be a fun trip.



Hm. I never though about that.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hm. I never though about that.



If there weren't so many of us I would love to take the train.  To me the train is a very cool way to travel.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> If there weren't so many of us I would love to take the train.  To me the train is a very cool way to travel.



Grr. The only options that I seem to have through Amtrak is to take the train to Emeryville and then a bus down to SoCal? That seems a bit odd. But with the short period of time we have for this trip it would never work. I remember the last time I took a train. We were headed out to Denver. It was something like 2 days or so, but the views were amazing. The best part about Amtrak for me? There's a station in my town  which means it takes less than 5 minutes to get there. Not at all like trying to leave for the airport.

I think I have convinced myself that if we can get cheap enough fares on SouthWest (I've got that *DING* application) I might be able to do it with enough medication. And hey, that stuff puts me in a dandy mood alright. But cost wise once you add in transportation to/from the hotel it would still probably be cheaper for us to drive and split the cost of gas.

Which reminds me! 2 more car payments & Pepe shall be mine!! Pepe, by the way, is what my mother named my car when I bought it almost 5 years ago. I have no idea how she won naming rights, but it's apparently stuck over the years. All I can say is this means more money for Disneyland!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Grr. The only options that I seem to have through Amtrak is to take the train to Emeryville and then a bus down to SoCal? That seems a bit odd. But with the short period of time we have for this trip it would never work. I remember the last time I took a train. We were headed out to Denver. It was something like 2 days or so, but the views were amazing. The best part about Amtrak for me? There's a station in my town  which means it takes less than 5 minutes to get there. Not at all like trying to leave for the airport.
> 
> I think I have convinced myself that if we can get cheap enough fares on SouthWest (I've got that *DING* application) I might be able to do it with enough medication. And hey, that stuff puts me in a dandy mood alright. But cost wise once you add in transportation to/from the hotel it would still probably be cheaper for us to drive and split the cost of gas.
> 
> Which reminds me! 2 more car payments & Pepe shall be mine!! Pepe, by the way, is what my mother named my car when I bought it almost 5 years ago. I have no idea how she won naming rights, but it's apparently stuck over the years. All I can say is this means more money for Disneyland!!



That is ridiculous that the train goes to Emeryville and then the bus.  Forget it, the bus no way.  

The plane eh, no, I don't think so.  I think when you figure it all out from our part of the state driving is our best option.  Sad but true.

Pepe as in Pepe Le Pew the skunk?


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, said like that . She says my car has a lot of pep and then somehow she got Pepe from that. I don't always understand the way her mind works, but I'm sure she says the same of me just about as often (if not more).

I think the only thing that would really sway me towards flying would be if for some reason my friend backed out and nobody else would go with me and I was facing a drive by myself again. I just don't think I'm up for it right about now. But I'm not letting her back out for the world, no siree!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, said like that . She says my car has a lot of pep and then somehow she got Pepe from that. I don't always understand the way her mind works, but I'm sure she says the same of me just about as often (if not more).
> 
> I think the only thing that would really sway me towards flying would be if for some reason my friend backed out and nobody else would go with me and I was facing a drive by myself again. I just don't think I'm up for it right about now. But I'm not letting her back out for the world, no siree!



Okay, I got it.  

Where would you fly out of?


----------



## Belle Ella

Eugh. So, I just got home from work and I should be going to sleep right about now but I made the mistake of logging in. Oops ...

If I was ever going to fly I have 3 airports to choose from really - SFO, Oakland and San Jose. They are all easy to get to for me (and I love that I can take BART to SFO). Sac would probably have the cheapest airfare from my past experiences, but it's too far out of the way to drive and then fly unless I had tons of time off and could spend some time at my grandmother's before flying out. I'm thinking that the next time I go (which had better be sometime in 2011) I'll make sure I have a lot of time off, no matter which way I plan on traveling.

Heck, why can't I take a permanent vacation and go whenever I fee like it?

Oh yeah, there's that thing they call the real world!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Eugh. So, I just got home from work and I should be going to sleep right about now but I made the mistake of logging in. Oops ...
> 
> If I was ever going to fly I have 3 airports to choose from really - SFO, Oakland and San Jose. They are all easy to get to for me (and I love that I can take BART to SFO). Sac would probably have the cheapest airfare from my past experiences, but it's too far out of the way to drive and then fly unless I had tons of time off and could spend some time at my grandmother's before flying out. I'm thinking that the next time I go (which had better be sometime in 2011) I'll make sure I have a lot of time off, no matter which way I plan on traveling.
> 
> Heck, why can't I take a permanent vacation and go whenever I fee like it?
> 
> Oh yeah, there's that thing they call the real world!!



I like that BART to SFO option.  TO me that is the way to travel.  Then my vehicle is at home and I don't have to stress over it.  And yeah Sacramento is kind of out of the way for you.  Sacramento for me is the only way to go.  But, then I am on this side of the bridge so that makes sense.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Belle Ella is at it again*
Time to kick into high gear for July 2010

​
 * Who * 






At the onset of planning we have two attendees who are willing to brave the crowds for this summer-time madness: little miss Jazz (23)  none other than the DIS' own Belle Ella and thus far the nicknameless  Karolina (23), most-awesomest friend of said Jazz. Notice the red and many little bullseyes? Yes, we work for Target. Or at least one of us still does - the one of us who is obviously still insane enough to stick in retail (meaning me). The photo itself is from the Aids Walk in S.F. in 2008. Which is sad that I don't have too many recent photos of us, but there you have it. We met thanks to Target when she started working there a couple of years after I started and we haven't looked back since. In the strangest of all coincidences it turns out not only do we share our love for all things Disney, Twilight, and other YA fantasy books that we just can't tear ourselves away from no matter how old we get - it turns out we were both born in the same town in Washington _exactly_ one month apart. Mind you, we both live here in the Bay Area, California. What are the odds, right? I guess I should stop myself before I start giving you the rest of our life stories, but I did warn you long ago that I can tend to babble on and on sometimes, right? Believe me, I don't think there is ever such a thing as too much information. Then again ... maybe there is??!!

We have been trying to plan a Disneyland vacation for the two of us for 2 years now, but it has just never happened. We've tended to bounce back and forth and go when the other isn't ..._until *now*_!!

 * What * 

I'm _pretty_ sure this is a Pre-Trip Report, later to become a trip report, but I may just have to get back to you on that 

 * Where * 

Why, the Happiest Place on Earth, of course! Where else would we be going? Other than crazy that is.

OH!! You mean where will be staying, right? That's a no-brainer as well: the Howard Johnson on Harbour. My past two experiences have been excellent and we will be keeping our finger crossed that the entertainment rate pops up. Thanks to another DIS'er (wvnative ) I already have this years entertainment card so we are 100% set in that regard. I booked a standard room with 2 queens. I could honestly care less about the view. So long as there is a bed that I can sleep on, that is all that I need. I don't plan on spending a whole lot of time there.

 * When * 

The date is set: Wednesday, *July 14* to Sunday, *July 18*.

We'll be leaving the Bay Area Wednesday evening after I am done with school for the afternoon and *Nicknameless* gets off from work so it will most likely be anytime between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. This will change things from my past two trips where we left very early in the morning and went straight into the park at opening after we checked into the hotel. It usually makes for long days. But we've made the decision to get there late on our first night, I figure we'll be arriving sometime after 11 p.m. and it will all depend on what traffic we hit leaving home, and get some sleep on an actual bed before hitting the park for Thursday morning opening. We'll have 3 full days _for sure_ in the Parks, including the official day of the 55th Anniversary (*July 17th*), as well as 1 MM which we will be using on Saturday. We'll also have the possibility of getting a few park hours on Sunday Morning before we leave as well, which could also work as a MM day. Thank the stars for having 2 drivers this time around!!

At least one of us will also be participating in this years GAD promotion. I am scheduled to participate in a project with a local preschool on Saturday, February 20th and *Nicknameless* is still keeping an eye out for something she can participate in. Her work schedule makes it a little harder for her find times that would work for her! We are waiting to see if this summer's tickets will be another 5 days for the price of 3 in which case we would be in the clear for Sunday without using our GAD vouchers for admission so then it's just a debate between pins or FPs. I'm keeping an eye out for how the FP are working this year. I didn't see the point in them for the birthday promotion since they were offering a gift card but for a non-pin collector (outside of Snow White pins) it may be the better option for us because of the summer crowds.

 * Why * 

Since when does one need an actual reason to plan for Disneyland, am I right?! We will be using this as an early-double-birthday celebration.  *Nicknameless*' birthday isn't until August 10 and mine follows up 1 month later on September 10.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

If you are still on board from March or September, thank you for flying Air B.E. I hope to keep this one entertaining for you and I think I'm going to try a new format for the actual TR when I get back. And for those of you just joining in for this new flight, WELCOME!!

And just a note, I always love comments. Sometimes I need a little encouragement to keep going. So speak up and let yourself be known!!


----------



## kaoden39

Comment;

Nicknameless needs a nickname!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Comment;
> 
> Nicknameless needs a nickname!!!



Tell me about it! I'm thinking-I'm thinking-I'm thinking ...

And I got nothing so far. Durn.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Tell me about it! I'm thinking-I'm thinking-I'm thinking ...
> 
> And I got nothing so far. Durn.



Hmm, well that is a conundrum.


----------



## knewton64

Subscribing.



Can't wait to hear more.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Hmm, well that is a conundrum.



She will have one soon. We've got to get together for a movie day soon and that may give me inspiration. I've never been so good with the nicknames before.



knewton64 said:


> Subscribing.
> 
> 
> 
> Can't wait to hear more.



 Great to have you on board!

OK, so I'm getting a little frustrated right now. I cannot, for the life of me, find my PhotoPass CD's from September. I want to go through them again and they are nowhere to be found. I'm really not happy about this.

But at least I am watching The Little Mermaid.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She will have one soon. We've got to get together for a movie day soon and that may give me inspiration. I've never been so good with the nicknames before.
> 
> 
> 
> Great to have you on board!
> 
> OK, so I'm getting a little frustrated right now. I cannot, for the life of me, find my PhotoPass CD's from September. I want to go through them again and they are nowhere to be found. I'm really not happy about this.
> 
> But at least I am watching The Little Mermaid.



Oh no.  Good luck on finding those!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm sure I'll find them at some point. My problem is I have been reorganizing my room since I got new shelves put up and every time I clean I loose just about everything for a couple of weeks.

And now I'm busy watching the Grammys, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm sure I'll find them at some point. My problem is I have been reorganizing my room since I got new shelves put up and every time I clean I loose just about everything for a couple of weeks.
> 
> And now I'm busy watching the Grammys, lol.



I am watching the Grammy's too.  Very interesting so far.


----------



## Belle Ella

I have to say I gave up after Pink's performance. I wasn't really watching in the first place, it was more background noise  Did it ever get interesting?

Now I remember why I stopped watching the Grammy's sometime early last decade.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I have to say I gave up after Pink's performance. I wasn't really watching in the first place, it was more background noise  Did it ever get interesting?
> 
> Now I remember why I stopped watching the Grammy's sometime early last decade.



I actually lasted until like the last 45 minutes when I was totally overwhelmed with the BS.  I stuck it out because I was crocheting.  I didn't tell you but I found a Disney volunteer thing.  I am crocheting a couple of 42x60 blankets for children.


----------



## Belle Ella

I never would have lasted through the whole thing. I was trying to fall asleep wondering why my DVR had the recording light on and I turned on my T.V. to see it was still on and I had smehow set it up to record (and I'm not sure _who_ did that - must have been the hitchiking ghost or something).

Glad to see you've got your GAD-work rolling! I can't remember if I asked before, but are you going to use your day of admission, or go with one of the other options. I'm having a total brain freeze of a day right now.

Let's see - I am hoping that *Nicknaeless* will have an official nickname this weekend. I've got to give her a call when she gets off work today to see if she has Saturday off and if so I think we'll try and head out to S.F. and the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio. I cannot believe that it opened in October and I have yet to go. Shame on me!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I never would have lasted through the whole thing. I was trying to fall asleep wondering why my DVR had the recording light on and I turned on my T.V. to see it was still on and I had smehow set it up to record (and I'm not sure _who_ did that - must have been the hitchiking ghost or something).
> 
> Glad to see you've got your GAD-work rolling! I can't remember if I asked before, but are you going to use your day of admission, or go with one of the other options. I'm having a total brain freeze of a day right now.
> 
> Let's see - I am hoping that *Nicknaeless* will have an official nickname this weekend. I've got to give her a call when she gets off work today to see if she has Saturday off and if so I think we'll try and head out to S.F. and the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio. I cannot believe that it opened in October and I have yet to go. Shame on me!!



I haven't gone either.  I am thinking about using it, I wasn't going to but, you know I think that I should proudly use it.  To me the highlight of the night was Green Day and their performance.

We haven't been to the museum either, I hate to be bad but it isn't on my to do list yet.


----------



## Belle Ella

I keep forgetting how many days you are going for  I'm keeping my eyes open for more info that will be the deciding factor in how my GAD voucher is used, like any Summer ticket promotions - If this summer offers another 2 days free when you purchase 3 than I absolutely 100% will *not* need free admission. That will give us our 3 planned, for sure days plus the option of going on Sunday morning/afternoon before we drive home. Sunday is the only "up in the air" day since we have to have 3-day hoppers in order to get our MM. I'm also thinking that the fast passes might be a good route to go this Summer. In the scheme of things last year they paled in comparison to the fun card, but between the FP and the pins I would rather go with the FP. But there's not a whole lot of feedback out yet on how they are working so I just don't know yet.

But the final decision definitely rests with the summer PH information.

I did get to see the Green Day performance with the Broadway cast. That was a god one, for sure!

And as for the WDFM, I really would love to go. Especially since it's so close to home. All I have to do is spend a little $$ on BART and admission (don't remind me about MUNI though because I hate MUNI) and about an hour of travel and I'm there. So easy. I was supposed to go a couple of weekends ago with my dad since his boss had him home for the week but I got a particularly nasty sinus infection and that idea went out the window and I have yet to make up for it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I keep forgetting how many days you are going for  I'm keeping my eyes open for more info that will be the deciding factor in how my GAD voucher is used, like any Summer ticket promotions - If this summer offers another 2 days free when you purchase 3 than I absolutely 100% will *not* need free admission. That will give us our 3 planned, for sure days plus the option of going on Sunday morning/afternoon before we drive home. Sunday is the only "up in the air" day since we have to have 3-day hoppers in order to get our MM. I'm also thinking that the fast passes might be a good route to go this Summer. In the scheme of things last year they paled in comparison to the fun card, but between the FP and the pins I would rather go with the FP. But there's not a whole lot of feedback out yet on how they are working so I just don't know yet.
> 
> But the final decision definitely rests with the summer PH information.
> 
> I did get to see the Green Day performance with the Broadway cast. That was a god one, for sure!
> 
> And as for the WDFM, I really would love to go. Especially since it's so close to home. All I have to do is spend a little $$ on BART and admission (don't remind me about MUNI though because I hate MUNI) and about an hour of travel and I'm there. So easy. I was supposed to go a couple of weekends ago with my dad since his boss had him home for the week but I got a particularly nasty sinus infection and that idea went out the window and I have yet to make up for it.



I hear from my kids and my nephew that they have had the show in Berkley for a while.  Why do I not know these things?  Have I become my mother?


----------



## Belle Ella

I guess it was at the Berkley Rep. from September to October/November before heading to Broadway. I wish I had known this a while ago, I would have tried to go. But I'm glad it started out in the Bay Area, lol.

Speaking of Berkley, I have to go to Blick tomorrow to get more art supplies. Good thing I'm not working and don't have class until 7PM.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I guess it was at the Berkley Rep. from September to October/November before heading to Broadway. I wish I had known this a while ago, I would have tried to go. But I'm glad it started out in the Bay Area, lol.
> 
> Speaking of Berkley, I have to go to Blick tomorrow to get more art supplies. Good thing I'm not working and don't have class until 7PM.



I love Berkley, and I would have loved t see it while it was there and it is exciting that it started in the bay area.


----------



## Belle Ella

I have to say that I don't get out to Berkley all that often. My sister does, but not me. It's not surprising seeing as I don't really get out much _period_. I think I need to broaden my horizons ...

Well it looks like the WDFM is on for this Saturday. I'll probably post a little something about it here for everyone to see.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I have to say that I don't get out to Berkley all that often. My sister does, but not me. It's not surprising seeing as I don't really get out much _period_. I think I need to broaden my horizons ...
> 
> Well it looks like the WDFM is on for this Saturday. I'll probably post a little something about it here for everyone to see.



I hardly ever go anywhere other than to and from school for the kids and work for my husband.   Ooh and if I am really lucky I get to go to the bicycle shops with my husband.


----------



## Belle Ella

I am not in a good mood right now. I sat down to prepare my taxes this morning and  it's bad. I mean, it's not going to break the bank but I owe a lot more on Federal than I have prepared for but State seems to be about normal. Let's just out it this way - I could squeeze in another decent trip with this kind of money. Yuck. Now I've got to factor that into the what I'm trying to set aside for Disneyland. Especially since we are officially in the month with the lowest hours available at work so my pay checks are going to be so itty-bitty the next few weeks. Looks like it's time to dip into my sick pay to help level things out. Thankfully I haven't called off work in over a year and we don't loose sick house so I've got *a lot* to fall back on.


^ my head hurts real bad right now.

I really need something to look forward too right now.


----------



## wvnative

Well, that's no fun. I'm lucky that I still get to claim the kid a little bit longer. I'm sure it will be ugly the first year I can't. lol 

Oh. I'm on board BTW..lol


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> Well, that's no fun. I'm lucky that I still get to claim the kid a little bit longer. I'm sure it will be ugly the first year I can't. lol
> 
> Oh. I'm on board BTW..lol



It would be so much easier if my parents couldn't still claim me as a dependent. Then again, I'd be paying rent so it would be even worse for me, lol. I shouldn't complain, but I have to every now and again.

I have the money, so I guess it's not that bad. I was just so excited to actually have some saved up finally. I haven't had this much in savings since I put a down payment on my car, which was just about 5 years ago.

Glad to have you on board!!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


>



Thankies. I needed that.

I promise I am all calm and rational now.  Well, maybe not _rational_, but I am calm.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Thankies. I needed that.
> 
> I promise I am all calm and rational now.  Well, maybe not _rational_, but I am calm.



Calm is all we ask.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Calm is all we ask.



Well then all is good until the next catastrophe strikes. I always find something to stress over when I have a Disney vacation to plan, be it canceled reservations, stupid taxes, or ... I really don't want to know what will come up next.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well then all is good until the next catastrophe strikes. I always find something to stress over when I have a Disney vacation to plan, be it canceled reservations, stupid taxes, or ... I really don't want to know what will come up next.



Think happy thoughts!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Think happy thoughts!!



_Any_ happy little thought??


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> _Any_ happy little thought??



Exactly, like tomorrow we are going to have sunshine again.  The storms are going to hold off until Thursday!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, if my spirits weren't entirely lifted _before_ leaving for my 3 hour Anthro. class they sure are now that I'm home. We spent a good half an hour + watching different scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark (where we had to learn something - Dr. Jones is a _baaaad_ archaeologist, but who cares) which made me a happy camper. I love Indy and it just made me close my eyes and relive IJ in Adventureland. I even started humming the music from the ride.

EEE! I can't wait to ride it again. And again. And again!


----------



## Belle Ella

My PhotoPass pics are back in my possession (as it turns out, I forgot that *Frick* still had them...)!!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> My PhotoPass pics are back in my possession (as it turns out, I forgot that *Frick* still had them...)!!!



Yay!!!


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> And as for the WDFM, I really would love to go. Especially since it's so close to home. All I have to do is spend a little $$ on BART and admission (don't remind me about MUNI though because I hate MUNI) and about an hour of travel and I'm there. So easy. I was supposed to go a couple of weekends ago with my dad since his boss had him home for the week but I got a particularly nasty sinus infection and that idea went out the window and I have yet to make up for it.



I'll go to the WDFM with you in March if Nicknameless can't make it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hawleys said:


> I'll go to the WDFM with you in March if Nicknameless can't make it.



I'll keep the offer in mind  It would be nice to see a few other Bay Area DIS'ers. It's a bit more convenient for some of us that Disneyland (although I know where I would rather be ...)


----------



## Belle Ella

So thanks to Hawleys post over on the 2010 Promotion thread I have a little more info on the Fast Passes as an alternative to the free admission, and it does sound a lot like how they went down last year:

Everyone in your party gets 6 passes - 3 from Daisy's favorites and 3 from Donald's favorites.

*Daisy's Favorites*

*Autopia*
Big Thunder
*Buzz Lightyear*
*Grizzly River Run*
Mulholland Madness
*Donald's Favorites*

*Indiana Jones*
*Roger Rabbit*
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
California Screamin'
*Soarin'*
Tower of Terror
The ones in *teal* are rides that I have no problem riding and the ones in *sky blue* I may be willing to try. Everything else? There's not a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks I will put a foot on them (not my thing by a long shot). Considering it will be summer and the middle of July I think it may be the route I'll be going *if*, and only if, it's another 5 days for 3 park hopper promotion this summer. Would you do the same thing if you were me, or would you rather get the ears and pins? It's been a while since I've been there during peak season.

I guess then it would be a question of which day to use the FastPasses? We'll be spending Thursday, Friday, Saturday and _possibly_ early Sunday in the parks (no later than probably 1PM) and I'm hoping to use Saturday as our Magic Morning. Would that also be the best day to use our FP's?


----------



## kaoden39

I read that you can give your GAD pass to the charity of your choice like the make a wish foundation and I think I am going to do that.  I was buying the park hoppers anyway.  And now WBG and Berht want to volunteer so they can donate their tickets.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I read that you can give your GAD pass to the charity of your choice like the make a wish foundation and I think I am going to do that.  I was buying the park hoppers anyway.  And now WBG and Berht want to volunteer so they can donate their tickets.



I will admit to being a little selfish - I want a little something for me to help ease this trip so I can do everything I want to do be it my free day or fast passes so I don't end up waiting in lines as long. If we were there for a week, maybe, but not when I've only got a few days I don't think.

I really don't know.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I will admit to being a little selfish - I want a little something for me to help ease this trip so I can do everything I want to do be it my free day or fast passes so I don't end up waiting in lines as long. If we were there for a week, maybe, but not when I've only got a few days I don't think.
> 
> I really don't know.



Remember we are going to be there for 6 days.  If I was just going for a few days it might make a difference.  I think Disney knows what they are doing with this one.  It's great marketing.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Remember we are going to be there for 6 days.  If I was just going for a few days it might make a difference.  I think Disney knows what they are doing with this one.  It's great marketing.



I remember  And I is envious. But I've done my [ close to ] 6 days so I guess I've got to go short this time. I am optomistic that we'll get far more done than I'm planning on. *Nameless* is usually on the same touring pace as me everywhere we go. But I really want to do at least 1 character meal and a tour which takes time away from other things, plus there will be more nighttime things we'll need to fix into our plans.


----------



## DizNee Luver

Since I have the AP, I read on what the options were.....I'm very interested in the hat with pin...but the FP deal would be nice too.  The thing with the FP's.....we get there early enough & have the twins & grandma's tickets that won't be getting on those rides, so we already will have bonus FP's.....so I'm leaning towards the pin.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> Since I have the AP, I read on what the options were.....I'm very interested in the hat with pin...but the FP deal would be nice too.  The thing with the FP's.....we get there early enough & have the twins & grandma's tickets that won't be getting on those rides, so we already will have bonus FP's.....so I'm leaning towards the pin.



That's always a good thing. With just the two of us though, not so much. But at the same time, we can always get our FP's early in the morning. The plus side to these, however, is that even when a machine has given out all of it's FP's for the day we can still get some. Could be helpful at nighttime, . I don't know. I tell myself one thing and I think it's a great idea. Then I tell myself something else and I think it wont make a difference.


----------



## merrrydeath

I can't belive that I haven't been to the WDFM yet. I've had a few opportunites but they have not worked out. Ridiculous.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> I can't belive that I haven't been to the WDFM yet. I've had a few opportunites but they have not worked out. Ridiculous.



That's how I feel. It will be a big weight lifted off my shoulders after this weekend, that's for sure. I'll probably squeeze in another visit sometime before I hit DLR again in July though. Just to get me in the _mood_.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> That's how I feel. It will be a big weight lifted off my shoulders after this weekend, that's for sure. I'll probably squeeze in another visit sometime before I hit DLR again in July though. Just to get me in the _mood_.



Goood idea.


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

I really enjoy fantasy YA books too. I just finished the Percy Jackson series (but that's independent reader, no? Like HP?). Anyways, I love that stuff.

Apparently Sunday is the new Saturday, meaning Sunday is more busy than Saturdays because of APs and blackout dates. I say if you get the FPs, use them Friday or Sunday.


----------



## kaoden39

Okay, so upon further study I think my GAD will not be used that way.  I am not sure what I am going to use it for now.  Argh....I am so confused!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

prettyprincessbelle said:


> I really enjoy fantasy YA books too. I just finished the Percy Jackson series (but that's independent reader, no? Like HP?). Anyways, I love that stuff.
> 
> Apparently Sunday is the new Saturday, meaning Sunday is more busy than Saturdays because of APs and blackout dates. I say if you get the FPs, use them Friday or Sunday.



I actually just finished Percy Jackson a couple of weeks ago (anything with Greek Mythology is also a big hit with me). What did you think? I just lent the books out to my friend (I'm like her library in that aspect sometimes).

And thanks for the tip on when to use the FP. It totally slipped my mind about blockout dates. Silly me, as I was totally looking into that the other day. We'll probably end up using them on Friday then, rather than Sunday, since it will be a full day and we can use them at night.


----------



## Belle Ella

I am doing a happy dance today 

I fully admit to having been bitten by the pin-trading bug. As contagious as it is, I can still function reasonably well. Truth be told, I only want Snow White pins but I want every single one I see. Eesh. Luckily on my last trip I had a few leftover pins from some trading lanyards my parents had purchased for my sister and I when we went for Christmas in '03 (or was it '04 ) and they weren't pins I had any intention of keeping so I was able to trade them all for ones I did want and then I tried to limit myself on how many brand new pins I bought before I left. So I ended up with 2 new pins that I purchased, including the one from the Studio Store, and a set of pins that I traded for but hadn't intended on picking up in the first place - the Princess Toddler set. I found the Snow White one first and spent the rest of the week trying to find the rest of them without purchasing them.

Well, I have decided to prepare myself for my next trip and I took the advice of plenty of other DIS'ers and family members: look to eBay!! Well, when I took a look this weekend, I got distracted when I found an adorable hidden-mickey Snow White pin from 2007 that I kind of bought on a whim. Bought I also got about 10 more to use for trading, and everything arrived in the mail today! Although there are 2 hidden mickey ones I will probably end up keeping, the rest will definitely be used for trading if I see something I want. We'll see. Like I said, I really only want Snow White  but a close friend of the family *lives* for the hidden mickey pins so I may see if she's got something to trade for it. It makes me happy.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to display the ones I know I'm keeping now. I have an old cork board but it doesn't really fit anywhere in my room now that I have new shelves put up and it's really rough and the back of a very old pin that I got from a breast cancer walk just broke which bummed me out. I don't want that to happen to my Disney Pins. I also want to take photos of the ones I have at some point to kind of document what I've got. Maybe I'll do that today.

I also picked up a couple of new books yesterday and I'm buried in them. I finally got the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland which I've wanted to read through for a while and right now I'm reading the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Sure it's a lot of stuff we already know, but it's a good read nonetheless so far. I'm going to 10,000% prepared for this summer if it's the last thing I do.


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> I also picked up a couple of new books yesterday and I'm buried in them. I finally got the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland which I've wanted to read through for a while and right now I'm reading the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland.



Thank you for mentioning the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland. Immediately read the preview pages on Amazon and I can't wait to read this book.  I also can't believe that it's not available at the Berkeley library or through interlibrary loan although they have the Walt Disney World version in Livermore and at Cal Poly.  DW works for the UC libraries and I'm not often _allowed_ to buy from Amazon. I'll see if she can find it for me. Where did you find it?


----------



## kaoden39

Hawleys said:


> Thank you for mentioning the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland. Immediately read the preview pages on Amazon and I can't wait to read this book.  I also can't believe that it's not available at the Berkeley library or through interlibrary loan although they have the Walt Disney World version in Livermore and at Cal Poly.  DW works for the UC libraries and I'm not often _allowed_ to buy from Amazon. I'll see if she can find it for me. Where did you find it?



Amazon was the only place I found it.  I was amazed.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hawleys said:


> Thank you for mentioning the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland. Immediately read the preview pages on Amazon and I can't wait to read this book.  I also can't believe that it's not available at the Berkeley library or through interlibrary loan although they have the Walt Disney World version in Livermore and at Cal Poly.  DW works for the UC libraries and I'm not often _allowed_ to buy from Amazon. I'll see if she can find it for me. Where did you find it?



I've seen it at most bookstores I go to - then again I only drop by Borders when I go to the movies since it's across the street or Barnes&Noble because it's in the same shopping center as the store I work at. But I had a gift card for Borders leftover from Christmas plus a coupon because I have a rewards account with them so I picked it up there.

Heck, I wasn't _supposed_ to, but it was within walking distance of Michael's and I had to pick up a few art supplies last minute since I couldn't get out to Blick - which I really need to remember to do tomorrow or Sunday or I am in big trouble ...


----------



## Belle Ella

*Note to self:* In order to make a touring plan, which I definitely want this time around since the company I'll be keeping isn't strictly against having a plan, I am going to make a little checklist of the rides, attractions, shows and what not for *Nameless* to take a look at and prioritize as far as what she'll ride, what she wont, what her favorites are, what she would like to do, etc. And because I can, I'm going to go all out and theme the list somehow. I'm not quite sure exactly how, but some of the letters that other DIS'ers wrote family members to get them pumped up for DLR have pretty much given me inspiration!

Work on said checklist shall commence as soon as I get home from a measly 4 hour shift at work (hey, at least it's 4 hours).


----------



## goofycathy

Belle Ella said:


> *Note to self:* In order to make a touring plan, which I definitely want this time around since the company I'll be keeping isn't strictly against having a plan, I am going to make a little checklist of the rides, attractions, shows and what not for *Nameless* to take a look at and prioritize as far as what she'll ride, what she wont, what her favorites are, what she would like to do, etc. And because I can, I'm going to go all out and theme the list somehow. I'm not quite sure exactly how, but some of the letters that other DIS'ers wrote family members to get them pumped up for DLR have pretty much given me inspiration!
> 
> Work on said checklist shall commence as soon as I get home from a measly 4 hour shift at work (hey, at least it's 4 hours).



I'm going to TRY and do the same thing today, I have always been against touring plans and such but after seeing other people I have become inspired!  We'll see how far I get and if it turns out good maybe I will take a few pics and post them on my PTR!  good luck with yours!


----------



## DizNee Luver

I uber-plan....but planning which rides have never been on the list(s).  I plan out meals, entertainment, MM, etc.  Basically when we get to the gates, we decide who'll be the runner to go get what FP first.  Then we choose where they'll find the rest of us.  We pretty much decide on rides as we go.


----------



## wvnative

DizNee Luver said:


> I uber-plan....but planning which rides have never been on the list(s).  I plan out meals, entertainment, MM, etc.  Basically when we get to the gates, we decide who'll be the runner to go get what FP first.  Then we choose where they'll find the rest of us.  We pretty much decide on rides as we go.




That's me too. Everyone in the group gets to pick a first ride each day. Other than that,we just kinda wing it when it comes to rides.


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

Belle Ella said:


> I actually just finished Percy Jackson a couple of weeks ago (anything with Greek Mythology is also a big hit with me). What did you think? I just lent the books out to my friend (I'm like her library in that aspect sometimes).
> 
> And thanks for the tip on when to use the FP. It totally slipped my mind about blockout dates. Silly me, as I was totally looking into that the other day. We'll probably end up using them on Friday then, rather than Sunday, since it will be a full day and we can use them at night.



I really liked it! It made me want to brush up and get more into Greek Mythology. I want to see the movie when it comes out. It looks good!

Oh you're welcome! It's confusing when we're all used to Saturday being the busiest and then WHAM! Now it's Sundays.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm not really planning on making a detailed "we go here, then here" kind of thing. I'm kind of trying to just get an idea of what our must-dos and must-sees are. Plus right now, I just want to feel like I'm doing something. My two trips with *Frick* were much more fly-by-the-seat of your pants and I just feel like so much time was wasted trying to figure out what we were going to do next and I want to cut that step out as much as possible and we don't have time to waste during the summer. Especially knowing that there will be other entertainment that simply hasn't been announced yet.

Now, if I was doing another week again it would be a whole other story.



prettyprincessbelle said:


> I really liked it! It made me want to brush up and get more into Greek Mythology. I want to see the movie when it comes out. It looks good!
> 
> Oh you're welcome! It's confusing when we're all used to Saturday being the busiest and then WHAM! Now it's Sundays.



Only one week to go until the movie comes out! We'll probably see it first thing next Saturday morning (you can't beat $6 movie tickets anymore). I ate the books up so fast and was so sad to see them end. I'm curious what he'll do for his new Camp Half-Blood series, but I'll read it for sure.


----------



## Belle Ella

Tomorrow morning we'll be hitting BART on our way to S.F. for the WDFM and I had to make something for us to do during the ride  I know I'm bringing the Disneyland Guide for some more light reading and I went ahead and made a little printout for Nameless to fill out at her leisure about what rides she'll want to do. It will be revised as our dates get closer and I can add entertainment options in as well. Now that I think about it, I totally forgot to take HISTA off. Oops, my bad. I'll just cross it off rather than reprint everything. I'm going to make a little planning binder for myself and I will force myself not to forget anything I need to do this time around!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Tomorrow morning we'll be hitting BART on our way to S.F. for the WDFM and I had to make something for us to do during the ride  I know I'm bringing the Disneyland Guide for some more light reading and I went ahead and made a little printout for Nameless to fill out at her leisure about what rides she'll want to do. It will be revised as our dates get closer and I can add entertainment options in as well. Now that I think about it, I totally forgot to take HISTA off. Oops, my bad. I'll just cross it off rather than reprint everything. I'm going to make a little planning binder for myself and I will force myself not to forget anything I need to do this time around!!



Sounds like fun.  I love BART.  Have a great time and if Nameless looks at you like a nutcase you will know why.


----------



## Belle Ella

Gosh darnit all. Stupid Toyota recall spoiling all of my plans. *Nameless* works for a Toyota dealership and is required to work overtime tomorrow so there go our weekend plans. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do. Boo.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Gosh darnit all. Stupid Toyota recall spoiling all of my plans. *Nameless* works for a Toyota dealership and is required to work overtime tomorrow so there go our weekend plans. Now I have no idea what I'm going to do. Boo.



Aw poor Jazz.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Aw poor Jazz.



You can say that again  Now I'll probably have to spend the day shampooing carpets with the rest of my family. Now there's a fun idea.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You can say that again  Now I'll probably have to spend the day shampooing carpets with the rest of my family. Now there's a fun idea.



Oh yeah, I am a jealous woman. 


not really


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh yeah, I am a jealous woman.
> 
> 
> not really



Aw, c'mon - don't you know it sounds like a party?

I'm thinking of sneaking out and heading out to Berkley so I can get the rest of my art supplies which I absolutely have to have before class on Monday. But I can't seem to log off the DIS and put down my book long enough to get ready. I am such a procrastinator sometimes.


----------



## Hawleys

Saturdays are for procrastinating.  We are _just_ eating breaky. Sorry your plans fell through.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, c'mon - don't you know it sounds like a party?
> 
> I'm thinking of sneaking out and heading out to Berkley so I can get the rest of my art supplies which I absolutely have to have before class on Monday. But I can't seem to log off the DIS and put down my book long enough to get ready. I am such a procrastinator sometimes.



I was good this morning.  I have already been out and about.  I got up at around 6 am to take Scotty to work.  I am thinking it is nap time now.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hawleys said:


> Saturdays are for procrastinating.  We are _just_ eating breaky. Sorry your plans fell through.



You are very right. Let's just say I have yet to get out to Blick today and I'm fairly certain it wont be happening now since my nap time is supposed to start around 4 or 5 (I _*start*_ work at 10 tonight) and I am not in the mood to leave this second.



kaoden39 said:


> I was good this morning.  I have already been out and about.  I got up at around 6 am to take Scotty to work.  I am thinking it is nap time now.



Well, I've been good to an extent. I have been putting off getting my art supplies by doing my homework for my anthropology class.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You are very right. Let's just say I have yet to get out to Blick today and I'm fairly certain it wont be happening now since my nap time is supposed to start around 4 or 5 (I _*start*_ work at 10 tonight) and I am not in the mood to leave this second.
> 
> 
> 
> Well, I've been good to an extent. I have been putting off getting my art supplies by doing my homework for my anthropology class.



Doing your homework is a good thing.  Since the weather is improving tomorrow would be better to go to Berkley.  Driving is much better when the rain stops.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Doing your homework is a good thing.  Since the weather is improving tomorrow would be better to go to Berkley.  Driving is much better when the rain stops.



That's part of what I was thinking. My mom seems to think I'm taking her to Target tomorrow (because it's not like I wont be spending my entire night there in the first place) so I'll probably talk her into going to Blick with me, among other things. It'll be a long day, I'm sure. Too bad there are no movies I want to see right now.

And *Nameless* and I are going to lunch on Monday and who knows, maybe she'll finally get a nickname. And we're currently undecided on if we'll be seeing The Lightning Thief or trying again for the WDFM next Saturday.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's part of what I was thinking. My mom seems to think I'm taking her to Target tomorrow (because it's not like I wont be spending my entire night there in the first place) so I'll probably talk her into going to Blick with me, among other things. It'll be a long day, I'm sure. Too bad there are no movies I want to see right now.
> 
> And *Nameless* and I are going to lunch on Monday and who knows, maybe she'll finally get a nickname. And we're currently undecided on if we'll be seeing The Lightning Thief or trying again for the WDFM next Saturday.



I vote for the Lightning Thief, all the way.  I love that book series.  Loho read that series and raved so much about it I decided to read it too.  And so did WBG and we became as big of fans of it as he is.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I vote for the Lightning Thief, all the way.  I love that book series.  Loho read that series and raved so much about it I decided to read it too.  And so did WBG and we became as big of fans of it as he is.



That's what we're both leaning towards as well. I have been waiting for this movie for what feels like ages now.  it's almost here! Did you know that Riordan is writing another Camp Half Blood series? I'm interested to see what ideas he'll come up with for it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's what we're both leaning towards as well. I have been waiting for this movie for what feels like ages now.  it's almost here! Did you know that Riordan is writing another Camp Half Blood series? I'm interested to see what ideas he'll come up with for it.



I'm not surprised, the Percy one was crazy popular.  Did you knw he has a grown up detective series that he writes?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'm not surprised, the Percy one was crazy popular.  Did you knw he has a grown up detective series that he writes?



That I do. I've added it to a long list of things I want to read but I haven't gotten around to it yet. All of the series I read have new books coming out in the next couple of months and I'm trying to prepare myself for that, lol


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

Today has just been one of those  days. I _*finally*_ made my way to Berkeley ( *somehow I always manage to forget that pesky extra e...* )like I was supposed to ages ago, and of course I get turned around because I can't direct myself out of a paper bag, which was frustrating to no end!!

EUGH! Is it the weekend again, yet?

Wait, never mind. That means that silly v-day thing that I am determined to not notice exists ...


----------



## wvnative

Haha.. I know what you mean. (insert sarcasm here) I get to spend my Valentine's day with my DD and her lovely BF. (end sarcasm) I think I'll spend the day with my homework and my sewing machine. lol It's just like any other weekend to me.

I got all excited this morning because HOJO finally added in some March dates. Of course, they end the day before we get there. haha


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> I also picked up a couple of new books yesterday and I'm buried in them. I finally got the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland which I've wanted to read through for a while and right now I'm reading the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Sure it's a lot of stuff we already know, but it's a good read nonetheless so far. I'm going to 10,000% prepared for this summer if it's the last thing I do.



DW couldn't find the Imagineering Field Guide to DL so I caved and ordered it from Amazon. Read most of it last night and now I'm being good and not reading since I'm supposed to be working. Of course, I'm on the Dis so that whole working thing is not exactly working.  Anyway, I'm enjoying the book and wanted to say thanks for the recommendation.


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> Today has just been one of those  days. I _*finally*_ made my way to Berkeley ( *somehow I always manage to forget that pesky extra e...* )like I was supposed to ages ago, and of course I get turned around because I can't direct myself out of a paper bag, which was frustrating to no end!!
> 
> EUGH! Is it the weekend again, yet?
> 
> Wait, never mind. That means that silly v-day thing that I am determined to not notice exists ...



Hee...I forget the 'e' all the time too! Where is Blicks?


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> Haha.. I know what you mean. (insert sarcasm here) I get to spend my Valentine's day with my DD and her lovely BF. (end sarcasm) I think I'll spend the day with my homework and my sewing machine. lol It's just like any other weekend to me.
> 
> I got all excited this morning because HOJO finally added in some March dates. Of course, they end the day before we get there. haha



I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that they get added sometime before you leave. You never know, right? It could be last minute. It's so frustrating on my end when I'm still 5 months away and I'm already anxious about our dates going up. I know how you felt now, a couple months ago.



Hawleys said:


> DW couldn't find the Imagineering Field Guide to DL so I caved and ordered it from Amazon. Read most of it last night and now I'm being good and not reading since I'm supposed to be working. Of course, I'm on the Dis so that whole working thing is not exactly working.  Anyway, I'm enjoying the book and wanted to say thanks for the recommendation.



Glad you enjoyed the book!!  I would be so useless if I could get any kind of internet access at work, I can't tell you. Which I guess is a good thing for me. I used to take my laptop to classes for notes because I can type a heck of a lot faster than I can write and the internet got way, way *way* too tempting for me!



Hawleys said:


> Hee...I forget the 'e' all the time too! Where is Blicks?



At least I'm not alone, lol. Blick's is on University Ave. You should have seen me trying to figure out how to get into their parking area. And then of course I forgot that I needed to get back to 80-E. I should never drive anywhere alone, I have come to this conclusion.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, gosh darn it all!

I go to open my email this morning and what am I greeted by? My first ever PIN offer. I wish I was in a position to use it. I'm tempted to try and talk my mom into going during some of the dates available since she says if she ever does DLR again it will be on-site. But my whole family (minus me) is heading to Colorado in April for my grandfather's 80th birthday so all the "vacation" money is going towards that. And of course the offer isn't good during the summer 

Go figure.


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> At least I'm not alone, lol. Blick's is on University Ave. You should have seen me trying to figure out how to get into their parking area. And then of course I forgot that I needed to get back to 80-E. I should never drive anywhere alone, I have come to this conclusion.



University is always a mess!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I found that out the hard way.


----------



## Belle Ella

Disney is making me cry, and it's not in a happy way 

Main Street Electrical Parade Returns to WDW - Disney Parks Blog

One reason I was ready to brave the summer crowds was so I could see the EP. And now that's not going to happen.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Disney is making me cry, and it's not in a happy way
> 
> Main Street Electrical Parade Returns to WDW - Disney Parks Blog
> 
> One reason I was ready to brave the summer crowds was so I could see the EP. And now that's not going to happen.



Oh no.  I cannot let WBG know.  He loves that parade, it is his must do thing, like POTC is mine.  Oh boy, I will need to find something out for him.


----------



## Belle Ella

Depressing, isn't it? I get that WOC will be open, but in all honesty I would rather see the EP than WOC since the EP isn't something they run all year and I'm under the impression that WOC will be all year like Fantasmic! (even if it's just weekends).

Now I just want to know what the deal will be for the summer. It's already starting to sound like bad news for me.


----------



## DizNee Luver

I saw that as well & got very depressed!!  We went last spring break & no DEP....then I saw it was going to be running this year!!  Then to see the blog about it going to WDW this summer.

It makes sense if you think about it.......with WOC opening & the Pixar Play Parade....where does that leave DEP in the big plans for DCA????  I think they should move it back to Main Street...it's proper home!!!!


----------



## wvnative

I'm excited that it will be running while we're there in March, but also wish they'd send it back to DL instead of WDW. It sucks that it'll be gone by the time you go.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> I saw that as well & got very depressed!!  We went last spring break & no DEP....then I saw it was going to be running this year!!  Then to see the blog about it going to WDW this summer.
> 
> It makes sense if you think about it.......with WOC opening & the Pixar Play Parade....where does that leave DEP in the big plans for DCA????  I think they should move it back to Main Street...it's proper home!!!!



I know, right?! I can't help but feel that DL is getting the shaft here. It's a real bummer. I completely get that they have concerns about space when WOC opens up because of the construction, but why is there a problem moving it to Main Street where it *definitely* belongs.

DLR is being punished for getting a new show - how does that work?

All I can hope is that there will be some redeeming announcements about this summer when the time comes. Otherwise I'm rescheduling this vacation.



wvnative said:


> I'm excited that it will be running while we're there in March, but also wish they'd send it back to DL instead of WDW. It sucks that it'll be gone by the time you go.



Lucky you!! Now I'm serious, can I stowaway???!?!?!?!


----------



## wvnative

Belle Ella said:


> Lucky you!! Now I'm serious, can I stowaway???!?!?!?!



As long as DI&S doesn't charge for a rollaway. lol You could totally come hang with us.


----------



## Belle Ella

If you gals can spare a quick though for my sister tonight, I'd really appreciate it. We're going through some really hard family stuff right now and it's freaking me out a little bit. Watching a family member struggle with depression is very, very, very scary.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> If you gals can spare a quick though for my sister tonight, I'd really appreciate it. We're going through some really hard family stuff right now and it's freaking me out a little bit. Watching a family member struggle with depression is very, very, very scary.



I'm there for you.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'm there for you.



 Thanks. Yesterday was just a nightmare.

I need happy news.


----------



## DizNee Luver

Belle Ella said:


> If you gals can spare a quick though for my sister tonight, I'd really appreciate it. We're going through some really hard family stuff right now and it's freaking me out a little bit. Watching a family member struggle with depression is very, very, very scary.



Prayers coming your way & for your family!!! 
I have struggled with depression & anxiety to the point of not leaving my house for months.  It is hard on everyone & misunderstood by most.  Try to stay positive & get her medical help.  Depression needs intervention in a pill form.  We cannot control chemical imbalances.

***HUGS***


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Thanks. Yesterday was just a nightmare.
> 
> I need happy news.



It will get easier and Laurie is right, she needs help.  There is no shame in asking for help.  There is shame in not asking for it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Thankfully, she's always been open to help. She's been on medication for a few years now but she just switched medication recently and everything has kind of snowballed since then. It's hard not being able to do anything about it, I feel pretty helpless. She's on a 72 hour watch right now and I just feel so bad that she has to go through this.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Thankfully, she's always been open to help. She's been on medication for a few years now but she just switched medication recently and everything has kind of snowballed since then. It's hard not being able to do anything about it, I feel pretty helpless. She's on a 72 hour watch right now and I just feel so bad that she has to go through this.



She's in the best place for her.  Then she will get the best help, in this situation the family has it harder.  Do not blame yourself, you can't help her.  And hopefully her meds will straighten around.


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## DizNee Luver

From the sounds of it, the meds played a big part in this.  I had to go thru about 5 different meds before they found something that worked....unfortunately you have to give each new med about 6-8 weeks to take effect.
Hopefully during the 72 hr stay they'll be able to get things a bit more regulated for her.  She's in good hands & just being there is what she needs!!!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

Well, so much for having _my_ anxiety under control. Everyone's OK though and that's what counts.

Now I really wish I could get away to DLR *today*!!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, so much for having _my_ anxiety under control. Everyone's OK though and that's what counts.
> 
> Now I really wish I could get away to DLR *today*!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm under the 5 month mark for my July 2010 trip!! It makes me feel better to see no 5's in my ticker anymore. As a side-note, my dad mentioned the possibility of a September 2010 trip after safely seeing my sister off to College in August. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but it's an exciting possibility, for sure. Then again, it would be nice to know before July so I'd know if I should possibly be upgrading to an AP ...

And just as an update, my little sister should be coming home sometime today.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm under the 5 month mark for my July 2010 trip!! It makes me feel better to see no 5's in my ticker anymore. As a side-note, my dad mentioned the possibility of a September 2010 trip after safely seeing my sister off to College in August. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but it's an exciting possibility, for sure. Then again, it would be nice to know before July so I'd know if I should possibly be upgrading to an AP ...
> 
> And just as an update, my little sister should be coming home sometime today.



Yay glad to hear it!!


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

Belle Ella said:


> If you gals can spare a quick though for my sister tonight, I'd really appreciate it. We're going through some really hard family stuff right now and it's freaking me out a little bit. Watching a family member struggle with depression is very, very, very scary.



I'm here for you too.  Lots of hugs and happy thoughts for you and your sister.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love you gals, you know that?!?!

My sister surprised me when she got home today. I didn't think she'd be home for a couple more hours at least so hearing her say "hello" when she walked in the door was just  I love my sister to pieces (even when it annoys the patootie out of her) so I'm glad she's home and everything is under control again.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I love you gals, you know that?!?!
> 
> My sister surprised me when she got home today. I didn't think she'd be home for a couple more hours at least so hearing her say "hello" when she walked in the door was just  I love my sister to pieces (even when it annoys the patootie out of her) so I'm glad she's home and everything is under control again.



I am pleased that your sister is home.  

We love you too silly!!  You're part of our big Discrazy family!!


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

Belle Ella said:


> I love you gals, you know that?!?!
> 
> My sister surprised me when she got home today. I didn't think she'd be home for a couple more hours at least so hearing her say "hello" when she walked in the door was just  I love my sister to pieces (even when it annoys the patootie out of her) so I'm glad she's home and everything is under control again.



I'm glad she's home and everything is okie dokie with her!

And duh, we love you too!


----------



## Belle Ella

We're all just one big happy DIS-family 

I wish I had planning stuff to add right now. But I've been trying to catch up on my art homework. Holy smokes the stuff we're doing is weird. Let me just say it's a funkified life sized drawing of myself x3.

WOOOO! More Olympics coming up.

^ Yeah, cuz that's taking up a lot of my attention span right now.


----------



## wvnative

Yep, me too. I completely blew off the homework I had planned to do last night so I could watch women's downhill, the half pipe and Apollo. 

Now I'll have to do more homework on Saturday, oh well. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

Speaking of the halfpipe (SOOOO excited for Shaun White) you would think since they were airing it a good few hours after the actual even they could actuall bleep out the expletives between him and his coach, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

wvnative said:


> Yep, me too. I completely blew off the homework I had planned to do last night so I could watch women's downhill, the half pipe and Apollo.
> 
> Now I'll have to do more homework on Saturday, oh well. lol





Belle Ella said:


> Speaking of the halfpipe (SOOOO excited for Shaun White) you would think since they were airing it a good few hours after the actual even they could actuall bleep out the expletives between him and his coach, lol.



The winter Olympics are my drug right now.  I am watching in on the networks that is airing it.  Even the curling.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too  It's on all day. But I am getting frustrated with curling. I usually tune it out (but it's still on) until I realize they are cutting off hockey coverage because of it.

STUUUUUUPID.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too  It's on all day. But I am getting frustrated with curling. I usually tune it out (but it's still on) until I realize they are cutting off hockey coverage because of it.
> 
> STUUUUUUPID.



What's worse is I am starting to understand it....


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What's worse is I am starting to understand it....



 Now that's freaking hilarious. You now know more about curling that 99% of the American population. You should coach.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Now that's freaking hilarious. You now know more about curling that 99% of the American population. You should coach.



I have another one for you, my almost 17 year old daughter would like to learn how to play it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have another one for you, my almost 17 year old daughter would like to learn how to play it.



And then in 4 years she'll be at the Olympics in the sport people are only watching because ... I still don't know why?

Oh yeah, it's the Olympics.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And then in 4 years she'll be at the Olympics in the sport people are only watching because ... I still don't know why?
> 
> Oh yeah, it's the Olympics.



And there is a cute young guy on the curling team that I follow on twitter called Chris Plys.  He is hilarious.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I've seen a few of his ... what do you call 'em ... tweets? They've got them posted on NBC's website (since I hate waiting until primetime to watch results I've got the website running all day).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, I've seen a few of his ... what do you call 'em ... tweets? They've got them posted on NBC's website (since I hate waiting until primetime to watch results I've got the website running all day).



I don't think that it's fair that we can't watch it live.  It is in our time zone.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> Speaking of the halfpipe (SOOOO excited for Shaun White) you would think since they were airing it a good few hours after the actual even they could actuall bleep out the expletives between him and his coach, lol.



Shaun White has the(THE) best hair ever. I can't stand how amazing it is. I could die.


----------



## Belle Ella

I know, right?! The east coast gets live and we are stuck waiting allllll day.

Heck, I have officially figured out how they get us to actually watch curling: it's one of the very few things they are actually broadcasting *live* on the west coast.

Makes me want to pull my hair out.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Shaun White has the(THE) best hair ever. I can't stand how amazing it is. I could die.



And I'm so very jealous of him for it, lmao.


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> Shaun White has the(THE) best hair ever. I can't stand how amazing it is. I could die.



It is beautiful isn't it.  My daughter Kacy thinks he is so hot.



Belle Ella said:


> I know, right?! The east coast gets live and we are stuck waiting allllll day.
> 
> Heck, I have officially figured out how they get us to actually watch curling: it's one of the very few things they are actually broadcasting *live* on the west coast.
> 
> Makes me want to pull my hair out.



That's it.  They want to bring up the rating of curling.


----------



## Belle Ella

We've had posters of him (Shaun White) in the break room at work - seeing as Target's a big sponsor of his. Every winter he's all over something in our store.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We've had posters of him (Shaun White) in the break room at work - seeing as Target's a big sponsor of his. Every winter he's all over something in our store.



Kacy would so love that


----------



## Belle Ella

Speaking of, they're airing an interview on NBC right now if you're not watching


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Speaking of, they're airing an interview on NBC right now if you're not watching



Are you kidding?  I wonder where he got the tattoo and what it is of....


----------



## Belle Ella

I wonder if he even did/will. If you caught him on the Today show early this AM he was talking about not wanting to shut his coach down at the top of the pipe.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I wonder if he even did/will. If you caught him on the Today show early this AM he was talking about not wanting to shut his coach down at the top of the pipe.



Yeah, I saw it.  I wonder...I think he is a free enough spirit to get a tattoo.


----------



## Belle Ella

It'll probably happen. And I'm pretty sure he already has at least one tattoo.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It'll probably happen. And I'm pretty sure he already has at least one tattoo.



A lot of people do.  I have a couple.


----------



## Belle Ella

Not meeeeee! I'm too chicken ****  Nor do I have any piercings, ears included.

But I know I've seen one on his forearm in a photo not too long ago. I love seeing people's tattoos. But I can guarantee you with almost 100% certainty I shall never have one.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not meeeeee! I'm too chicken ****  Nor do I have any piercings, ears included.
> 
> But I know I've seen one on his forearm in a photo not too long ago. I love seeing people's tattoos. But I can guarantee you with almost 100% certainty I shall never have one.



I decided I wanted scars that I chose to have to go along with my others.  And frankly they aren't that bad to get.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm still too chicken. That's alright though. But hey, never say never - right?


----------



## wvnative

Hmmm, now I'm curious to know what he has. lol I tend to forget I have one until someone says something. lol  My kid just got one a couple of weeks ago and she's already forgotten she has it. That is, until she reached back and scratched it. ow. lol


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm still too chicken. That's alright though. But hey, never say never - right?







wvnative said:


> Hmmm, now I'm curious to know what he has. lol I tend to forget I have one until someone says something. lol  My kid just got one a couple of weeks ago and she's already forgotten she has it. That is, until she reached back and scratched it. ow. lol



Oh yes, I remember it well.


----------



## Belle Ella

My volunteer day is tomorrow morning!! 

And now that I've got GAD on the brain, I think I may have one other possible route to take with my voucher. Since my dad and I are contemplating a September/October trip and because I _really_ want to go with the Divas next year I'm really thinking about upgrading to an AP. It's so, so, so tempting!! Should I take the plunge and do it?

I'd love to have the discounts (tours & dining) for our full trip which would mean upgrading the day that we get there, but then I'd be subjected to Saturday's blockout day which is where the GAD voucher would come in handy - using it for admission rather than the pins or FP. Or, I could upgrade _on_ Saturday if I understand correctly and still have valid admission for the day (can anyone set me straight on this) which would leave my GAD voucher free for the FP or pins.

If I do get an AP, there's no backing out on another trip (or more)!!


----------



## kaoden39

Do it!  Do it!  Do it!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Do it!  Do it!  Do it!



I'm about 95% sure I will be, lol. It's going to come down to how much cash-ola I have come July and if I can spare to upgrade then and there rather than save up again for a PH next year.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm about 95% sure I will be, lol. It's going to come down to how much cash-ola I have come July and if I can spare to upgrade then and there rather than save up again for a PH next year.



Sounds good


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh my goodness! I had the worst dream last night. I drove down to DLR for an awesome weekend and had totally forgot my PH at home. NOOOOOOOO! I'm always so, so, so paranoid of doing this. At least it was only a dream, right?


----------



## Belle Ella

Well boys and girls, I am off to my Give a Day, Get a Day work at a nearby preschool.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh my goodness! I had the worst dream last night. I drove down to DLR for an awesome weekend and had totally forgot my PH at home. NOOOOOOOO! I'm always so, so, so paranoid of doing this. At least it was only a dream, right?



Take a deep breath.  It was just a dream.



Belle Ella said:


> Well boys and girls, I am off to my Give a Day, Get a Day work at a nearby preschool.



This is ironic, you Laurie and I all have the same weekend for our GAD.


----------



## Belle Ella

What a blast this GAD has been for me so far!

How crazy is this: The preschool that I volunteered at today just so happens to be at the location where I attended Kindergarten and Elementary school until our brand new campus was completed when I was in 1st grade, and then where I attended Jr. High while the main campus construction was completed. It was just a total deju-vu moment getting out of my car and remembering all the time I spent there.

It sure does look a lot smaller now that I'm older!!

But it was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of people there (I heard the organizer mention that she had about 100 people sign up) but we had a lot to do. Taking just about everything out of the classrooms so they could be cleaned outside while every surface inside was cleaned, inventories were taken, you name it. By the time noon rolled around we still could have found more to do, but it was a successful morning nonetheless. And of course some chit chatting with everyone there every now and again about our Disney obsessions and when we're all planing on going, have we received PIN offers after signing up, and all that jazz (  ).



kaoden39 said:


> This is ironic, you Laurie and I all have the same weekend for our GAD.



It's a great GAD weekend, huh? Great minds think alike


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> What a blast this GAD has been for me so far!
> 
> How crazy is this: The preschool that I volunteered at today just so happens to be at the location where I attended Kindergarten and Elementary school until our brand new campus was completed when I was in 1st grade, and then where I attended Jr. High while the main campus construction was completed. It was just a total deju-vu moment getting out of my car and remembering all the time I spent there.
> 
> It sure does look a lot smaller now that I'm older!!
> 
> But it was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of people there (I heard the organizer mention that she had about 100 people sign up) but we had a lot to do. Taking just about everything out of the classrooms so they could be cleaned outside while every surface inside was cleaned, inventories were taken, you name it. By the time noon rolled around we still could have found more to do, but it was a successful morning nonetheless. And of course some chit chatting with everyone there every now and again about our Disney obsessions and when we're all planing on going, have we received PIN offers after signing up, and all that jazz (  ).
> 
> 
> 
> It's a great GAD weekend, huh? Great minds think alike



It sounds like you had a great day.  That's good.  I haven't received a PIN but I get deals a couple times a week.  I cannot see staying onsite with our big party.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It sounds like you had a great day.  That's good.  I haven't received a PIN but I get deals a couple times a week.  I cannot see staying onsite with our big party.



When you signed up for you GAD what date did you put for when you planned on taking your next trip? Talking with everyone else there today we kind of deduced that everyone was getting them according to when they were planning on going. Possibly. I dunno, though.

I was hoping that I could use the PIN to coax my parents into going since my mom will only go if she stays on site, but they didn't bite. I wont be getting any use out of it. I gotta save money where I can, but darn it would be nice to stay on site again for a change. One day, one day.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> When you signed up for you GAD what date did you put for when you planned on taking your next trip? Talking with everyone else there today we kind of deduced that everyone was getting them according to when they were planning on going. Possibly. I dunno, though.
> 
> I was hoping that I could use the PIN to coax my parents into going since my mom will only go if she stays on site, but they didn't bite. I wont be getting any use out of it. I gotta save money where I can, but darn it would be nice to stay on site again for a change. One day, one day.



I put June on there.  I have had June in mind all along.  I don't understand why I don't get the PINs.  I have paid for our lat two trips to Disneyland at the DLH.  Who knows?


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> And I'm so very jealous of him for it, lmao.



Seriously me too.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Seriously me too.



And thousands of women elsewhere around the world, I'm sure


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> And thousands of women elsewhere around the world, I'm sure



I'm sure his hair is much nicer than most womens' because I bet you he doesn't do all the crappy stuff we do to our hair! No color, no blowdrying, no crazy products.


----------



## kaoden39

It looks so soft a person might want to run their finger through it even!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh man, I have beenw aiting for today.

Olympic Hockey. Canada vs. USA. :woohoo

And USA is already up 1-0


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh man, I have beenw aiting for today.
> 
> Olympic Hockey. Canada vs. USA. :woohoo
> 
> And USA is already up 1-0



I know isn't it wonderful?  My son Loren and I are watching it right now!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know isn't it wonderful?  My son Loren and I are watching it right now!!



At least they make what is shown live on the west coast count, because hockey is really all I cared about - as much as I have loved watching other events ... Nothing comes close.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> At least they make what is shown live on the west coast count, because hockey is really all I cared about - as much as I have loved watching other events ... Nothing comes close.



I am pleased that it is being shown live too.  This is one of the sports I really care about.


----------



## Belle Ella

And there goes Staal - tying it up.

I am perfectly happy with any outcome of this game. As much as I want the US to do well, I'm rooting for Canada to bring in the Gold.

Does that make me a traitor?


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, I take that back. Rafalski just put the US back up by 1,  It's already a great game.


----------



## kaoden39

No I don't think you are a traitor.  But I must admit when it comes to hockey I am a USA fan all the way!!  I would not mind thought if Canada won, better them than another country.


----------



## Belle Ella

If the games were being hosted anywhere else I would be all USA. But being on Canadian soil and after Torino, I want Canada to get redemption.

Alright, I take it all back: so long as Russia doesn't win gold, I will be happy (sorry Nabby!!!). And if they didn't medal (yeah, total longshot, but a girl can dream) I would be ecstatic.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> If the games were being hosted anywhere else I would be all USA. But being on Canadian soil and after Torino, I want Canada to get redemption.
> 
> Alright, I take it all back: so long as Russia doesn't win gold, I will be happy (sorry Nabby!!!). And if they didn't medal (yeah, total longshot, but a girl can dream) I would be ecstatic.



That's me.  I watched the game in 1980 and it was amazing, and it was amazing I could talk after that game.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's me.  I watched the game in 1980 and it was amazing, and it was amazing I could talk after that game.



I wish I had even been born then, lol. But no such luck.

But I will say, I wouldn't be so anti-Russia if there were no Ovechkin. I can't stand him. So the entire Russian team will be affected by my bias (because, you know, the world revolves around me).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I wish I had even been born then, lol. But no such luck.
> 
> But I will say, I wouldn't be so anti-Russia if there were no Ovechkin. I can't stand him. So the entire Russian team will be affected by my bias (because, you know, the world revolves around me).



As your world should.  Mine did at your age.  My sister was pregnant with my nephew in 1980.  And man he kicked during that game, it was great excitement to be had by all.

This is gonna be a great game.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's already a great game 

Heatley just tied it for Canada.


----------



## Belle Ella

Like I said - happy with any outcome. USA wins it 5-3.


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> It looks so soft a person might want to run their finger through it even!!



 definitely.



Belle Ella said:


> Like I said - happy with any outcome. USA wins it 5-3.



SUCH a good game. We made a party of it, and I had a bunch of friends over for hockey, pizza, and beer(  ). Really exciting and the end was great.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> SUCH a good game. We made a party of it, and I had a bunch of friends over for hockey, pizza, and beer(  ). Really exciting and the end was great.



I wish I could do something like that. But I don't know any hockey fans so I am stuck watching by myself, lol.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> I wish I could do something like that. But I don't know any hockey fans so I am stuck watching by myself, lol.



Sad  My brothers and their girlfriends are big hockey fans and I have a few friends who are as well. It's not very fun watching with people who don't like the sport. They just don't get it.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Sad  My brothers and their girlfriends are big hockey fans and I have a few friends who are as well. It's not very fun watching with people who don't like the sport. They just don't get it.



No, they don't. Every once in a while my family will humor me and let me watch a game in the living room. But then I have to listen to comments about watching pain dry or grass grow. 

Some day I will be able to share my hockey obsession with someone other than myself.


----------



## kaoden39

I had to leave the house to go get Scotty during the last period so I missed the last two scores.  I am happy with the ending.


----------



## prettyprincessbelle

I like hockey! I used to follow it more when I was younger, but Wayne Gretzky was my IDOL when I was younger. Him and Michael Jordan.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> No, they don't. Every once in a while my family will humor me and let me watch a game in the living room. But then I have to listen to comments about watching pain dry or grass grow.
> 
> Some day I will be able to share my hockey obsession with someone other than myself.



I hope so! The house got SO loud for a bit there. Everyone was really riled up at the end and there was a bunch of screaming. Very fun.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> I hope so! The house got SO loud for a bit there. Everyone was really riled up at the end and there was a bunch of screaming. Very fun.



Sounds like it 

Did you watch the stuff before the game? I almost fell off my chair laughing when Roenick couldn't make up his mind on how he was going to say Nabby's name talking about Russia's win.

Nab-a-k ... Na-bok-ov

Cuz you know, they weren't ever team mates or anything.



prettyprincessbelle said:


> I like hockey! I used to follow it more when I was younger, but Wayne Gretzky was my IDOL when I was younger. Him and Michael Jordan.



It's an awesome sport


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> Sounds like it
> 
> Did you watch the stuff before the game? I almost fell off my chair laughing when Roenick couldn't make up his mind on how he was going to say Nabby's name talking about Russia's win.
> 
> Nab-a-k ... Na-bok-ov
> 
> Cuz you know, they weren't ever team mates or anything.



Roenick is a GOON. My mom was at a Crab Fest last night and they had an auction. There were a few framed and signed Sharks photos for sale(she bought two. One of Heatley's first hat trick and the other of side by side pictures of Marleau, Thornton, and Heatley), and one was of Nabokov, but the auctioneer called him Eugene Nah-bah-koff


----------



## Belle Ella

So today is a busy morning - I have an art project to finish before class today that requires 'painting' with coffee and now my whole house smells like coffee and it's delicious. The end results are looking rather interesting. I'm not sure if I like it yet or not.

Fun, no?

And since Nameless and I haven't been able to stick with any of our plans lately because things with work coming up, I haven't been able to (a) award her a nickname and (b) give her my little ride letter that I was working on. Now I have to reprint it because we are less than 5 months away now and we're going out to lunch at CPK (bestest pizza I have ever had) tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to talk some trip planning with her because I feel like I'm going to explode!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So today is a busy morning - I have an art project to finish before class today that requires 'painting' with coffee and now my whole house smells like coffee and it's delicious. The end results are looking rather interesting. I'm not sure if I like it yet or not.
> 
> Fun, no?
> 
> And since Nameless and I haven't been able to stick with any of our plans lately because things with work coming up, I haven't been able to (a) award her a nickname and (b) give her my little ride letter that I was working on. Now I have to reprint it because we are less than 5 months away now and we're going out to lunch at CPK (bestest pizza I have ever had) tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to talk some trip planning with her because I feel like I'm going to explode!



I think Nameless is a good nickname for her.  I have gotten used to you calling her Nameless.  Poor thing.  Darn work and real life getting in the way of trip planning.  

Coffee art?  Hmm sounds interesting to me.  I love the smell of coffee, I cannot stand the taste, but I love the smell.


----------



## Belle Ella

At this rate, yeah - she'll be staying _*Nameless.*_

I'm not a big coffee drinker myself, but I love the smell too! My parents will probably get home and be like ... WHAT??!! It doesn't help that I have to use to kitchen floor to paint this thing.

We had to do these life size cross-contour drawings of ourselves and we're adding layers of a coffee-wash. Maybe if I don't hate the end result I'll share a photo of mine. I'm not really big on art that I have to make with my own two hands, so I'm not too thrilled with a lot of what I do. Give me a camera and I'm happy as a clam though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> At this rate, yeah - she'll be staying _*Nameless.*_
> 
> I'm not a big coffee drinker myself, but I love the smell too! My parents will probably get home and be like ... WHAT??!! It doesn't help that I have to use to kitchen floor to paint this thing.
> 
> We had to do these life size cross-contour drawings of ourselves and we're adding layers of a coffee-wash. Maybe if I don't hate the end result I'll share a photo of mine. I'm not really big on art that I have to make with my own two hands, so I'm not too thrilled with a lot of what I do. Give me a camera and I'm happy as a clam though.



I kind of understand.  My art is in my words and in a needle and thread for me.  That is an interesting way to do a painting.  I guess it is to add depth.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I kind of understand.  My art is in my words and in a needle and thread for me.  That is an interesting way to do a painting.  I guess it is to add depth.



It's a way to drive me insane is what it is ... And now that nervous pit at the base of my stomach has kicked in  I leave for class in about 30 minutes. I hate feeling like this.

So what do I do to calm my nerves? Listen to Disney music of course. I have my parade/fireworks playlist on right now. I finally found an OK version of the Magical fireworks (song is called Wishes). I wasn't as much a fan as I am of RDCT but there are certain parts of it that just give me the chills!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK ... I can't believe I'm going to do this, but I am going to post a photo of my art project. So be nice!! Class wasn't so bad today and my project was well received which was a relief for me. It's not so much that I can't take criticism, it's just that I have such a dislike for drawing that I need some encouragement.

Does that even make sense?

Anyways, take a peak - and feel free to *completely* ignore the blue figure. I totally f'ed it up and because it was in pastels I couldn't do anything to fix it. There's no going back from that stuff! And to give some perspective, this paper is quite a few inches longer than my height  It's huge.


----------



## kaoden39

I think that is so cool.  I love the concept.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think that is so cool.  I love the concept.



The best part is still the fact that it smells like coffee.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> The best part is still the fact that it smells like coffee.



Extra credit for that. MMMM.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The best part is still the fact that it smells like coffee.





merrrydeath said:


> Extra credit for that. MMMM.



I agree, I bet it is wonderful to smell.


----------



## Belle Ella

That it is. And it will be an even more wonderful smell when I wake up tomorrow morning!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That it is. And it will be an even more wonderful smell when I wake up tomorrow morning!



That is my favorite smell when I go camping.


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> That is my favorite smell when I go camping.



Oh drool. Camping smell is my favorite. Food smells AND tastes better while camping doesn't it? I love that.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That is my favorite smell when I go camping.





merrrydeath said:


> Oh drool. Camping smell is my favorite. Food smells AND tastes better while camping doesn't it? I love that.



You're both crazy  I'm not a big camping fan, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> Oh drool. Camping smell is my favorite. Food smells AND tastes better while camping doesn't it? I love that.



You are so right everything does taste and smell  better when you are camping.  We went for a couple of weekends last year, I hope we get one or two this year.



Belle Ella said:


> You're both crazy  I'm not a big camping fan, lol.



Oh no it's fun.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh no it's fun.



I can't say that I ever had fun while camping in the past -  and that was *before* I became a slave to the all powerful Apple and my macbook ...


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> You're both crazy  I'm not a big camping fan, lol.



Oh I do sissy camping. I take an air mattress and lots of cozy blankets. I do go on hikes and stuff, but I like the luxury of delicious meals and sleeping in a bed. 



kaoden39 said:


> You are so right everything does taste and smell  better when you are camping.  We went for a couple of weekends last year, I hope we get one or two this year.



I only found time to go once last year, but it was at a beach campground and we paid for a deluxe campsite. It was huge and overlooking the beach below. We fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing. it was delightful. I really want to go again this spring/summer.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can't say that I ever had fun while camping in the past -  and that was *before* I became a slave to the all powerful Apple and my macbook ...



Tsk, tsk, tsk, that electronic addiction!!  I kind of like being away from it.



merrrydeath said:


> Oh I do sissy camping. I take an air mattress and lots of cozy blankets. I do go on hikes and stuff, but I like the luxury of delicious meals and sleeping in a bed.
> 
> 
> 
> I only found time to go once last year, but it was at a beach campground and we paid for a deluxe campsite. It was huge and overlooking the beach below. We fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing. it was delightful. I really want to go again this spring/summer.



We have a tall air mattress and I wouldn't go any other way anymore.  Scotty and I love going over to Marin county there are a couple of nice places over there.  One is in an old growth of Redwoods.  That is a lot of fun.


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> Tsk, tsk, tsk, that electronic addiction!!  I kind of like being away from it.



Me too. I love going places where I have no cell reception. Forces you to focus on other things. Very relaxing to just remove yourself from that even if you are only 30 minutes from home(the distance that all my favorite campsites are).


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Tsk, tsk, tsk, that electronic addiction!!  I kind of like being away from it.



I need macbook & internet-rehab something fierce. I can fully admit I have a problem.

Who knows. Maybe I would enjoy it. But my only camping experiences were nightmare (skunks and huge family drama).


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> Me too. I love going places where I have no cell reception. Forces you to focus on other things. Very relaxing to just remove yourself from that even if you are only 30 minutes from home(the distance that all my favorite campsites are).



That's why I like the spots in Marin county so much.  An hour and a world away.  And my cell doesn't work in the park but they have wifi.



Belle Ella said:


> I need macbook & internet-rehab something fierce. I can fully admit I have a problem.
> 
> Who knows. Maybe I would enjoy it. But my only camping experiences were nightmare (skunks and huge family drama).



That would kind of put a damper on that for me too.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's just another of those things where a few bad experiences just kind of ruin it for me.

But on the cell phone front, I could easily live without mine. Nobody calls me, and I hate texting. I just like having it for those moments that I need it (like when I totally left my art materials at home and didn't have time to get there and back on campus before class started so I had to call in a favor to my sister ...)


----------



## wvnative

I'm not a big fan of camping either. I'm ok with the whole getting back to nature concept, but not a fan of the pretrip shopping, packing, loading, unloading, setup, cooking, cleaning, etc. I always ended up doing it all and my now XH could never see why it wasn't relaxing for me. haha

I do miss seeing the stars at night, the cricket noises and the peace and quiet of dawn and dusk. As long as my kid is with me, I can easily live without cell or wifi. lol 

I'll take a hotel and room service anyday though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's just another of those things where a few bad experiences just kind of ruin it for me.
> 
> But on the cell phone front, I could easily live without mine. Nobody calls me, and I hate texting. I just like having it for those moments that I need it (like when I totally left my art materials at home and didn't have time to get there and back on campus before class started so I had to call in a favor to my sister ...)



I am a firm believer in cell phones, but it is nice when pests can't reach me.



wvnative said:


> I'm not a big fan of camping either. I'm ok with the whole getting back to nature concept, but not a fan of the pretrip shopping, packing, loading, unloading, setup, cooking, cleaning, etc. I always ended up doing it all and my now XH could never see why it wasn't relaxing for me. haha
> 
> I do miss seeing the stars at night, the cricket noises and the peace and quiet of dawn and dusk. As long as my kid is with me, I can easily live without cell or wifi. lol
> 
> I'll take a hotel and room service anyday though.



I have taken a we don'y go camping unless you help me get it all ready.  I used to get everything ready and do all the cooking and the dishes etc I finally snapped and said no more camping unless I get help.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well ho hum. Work gets in the way of another Jazz & Nicknameless outing.

And it's raining.

I hate today.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well ho hum. Work gets in the way of another Jazz & Nicknameless outing.
> 
> And it's raining.
> 
> I hate today.



It's okay, the rain will go away.  And it's providence, *Nameless* should remain nameless.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It's okay, the rain will go away.  And it's providence, *Nameless* should remain nameless.



Too bad it usually comes back another day 

And I officially concede. Nicknameless shall stay Nicknameless (or should it just be plain old Nameless).

And we're getting ever so closer! The HoJo Ent. rate was updated and they have their first *JUNE* dates listed. It sure aint July, but we're getting there.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Too bad it usually comes back another day
> 
> And I officially concede. Nicknameless shall stay Nicknameless (or should it just be plain old Nameless).
> 
> And we're getting ever so closer! The HoJo Ent. rate was updated and they have their first *JUNE* dates listed. It sure aint July, but we're getting there.



They have my first three nights listed but we get Best Western Stovall's for $75 a night.  If Hojo's had all of my nights I would jump on it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> They have my first three nights listed but we get Best Western Stovall's for $75 a night.  If Hojo's had all of my nights I would jump on it.



It's still early yet  I hope you are able to get them all!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's still early yet  I hope you are able to get them all!



I am okay with Stovall's, it isn't that far and they recently remodeled so the rooms are still real nice.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am okay with Stovall's, it isn't that far and they recently remodeled so the rooms are still real nice.



Very true. But I'd love to save that extra $10 or so a night. Every little bit counts. I'll probably be sticking with the HoJo even if we can't get the Ent. rate though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Very true. But I'd love to save that extra $10 or so a night. Every little bit counts. I'll probably be sticking with the HoJo even if we can't get the Ent. rate though.



We are getting Stovall's for $75 a night for two queens and I would pay $69 a night for the same type room at Hojo's on the entertainment rate.  Not that much of a difference for us.  We are getting a reduced rate at Stovall's.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm a creature of habit, lol. If I get used to somewhere I usually go there. I'm tempted to look around at other places on Harbour - especially that might be a little closer than the HoJo - but can't bring myself to do it. Is that bad?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm a creature of habit, lol. If I get used to somewhere I usually go there. I'm tempted to look around at other places on Harbour - especially that might be a little closer than the HoJo - but can't bring myself to do it. Is that bad?



No, I am all for doing what is familiar.  I am kind of freaking because the last few times we have been to Disneyland we have stayed at the DLH.  And I know what to expect, and I have been there.  But, Belen swears by Stovall's, they stay there all the time.


----------



## wvnative

I know just what you mean. I am such a creature of habit. Although I do price them all...lol... I still usually end up at either DI&S or HOJO. I actually only ended up at HOJO last year because of the EC rate.

I've heard good things about Stovall's though. We've just never stayed on that side of the park so I'm a little leary. You'll have to make sure to tell us what you think.


----------



## kaoden39

wvnative said:


> I know just what you mean. I am such a creature of habit. Although I do price them all...lol... I still usually end up at either DI&S or HOJO. I actually only ended up at HOJO last year because of the EC rate.
> 
> I've heard good things about Stovall's though. We've just never stayed on that side of the park so I'm a little leary. You'll have to make sure to tell us what you think.



You know I stayed there years and years ago but I don't remember it real well.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hey guess what I'm watching?

HOCKEY!!

And did you see, NBC will be airing Friday's game (USA) live in all timezones. Awesome news.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hey guess what I'm watching?
> 
> HOCKEY!!
> 
> And did you see, NBC will be airing Friday's game (USA) live in all timezones. Awesome news.



Yay!!  I was so ticked that today's game was tape delayed and that I knew the results ahead of time.


----------



## Belle Ella

Tape delays are making me not want to watch. But the Canda/Russia game is live, so I'm watching that. Lots and lots of goals, man!! It's 7-3 right now (in the 2nd).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Tape delays are making me not want to watch. But the Canda/Russia game is live, so I'm watching that. Lots and lots of goals, man!! It's 7-3 right now (in the 2nd).



Wow that is a non defensive game.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Wow that is a non defensive game.



You can say that again. And Nabby let in 4 goals in the first period and they didn't pull him until the 2nd when the 6th goal was scored. As much as I want to see Russia crash and burn, I felt bad for him. I think I'm going soft.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You can say that again. And Nabby let in 4 goals in the first period and they didn't pull him until the 2nd when the 6th goal was scored. As much as I want to see Russia crash and burn, I felt bad for him. I think I'm going soft.



You old softy you, I was kind of hoping we could face Russia rather than Canada.  They won't be easy to beat again.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You old softy you, I was kind of hoping we could face Russia rather than Canada.  They won't be easy to beat again.



Nah, USA/Canada would be my perfect gold medal game. But I already mentioned I want Canada-Gold, USA-Silver, anyone-but-Russia-Bronze ... haven't I?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Nah, USA/Canada would be my perfect gold medal game. But I already mentioned I want Canada-Gold, USA-Silver, anyone-but-Russia-Bronze ... haven't I?



I want USA gold!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I want USA gold!!



Oh, CANADA!!!

C'mon. We could be at war with each other in a USA/CAN Gold medal game. Am I the only one who sees the boundless opportunities of fun here?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh, CANADA!!!
> 
> C'mon. We could be at war with each other in a USA/CAN Gold medal game. Am I the only one who sees the boundless opportunities of fun here?



It will be a good game for sure.  You just want Canada to win because of all the Sharks on the team!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It will be a good game for sure.  You just want Canada to win because of all the Sharks on the team!!



I will not lie and say that is not a part of why I want Canada to win.

OUCHIES. Poor Staal got a nasty hit. OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! But he's on his feet. All is OK.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I will not lie and say that is not a part of why I want Canada to win.
> 
> OUCHIES. Poor Staal got a nasty hit. OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! But he's on his feet. All is OK.



That was a nasty hit.  And I expected a call for sure.  And I kind of thought maybe Staal was acting a little in hopes of getting the call.


----------



## Belle Ella

And they usually do. Which is great and all when it's your team. When it's not you're calling their bluff while screaming your head off with multiple expletives.

Or something like that.

It doesn't take much to make my stomach turn though. I don't like aything slightly pain related. I'm the baby.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And they usually do. Which is great and all when it's your team. When it's not you're calling their bluff while screaming your head off with multiple expletives.
> 
> Or something like that.
> 
> It doesn't take much to make my stomach turn though. I don't like aything slightly pain related. I'm the baby.



How are you a hockey fan then.  I mean honestly....it is a rough game, that is part of the charm of the game.  Wow the Russian's are playing dirty.


----------



## Belle Ella

It may turn my stomach but I never said I didn't love every second of it.

Heck, based on my first hockey experience it's a wonder I wasn't petrified of it for life.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It may turn my stomach but I never said I didn't love every second of it.
> 
> Heck, based on my first hockey experience it's a wonder I wasn't petrified of it for life.



Mine was a lost voice, I loved all the action and excitement.  When Berht was a baby her dad would ist her on the bed in her baby seat and they would watch hockey together.  She would get so excited her seat would rock.  

Well, I have to go get WBG for work.  I will chat when I get back!!

Go Canada!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I can't even pinpoint what I love most about Hockey - I just love it all. And me at a game rivals the height of my Disney excitement. My energy level goes through the roof and loosing my voice is just about a guarantee rather than a possibility.

But my first game ever was back at one of the Sharks very first home games and I was a little kid. My dad was a big Bruins fan, having grown up in Boston, and was excited that the Bay Area was getting a team so he could share something with me. Well, I got my head shoved into Sharkie's mouth which can be a little traumatizing as a little girl!!!

Maybe that explain some of my craziness.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can't even pinpoint what I love most about Hockey - I just love it all. And me at a game rivals the height of my Disney excitement. My energy level goes through the roof and loosing my voice is just about a guarantee rather than a possibility.
> 
> But my first game ever was back at one of the Sharks very first home games and I was a little kid. My dad was a big Bruins fan, having grown up in Boston, and was excited that the Bay Area was getting a team so he could share something with me. Well, I got my head shoved into Sharkie's mouth which can be a little traumatizing as a little girl!!!
> 
> Maybe that explain some of my craziness.



Well that is not the most auspicious way to get started and it would have freaked me out.  

Who won?  As if I need to ask.


----------



## Belle Ella

You don't need to ask. You _really_ don't need to ask


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You don't need to ask. You _really_ don't need to ask



Indeed!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Indeed!!



Part 1 of my wish has been granted - no medal for Russia. I will sleep well tonight.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Part 1 of my wish has been granted - no medal for Russia. I will sleep well tonight.



Is that like the first time ever?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Is that like the first time ever?



It feels like that sometimes. It would make it all the more satisfying. But I don't believe they were on the podium in '06. My memory doesn't go back any further than that.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It feels like that sometimes. It would make it all the more satisfying. But I don't believe they were on the podium in '06. My memory doesn't go back any further than that.



This is like the first time in 60 years that Canada beat them.  It is just amazing.  And wonderful!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> This is like the first time in 60 years that Canada beat them.  It is just amazing.  And wonderful!!



 <-- me


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> <-- me


----------



## Belle Ella

Now, they just need two more wins and they'll need to make me a new smiley-dude to outdo that one.


----------



## Hawleys

kaoden39 said:


> We are getting Stovall's for $75 a night for two queens and I would pay $69 a night for the same type room at Hojo's on the entertainment rate.  Not that much of a difference for us.  We are getting a reduced rate at Stovall's.



Did you guys see the promotions at Stovall's? Stay two nights and get a third free if you have either a 2+ day park hopper or a GAD volunteer certificate. If the Ent. Rate is not available for our June trip, it seems like a good deal. I'm a bit leery of the walk though. Would I be a bad person to book this deal and the Hojo and cancel one before I trip?


----------



## kaoden39

Hawleys said:


> Did you guys see the promotions at Stovall's? Stay two nights and get a third free if you have either a 2+ day park hopper or a GAD volunteer certificate. If the Ent. Rate is not available for our June trip, it seems like a good deal. I'm a bit leery of the walk though. Would I be a bad person to book this deal and the Hojo and cancel one before I trip?



You  know I thought about doing that.  My friend Belen and her family always stay at Stovall's and she swears by the place.  We are getting the deal through the air force base, and after pricing it I know that it is a real good deal.  With Costco the price is over $100 a night.  I was leaning toward Hojo's but I decided to go ahead and do this, I hope I am right.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hawleys said:


> Did you guys see the promotions at Stovall's? Stay two nights and get a third free if you have either a 2+ day park hopper or a GAD volunteer certificate. If the Ent. Rate is not available for our June trip, it seems like a good deal. I'm a bit leery of the walk though. Would I be a bad person to book this deal and the Hojo and cancel one before I trip?



I did see that - I forgot how long it runs though. Does it go into July? I'm not so sure about staying on Katella though. I think I'd rather stick with something on Harbour if we don't end up going with HOJO.


----------



## Belle Ella

Look what I had waiting for me in my in-box when I got home from work this afternoon:






Am I excited or what? It's funny because my name is so long that it doesn't fir on one line in the space provided so it kind of overlaps itself 

I can't decide if I like this voucher more than the golden ticket from last year's birthday promotion. This one is just fun. It'll probably look like pooh (not '_Winnie the_') when I have to print it out on my computer though. And I will not be printing it anytime soon, because if I do, I'll probably loose it and then I would be SOL!

I'm still debating exactly what I'll be using it for. I really want to invest in an AP since I plan on going on the girls trip with the Divas in 2011. It would be awesome to get the discounts on dining and tours but the huge drawback for me is that I don't think I could do a DLR visit without a Magic Morning. Not to mention it does suit me a little better to spread out the money and buy my park hoppers for each trip - our hours at work right now are far from ideal and I don't see them getting better as soon as they normally would. The more I think about, the more I am talking myself out of getting an AP.

So without the AP, the difference in PH's from my Credit Union between 3 and 4 days is extremely minimal so the value of 1 days free admission isn't really that much. So right now I'm thinking that my best option is to go with the FP's since it will be the summer. But then I can't help but remember that the only ride that I'm really 100% interested in that is offered with the GAD FP's is Indy and I would rather do the SR line because it's so so so so much faster.

So maybe I will go with the pin set?

Hmm, I need to go back and edit my PTR post sometime soon


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> I did see that - I forgot how long it runs though. Does it go into July? I'm not so sure about staying on Katella though. I think I'd rather stick with something on Harbour if we don't end up going with HOJO.



You have to book before March 21 I think but the promotion runs all year. I'm nervous about staying on Katella as well.



kaoden39 said:


> You  know I thought about doing that.  My friend Belen and her family always stay at Stovall's and she swears by the place.  We are getting the deal through the air force base, and after pricing it I know that it is a real good deal.  With Costco the price is over $100 a night.  I was leaning toward Hojo's but I decided to go ahead and do this, I hope I am right.



You are getting a fantastic price! I'm very interested to hear what you think of the hotel. Of course, our trips overlap so I'll have to decide before you get back.


----------



## Hawleys

Sweet!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Look what I had waiting for me in my in-box when I got home from work this afternoon:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Am I excited or what? It's funny because my name is so long that it doesn't fir on one line in the space provided so it kind of overlaps itself
> 
> I can't decide if I like this voucher more than the golden ticket from last year's birthday promotion. This one is just fun. It'll probably look like pooh (not '_Winnie the_') when I have to print it out on my computer though. And I will not be printing it anytime soon, because if I do, I'll probably loose it and then I would be SOL!
> 
> I'm still debating exactly what I'll be using it for. I really want to invest in an AP since I plan on going on the girls trip with the Divas in 2011. It would be awesome to get the discounts on dining and tours but the huge drawback for me is that I don't think I could do a DLR visit without a Magic Morning. Not to mention it does suit me a little better to spread out the money and buy my park hoppers for each trip - our hours at work right now are far from ideal and I don't see them getting better as soon as they normally would. The more I think about, the more I am talking myself out of getting an AP.
> 
> So without the AP, the difference in PH's from my Credit Union between 3 and 4 days is extremely minimal so the value of 1 days free admission isn't really that much. So right now I'm thinking that my best option is to go with the FP's since it will be the summer. But then I can't help but remember that the only ride that I'm really 100% interested in that is offered with the GAD FP's is Indy and I would rather do the SR line because it's so so so so much faster.
> 
> So maybe I will go with the pin set?
> 
> Hmm, I need to go back and edit my PTR post sometime soon



No way!!  I got it too.  I printed it and I am trying to decide where to put it.  I am using mine towards my AP!!




Hawleys said:


> You have to book before March 21 I think but the promotion runs all year. I'm nervous about staying on Katella as well.
> 
> 
> 
> You are getting a fantastic price! I'm very interested to hear what you think of the hotel. Of course, our trips overlap so I'll have to decide before you get back.



Actually we stayed on Katella before and there is a walkway near there and if you choose not to walk they have a good shuttle.  I will post on my trip report during the trip.  Not that it will help though.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No way!!  I got it too.  I printed it and I am trying to decide where to put it.  I am using mine towards my AP!!



So are you going to upgrade to an AP the day you get there? Because we can't use the GAD-voucher and another PH to upgrade based on what I'm understanding.

I'm still torn on the AP - I really, really, really don't want to loose my Magic Morning.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So are you going to upgrade to an AP the day you get there? Because we can't use the GAD-voucher and another PH to upgrade based on what I'm understanding.
> 
> I'm still torn on the AP - I really, really, really don't want to loose my Magic Morning.



I am doing it on Sunday I am going to upgrade from my GAD.  I figure in discounts and the fact that I am going to do the ladies only trip I am willing to lose out on my magic morning.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am doing it on Sunday I am going to upgrade from my GAD.  I figure in discounts and the fact that I am going to do the ladies only trip I am willing to lose out on my magic morning.



Those darn discounts are what's causing the other half of the turmoil, lol. I feel like I'm going to start throwing a temper tantrum soon because my indecision is driving me batty. I think I could live without the MM for the ladies trip, but not for the summer.

What _could_ work is to buy my park hopper, us it Thursday, Friday and Saturday (with the MM) and then upgrade later that day since upgrading on a Saturday will still give me admission that day even though it's blocked out. Or I could upgrade before leaving on Sunday ... ?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Those darn discounts are what's causing the other half of the turmoil, lol. I feel like I'm going to start throwing a temper tantrum soon because my indecision is driving me batty. I think I could live without the MM for the ladies trip, but not for the summer.
> 
> What _could_ work is to buy my park hopper, us it Thursday, Friday and Saturday (with the MM) and then upgrade later that day since upgrading on a Saturday will still give me admission that day even though it's blocked out. Or I could upgrade before leaving on Sunday ... ?



That would work.  I can't advice on this, because honestly I have never used our MM's.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That would work.  I can't advice on this, because honestly I have never used our MM's.



Aww, that's a shame! MM are wonderful, wonderful things!! It is absolutely the best time to filter through Fantasyland. You can get through everything there in under an hour and still have time to do a few multiple times (in my case at least).When trying to pack so much in, it's a life saver.

I could always use Thursday for my MM, but I generally think the weekends are better days to use them. No matter what though, I can't upgrade before Saturday or else I'll be blocked out and I'll only have 2 1/2 days in the parks rather than 3 1/2 which doesn't work for me


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aww, that's a shame! MM are wonderful, wonderful things!! It is absolutely the best time to filter through Fantasyland. You can get through everything there in under an hour and still have time to do a few multiple times (in my case at least).When trying to pack so much in, it's a life saver.
> 
> I could always use Thursday for my MM, but I generally think the weekends are better days to use them. No matter what though, I can't upgrade before Saturday or else I'll be blocked out and I'll only have 2 1/2 days in the parks rather than 3 1/2 which doesn't work for me



Did you ever notice that our trips are exactly 30 days apart.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Did you ever notice that our trips are exactly 30 days apart.



YES!  But you're on the wrong side of the 30 days. And Laurie is only 10 days behind me if memory serves me correctly.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> YES!  But you're on the wrong side of the 30 days. And Laurie is only 10 days behind me if memory serves me correctly.



I like my side of 30 days.  It's a good neighborhood to be in!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I like my side of 30 days.  It's a good neighborhood to be in!!



I think it's sketchy!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think it's sketchy!!



Hmph!!


----------



## Belle Ella

We can still be neighbors though.

I guess.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We can still be neighbors though.
> 
> I guess.





I hope so!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I hope so!!



 Oh alright then!!

And hey, your next post is going to be a BIG one!


----------



## kaoden39

I think I must talk too much!!  I updated with exciting news to my pre trip report!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think I must talk too much!!  I updated with exciting news to my pre trip report!!



Eh, there's no such thing as talking to much! It's one of my favorite hobbies  I didn't even notice until now, but I'm up and over 1700. That's an accomplishment.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Eh, there's no such thing as talking to much! It's one of my favorite hobbies  I didn't even notice until now, but I'm up and over 1700. That's an accomplishment.



Ooh yes indeed you are.  One of my friends on the Disney World side has like 30,000 posts.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Ooh yes indeed you are.  One of my friends on the Disney World side has like 30,000 posts.



I'm sure we'll get there eventually, lol. I know I'm not going away again anytime soon (well, a little bird did tell me I may disappear for a few days in July ... ).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm sure we'll get there eventually, lol. I know I'm not going away again anytime soon (well, a little bird did tell me I may disappear for a few days in July ... ).




Oh I have no doubt it will happen.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh I have no doubt it will happen.



I just want to get my posts per day average above 2!! All of my 'away time' really screwed me over!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I just want to get my posts per day average above 2!! All of my 'away time' really screwed me over!



Oh I get more than two a day.  Some days way more than 2.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh I get more than two a day.  Some days way more than 2.



Haha, I don't want to know how many posts a day I've been getting recently. But that stupid stat on my profile for my average posts per day (since joining on '07) is sitting pretty at 1.77  Get to 2 already, why dontcha!!

And then I can start complaining until I get to 3. Or something like that.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Haha, I don't want to know how many posts a day I've been getting recently. But that stupid stat on my profile for my average posts per day (since joining on '07) is sitting pretty at 1.77  Get to 2 already, why dontcha!!
> 
> And then I can start complaining until I get to 3. Or something like that.



I must look and see what I average, I had several months where I didn't go online and that made a difference.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I must look and see what I average, I had several months where I didn't go online and that made a difference.



But your 10,000 posts sure do help! I think you're at like 7.  I'm a post-count snob. Or something like that.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> But your 10,000 posts sure do help! I think you're at like 7.  I'm a post-count snob. Or something like that.



I am at 7.77.  I do talk too much!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am at 7.77.  I do talk too much!!



My goal in life is to out talk you. Just so you know.

I have my work cut out for me.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> My goal in life is to out talk you. Just so you know.
> 
> I have my work cut out for me.



Boy oh boy yes you do.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Boy oh boy yes you do.



Good thing I like a challenge.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Good thing I like a challenge.



Indeed it is a challenge.  Now if I stopped talking.....it might make it easier.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Indeed it is a challenge.  Now if I stopped talking.....it might make it easier.



I could never do it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I could never do it.



Me either, obviously.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Me either, obviously.



And that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, we like it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, we like it.



Uh huh, uh huh!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Uh huh, uh huh!!





What the ham sammich, man! I can't even cook mac&cheese.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> What the ham sammich, man! I can't even cook mac&cheese.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, it got warped a little. But at least the hamburgers turned out OK.

I can sum up my cooking skills with one short story: I can screw up boiling water.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, it got warped a little. But at least the hamburgers turned out OK.
> 
> I can sum up my cooking skills with one short story: I can screw up boiling water.



I on the other hand, am cooking central.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I on the other hand, am cooking central.





It is a tragedy that I am required to cook dinner one night a week. I'm surprised I haven't killed us all off yet.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It is a tragedy that I am required to cook dinner one night a week. I'm surprised I haven't killed us all off yet.



Uh oh....well, I will know if I hear the story on the news who they are talking about.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Uh oh....well, I will know if I hear the story on the news who they are talking about.



Yes siree! Then again, practice is supposed to make perfect.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yes siree! Then again, practice is supposed to make perfect.



When my niece was a little girl she came over for dinner and I cooked something her mom used to cook too.  And Stephanie says "oh my mom makes something like that but hers is usually black."


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> When my niece was a little girl she came over for dinner and I cooked something her mom used to cook too.  And Stephanie says "oh my mom makes something like that but hers is usually black."



I cook like her mother!! Everything I make is black where it's not supposed to be and crunchy where it's not supposed to be.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I cook like her mother!! Everything I make is black where it's not supposed to be and crunchy where it's not supposed to be.



There's hope for you, I promise.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> There's hope for you, I promise.



I hope your right.

Ah, my mother just remind me: I am such a control freak!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I hope your right.
> 
> Ah, my mother just remind me: I am such a control freak!!



That doesn;t help with cooking.  I can give you recipes and ideas that will make you look like an amazing cook.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That doesn;t help with cooking.  I can give you recipes and ideas that will make you look like an amazing cook.



I would love some recipes, lol. I think I need to start small though! The day I actually cook like, a real meal, they'll probably think I've been body snatched or something.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I would love some recipes, lol. I think I need to start small though! The day I actually cook like, a real meal, they'll probably think I've been body snatched or something.




Okay, so this it.  Get yourself some chicken, I recommend boneless, skinless it cooks better.  Get a bottle of Yoshida's Gourmet sauce or teriyaki sauce.  I always dilute it 50-50 because it is so strong in taste and tens to be a little salty.   Add a can of crushed pineapple.  Cook it until it is done.  I usually sreve it over rice or pasta.  There is your meat and pasta.  You can do your veggies and whatever.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Okay, so this it.  Get yourself some chicken, I recommend boneless, skinless it cooks better.  Get a bottle of Yoshida's Gourmet sauce or teriyaki sauce.  I always dilute it 50-50 because it is so strong in taste and tens to be a little salty.   Add a can of crushed pineapple.  Cook it until it is done.  I usually sreve it over rice or pasta.  There is your meat and pasta.  You can do your veggies and whatever.



 Looks like I have next week's dinner planned. Maybe I wont get kicked out of the house now!!

 Do I get to watch hockey tomorrow? I think I dooooooooo


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Looks like I have next week's dinner planned. Maybe I wont get kicked out of the house now!!
> 
> Do I get to watch hockey tomorrow? I think I dooooooooo



Did you watch the ladies today?  The Canadian goalie is so good.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Did you watch the ladies today?  The Canadian goalie is so good.



I did, I did! She was awe-r-some. They shut down good 'ol USA. Congrats to both teams though.

EUGHHHH! I am so tired of hearing about Julia Mancuso and Lindsay Vonn already.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I did, I did! She was awe-r-some. They shut down good 'ol USA. Congrats to both teams though.
> 
> EUGHHHH! I am so tired of hearing about Julia Mancuso and Lindsay Vonn already.



Me too.  And frankly I thought the American women were kind of poor losers.  You know what I mean?  The frowning and such.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Me too.  And frankly I thought the American women were kind of poor losers.  You know what I mean?  The frowning and such.



I'm about ready to just call these the Sore Loser Olympics, period.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm about ready to just call these the Sore Loser Olympics, period.



I know, the men better act better when it is their time.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know, the men better act better when it is their time.



Outside of a certain Russian figure skater who shall remain nameless (*cough*plushenko*cough*) I haven't been too appalled at the men's antics at where they finish.

Time will tell.

And now, before I head to bed (another early morning at work tomorrow) I would like to share that I went from 1.77 to 1.83 average PPD - Operation 2.0 is well underway!

Nighty night - don't let the bed bugs bite!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Outside of a certain Russian figure skater who shall remain nameless (*cough*plushenko*cough*) I haven't been too appalled at the men's antics at where they finish.
> 
> Time will tell.
> 
> And now, before I head to bed (another early morning at work tomorrow) I would like to share that I went from 1.77 to 1.83 average PPD - Operation 2.0 is well underway!
> 
> Nighty night - don't let the bed bugs bite!



Nighty night!!  Have a good day tomorrow!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Awesome! Look who will be home to watch some hockey today! Too bad I have class during Canada's semi-final game tonight.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Awesome! Look who will be home to watch some hockey today! Too bad I have class during Canada's semi-final game tonight.



Woo hoo!  And Boo!!  

I am feeling slightly schizophrenic.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Woo hoo!  And Boo!!
> 
> I am feeling slightly schizophrenic.





I'm feeling all sad because of the weather. It randomly started pouring rain from nowhere earlier. It's all sunny now though. I was looking forward to stomping around in my rain boots before class.

Wait, I thought I hated rain?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm feeling all sad because of the weather. It randomly started pouring rain from nowhere earlier. It's all sunny now though. I was looking forward to stomping around in my rain boots before class.
> 
> Wait, I thought I hated rain?



I like the clean smell after the rain and right now I am beyond stress so maybe it would be a good idea if I got caught in the rain.


----------



## merrrydeath

Oh geez...don't get me started on the rain today. I don't know if either of you are familiar with Highway 17(windy, windy, road from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz), but I drive that twice every day and rain really makes it an unhappy drive. It floods so easily, it's ALWAYS foggy(rain + fog + dark night = Very scary road) and I hydroplane like crazy. Tough commute.


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> Oh geez...don't get me started on the rain today. I don't know if either of you are familiar with Highway 17(windy, windy, road from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz), but I drive that twice every day and rain really makes it an unhappy drive. It floods so easily, it's ALWAYS foggy(rain + fog + dark night = Very scary road) and I hydroplane like crazy. Tough commute.



I think that has to be one of the hardest commutes in California.  I know it is one of the ugliest in bad weather.  Oh yeah I know it.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Oh geez...don't get me started on the rain today. I don't know if either of you are familiar with Highway 17(windy, windy, road from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz), but I drive that twice every day and rain really makes it an unhappy drive. It floods so easily, it's ALWAYS foggy(rain + fog + dark night = Very scary road) and I hydroplane like crazy. Tough commute.



I do not envy you!

Thankfully I didn't have to do any driving in the raid today. But man was the weather playing games with our electricity. And of course dance class was just  Oh my goodness.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I do not envy you!
> 
> Thankfully I didn't have to do any driving in the raid today. But man was the weather playing games with our electricity. And of course dance class was just  Oh my goodness.



Our lights were flickering earlier, I was sure we were gonna lose electricity today.

So, I am headed to Monterey on the 13th of March.  Scotty has a bicycle race and I am kind of excited, I think he and I are staying the night.


----------



## Belle Ella

It was crazy. I think we did loose power for like a second, which we aren't used to. We're on the same block as a Fire Station and it is a very, very, *very* rare occurance for our power to go out.

And of course I was online and it knocked out or wireless router which had me a little miffed.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It was crazy. I think we did loose power for like a second, which we aren't used to. We're on the same block as a Fire Station and it is a very, very, *very* rare occurance for our power to go out.
> 
> And of course I was online and it knocked out or wireless router which had me a little miffed.



That is no fun at all.


----------



## Belle Ella

Guess what!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Guess what!



Hmm, let's see?  Canada won?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Hmm, let's see?  Canada won?



Canada. USA. Sunday. 12:15 PM.

It's on like Donkey Kong!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Canada. USA. Sunday. 12:15 PM.
> 
> It's on like Donkey Kong!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I am 60 minutes away from my dream outcome, here! You know I'm doing a happy dance right now.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am 60 minutes away from my dream outcome, here! You know I'm doing a happy dance right now.



Go USA!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> go usa!!



canada!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> canada!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, whatever outcome - I will be happy. I'll just be slightly more happy if Canada wins. I need them to redeem themselves after Torino and on home ice. Plus I want the Sharks players to win GOLD (mind you, at least one Shark will win the gold no matter what).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, whatever outcome - I will be happy. I'll just be slightly more happy if Canada wins. I need them to redeem themselves after Torino and on home ice. Plus I want the Sharks players to win GOLD (mind you, at least one Shark will win the gold no matter what).



I don't care, all I know is that Russia is not in it!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I don't care, all I know is that Russia is not in it!!



 WOOOOOOOOOOO!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> WOOOOOOOOOOO!



Exactly my point!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Exactly my point!!



And why I was so happy that it was the first of my three wishes to br granted.

- Canada takes gold
- USA takes silver
- Anyone but Russia takes bronze

I called it days ago because I am psychotic.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And why I was so happy that it was the first of my three wishes to br granted.
> 
> - Canada takes gold
> - USA takes silver
> - Anyone but Russia takes bronze
> 
> I called it days ago because I am psychotic.


----------



## Belle Ella

Too bad the game will be aired during my scheduled sleep time after working overnight.  for a 32 hour day!

Not really.

Hey, I get to read Dr. Suess books to kids tomorrow. I be all happy. It's supposed to be volunteer work, but considering it's _at_ our store I get paid for it. Does that make me a bad person, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Too bad the game will be aired during my scheduled sleep time after working overnight.  for a 32 hour day!
> 
> Not really.
> 
> Hey, I get to read Dr. Suess books to kids tomorrow. I be all happy. It's supposed to be volunteer work, but considering it's _at_ our store I get paid for it. Does that make me a bad person, lol.



No, it sounds good to me.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No, it sounds good to me.



 OK then.

I love Dr. Suess. I remember when I went to 6th grade camp, our cabin counselor would read to us every night from her HUGE book of Dr. Suess stories. It was beyond awesome.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK then.
> 
> I love Dr. Suess. I remember when I went to 6th grade camp, our cabin counselor would read to us every night from her HUGE book of Dr. Suess stories. It was beyond awesome.



I love Dr Suess too.  He was brilliant!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Look in the top corner of this post. I am shocked at us!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Look in the top corner of this post. I am shocked at us!!



I got #1000!!  Woo hoo!!


----------



## kaoden39

kaoden39 said:


> I got #1000!!  Woo hoo!!



Doh!!   No I didn't you did!


----------



## Belle Ella

Nope. You got 1001. You got reply 1000 but I got post 1000.

So there 

It's more like a chat thread than a TR, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Doh!!   No I didn't you did!



 We posted that at the same time.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Nope. You got 1001. You got reply 1000 but I got post 1000.
> 
> So there
> 
> It's more like a chat thread than a TR, lol.



I know we are bad and we need to start interjecting trip related things.  So, they put three days of my tip on Hojo's entertainment rate but I can't change to Hojo's for three days when the price is just $6 less.


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so I am going to go to sleep and save more insanity for tomorrow (maybe I'll even get back on topic at some point ...).

And an update on Operation 2.0 - I'm sitting pretty at 1.92  It will happen tomorrow.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so I am going to go to sleep and save more insanity for tomorrow (maybe I'll even get back on topic at some point ...).
> 
> And an update on Operation 2.0 - I'm sitting pretty at 1.92  It will happen tomorrow.



Goodnight


----------



## merrrydeath

You two are crazy with all these posts! I have so much to respond to.



kaoden39 said:


> I think that has to be one of the hardest commutes in California.  I know it is one of the ugliest in bad weather.  Oh yeah I know it.



For the most part the commute is fine. I go the opposite way from most everyone else, it gets easier the more you drive it, and I do commute with a coworker so I at least have company. However, seriously with the rain... I'm sometimes ALMOST tempted to take 85 to 152 to 1, just to bypass 17. I'd nearly go 30 min out of my way to avoid that road when it's soaked.



Belle Ella said:


> I do not envy you!
> 
> Thankfully I didn't have to do any driving in the raid today. But man was the weather playing games with our electricity. And of course dance class was just  Oh my goodness.



It was SO windy today. It just looked like hurricane weather to me(not that I have ever been in a hurricane)



kaoden39 said:


> Our lights were flickering earlier, I was sure we were gonna lose electricity today.
> 
> So, I am headed to Monterey on the 13th of March.  Scotty has a bicycle race and I am kind of excited, I think he and I are staying the night.



Have fun in Monterey!! What a fun getaway weekend. You should stay at a Bed and Breakfast in Pacific Grove(so cute).



Belle Ella said:


> Canada. USA. Sunday. 12:15 PM.
> 
> It's on like Donkey Kong!!



This game will hopefully be epic. I want USA to win. Seriously. USA has got to show Canada that just because you are pushed onto the ice at the age of 2, doesn't mean you are the best


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> You two are crazy with all these posts! I have so much to respond to.



You can say that again. Wowzers, have we been chit chatting that much? I hope it doesn't scare people away from my TR, lol. It's like we should just go make a TR-Lovers Chatty Thread or something  we could certainly fill one up pretty darn fast at this rate.

It's our own little club.



merrrydeath said:


> It was SO windy today. It just looked like hurricane weather to me(not that I have ever been in a hurricane)



It was definitely insane weather! And the rain early this morning is not making me happy, once again.

Want to hear something very sad? I don't own a pair of khaki pants anymore after a small accident with a broken wooden pallet a few months ago. Not good when your uniform is red _and_ khaki. I've been stuck wearing my khaki capri pants for a little more than a month now which everyone looks at me funny because it's all rainy and cold. Luckily it's never actually rained on my way in to work. But it looks like that may be the case this morning for the Read Across America thing at our store.

How silly would I look in capris and rain boots?


merrrydeath said:


> This game will hopefully be epic. I want USA to win. Seriously. USA has got to show Canada that just because you are pushed onto the ice at the age of 2, doesn't mean you are the best



I could not be more excited right now!! Sunday would be an excellent time ( if I actually knew anyone who'd be interested ) to throw a viewing party. I shall stand by what I have said though. I am not backing down: *GO CANADA*!!


~*~*~*~​
OK, so really? I need to get a trip related post up today if it's the last thing that I do. I'm starting to think I need to redo the PTR post, simply because it's now lost so far back in the shuffle  I feel bad!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so I never got around to a Disneyland-related post today. But I'm absolutely miserable over here, so don't hold it against me. I did have a wonderful time reading Dr. Suess stories to the many (more than we expected!!) kids who stopped by our store this morning for Target's involvement in the Read Across America. It makes me wonder why I ever stopped volunteering with preschoolers a few years ago.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so I never got around to a Disneyland-related post today. But I'm absolutely miserable over here, so don't hold it against me. I did have a wonderful time reading Dr. Suess stories to the many (more than we expected!!) kids who stopped by our store this morning for Target's involvement in the Read Across America. It makes me wonder why I ever stopped volunteering with preschoolers a few years ago.



Little kids are fun.  It's when they get older that there is the drama.  I am sorry you are miserable.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Little kids are fun.  It's when they get older that there is the drama.  I am sorry you are miserable.



Which is why I would rather work with the little ones than have any of my own!

Anyways, it's off to work for me for the night. I'm doing a happy dance though  I get off at 5:30 AM rather than 6:30 AM which means I may actually get enough sleep before *CANADA* wins the gold.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, something relating my July trip just made it that much more real! Last night was the first time my boss has worked overnight with me in a very long while and she reminded me of something that I usually put off to almost the last minute: requesting the time off! Well, it is now official and I have no excuse not to go. I took off the Wednesday through Sunday that we'll be in DLR. I'm actually starting to wonder why I didn't just ask for the whole week off. I have so much more vacation hours than I could possibly use up in one go (I guess that's the upside to hardly ever taking time off).

I feel like framing my copies on my wall as a lovely reminder that I have *136* days to go!


----------



## kaoden39

Yay for vacation days!!


boo for Canada!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Vacation days sure are amazing. And now I can kind of sit back and relax and revel in the knowledge that I have the time off.

And excuse me little missy, last I checked Canada was up 2-0. So no booing on Canada!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Vacation days sure are amazing. And now I can kind of sit back and relax and revel in the knowledge that I have the time off.
> 
> And excuse me little missy, last I checked Canada was up 2-0. So no booing on Canada!!



Yes, I can hardly wait for Scotty to put in for his vacation days.  I am not worried about him getting them off I just will feel better when he gets the form in.

And well double boo then!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yes, I can hardly wait for Scotty to put in for his vacation days.  I am not worried about him getting them off I just will feel better when he gets the form in.
> 
> And well double boo then!!



There's something a little more calming about having that guarantee that your off. I remember for my trip last September I waited until the last minute to actually turn the paperwork in. My boss knew full well what days I was going, had given me a verbal go-ahead, but I just kept forgetting to fill everything out. As soon as I did it was a huge sigh of relief. I'm so on top of things this time around 

I think you mean double !!


----------



## Belle Ella

You may care to know that Kane made it 2-1 ....


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> There's something a little more calming about having that guarantee that your off. I remember for my trip last September I waited until the last minute to actually turn the paperwork in. My boss knew full well what days I was going, had given me a verbal go-ahead, but I just kept forgetting to fill everything out. As soon as I did it was a huge sigh of relief. I'm so on top of things this time around
> 
> I think you mean double !!



Well, exactly.  That confirmation is the best thing.  And I have it on my calendar what day he has to put in for it.

And that is double boo single


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, exactly.  That confirmation is the best thing.  And I have it on my calendar what day he has to put in for it.
> 
> And that is double boo single



Alrighty, this is how we shall keep score:

 -


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Alrighty, this is how we shall keep score:
> 
> -



Hey I like it.  Only -


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Hey I like it.  Only -



OK, never say I can't compromise!

 - 

2 is still better than 1 however - 20 minutes left in the game!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, never say I can't compromise!
> 
> -
> 
> 2 is still better than 1 however - 20 minutes left in the game!



I like it!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I think I may go crazy before the intermission is up. EEP!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think I may go crazy before the intermission is up. EEP!



Whatever the ending this is a great game!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Whatever the ending this is a great game!!



Here, here!

Despite what I say, I will be very happy with any outcome.

I'm already


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Here, here!
> 
> Despite what I say, I will be very happy with any outcome.
> 
> I'm already



Russia is out of it!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Russia is out of it!!



That is the most comforting thought of all!!!!

And look at that - Operation 2.0 has been a success!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That is the most comforting thought of all!!!!
> 
> And look at that - Operation 2.0 has been a success!!



You know these teams are a pretty good match up.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You know these teams are a pretty good match up.



I think the key is that it's 100% NHL players, lol. It's like watching some kind of All-Star game. It's not even on Olympic sized ice this year.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think the key is that it's 100% NHL players, lol. It's like watching some kind of All-Star game. It's not even on Olympic sized ice this year.



Well, in the days when the Russian's were the only pros it was still exciting.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, in the days when the Russian's were the only pros it was still exciting.



Very true. But I haven't found some of the blow-outs by either of these teams when playing a country that wasn't all NHL players (meaning every other country, lol) in previous games to be as exciting as this.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Very true. But I haven't found some of the blow-outs by either of these teams when playing a country that wasn't all NHL players (meaning every other country, lol) in previous games to be as exciting as this.



No, I know this has been an extremely exciting tournament.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No, I know this has been an extremely exciting tournament.



And it's almost over. I think I'm going to cry


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And it's almost over. I think I'm going to cry



Yeah but we still have our Sharks!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah but we still have our Sharks!!!



Yes we do!!

And no matter what, at least one of the boys in teal will be coming home with a gold medal!! That's pretty awesome.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, the US tied it. Game's not over yet!


----------



## kaoden39

What a roller coaster of a game!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What a roller coaster of a game!!



Tell me about it! My poor little heart is going crazy in my chest right now.

Next goal wins it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Tell me about it! My poor little heart is going crazy in my chest right now.
> 
> Next goal wins it.



I am hoping it goes to a shootout!!


-


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am hoping it goes to a shootout!!
> 
> 
> -



I don't think my heart could handle that on top of a full 20 minute OT!

Go Canada, GO!!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't think my heart could handle that on top of a full 20 minute OT!
> 
> Go Canada, GO!!!



Where do they get the announcers?  One of them said it was gonna be a 10 minute overtime.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Where do they get the announcers?  One of them said it was gonna be a 10 minute overtime.



I hate the NBC announcers! But it is a *20* minute OT.


----------



## Belle Ella

crosby wins it for canada!!!!​


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I hate the NBC announcers! But it is a *20* minute OT.



I know.

Great game!  

-


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know.
> 
> Great game!
> 
> -



 <---- doesn't even cover it for me right now!


----------



## kaoden39

Who does Crosby play for?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Who does Crosby play for?



Canada 

Well, the Pittsburgh Penguins too.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Canada
> 
> Well, the Pittsburgh Penguins too.



Oh okay.  Good team.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh okay.  Good team.



Yup, yup. Dude, I totally called the results days ago. Do you think I'm psychic? 

I kid. Really, I do.

I can't believe this means it's over.


----------



## merrrydeath

Sigh. I'm not UNhappy.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, yup. Dude, I totally called the results days ago. Do you think I'm psychic?
> 
> I kid. Really, I do.
> 
> I can't believe this means it's over.



That was one of the best hockey games I have seen in a long time.  Somebody was spouting on fb about how the Candian team was full of Kings, and Duck's.  I had to point out our Sharks.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That was one of the best hockey games I have seen in a long time.  Somebody was spouting on fb about how the Candian team was full of Kings, and Duck's.  I had to point out our Sharks.



The game was *AMAZING*!! Yay, yay, yay!

And good for you for pointing out our boys. They had a great tournament for sure!! Everyone did.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The game was *AMAZING*!! Yay, yay, yay!
> 
> And good for you for pointing out our boys. They had a great tournament for sure!! Everyone did.



Hey you, you need to change your FB picture to the green dinosaur in DCA.  We are trying to get all the DIS gals to change to that.


----------



## wvnative

HAHA.. look at you two. I leave for a weekend and come back to 5 pages worth of hockey and I think I should have started a page or two further back as I have no idea what operation 2.0 is. lol

AND.. WTH - Jazz, we are not FB friends? We'll have to remedy that.  I'll just have to find that little sticky I have at home with your address on it. haha


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Hey you, you need to change your FB picture to the green dinosaur in DCA.  We are trying to get all the DIS gals to change to that.



I never got that memo, lol. Is there a reason we are doing this, lol.



wvnative said:


> HAHA.. look at you two. I leave for a weekend and come back to 5 pages worth of hockey and I think I should have started a page or two further back as I have no idea what operation 2.0 is. lol
> 
> AND.. WTH - Jazz, we are not FB friends? We'll have to remedy that.  I'll just have to find that little sticky I have at home with your address on it. haha



Operation 2.0 was to get my posts per day average above 2. I post a lot, but all those days that I took time off from the DIS made it go below 1  I didn't like that. My goal in life is to beat Michele.

And I'm having a total D'OH moment here now. I shall rectify the Facebook problem


----------



## kaoden39

It was a memo I got the other day from my teenagers as I am sure you saw in my FB post.  I think it's funny that we all have different pictures of the same thing.


----------



## Belle Ella

That's the beauty of photography 

OK, so today is a really cruddy day. First of all it's starting to sink in that the Olympics are over and I'm sad  I need to be weened off them, slowly. I can't quit cold turkey - I'm going through withdrawals here! To top it all off I woke up with a killer sore throat and I can barely talk. No! No! No!


----------



## Belle Ella

Man, oh man! They just posted dates for the Entertainment Rate at the Howard Johnson for the *FALL*!! What bites is that my original dates for October are up there! And yet, still, no sign of July or August just yet. I'm getting antsy. I mean, I know there is plenty of time for my dates to come up, but I just wish they'd get here already so I could revel in having extra money (sort of).

http://www.hojoanaheim.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14


----------



## wvnative

Woohoo! I have a new FB friend. lol  It was so much more exciting to add you than it was to add my Uncle Larry. lol 

HOJO posted more rates today.  They've got them clear through December. Alas, nothing available for June, July or August and they are still dancing around my dates as well. 

They've got a bunch of October and November though so I'm debating.... lol


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Man, oh man! They just posted dates for the Entertainment Rate at the Howard Johnson for the *FALL*!! What bites is that my original dates for October are up there! And yet, still, no sign of July or August just yet. I'm getting antsy. I mean, I know there is plenty of time for my dates to come up, but I just wish they'd get here already so I could revel in having extra money (sort of).
> 
> http://www.hojoanaheim.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14



And it looks like they dropped two of the days for June.  Interesting.



wvnative said:


> Woohoo! I have a new FB friend. lol  It was so much more exciting to add you than it was to add my Uncle Larry. lol
> 
> HOJO posted more rates today.  They've got them clear through December. Alas, nothing available for June, July or August and they are still dancing around my dates as well.
> 
> They've got a bunch of October and November though so I'm debating.... lol



If you want I am one of Jessica's friends if you want to add me.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> Woohoo! I have a new FB friend. lol  It was so much more exciting to add you than it was to add my Uncle Larry. lol
> 
> HOJO posted more rates today.  They've got them clear through December. Alas, nothing available for June, July or August and they are still dancing around my dates as well.
> 
> They've got a bunch of October and November though so I'm debating.... lol



 is right, lol.

GRR! Those silly HOJO dates. I'm pretty sure the October dates I had originally booked are listed on there. Too bad I don't need them anymore. Which reminds me that I should probably cancel that ressie at some point. I just keep wishing I could talk my dad into going with me.

Gals, I absolutely hate being sick and today has been miserable  Please make it stop.


----------



## wvnative

AH.. poor Jazz. At least you are sick now and not at trip time right?

Funny, that's the same thing I said to my cousin not two weeks ago. haha


----------



## kaoden39

I hope you feel better soon.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> AH.. poor Jazz. At least you are sick now and not at trip time right?
> 
> Funny, that's the same thing I said to my cousin not two weeks ago. haha





kaoden39 said:


> I hope you feel better soon.



 Thank yous!

I hate being sick. It messes everything up. I missed my art class yesterday because I fell asleep and I'm terrified to go back knowing that I missed a huge chunk of working time from our current big assignment. Now today was my turn to cancel on _*Nameless*_. GRR. OK, I really shouldn't be on the computer. It's making my killer headache worse.

Have a great Tuesday for me!


----------



## Belle Ella

You know what, I don't like being buried in the middle of the page. Nope, no siree! No fun that is.

Just to relate this to my trip planning somehow - I have 132 days to go!!

Yeah, I know it seems like a lot, but oh well.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You know what, I don't like being buried in the middle of the page. Nope, no siree! No fun that is.
> 
> Just to relate this to my trip planning somehow - I have 132 days to go!!
> 
> Yeah, I know it seems like a lot, but oh well.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hm. Here's another thought on what to do with the PH/AP/GAD combination.

Do you think maybe I should just get the AP to start with so I'll have the discounts from day 1 and then use my GAD to get in on Saturday, which otherwise would be blocked out?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hm. Here's another thought on what to do with the PH/AP/GAD combination.
> 
> Do you think maybe I should just get the AP to start with so I'll have the discounts from day 1 and then use my GAD to get in on Saturday, which otherwise would be blocked out?



I am using mine for the fast pass.  We have this huge group and that fast pass would be good for us.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am using mine for the fast pass.  We have this huge group and that fast pass would be good for us.



GRR, I keep forgetting the big thing: my Magic Morning. I have willingly given it up for the Divas trip since I'm upgrading to an AP, but this trip being dead-summer and all, I will not be giving it up!!

OK, new plan:

Purchase park hoppers, use MM on Saturday, and use GAD for fast passes.

Sounds good!

Did you hear how close they are to ending the GAD thing? I heard it's pretty much for here to 60 days out and no more organizations are being accepted. I'm so glad I got mine in already.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> GRR, I keep forgetting the big thing: my Magic Morning. I have willingly given it up for the Divas trip since I'm upgrading to an AP, but this trip being dead-summer and all, I will not be giving it up!!
> 
> OK, new plan:
> 
> Purchase park hoppers, use MM on Saturday, and use GAD for fast passes.
> 
> Sounds good!
> 
> Did you hear how close they are to ending the GAD thing? I heard it's pretty much for here to 60 days out and no more organizations are being accepted. I'm so glad I got mine in already.



Wow.  I am glad I didn't wait any longer to do mine.  We were wise weren't we.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Wow.  I am glad I didn't wait any longer to do mine.  We were wise weren't we.



Yup, yup! Not that the GAD was a make or break factor for this trip, but it's a nice added bonus for sure. I still can't believe how lucky I got to find something so close to home (and early enough).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, yup! Not that the GAD was a make or break factor for this trip, but it's a nice added bonus for sure. I still can't believe how lucky I got to find something so close to home (and early enough).



No, it wasn't a make or break for us either.  And I was extremely lucky, I got to do the work here at home and then take it to Vacaville.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No, it wasn't a make or break for us either.  And I was extremely lucky, I got to do the work here at home and then take it to Vacaville.



I think I would have gone crazy trying to make those blankets though, lol. I'm not good at making things. Cleaning on the other hand ... There's a skill I was gifted with.

Would it be to much to ask to take it back?????


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think I would have gone crazy trying to make those blankets though, lol. I'm not good at making things. Cleaning on the other hand ... There's a skill I was gifted with.
> 
> Would it be to much to ask to take it back?????



Nah that is a gift that might come in handy though.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Nah that is a gift that might come in handy though.



But it also gets me stuck cleaning when I don't wanna, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> But it also gets me stuck cleaning when I don't wanna, lol.



Yeah, true.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah, true.



It doesn't help, that 9 times out of 10, I don't wanna.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It doesn't help, that 9 times out of 10, I don't wanna.



That's okay.  I don't think anyone really enjoys cleaning.  No one I know does.


----------



## DizNee Luver

I also heard the GAD was ending soon.......we're still good to use our vouchers this summer right????   I have the voucher printed.....I sure hope they honor it at the end of July!!!

We are using our for the FP's as well.....busy summer crowds...the bonus FP's will be nice!!  We'll get 3 days to do them....3 people, 3 different days.  I'm using mine for the pins/figurine....I'm a sucker for pins & Disney stuff!!! lol

Derek is using his with the church group he's going with on a mission to Tijuana end of June.  They volunteered & signed him up thru them....so we'll be minus his voucher for our trip....but I think we'll be fine!


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> I also heard the GAD was ending soon.......we're still good to use our vouchers this summer right????   I have the voucher printed.....I sure hope they honor it at the end of July!!!
> 
> We are using our for the FP's as well.....busy summer crowds...the bonus FP's will be nice!!  We'll get 3 days to do them....3 people, 3 different days.  I'm using mine for the pins/figurine....I'm a sucker for pins & Disney stuff!!! lol
> 
> Derek is using his with the church group he's going with on a mission to Tijuana end of June.  They volunteered & signed him up thru them....so we'll be minus his voucher for our trip....but I think we'll be fine!



From everything that I've read Laurie, we are all clear with our vouchers! 

I'm a little envious you'll have more than 1 day of the FP's. Since I'll be the only one in my party who did the GAD thing, we'll just have the one day for 2 people. And of course the big ride that I care about I'll be doing Single Rider anyway.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hey, I hope you don't mind me subscribing to your thread! I am loving your stories! I am reading your Sept/09 PTR right now, and I am getting excited to read the TR for it. I can't wait for my trip but I think I still have over 200 days to wait. Not sure how I am going to be able to do it!

Oh! And thank you for rooting for Canada for the hockey game!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey, I hope you don't mind me subscribing to your thread! I am loving your stories! I am reading your Sept/09 PTR right now, and I am getting excited to read the TR for it. I can't wait for my trip but I think I still have over 200 days to wait. Not sure how I am going to be able to do it!
> 
> Oh! And thank you for rooting for Canada for the hockey game!



 I love new subscribers!! I was so afraid all of our total rambling would scare people away, lol. In case you haven't noticed, I love, love *LOVE* chit chat!

And you're very welcome. I figure it's only just since Canada does provide me with my favorite hockey players ...


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I love chit chat. It will be nice to finally chat with someone who gets as excited as I do. And I have reason to be excited. It's been 13 YEARS since I have been! I know, I know,  there should be no excuse for that kind of time away from the mouse, but I just haven't had the money. And being so far away kinda makes it hard. But I am finally going to do it! And after I get the boyfriend hooked (it'll be his first time), I am sure we will be going back way more often! I will be dragging him if he protests!


----------



## Belle Ella

Living far away, I coud see it being harder to get back. It's only a 6 hours drive (unless I'm being bad) from where we are and even shorter via plane so the voyage is a little more manageable cost-wise. But there was a time when I didn't go often. Then I made the mistake of going solo and the second I get home all I can think about is going again .. and again ... and again!

It's the snowball effect!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

A solo trip would be so cool! But I think the boyfriend will love it too much to stay home the next time i'll want to go. But I am sure I could convince him to split up for a couple hours so I could wander on my own for a bit. I am into photography too, although I haven't taken any classes yet. I would like to take a small one before we go. There's so many photo opportunities there I don't want to miss!!

On a slightly different note. Can I ask you how the Photopass works? I read a bit of the description on stitchkingdom.com, but it was mostly directed towards WDW. Just three things I want to know, if you don't mind me asking.

1. How much does the CD cost?  And do you order it while you are at the park, or when you get home? I really think if I am going to get a Photopass, the CD would be the best choice!

2. Can you get the photos where they add the Disney characters in? I saw a few with Stitch in the WDW information, and I LOVE that!

3. Can you get photopass pictures taken at character meals? I plan to get lots of character pictures taken, and for my birthday, I am planning on going to PCH Grill so I can meet Stitch, and I want good pictures of that!

Let me know if I am babbling too much!


----------



## wvnative

I am so thoroughly caught in the snowball that I don't have a "snowballs' chance in... well, you know.. of not being mid plan at any time.  I'm okay with that though. 

Now I'm debating back to back trips next year depending on the dates that get chosen and my courseload that semester.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> On a slightly different note. Can I ask you how the Photopass works? I read a bit of the description on stitchkingdom.com, but it was mostly directed towards WDW. Just three things I want to know, if you don't mind me asking.



I'm off to get food and hopefully see Alice in Wonderland afterward, but tonight I'll give you a good description on how PhotoPass works for DLR - it's mostly the same as WDW from what I understand except in price.

And Denise, you know what? I never stood a "snowballs" chance in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks from the get-go!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I love new subscribers!! I was so afraid all of our total rambling would scare people away, lol. In case you haven't noticed, I love, love *LOVE* chit chat!
> 
> And you're very welcome. I figure it's only just since Canada does provide me with my favorite hockey players ...



No  We aren't chatty are we?   We are shy and retiring.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's cool, I can wait.   I hope you enjoyed Alice!! I really want to see it!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> 1. How much does the CD cost?  And do you order it while you are at the park, or when you get home? I really think if I am going to get a Photopass, the CD would be the best choice!
> 
> 2. Can you get the photos where they add the Disney characters in? I saw a few with Stitch in the WDW information, and I LOVE that!
> 
> 3. Can you get photopass pictures taken at character meals? I plan to get lots of character pictures taken, and for my birthday, I am planning on going to PCH Grill so I can meet Stitch, and I want good pictures of that!
> 
> Let me know if I am babbling too much!



1. If I remember correctly the CD for Disneyland costs 59.99 + shipping and handling - a lot cheaper than the disc for WDW. But sometimes they offer discounts. I remember last summer they were using PhotoPass cards that had a $10 discount on them and right now they actually have a code for $15 dollars off through sometime this month. At their website they'll have a special tab for "Special Offers" so when you are going to order yours, remember to check there to see if you can save some green.

2. You mean a photo like this one:






I have one with Stitch as well, but I haven't uploaded it to my Flickr. I think there are a few other options that they have, but I cannot remember what they are. The great and fun PP photographers will suggest fun poses like those, but sometimes you have to do the prodding yourself.

3. Unfortunately, no. From my experiences at the character meals and my understanding from others is that they don't do any PhotoPass inside while dining and interacting with the characters. But that doesn't mean that you can't get good photos on your own so long as you have a camera. *But*, the photo that you take before going in can be added to your account if you purchase the photo while you are dining (there's a special code for it on the photo itself).






Hope any of that helps!



kaoden39 said:


> No  We aren't chatty are we?   We are shy and retiring.



Shy and retiring is right 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> That's cool, I can wait.   I hope you enjoyed Alice!! I really want to see it!
> 
> I did enjoy it! I want to see it again in 2D though. That 3D stuff gives me a whopper of a headache and it's hard for me to follow sometimes. I swear, by the time my eyes adjust to what I'm seeing, the movie is over!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Belle Ella said:


> *But*, the photo that you take before going in can be added to your account if you purchase the photo while you are dining (there's a special code for it on the photo itself).



I sure wish people would have told me this before!!!  We always purchase the photo package at the meals & had no idea we could tie it in to our photopass pics!!!!
Do you need to let them know we want to do that or ask them to show us the code & then enter it like you would if you had multiple photopass cards??


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> I sure wish people would have told me this before!!!  We always purchase the photo package at the meals & had no idea we could tie it in to our photopass pics!!!!
> Do you need to let them know we want to do that or ask them to show us the code & then enter it like you would if you had multiple photopass cards??



 You learned something new today! And all you have to do is purchase it. No need to let any CM know anything. If you have any of your photo's available, slide it out of the holder and look at the edges. There's a little code printed on them that works just like the photopass cards.

I totally forget how I found out about it in the first place, I just know no CM ever mentioned it to me.

HAHA! Here's a funny story. We had the same CM hand us our photos for both Ariel's Grotto and I think Goofy's Kitchen. We were seeing the same CM's over and over and over last September. It was cool.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Thanks for the info! That clears things up a lot! Do you have to pay for all the photos that are taken at the breakfast, with your own camera? Or is that just if you want a professional one done?  Do you know how much those are? Haha, sorry, I am just trying to figure out how much money I should set aside!


----------



## DizNee Luver

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Thanks for the info! That clears things up a lot! Do you have to pay for all the photos that are taken at the breakfast, with your own camera? Or is that just if you want a professional one done?  Do you know how much those are? Haha, sorry, I am just trying to figure out how much money I should set aside!



You have to pay for the "professional" package but you can ask them to take a pic with your camera as well for free.   The package usually has a 5x7 & a couple 4x6's & runs around $35 (?)....so not cheap but if you can tie it back into your photopass cd....totally worth it to me!!

They will take every families picture whether or not you plan on purchasing their package....so getting them to take a pic with your camera is no big deal.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh ok, well it does sound kinda pricey, but it will be our first ever character meal, and my 30th birthday, so I will probably splurge and buy the package. AND most definitely the Photopass cd. Sounds like such a great idea. As long as you get as many pictures as you can, i guess.


----------



## kaoden39

Good Morning!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh ok, well it does sound kinda pricey, but it will be our first ever character meal, and my 30th birthday, so I will probably splurge and buy the package. AND most definitely the Photopass cd. Sounds like such a great idea. As long as you get as many pictures as you can, i guess.



The more photos the better! And make sure to do some *high*larious poses. Those are the best. I'm not so good at them.

And what is the secret to getting the most out of your PhotoPass CD? Make sure to add every single border to every single photo and make any edit imaginable. The cost doesn't change no matter how many photos or how many discs it ends up being.

Milk it for all it's worth!!



kaoden39 said:


> Good Morning!!



 <-- Best way to spend a Saturday morning.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The more photos the better! And make sure to do some *high*larious poses. Those are the best. I'm not so good at them.
> 
> And what is the secret to getting the most out of your PhotoPass CD? Make sure to add every single border to every single photo and make any edit imaginable. The cost doesn't change no matter how many photos or how many discs it ends up being.
> 
> Milk it for all it's worth!!
> 
> 
> 
> <-- Best way to spend a Saturday morning.



Kacy and Loren went to a concert in Orangevale last night at the Boardwalk.  They saw Kacy's favorite band, and like 4 others for $15.  But the thing is the venue is so small she got to meet the lead singer and get a couple of hugs from him.  Kacy says that the venue is the best she has ever been to.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh I will most definitely be milking it for all it's worth! I can't wait to play with all the borders and stuff!! I haven't even gone on the trip yet, and I am already thinking about the photos afterward.....is that sad?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Kacy and Loren went to a concert in Orangevale last night at the Boardwalk.  They saw Kacy's favorite band, and like 4 others for $15.  But the thing is the venue is so small she got to meet the lead singer and get a couple of hugs from him.  Kacy says that the venue is the best she has ever been to.



Sweet - but I bet you're pretty tired today.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh I will most definitely be milking it for all it's worth! I can't wait to play with all the borders and stuff!! I haven't even gone on the trip yet, and I am already thinking about the photos afterward.....is that sad?



If it's sad, we're all a pretty pathetic group


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Sweet - but I bet you're pretty tired today.
> 
> 
> 
> If it's sad, we're all a pretty pathetic group



Not anymore.  I took a nap.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Not anymore.  I took a nap.



 Naps!

I'm hoping to smuggle one in today before I go in to work tonight!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Naps!
> 
> I'm hoping to smuggle one in today before I go in to work tonight!



Kacy posted a picture of her self and Michael Jagmin on our trip report.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Kacy posted a picture of her self and Michael Jagmin on our trip report.



Bet she had lots of fun!

Here's to hoping I can get some sleep before I go in to work tonight! That and I need to make a new Disney-music playlist for my iPod so I have something to listen to tonight!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Bet she had lots of fun!
> 
> Here's to hoping I can get some sleep before I go in to work tonight! That and I need to make a new Disney-music playlist for my iPod so I have something to listen to tonight!



Indeed girl.  Get some rest.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Indeed girl.  Get some rest.



I'll try. Soon. It's hard, if I go to sleep too early I'll wake up too early but if I wait too long I can't get a nap in at all.

Right now I'm waiting for my sister to get home. She went and got herself a tattoo today.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'll try. Soon. It's hard, if I go to sleep too early I'll wake up too early but if I wait too long I can't get a nap in at all.
> 
> Right now I'm waiting for my sister to get home. She went and got herself a tattoo today.



Ooh what is it of?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Ooh what is it of?



Her cat's paw-print on her leg - the cat who had cancer and had to be put down last year.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Her cat's paw-print on her leg - the cat who had cancer and had to be put down last year.



Cool


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Cool



She asked me if it made me want one - and I shouted back a loud *NO*!!

I am a great big WUSS!

Won't even get my ears pierced.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She asked me if it made me want one - and I shouted back a loud *NO*!!
> 
> I am a great big WUSS!
> 
> Won't even get my ears pierced.




Hey more power to you.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup, yup.

So, no rest for me. Boo. That's what I get for watching too much Supernatural before I try to go to sleep.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, yup.
> 
> So, no rest for me. Boo. That's what I get for watching too much Supernatural before I try to go to sleep.



Silly girl.  Never watch something like that before you want to go to sleep/


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Silly girl.  Never watch something like that before you want to go to sleep/



Unfortunately, I'll never learn. I turn it on and I have to keep watching. And then I can't turn my mind off when the lights go out.  So of course when the sleep thing doesn't pan out, I turn it back on. I'm sure that doesn't help any either.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Unfortunately, I'll never learn. I turn it on and I have to keep watching. And then I can't turn my mind off when the lights go out.  So of course when the sleep thing doesn't pan out, I turn it back on. I'm sure that doesn't help any either.



I am sure it doesn't.  What time do you work tonight?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am sure it doesn't.  What time do you work tonight?



I start at 10. But I leave in about 45 minutes so I can go grab coffee and pick up a couple of things that I need.

O.M.E.  My stupid ear buds broke. Like ... the piece that goes in your ear kind of split apart. I've never had that one happen to me before. So glad I remember _now_ so I can go buy a new pair.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I start at 10. But I leave in about 45 minutes so I can go grab coffee and pick up a couple of things that I need.
> 
> O.M.E.  My stupid ear buds broke. Like ... the piece that goes in your ear kind of split apart. I've never had that one happen to me before. So glad I remember _now_ so I can go buy a new pair.



Sorry, I left you so abruptly, our hamster managed after months of chewing to chew a hole big enough to escape through.  So at 9ish at night the only place available to go is the store that I hate, the one that starts with a W.  And of course they have no cages for miniature hamsters there.  We ended up buying something will work overnight and tomorrow I get to go to the pet store.  Oh joy.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Sorry, I left you so abruptly, our hamster managed after months of chewing to chew a hole big enough to escape through.  So at 9ish at night the only place available to go is the store that I hate, the one that starts with a W.  And of course they have no cages for miniature hamsters there.  We ended up buying something will work overnight and tomorrow I get to go to the pet store.  Oh joy.



 That sounds like an ... interesting night! And I know what yo mean about that store that starts with a W. I despise it as well. It's breaking my heart that they will be selling the copy of New Moon that I want most desperately. GRR!

I just got home from work though. Here's to hoping I can get some sleep. I may be off to see Alice again with my sister today - only not in  this time!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That sounds like an ... interesting night! And I know what yo mean about that store that starts with a W. I despise it as well. It's breaking my heart that they will be selling the copy of New Moon that I want most desperately. GRR!
> 
> I just got home from work though. Here's to hoping I can get some sleep. I may be off to see Alice again with my sister today - only not in  this time!



Have a great day and I hope you get good rest.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Have a great day and I hope you get good rest.



I doubt you could call what I got "rest". I got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep and just been doing nothing. Well, maybe that qualifies as rest. My sister decided she didn't want to go see the movie today after all. UGH. She does this all the time. But *moving on*!


----------



## kaoden39

Oh well, then make a lazy day of it.  Enjoy this time to slack off.


----------



## Belle Ella

I have, lol. I picked up right where I left off, watching Supernatural. Now I'm sad. I have one episode left to watch. Too bad I have no idea what I'll do after that.

Oh yeah ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I have, lol. I picked up right where I left off, watching Supernatural. Now I'm sad. I have one episode left to watch. Too bad I have no idea what I'll do after that.
> 
> Oh yeah ...



Plan....plan...and more planning.


----------



## Belle Ella

Always!! There's no such thing as too much planning, is there?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Always!! There's no such thing as too much planning, is there?



I don't know.  I am afraid sometimes that I over plan, and sometimes that takes a lot of the fun out of it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am glad you said that there is no such thing as too much planning. I have been getting everything planned since we decided to go on this trip about a month ago, and I still have almost 7 months to wait! I am too excited not to plan!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am glad you said that there is no such thing as too much planning. I have been getting everything planned since we decided to go on this trip about a month ago, and I still have almost 7 months to wait! I am too excited not to plan!



I over planned our last trip and I was too sick to do the things I planned so this time I am going in with less of a plan.  And it is with the hope that we have a better time because of it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am hoping that I can get everything booked a few months beforehand, so that the last bit is not too stressful, and then I can just be excited. Except for the few things like getting a few things we will need, and booking PS's, I want to have everything done by like June if I can. I hope!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am hoping that I can get everything booked a few months beforehand, so that the last bit is not too stressful, and then I can just be excited. Except for the few things like getting a few things we will need, and booking PS's, I want to have everything done by like June if I can. I hope!



That part is a part you really have to do, but last trip, I planned what rides and when I wanted to ride them and so on and so forth.  That is what I consider excessive planning.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah other than a few reservations, we want to just do everything when we feel like doing it. It's really hard to plan things like rides and everything when you don't know what the crowds are going to be like. I know a few rides that I really want to make sure I do in the 5 days there, but I am not going to plan when I do them. That seems a little silly. To me anyways.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah other than a few reservations, we want to just do everything when we feel like doing it. It's really hard to plan things like rides and everything when you don't know what the crowds are going to be like. I know a few rides that I really want to make sure I do in the 5 days there, but I am not going to plan when I do them. That seems a little silly. To me anyways.



That is where I learned my mistake.  There are must dos for me but that.  If you have seen our pre trip report you will see that we are pretty relaxed and having a good time on it too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was going to read yours as soon as I was done reading Belle Ella's birthday one. Hope you don't mind.


----------



## wvnative

That's how I plan too Michele. When, how and where are the basics. I like to make some PS's but we don't always keep them. I kind of like to just wing it once we get into the park(s).


----------



## Belle Ella

Hey, there's no such thing as over_planning_ but when it comes to execution ... yeah, you can go overboard then 

I just like to plan and I want to plan as many new things as I possibly can. And by new, just meaning something that I haven't dedicated like 5 bajillion days too already.


----------



## kaoden39

wvnative said:


> That's how I plan too Michele. When, how and where are the basics. I like to make some PS's but we don't always keep them. I kind of like to just wing it once we get into the park(s).



No, I like to make the PS's and then we have them if we want them.  This trip I plan on it being a relaxed happy trip.  And no stressing over anything, another reason for going to the park for 6 days.



Belle Ella said:


> Hey, there's no such thing as over_planning_ but when it comes to execution ... yeah, you can go overboard then
> 
> I just like to plan and I want to plan as many new things as I possibly can. And by new, just meaning something that I haven't dedicated like 5 bajillion days too already.



Yes, and I want to do things I haven't ever taken the time to do.  Just make this about fun.


----------



## Belle Ella

I more meant I want something new to do every day leading up to leaving  I like having something to keep me busy during the countdown. The majority of my planning will go out the window once I leave, and that's the way I like it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am going to make a list of things I want to do (and there will be A LOT as I have not been there in forever), and just check it off as we go. Captain EO is a big one now that I hear it is back. I did see that one back when I went before, but I feel I NEED to see it again. So it will be near the top of the list for sure. I just hope it will still be there in October! 

I pretty much want Dillon to pick everything the first day, because it will be his first time, and I want him to be able to experience it without having sort of a tour guide (even though I haven't been there in 13 years, I still remember a lot of it like it was yesterday).

Also I am enjoying all your pics on your birthday trip report! I love all the character ones the most!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I more meant I want something new to do every day leading up to leaving  I like having something to keep me busy during the countdown. The majority of my planning will go out the window once I leave, and that's the way I like it.



I know exactly what you mean.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am going to make a list of things I want to do (and there will be A LOT as I have not been there in forever), and just check it off as we go. Captain EO is a big one now that I hear it is back. I did see that one back when I went before, but I feel I NEED to see it again. So it will be near the top of the list for sure. I just hope it will still be there in October!
> 
> I pretty much want Dillon to pick everything the first day, because it will be his first time, and I want him to be able to experience it without having sort of a tour guide (even though I haven't been there in 13 years, I still remember a lot of it like it was yesterday).
> 
> Also I am enjoying all your pics on your birthday trip report! I love all the character ones the most!



It's funny but I keep  trying to get Scotty my dorky husband to pick things and he always says that this is my trip.  I hope that doesn't mean he wants to plan a trip for us too.  I am sure it would involve bicycles.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, I can see Dillon being like that too. 

Hopefully your DH doesn't take you somewhere you don't want to be! Although that may be what he thinks about Disneyland (shame on him!), so I guess it would be getting even in his books!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am just reading your Goofy's Kitchen experience on your birthday, and I just wanted to point out;  IMO, Cinderella looks an awful lot like Alice (Ashley Greene) from Twilight!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, I can see Dillon being like that too.
> 
> Hopefully your DH doesn't take you somewhere you don't want to be! Although that may be what he thinks about Disneyland (shame on him!), so I guess it would be getting even in his books!



I think it is the crowd that overwhelms him but, hey he feeds my addiction.  He will probably pick camping, and I am cool with that.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am just reading your Goofy's Kitchen experience on your birthday, and I just wanted to point out;  IMO, Cinderella looks an awful lot like Alice (Ashley Greene) from Twilight!!



Oh please no, nobody looking like someone from Twilight for us.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha sorry. No more Twilight references!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha sorry. No more Twilight references!



Oh no, I am just thinking about my teenage daughters which are obviously strange from what I hear.  Because neither girl like Twilight.  Their 13 year old brother and their best friend are both fans.  Hence our trip title.


----------



## Belle Ella

Did someone say Twilight 

ETA: I'm totally distracted today. I have to work on a 40x40 inch contour-drawing of a shell and it's not working too well. I've already spent 2 hours on it and it looks nothing like a shell ...


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, your daughters are probably the only 13 year olds on the planet that aren't gaga over Edward or Jacob! From what I have been seeing anyways! I have to admit that I am a huge fan. I'm on the Edward side!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Did someone say Twilight
> 
> ETA: I'm totally distracted today. I have to work on a 40x40 inch contour-drawing of a shell and it's not working too well. I've already spent 2 hours on it and it looks nothing like a shell ...



Just relax, that will help you.  Trust me.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, your daughters are probably the only 13 year olds on the planet that aren't gaga over Edward or Jacob! From what I have been seeing anyways! I have to admit that I am a huge fan. I'm on the Edward side!



Loren my son is 13, the girls Kacy is 17(April 3), and Kody is 15.  They felt that Edward was a stalker.  But, they do think Taylor Lautner is hot.  Kody just read a book called Nightlight, it is a parody of Twilight.  You need to visit our trip report.  "Bawb" is a major Edward fan.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Nightlight sounds like a fun read! Haha, I will make sure to read yours next! I am still working on BE's report! Loved the picture with Stitch BTW!!! I'm jealous!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Nightlight sounds like a fun read! Haha, I will make sure to read yours next! I am still working on BE's report! Loved the picture with Stitch BTW!!! I'm jealous!



I have never seen Stitch in the park.  I plan on changing that this trip.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh I HAVE to find him! I have heard he is at the PCH Grill in the mornings, so I am going to try that, and if he isn't there, I will hunt him down if I have to!! I am glad I have been reading BE's reports, cause I would never have known to go to City Hall and see what characters are going to be around!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh I HAVE to find him! I have heard he is at the PCH Grill in the mornings, so I am going to try that, and if he isn't there, I will hunt him down if I have to!! I am glad I have been reading BE's reports, cause I would never have known to go to City Hall and see what characters are going to be around!



I have heard recently that the Lilo and Stitch breakfast is being changed to a Mickey themed meal.  I don't know if they or not.  I do know that you are more apt to see him in DCA so don't forget to look there for him there.  And there is an equivalent to City Hall for DCA to ask those things too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is good to know! I will be on the hunt for him there! I also heard about the Lilo and Stitch breakfast being replaced by Mickey, but someone said that Stitch is still there, just not Lilo. I hope that is the case. It would make for the best birthday breakfast ever! Mickey AND Stitch!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is good to know! I will be on the hunt for him there! I also heard about the Lilo and Stitch breakfast being replaced by Mickey, but someone said that Stitch is still there, just not Lilo. I hope that is the case. It would make for the best birthday breakfast ever! Mickey AND Stitch!



That would be nice.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is good to know! I will be on the hunt for him there! I also heard about the Lilo and Stitch breakfast being replaced by Mickey, but someone said that Stitch is still there, just not Lilo. I hope that is the case. It would make for the best birthday breakfast ever! Mickey AND Stitch!



What was once the Lile & Stitch character meal is now called Mickey's Surfs Up or something like that. But if you check out PPB's latest TR Lilo and Stitch and Daisy were all still there. So I'm guessing that it's still generally the same thing only a new name + Mickey Mouse. I had never done thic character meal before the change so 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Nightlight sounds like a fun read! Haha, I will make sure to read yours next! I am still working on BE's report! Loved the picture with Stitch BTW!!! I'm jealous!





DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh I HAVE to find him! I have heard he is at the PCH Grill in the mornings, so I am going to try that, and if he isn't there, I will hunt him down if I have to!! I am glad I have been reading BE's reports, cause I would never have known to go to City Hall and see what characters are going to be around!



Every trip I have taken I have seen Stitch hanging around Sunshine Plaza, straight ahead when you enter into DCA. They are usually hanging out 'round there at different times of the day along with tourist Mickey, Minnie, and some more of the gang. I'm not sure how much that has changed with all of the newer construction, but I have yet to fail to see Stitch at DCA.



kaoden39 said:


> Just relax, that will help you.  Trust me.



Easier said than done. I keep making mistakes on it and then I freak out and I can't stop freaking out. It's part of the anxiety thing. If I haven't been able to stop it in the past 6 years I don't think today will be the magical day as much as I wish it was.

I freaking hate drawing. Have I mentioned that?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am sure I will see him. I will just keep checking every day at the DCA sides City Hall.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, since I shared my life-size me contours, I figured I can share this stupid shell thing as well. I'm a little nervous because it's a bit smaller than we were supposed to do. I'm _trying_ not to stress out about it, but it's easier said than done.

Does it at least look like a shell?






How sad is it that it took me about 3 hours to do this?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Also, I get that anxiety all the time too. It's not very fun.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think it looks like a pretty good shell, actually.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am sure I will see him. I will just keep checking every day at the DCA sides City Hall.



You know, I've never actually stopped by the DCA equivalent to City Hall. How silly, huh?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I never even would have thought to stop there to check if it hadn't been for your trip report i'm reading, so thank you! 

And I don't think it's silly if you got everything you needed on the other side.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I never even would have thought to stop there to check if it hadn't been for your trip report i'm reading, so thank you!
> 
> And I don't think it's silly if you got everything you needed on the other side.



 You are welcome! My TR has finally done a good deed. Aw, I'm such a proud mommy now. I may just tear up a little.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, I am sure I am not the only one it helped!


----------



## Belle Ella

Sometimes I wonder, lol. But it's not like I don't do this for myself anyways


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well it is a great way to remember ALL of the trip, and not just bits and pieces! I am planning on doing it too. I have started a little PTR myself, but I dont have much experience in this stuff, so it's not the greatest. But it's a start! I don't know when the next time we will get to go to DLR, so I am going to try and get as many notes as I can so I can write my own TR.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am sure I will see him. I will just keep checking every day at the DCA sides City Hall.



Sounds like a plan and I may steal it.



Belle Ella said:


> Well, since I shared my life-size me contours, I figured I can share this stupid shell thing as well. I'm a little nervous because it's a bit smaller than we were supposed to do. I'm _trying_ not to stress out about it, but it's easier said than done.
> 
> Does it at least look like a shell?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How sad is it that it took me about 3 hours to do this?



I like it.  I think it is pretty and I can see where it would take you time to make it.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well it is a great way to remember ALL of the trip, and not just bits and pieces! I am planning on doing it too. I have started a little PTR myself, but I dont have much experience in this stuff, so it's not the greatest. But it's a start! I don't know when the next time we will get to go to DLR, so I am going to try and get as many notes as I can so I can write my own TR.



The great thing about TR's is that there is no right way and wrong way to do them. Whatever works for you is the right way and whatever works for me is the right way. With all the photos I take with my SLR, that's what most of my report turns out to be (well, then there's me babbling into an occasion long-winded story, but that's another matter altogether). And those photos are sometimes the only way I can remember what we did and when.

I'm actually thinking about leaving the SLR at home for the trip in July and seeing how much that changes my TR. It would definitely be faster in the writing process since I wouldn't have another 3,000 photos to edit. 



kaoden39 said:


> I like it.  I think it is pretty and I can see where it would take you time to make it.



 Thanks Michele. I was so stressing out earlier. It's funny - once I'm in class and surrounded by people (including my new artBFF) it's not so stresful and I get a little confidence in me. But the second I get back home and have to work on it, all that confidence flies right out the window.

Stupid, never ending cycle!

If I remember too, I'll take a photo in a minute so you can see what I did to it today in class. It's _starting_ to take shape into the final piece.

I got to paint with more coffee!


----------



## kaoden39

What is it with your teacher and the coffee painting.  I understand why you feel the way you do.  If it were something you are really familiar with it would be different for you.


----------



## knewton64

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well it is a great way to remember ALL of the trip, and not just bits and pieces! I am planning on doing it too. I have started a little PTR myself, but I dont have much experience in this stuff, so it's not the greatest. But it's a start! I don't know when the next time we will get to go to DLR, so I am going to try and get as many notes as I can so I can write my own TR.



....enjoy Trip reporting.


I choose to do it as a wonderful way to preserve precious memories.


By the way, I am about to embark on my very first trip into Disneyland in a few more days.

If ya want, you can follow along in my trip report.



*PSSSST! *   BE - love yer trip report! Great pics.





T.T.F.N.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What is it with your teacher and the coffee painting.  I understand why you feel the way you do.  If it were something you are really familiar with it would be different for you.



It's a very good question! He did give us a reason for it -- something to do with bringing out the foreground and yada yada. It makes sense to him, that's all I know. Oh, and I know I find it fun, so I don't mind. I get to spend a full class period doing nothing but doing a coffee wash on my background since you need a few layers and you need it to dry.

So here is after my 3 hr. class:





I still have a lot to do with it - like *paint* - but I still have a few more coffee + ink washes I have to do. Nameless and I are trying to see Alice tomorrow morning and if so I'll stop by Peet's with my gift card, get more coffee and work on it tomorrow afternoon rather than wait until the last minute like normal.



knewton64 said:


> *PSSSST! *   BE - love yer trip report! Great pics.



Awwws  Thank you. I like to hear it when people like my TR. Otherwise it's just me and Michele babbling away like crazy half the time  Not that that's not awesome too Michele!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I will be looking for your trip report knewton64!

 And I love all the pictures in your trip report BE. It would be a shame if you didn't take your SLR!! At least take your point and shoot!

Sorry, I don't know how to do the quote thing.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And I love the coffee idea! I bet your project is smelling pretty good!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I will be looking for your trip report knewton64!
> 
> And I love all the pictures in your trip report BE. It would be a shame if you didn't take your SLR!! At least take your point and shoot!
> 
> Sorry, I don't know how to do the quote thing.



Well, then tonight your gonna learn something new! It you look at the bottom of my post there should be a row of blue buttons on your right.

1.) It's says *quote* and has a page and a quill little image on it. Clicking that will quote that individual post and take you to a new screen to post your reply.

2.) It should have a page and quotation marks. This is how you quote multiple posts. If you click it for every post that you want to quote it will change colors to show that you are quoting that post and then you simply click "Post Reply" and it will take you to the new screen with all of your quotations to post your reply.

3.) The last one just has the page and quill and if you click it will open up the quick reply box at the bottom of your screen


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> And I love the coffee idea! I bet your project is smelling pretty good!



 You have no idea!! I had to do the wash on our last project (the photo is somewhere back in the madness that is my TR) on the floor of my kitchen and weeks later we can still smell it. They all get stored in my bedroom so the aroma is inescapable. It's wonderful to wake up to - especially after it's been raining because my room does get a little damp seeing as I technically have a big whole in m wall that they call a swamp cooler, and it just re-releases to coffee attack on your senses!

I would prefer all my painting to be done by coffee now.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> Well, then tonight your gonna learn something new! It you look at the bottom of my post there should be a row of blue buttons on your right.
> 
> 1.) It's says *quote* and has a page and a quill little image on it. Clicking that will quote that individual post and take you to a new screen to post your reply.
> 
> 2.) It should have a page and quotation marks. This is how you quote multiple posts. If you click it for every post that you want to quote it will change colors to show that you are quoting that post and then you simply click "Post Reply" and it will take you to the new screen with all of your quotations to post your reply.
> 
> 3.) The last one just has the page and quill and if you click it will open up the quick reply box at the bottom of your screen



Yay!  I think it worked!! Thank you!!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> You have no idea!! I had to do the wash on our last project (the photo is somewhere back in the madness that is my TR) on the floor of my kitchen and weeks later we can still smell it. They all get stored in my bedroom so the aroma is inescapable. It's wonderful to wake up to - especially after it's been raining because my room does get a little damp seeing as I technically have a big whole in m wall that they call a swamp cooler, and it just re-releases to coffee attack on your senses!
> 
> I would prefer all my painting to be done by coffee now.



That would be a nice smell to have in your room. Too bad about the dampness though. Can I ask what a swamp cooler is? I don't think I have ever heard of that, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yay!  I think it worked!! Thank you!!!



 You're welcome



DisneyStitch626 said:


> That would be a nice smell to have in your room. Too bad about the dampness though. Can I ask what a swamp cooler is? I don't think I have ever heard of that, lol.



It is so far from my area of expertise so I'll let Mr. Wiki share the answer for me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler But it's placed in a window that was knocked out in my room and it doesn't totally fit so my bedroom is pretty much open to the environment a little bit, lol. It's a nightmare for me.

Especially in summer with my allergies!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yikes! That can't be fun. I would be constantly worried about bugs. I hate bugs. All kinds! Moths are the worst.


----------



## disneyland89

You've never heard of a swamp cooler??
Oh here in Arizona they are so popular. I've never lived in a house without one. (Not saying that I like them.......I actually HATE them.) 


Love your TRs/PTR by the way..............


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yikes! That can't be fun. I would be constantly worried about bugs. I hate bugs. All kinds! Moths are the worst.





disneyland89 said:


> You've never heard of a swamp cooler??
> Oh here in Arizona they are so popular. I've never lived in a house without one. (Not saying that I like them.......I actually HATE them.)
> 
> 
> Love your TRs/PTR by the way..............



They're a nightmare, aren't they? We live in an older house here in CA and don't have any kind of centralized heating/cooling so it's really all that we've got. The kicker is that it hasn't been working for about 4 years now but it's still there - effectively making a giant whole in my wall. It's ridiculous.

And Andrea, bugs, dust, you name it it found it's way into my room. I could never find a set up that would keep my bed clean and I had to make sure my bed was covered by something any time that it was on.


----------



## Belle Ella

Oooh! I forgot to say thank you! I'm glad you've enjoyed them.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Nope, never heard of a swamp cooler. It can get -22 Fahrenheit here, so a swamp cooler wouldn't be a good idea in any house around here! brrrrr!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

BUT I have to say that I am grateful for that cold weather, as it kills off all the bugs for the season, and also prevents us from getting really big ones! But that's probably the only thing I like about winter!


----------



## Belle Ella

That makes sense. I could never live in the cold weather, especially somewhere that snows!

I like my California weather.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I always say that I hate the winter, and I want to move somewhere warm like California, but I think that if I did that, I would probably miss it. Especially at Christmas time. I could deal with less snow though. If it stayed in the mountains so the skiers would be happy, I would be happy with that!


----------



## wvnative

There is something very wrong about you at DLR without your camera Jazz. Say it ain't so!

I can't imagine going without mine. How would I remember anything? lol

We had a swamp cooler when we lived up in CA. I hated that thing. It was super loud and the humidity made my hair all crazy. lol I did like our whole house fan though. That thing was awesome for cooling the house overnight. These days I'm a bit partial to my central heat/air. haha

Oh, and I think you did a good job on your shell.


----------



## kaoden39

I love how the shell is looking. Be sure and post a picture of the finished product.  You without camera?  Say it isn't so.  

Another thing about a swamp cooler, they have a musty smell too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I usually love the heat, but I am kind of glad that it's not year round. If the winters were a little shorter, I'd be happier, but I am not liking the sound of swamp coolers or musty air. I like the cool crisp air.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I usually love the heat, but I am kind of glad that it's not year round. If the winters were a little shorter, I'd be happier, but I am not liking the sound of swamp coolers or musty air. I like the cool crisp air.



That's one thing nice about the area that Belle Ella live, most of the time in the summer if it gets hot all we have to do is head to San Francisco.  Chances are it will be foggy in San Francisco.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is nice then. At least there is somewhere to get away. Here, if it is hot, most likely everywhere around us is just as hot. If its cold, everywhere close is just as cold, so we pretty much just have to suck it up. We do live close to a lake though, so when it is hot, we have somewhere to go to cool off. But usually on those days, everyone else has that idea too, so we don't go very often.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay!!! I am finally all caught up!

I am tempted to take a stop that the Disney Soda Fountain on the way home, if it's not too far out of the way. We are planning a two-night stop in Las Vegas, so maybe if we leave early enough, we can stop there along the way.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> There is something very wrong about you at DLR without your camera Jazz. Say it ain't so!
> 
> I can't imagine going without mine. How would I remember anything? lol
> 
> We had a swamp cooler when we lived up in CA. I hated that thing. It was super loud and the humidity made my hair all crazy. lol I did like our whole house fan though. That thing was awesome for cooling the house overnight. These days I'm a bit partial to my central heat/air. haha
> 
> Oh, and I think you did a good job on your shell.



Well, I wouldn't be camera free - that would be blasphemy! I'm thinking of just taking my P&S so I wont have to lug the huge SLR around since it'll be the middle of summer and more crowded. And I would also see just how much my TR-style changes without thousands of photos!

I'm thinking of leaving the SLR home either this trip or with the Divas next year. But knowing me it wont happen either time!



kaoden39 said:


> I love how the shell is looking. Be sure and post a picture of the finished product.  You without camera?  Say it isn't so.
> 
> Another thing about a swamp cooler, they have a musty smell too.



O.M.E. I totally forgot about the smell. You are so right. Very musty. Can you see why I hate my room, lol.

And I will definitely share the finished product of the shell. Maybe even in the rest of the stages as I'm working on it. Turns out that we aren't doing the movie this morning but we might tomorrow morning (I'm not holding my breath) and I have to do the new wash by tomorrow afternoon regardless. Oiy. It never ends. But I have a week left to finish it.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yay!!! I am finally all caught up!
> 
> I am tempted to take a stop that the Disney Soda Fountain on the way home, if it's not too far out of the way. We are planning a two-night stop in Las Vegas, so maybe if we leave early enough, we can stop there along the way.



Awesome! It's a lot to go through, isn't it? I try to do my best to make it easy to navigate though.

Oh goodness. I wonder what I'm going to do when we fill up this thread and I have to start a new one. Anyone know the max post count/pages before a thread is supposed to close?

Hm, how long is the drive to Vegas supposed to be? No wait, are you flying to Vegas? I'm having a D'OH moment here! I hope you would have a chance to stop by the Soda Fountain it was an absolute blast with a capital B! I want to do it every time I do now.

Depending on what time we end up leaving for our July trip we may be able to stop by on the drive down because we're more interested in spending some final hours at Disneyland before we drive home on our final day since we really only have 3 days this time. Man, oh man, did I get spoiled my last two trips with 4 and 5+ days!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> Awesome! It's a lot to go through, isn't it? I try to do my best to make it easy to navigate though.
> 
> Oh goodness. I wonder what I'm going to do when we fill up this thread and I have to start a new one. Anyone know the max post count/pages before a thread is supposed to close?
> 
> Hm, how long is the drive to Vegas supposed to be? No wait, are you flying to Vegas? I'm having a D'OH moment here! I hope you would have a chance to stop by the Soda Fountain it was an absolute blast with a capital B! I want to do it every time I do now.
> 
> Depending on what time we end up leaving for our July trip we may be able to stop by on the drive down because we're more interested in spending some final hours at Disneyland before we drive home on our final day since we really only have 3 days this time. Man, oh man, did I get spoiled my last two trips with 4 and 5+ days!




I found your trip report pretty easy to read. It was a lot of fun, so it kept my attention, even when the talk wasn't about Disney!

We are going to be driving our whole trip. Flights from here are just way too expensive, and this way we can see more places. Really we are only doing Disneyland and Las Vegas, but I am looking forward to the drive as well. It will be about 2, 14 hour days of driving though, to get to Disneyland from here. It will be long, but very worth it. And according to google, Las Vegas is about a 4 and a half hour drive from Disneyland. I will probably add an hour to that in case traffic is bad. It will be a Thursday, so I don't know. We will be doing Saturday to Wednesday in DLR and Thursday night and Friday night in Vegas. Then head back home.


----------



## wvnative

I can see taking something smaller like your P&S instead of your big camera especially when it's busy. I just couldn't picture you there with out any cameras at all. lol

Speaking of school, since no one is posting on my thread but me...lol, my marketing professor is driving me nuts. His assignemtnlist for this week shows we have a marketing plan due at the end of the week and says there's supposed to be a list of companies we can choose from, but there is no list and he's not responding to email. If I don't have a response by tomorrow, I'll pick my own dang company. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I found your trip report pretty easy to read. It was a lot of fun, so it kept my attention, even when the talk wasn't about Disney!
> 
> We are going to be driving our whole trip. Flights from here are just way too expensive, and this way we can see more places. Really we are only doing Disneyland and Las Vegas, but I am looking forward to the drive as well. It will be about 2, 14 hour days of driving though, to get to Disneyland from here. It will be long, but very worth it. And according to google, Las Vegas is about a 4 and a half hour drive from Disneyland. I will probably add an hour to that in case traffic is bad. It will be a Thursday, so I don't know. We will be doing Saturday to Wednesday in DLR and Thursday night and Friday night in Vegas. Then head back home.



Man, that's a l *lot* of driving. But I get why you're doing it. And I do think you'll have time to stop by the Soda Fountain depending on if you were planning on doing anything else that day before driving to Vegas. I don't remember exactly how long it took us, but I didn't find it that far away. Although we did get lost, but that is simply because I have the worlds worst sense of direction and no GPS to guide the way.



wvnative said:


> I can see taking something smaller like your P&S instead of your big camera especially when it's busy. I just couldn't picture you there with out any cameras at all. lol
> 
> Speaking of school, since no one is posting on my thread but me...lol, my marketing professor is driving me nuts. His assignemtnlist for this week shows we have a marketing plan due at the end of the week and says there's supposed to be a list of companies we can choose from, but there is no list and he's not responding to email. If I don't have a response by tomorrow, I'll pick my own dang company. lol



Me without a camera would be ...  ... a nightmare, no doubt!

And now I feel bad. Sorry I haven't checked your thread in a while Denise. I've been so busy jumping from here to there I know I always forget something.

I can't stand in when there aren't clear directions for something. And it's even worse that you've been given direction, but not the rest of the information necessary! I think I would go a little batty.

Boo. I have an Anthro. exam tonight.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> Man, that's a l *lot* of driving. But I get why you're doing it. And I do think you'll have time to stop by the Soda Fountain depending on if you were planning on doing anything else that day before driving to Vegas. I don't remember exactly how long it took us, but I didn't find it that far away. Although we did get lost, but that is simply because I have the worlds worst sense of direction and no GPS to guide the way.



We are planning on leaving right in the morning for Vegas, so I think it shouldn't be a problem to take a teeny detour. I am not too bad with directions, and I am sure I will have my trusty iPhone with me to make sure we don't get lost!


Yeah I checked flight prices before we even thought about the possibility of driving and it was going to cost nearly $1600 for the two of us!  Uh, no thanks! I will pay less than $500 to drive. Means more spending money for Disney! I will be loading up on souvenirs for sure!

Good luck on your exam tonight!


----------



## kaoden39

Wow, I miss all the fun.  It looks like you all were having fun while I was nursing a headache.  I am starting my own project today.  Or should I say Kacy and I are.  We are making a paper chain with a link to take off everyday until we leave.  And a friend gave me the idea of putting a message inside the links so I think I will do that on the last two weeks to a month on my links.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That sounds like a lot of fun! I went and grabbed a whole bunch of those Mickey Paint samples the other day, and I think I want to make a countdown with them, but not sure exactly what I am going to do yet. I am going to start at 100, so I still have quite a long time to plan one out. *sigh*


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That sounds like a lot of fun! I went and grabbed a whole bunch of those Mickey Paint samples the other day, and I think I want to make a countdown with them, but not sure exactly what I am going to do yet. I am going to start at 100, so I still have quite a long time to plan one out. *sigh*



Oh wow you are ambitious.  I am going for current.  I will post a picture when we are done.  We are going to use my edging scissors too so that should make it more fun.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I need more hobbies. At least finding this forum is giving me more things to do in a day. It's also giving me more ideas for crafty stuff! I have been buying Disney scrapbook stuff for a long time, and I am sooo excited that I will actually be able to use it soon!

Those scissors always make for a fun outcome!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah I need more hobbies. At least finding this forum is giving me more things to do in a day. It's also giving me more ideas for crafty stuff! I have been buying Disney scrapbook stuff for a long time, and I am sooo excited that I will actually be able to use it soon!
> 
> Those scissors always make for a fun outcome!



Whenever there is a sale at the craft store I stock up.  I managed to get a bunch of scissors when they had them 2 for a $1, and I have bicycle related stickers and papers.  I need to start stocking up on the Disney stuff, such a hardship.  I think that the HD Mickey head stickers would look cute in a scrapbook too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yes, I plan on going back to HD soon and getting some more. I feel wierd walking out of there with a big stack of them though. I feel like I am stealing, even though they're free.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yes, I plan on going back to HD soon and getting some more. I feel wierd walking out of there with a big stack of them though. I feel like I am stealing, even though they're free.



My niece used to work at HD and get them for me.  That was a great way to get them.  I would get them on my own and then she would get them for me too.  It worked real good.


----------



## Belle Ella

Haha, I love walking out of HD with a stock the the paint chips. We had a fat stack when we grabbed one or so of every color last March so we could make our countdown calendar. Now I'm really thinking I want to do that again ... Hmmmmm!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, maybe if I was buying something else, I wouldn't feel so guilty. I was grabbing like 10 of each colour.   I thought maybe I was going to be obvious, but nobody really noticed. Phewf!


----------



## Belle Ella

Maybe I'm just a devil without a cause -- out looking for trouble at my local Home Depot


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Maybe I'm just a devil without a cause -- out looking for trouble at my local Home Depot



Yoo hoo tag fairy???  That is a good tag!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yoo hoo tag fairy???  That is a good tag!!



 Too too bad aint no tag fairy gonna find me in my NE-TR.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Too too bad aint no tag fairy gonna find me in my NE-TR.



You never know!!


----------



## Hawleys

Belle Ella said:


> Haha, I love walking out of HD with a stock the the paint chips. We had a fat stack when we grabbed one or so of every color last March so we could make our countdown calendar. Now I'm really thinking I want to do that again ... Hmmmmm!



Just wanted to pop in and say "hey!". And totally steal your idea for a countdown calendar from *ehem* scavenged home depot paint chips.

Hope all is well!


----------



## wvnative

I was going to use those on ours too but found that card stock worked better. I have a mickey cookie cutter and traced a few mickeys onto a piece of white paper then just copied it onto my colored card stock. Worked like a charm. I'm still not sure I like the way it works now but I have a whole 9months (countdown goes up three months out...lol) to figure out how I want it to be for next year. lol


----------



## kaoden39

I think it's fun to see how everybody does things.  We have never done a count down before so this is gonna be fun.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Jazz, you have convinced me that I need to make that stop at the Disney Soda Fountain! We will probably stop there on our way to Las Vegas. It only takes a few hours out of hour day. PLUS, a bonus for me, Mickey Mouse and Michael Jackson's stars are both really close, so that makes that plan pretty much set in stone! Thanks for tip!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Jazz, you have convinced me that I need to make that stop at the Disney Soda Fountain! We will probably stop there on our way to Las Vegas. It only takes a few hours out of hour day. PLUS, a bonus for me, Mickey Mouse and Michael Jackson's stars are both really close, so that makes that plan pretty much set in stone! Thanks for tip!



You while you are in the area you should drive down Rodeo Drive and look at all the fancy stores, and look for stars.  I love looking at the shops on Rodeo Drive.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ooh! That would be cool! Might have to do that if it's not too far away. It would be cool to see someone famous!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ooh! That would be cool! Might have to do that if it's not too far away. It would be cool to see someone famous!



I believe it's all in the same basic area.  It is in Beverly Hills.


----------



## Belle Ella

Nobody wondering if I'm still alive  I swear this has been my quietest 24 hour period in a while.

I don't have much to add trip wise. I'm getting depressed because I'm starting to think Nameless can't go. And if Nameless can't go, I can't go. I don't have to funds to make this a solo trip right now. 

But I promised I would keep everyone updated on my shell that doesn't look like a shell (IMO). Well, I like the small one. The big one looks like patootie on one side.

So this is where I was this morning after working on it yesterday. I just added 2 more coats of coffee and used some blue ink in it to add a cooler shadow.






And then after spending an hour and half on it in class today starting off my actual painting, _this_ is where I am:






I'm starting to feel better about it after seeing the photo. For some reason, looking at it in person, I hate it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh I hope your friend doesn't cancel on you! That would really suck! But if she does, maybe you can go at Halloween time like you originally planned. You keep saying that you really want to see it then.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

BTW your shell looks really cool. I wish I had the time to do things like that!


----------



## kaoden39

Oh no I hope it works out.  I think your sea shells look good


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> I start at 10. But I leave in about 45 minutes so I can go grab coffee and pick up a couple of things that I need.
> 
> O.M.E.  My stupid ear buds broke. Like ... the piece that goes in your ear kind of split apart. I've never had that one happen to me before. So glad I remember _now_ so I can go buy a new pair.



My dog chewed up my ear bud and the same thing happened. They were $40 headphones too!! 



Belle Ella said:


> Nobody wondering if I'm still alive  I swear this has been my quietest 24 hour period in a while.
> 
> I don't have much to add trip wise. I'm getting depressed because I'm starting to think Nameless can't go. And if Nameless can't go, I can't go. I don't have to funds to make this a solo trip right now.
> 
> But I promised I would keep everyone updated on my shell that doesn't look like a shell (IMO). Well, I like the small one. The big one looks like patootie on one side.
> 
> So this is where I was this morning after working on it yesterday. I just added 2 more coats of coffee and used some blue ink in it to add a cooler shadow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And then after spending an hour and half on it in class today starting off my actual painting, _this_ is where I am:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm starting to feel better about it after seeing the photo. For some reason, looking at it in person, I hate it.



I hope you can still go!! Oh my gosh that would be so sad. 

Your shell looks AMAZING though. You can really see the contouring.


----------



## wvnative

I think your shell looks great Jazz!

I really hope Nameless can go but if not, I am considering a Halloween time trip and you can join us if that happens.


----------



## kaoden39

I hope today is going better.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I know this is not Disney related, but Jazz, did you see the new Eclipse preview today???? Eeeeek! It looks so good!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> My dog chewed up my ear bud and the same thing happened. They were $40 headphones too!!
> 
> I hope you can still go!! Oh my gosh that would be so sad.
> 
> Your shell looks AMAZING though. You can really see the contouring.


I don't think I could get myself to buy $40 ear buds. I put the poor things through hell and back. But I do get a lot of use out of them, so it's all good. I don't mind buying a new cheap pair every now and again.

And thanks about my shell. I will be happy when it's done, let me tell you!



wvnative said:


> I think your shell looks great Jazz!
> 
> I really hope Nameless can go but if not, I am considering a Halloween time trip and you can join us if that happens.



 You just made my day all kinds of better right there.



kaoden39 said:


> I hope today is going better.



I wish I could say it was. I'm just feeling down. Blah. And sore. For some reason my whole body hurts like I've fallen down some stairs or something.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't think I could get myself to buy $40 ear buds. I put the poor things through hell and back. But I do get a lot of use out of them, so it's all good. I don't mind buying a new cheap pair every now and again.
> 
> And thanks about my shell. I will be happy when it's done, let me tell you!
> 
> 
> 
> You just made my day all kinds of better right there.
> 
> 
> 
> I wish I could say it was. I'm just feeling down. Blah. And sore. For some reason my whole body hurts like I've fallen down some stairs or something.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


>



Awwz  I needed that.

I do have one bit of good news for today however -  I have officially paid off my car!

Too bad I'm not as excited about it as I was a couple of weeks ago.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Awwz  I needed that.
> 
> I do have one bit of good news for today however -  I have officially paid off my car!
> 
> Too bad I'm not as excited about it as I was a couple of weeks ago.



Yay that's great!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, Nameless and I are are now supposed to get together on Wednesday if everything works out. I'm tired of this tag game we're playing. It's making me sad. Hopefully I'll have a better idea of whether or not I'll be able to make this trip.

But either way, I'll keep my ressie at the HoJo until the last second to see if maybe, _just maybe_, I can talk smeone else into going with me. Not that I have any idea who.

And I do still have a room booked for October as well - just in case. I was just really looking forward to this summer!

Oh, and I'm going to mention it to my dad and step-mom that some day when they are cmfortable letting her fly alone t come and visit, I would love to take my little sister (she's 8 now) to Disneyland.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hopefully she will be able to go!


----------



## kaoden39

I hope she can go too!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too.

OK, so I'm in a better mood. Nothing like a Trasure Hunt at work to boost my spirits! I even got me a little pot of gold for it. I'm so giddy excited right now. I feel like I'm 6 all over again.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too.
> 
> OK, so I'm in a better mood. Nothing like a Trasure Hunt at work to boost my spirits! I even got me a little pot of gold for it. I'm so giddy excited right now. I feel like I'm 6 all over again.



Oooh was it gold wrapped chocolate?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oooh was it gold wrapped chocolate?



I shall show you!


...After I get back from dinner with me dad and me sister.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I shall show you!
> 
> 
> ...After I get back from dinner with me dad and me sister.



Okie dokie sounds good to me!!


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> I shall show you!



Try to say this 10x fast!!


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> Try to say this 10x fast!!



Oh my


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> Oh my



I can't even say it slowly now. My sh sh's get all mixed up.


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> I can't even say it slowly now. My sh sh's get all mixed up.



A likely story.  Indeed.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Try to say this 10x fast!!



 I had fun with that one!

So, we tend to do some rather silly arts and crafts on "Fun Fridays" at work. Last week we got to make little necklaces for St. Patrick's Day. Now I actually have something green to wear next week. Then of course yesterday was the treasure hunt!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well ... moving on to happier Disney-related subjects, remember _way_ back when and the time that I ordered a batch pins off eBay for cheap to have for trading in the Parks? Well, I meant to take photos of them all to show you just because we all love photos and this thread has been lacking in the color and photo department as of late.

So here they are:







































I don't have any intention of keeping any of them. They are for trading, remember! Beside, outside of the toddler girls pin set that I thought were too cute to pass up after I saw the Snow White one I am strictly a Snow White collector. Even the hidden mickeys don't do it for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

I just got a dreaded text from Nameless. She's nixed herself for not only DL in July, but DL completely in 2010.

Now, where do I go from here?


----------



## kaoden39

Oh geez, if we had room we would bring you with us.  I love a couple of those pins.  And your treasure hunt loot is cute.   It sounds like you guys have a real good manager at work.  And it sounds like they care about morale in your store and that is good.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry to hear she can't go.   I hope you find another way.

I like a couple of those pins as well. I haven't started collecting those yet, but I was thinking about starting before we go. They used to sell them in the Disney Store closest to me, but I haven't seen them in a long time. My only option is ordering off the internet it seems.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh geez, if we had room we would bring you with us.  I love a couple of those pins.  And your treasure hunt loot is cute.   It sounds like you guys have a real good manager at work.  And it sounds like they care about morale in your store and that is good.



I may end up keeping a couple that I like if I can't find anything else to trade them for, but in all likelihood the plan is to trade them all away (unless someone is absolutely dying to have one of them - I may be talked into parting ways with it). It all depends. First thing I have to do is actually make it to DLR!

We really do. It started when we got a new store manager and HR at the beginning of last year. They made a huge difference with things at our store. And we've been lucky enough since then to have replacements come in that see the fun we have and encourage it to continue since we've now lost both that manager and HR to another location. It's a big part of why I've stuck it out the past year or so.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry to hear she can't go.   I hope you find another way.
> 
> I like a couple of those pins as well. I haven't started collecting those yet, but I was thinking about starting before we go. They used to sell them in the Disney Store closest to me, but I haven't seen them in a long time. My only option is ordering off the internet it seems.



I'm hoping I can too. Unfortunately she's really the only person I know who would possibly entertain the idea of going at all. There is one other person but - the newest member of my team at work who is a huge Disney fan like me, it was crazy when we started talking the first day I was training her because we're almost the same person - but seeing as she'd be needed to cover for me while I'm gone _and_ she's going to Vegas for her birthday on the 4th it just wouldn't happen in a million years.

I would absolutely love to go by myself again, but don't think I could swing it financially. Sure, now that my car is paid off that $213 a month extra for me but I've still got my huge tax payment to make, add in the costs of the trip itself, plus new tires for my car ... I don't think I could do it. I'll do my best though. I'll probably start begging for birthday money 2 months early.

I would just scrap the summer idea altogether and focus on October but I just requested that weekend off last week! And this way I wouldn't possibly miss any school.

 Decisions, decisions.

Worse comes to worse, I guess, I just buck up and dip into my savings which I _really_, *really* shouldn't do. I'll get so much crap from my parents. But I'd make up the money faster now that I'm not paying off my car ...

Wow. I'll do anything to talk myself into this being possible.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I like a couple of those pins as well. I haven't started collecting those yet, but I was thinking about starting before we go. They used to sell them in the Disney Store closest to me, but I haven't seen them in a long time. My only option is ordering off the internet it seems.



OK, so I forgot to add this part!

Ordering them online isn't a bad idea, especially when you'll be going to the parks at some point because of *trading*! You can get them in batches off eBay for cheap (like $1/pin + shipping) and then take them with you to the park to trade with CM's who you see with a pin that you want. It's great instead of spending $5-12 on a pin. I honestly have yet to find a pin that I was contemplating buying that I didn't find a CM with by the end of my stay. And of course sometimes they have one I never would have seen and had to have.


----------



## kaoden39

I have never gotten into pin trading.  My kids have done it but I just haven't.


----------



## Belle Ella

I don't know if I classify myself as a pin trader, unless I'm going by the most basic definition. Whenever I think of pin traders I think of someone who takes it a little more seriously than I do. I collect whatever I can with Snow White on it, and this just happens to be the cheaper alternative for getting my paws on S.W. pins.

Although the cheapest alternative would be not buying any of it in the first place.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't know if I classify myself as a pin trader, unless I'm going by the most basic definition. Whenever I think of pin traders I think of someone who takes it a little more seriously than I do. I collect whatever I can with Snow White on it, and this just happens to be the cheaper alternative for getting my paws on S.W. pins.
> 
> Although the cheapest alternative would be not buying any of it in the first place.



Indeed, my mom loves, loves, loves pins.  She will easily spend $100 on pins this trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Indeed, my mom loves, loves, loves pins.  She will easily spend $100 on pins this trip.



And see, that would get you around 10 pins if you get them at the park. My way, I got my 10 for a little over $10 once shipping was factored in and I have my 10 pins ready to trade for better ones (meaning ones that I want).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And see, that would get you around 10 pins if you get them at the park. My way, I got my 10 for a little over $10 once shipping was factored in and I have my 10 pins ready to trade for better ones (meaning ones that I want).



Well, when you put it that way she spends more money than that, she fills an entire lanyard with pins.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, when you put it that way she spends more money than that, she fills an entire lanyard with pins.



 I've been there though. This is the first time I've gotten a batch off eBay to trade for ones I want. But I never put them on a lanyard until I get home where they are hanging from something in my room until I can find a better place to put them. I hate wearing things around my neck so I have little use for that part. I'm still training myself to wear a necklace!

But anything that will possibly save me money. Hmm. My sister said she'd buy my DS off me - literally the most impulsive buy I have made in my life and I regret it every second. I would like that $125 back more than I can tell you. I'm gonna take my recycling in next week to see how much I can get from that. I need to really work on my savings for this trip if it's actually going to happen.

 I need help!


----------



## kaoden39

Maybe this will help.  It certainly can't hurt.

I love my DS, it has been great fun for me.  I spend many hours playing it.  

I hope it all works out.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Maybe this will help.  It certainly can't hurt.
> 
> I love my DS, it has been great fun for me.  I spend many hours playing it.
> 
> I hope it all works out.



 I think it just might!

See, I bought the DS just hours before my flight home from Texas last summer after watching my little sister play hers. I just wanted something to keep my mind off the flight since I am a very, very, very nervous flier (and when I say that it's an understatement). It did the job on the flight, but I haven't touched it since.

I think the big kicker when I bought it was the fact that my laptop HD had crashed that same week so I didn't have my laptop to occupy me ... 

2 hour countdown to work. 6 hour countdown to the time change. Stupid DST.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think it just might!
> 
> See, I bought the DS just hours before my flight home from Texas last summer after watching my little sister play hers. I just wanted something to keep my mind off the flight since I am a very, very, very nervous flier (and when I say that it's an understatement). It did the job on the flight, but I haven't touched it since.
> 
> I think the big kicker when I bought it was the fact that my laptop HD had crashed that same week so I didn't have my laptop to occupy me ...
> 
> 2 hour countdown to work. 6 hour countdown to the time change. Stupid DST.



I like DST I just don't like the time change.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I like DST I just don't like the time change.



I hate it period. It makes no sense to me anymore. And it doesn't help that it's always a Saturday night. That one night a week I have been working the graveyard shift for the past 3+ years.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I hate it period. It makes no sense to me anymore. And it doesn't help that it's always a Saturday night. That one night a week I have been working the graveyard shift for the past 3+ years.



No I know.


----------



## Belle Ella

I have to get my frustration out sometimes.

AAAHHH!!

Today has been an insane day, and I didn't even do anything. I hate days like this. But oh well.


----------



## Belle Ella

I am signing my own death warrant, ladies.

Here I am, with the future of my Disneyland summer in jeopardy and I already have multiple _possible_ dates for a trip in early 2011. Why, oh why, do I do this to myself?

So said co-worker who could be my Disney-loving twin, let's call her *Belle* (because that's not confusing with my screen name or anything  but she's a huge Beauty & the Beast frinatic), and I were talking about all the DLR-drama I'm going through right now and it came up how awesome it would be for the both of us to go together. With our work schedules these days we could totally pull a weekday trip. But of course, shes planning her birthday/4th of July celebration in Vegas right now. And then she got all excited because she would love to go to Disneyland on Valentine's Day - just because.

So here I am, crossing everything I can that the DIS Diva meet or the F&W meet can fall during my Spring break so I can go. Otherwise I think the priority may be with going with *Belle* in February 2010. Of course if we don't actually make plans for that then the Divas take over!

Like I said, I'll be dead as a doornail by midnight at the rate I'm speeding towards that brick wall!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well it sounds like that girl at work would be someone really fun to go with, so hopefully you can maybe work something out with her! Hopefully you can find a way to go sooner than next February. That just seems like a long time!

One question about pin trading. Can you trade any pin for any pin? I've seen pins on the site that sell for $10 and some that sell for $20. Does it matter how much the pin might be worth when you're trading it?


----------



## kaoden39

We went to the zoo today.  I was using as kind of a primer to get my Mom ready to walk.  We didn't get halfway through before she found a bench to sit on.  And we had to come back and get her.   I don't know how se is gonna handle Disneyland.  It is so frustrating.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well it sounds like that girl at work would be someone really fun to go with, so hopefully you can maybe work something out with her! Hopefully you can find a way to go sooner than next February. That just seems like a long time!
> 
> One question about pin trading. Can you trade any pin for any pin? I've seen pins on the site that sell for $10 and some that sell for $20. Does it matter how much the pin might be worth when you're trading it?



It is a long ways away, but that's alright. We both have big vacations planned this summer (DLR for me, Vegas for her) so we need a break in between. We wont be able to go from the end of October until the end of January, so February is our best bet. And it's the time she's always wanted to go. I wonder what the truth is to the Princes being out that day with Princesses. I heard that they've done it in the past, but I'm not sure about this year. That would be another big selling point. Plus it's perfect timing with our days off. We could leave Sunday morning after working our graveyard shift and then stay until Wednesday and be ready for work on Thursday and it wouldn't interfere with the bulk of out departments work.

All this hypothetically based on us still being in the same position. But it's been 3 years since I moved to this department. 6 1/2 since I started working here. I don't see myself leaving until I'm finished with school and that will still be another year seeing as my schoolwork took a back seat during my bad anxiety days.

As for the pins, if you are trading pins with a Cast Member so long as it's an official Disney pin you can trade anything for anything. I traded an itty bitty piece that was part of a set (it was all that I had on me at the time) for my absolute favorite pin. I finally managed to find a pic of it on eBay since I'm too lazy to take one myself - here.



kaoden39 said:


> We went to the zoo today.  I was using as kind of a primer to get my Mom ready to walk.  We didn't get halfway through before she found a bench to sit on.  And we had to come back and get her.   I don't know how se is gonna handle Disneyland.  It is so frustrating.



Baby steps? I think it's good that you used today like a primer. Sometimes you have to work up to it. But it's tough to prepare yourself for Disneyland, especially in the summer - even for me sometimes. By the way, what Zoo did you go to?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It is a long ways away, but that's alright. We both have big vacations planned this summer (DLR for me, Vegas for her) so we need a break in between. We wont be able to go from the end of October until the end of January, so February is our best bet. And it's the time she's always wanted to go. I wonder what the truth is to the Princes being out that day with Princesses. I heard that they've done it in the past, but I'm not sure about this year. That would be another big selling point. Plus it's perfect timing with our days off. We could leave Sunday morning after working our graveyard shift and then stay until Wednesday and be ready for work on Thursday and it wouldn't interfere with the bulk of out departments work.
> 
> All this hypothetically based on us still being in the same position. But it's been 3 years since I moved to this department. 6 1/2 since I started working here. I don't see myself leaving until I'm finished with school and that will still be another year seeing as my schoolwork took a back seat during my bad anxiety days.
> 
> As for the pins, if you are trading pins with a Cast Member so long as it's an official Disney pin you can trade anything for anything. I traded an itty bitty piece that was part of a set (it was all that I had on me at the time) for my absolute favorite pin. I finally managed to find a pic of it on eBay since I'm too lazy to take one myself - here.
> 
> 
> 
> Baby steps? I think it's good that you used today like a primer. Sometimes you have to work up to it. But it's tough to prepare yourself for Disneyland, especially in the summer - even for me sometimes. By the way, what Zoo did you go to?



I know, I am totally discouraged.  We went to the Sacramento zoo.  I am going to post pictures on my PTR.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know, I am totally discouraged.  We went to the Sacramento zoo.  I am going to post pictures on my PTR.



You know, I've never been to that zoo. Someday I will have to remedy that. But I'd have to already be up in the area. Too far a drive for me plus the stupid bridge toll.

 Everything will work out!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You know, I've never been to that zoo. Someday I will have to remedy that. But I'd have to already be up in the area. Too far a drive for me plus the stupid bridge toll.
> 
> Everything will work out!



That was me and the San Francisco zoo, two bridge tolls.  No way.

My nephew and his fiance were going to San Francisco to the Disney museum today.  I can  hardly wait to hear about it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That was me and the San Francisco zoo, two bridge tolls.  No way.
> 
> My nephew and his fiance were going to San Francisco to the Disney museum today.  I can  hardly wait to hear about it.



Totally get it. And then there's the Oakland Zoo. I forgot how small it was until I went out there for a photo thing a couple of years ago. I love the S.F. Zoo, but yeah, two bridge tolls would be crazy. I love it there though. And I have a lot of fun when I go.

I have conversations with baby Elephants. They're hard to hear sometimes.






And nap with hippos!






I also get into yelling matches with Lions, but I can't find that photo ... 

OMG I am so bummed I haven't gotten to the WDFM yet. It makes me mad


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Totally get it. And then there's the Oakland Zoo. I forgot how small it was until I went out there for a photo thing a couple of years ago. I love the S.F. Zoo, but yeah, two bridge tolls would be crazy. I love it there though. And I have a lot of fun when I go.
> 
> I have conversations with baby Elephants. They're hard to hear sometimes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And nap with hippos!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I also get into yelling matches with Lions, but I can't find that photo ...
> 
> OMG I am so bummed I haven't gotten to the WDFM yet. It makes me mad



Psst....go look at my silly pictures.  They should make you smile.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Psst....go look at my silly pictures.  They should make you smile.



 I love sleeping kittys!

OK, so I think I am totally turned off to next years Diva meet-up right now. Just because I haven't been able to attend a meet in the past, I don't get any input on when the dates are? It just feels like a slap int the face to me and that newbies aren't wanted.  I feel like that kid on the outskirts in high school all over again who can't join the 'cool' kids because they stick to their clique. I had no idea what was going on with all the drama in the first place, was glad to have missed it, and now I just don't want a part of it anymore.

Sigh. Had to say it. I feel better now. Time to move on.

I'm wondering how much recycling we have piled up in our side yard again. Did I mention here how much we got the last time we took it in because it had been piling up for what felt like ages? We were just shy of $100. It was crazy. I have my own recycling going right now that is strictly dedicated to be put towards operation "Get Jazz to Disneyland" July 2010! It probably wont be much but any bit will help. I'm thinking of telling my family I will take theirs in if I get to keep a portion of the proceeds, lol. I'm also collecting bottles/cans from people at work who were only going to throw them away.

The goal is to not take it in until I get closer to the big trip so I can feel better with more $$$.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was about to start reading the PTR report on the girls only trip, cause I was curious to see what it was all about, and it sounded like it could be fun. Then I read that huge post about all the drama and whatever that went down, and quickly got turned off! Too much drama for me!


----------



## kaoden39

Well, I am not going to do the trip either.  I do not enjoy the being in high school or worse middle school for that matter.  I think that not alloying everyone to have a say it is indeed saying that they do not want us in the group.  I read that and I was like okay I am out.  I hope to go on the F&W trip if there is one and if there isn't my friend Dina and I can plan a grown up trip without the drama.


----------



## Belle Ella

I really wish this wasn't upsetting me as much as it has.

Darn you *shaking fist* emotions!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I really wish this wasn't upsetting me as much as it has.
> 
> Darn you *shaking fist* emotions!!



That is why I am distancing myself from this.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DizNee Luver

Hang in there girls....things got pretty ugly with the group & they're trying.....really hard to get things back on board.  I too was disappointed in not having a say.....but if it's a date I can attend I will & if it's not...I won't.  I really don't think they were trying to exclude people......it's just that they've had people in the past talk about going, give input for activities, shirts, etc that disappear never to be heard from again.  I really don't think 4-5 new people would have swayed the vote too much anyways.

I'm observing to see if things truly do get back to the way it used to be before going one way or the other.  There really are some wonderful ladies there!!!

Just know I luv ya!!!!


----------



## merrrydeath

I think I'm just turned off by the attitudes, and not necessarily how it's being done(though I do wish my unavailable dates were respected more). I think if they had just taken the voted on dates and moved on, maybe there would be much less drama. I work in an industry that is predominately women, I went to an all-girls high school for a bit, seriously, women can really bring the drama. And I just like to distance myself from it and not take a part.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That is why I am distancing myself from this.



And I honestly wish I had. But no, I had to pick this as the one time where I finally step up and voice what's on my mind instead of sitting there with my head down and my keeping my nose clean.

It's completely spoiled my desire to be any part of it again and to be perfectly honest it's spoiling the whole DIS for me right now.

I'm really thinking I just need a break. I don't know. I'm putting any trip planning on hold right now because I just can't do it right now. I'm really at the end of my rope with no where else to go. I wish something would go _right_ for me for a change. Or at the very least not make me feel horrible.


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> I think I'm just turned off by the attitudes, and not necessarily how it's being done(though I do wish my unavailable dates were respected more). I think if they had just taken the voted on dates and moved on, maybe there would be much less drama. I work in an industry that is predominately women, I went to an all-girls high school for a bit, seriously, women can really bring the drama. And I just like to distance myself from it and not take a part.



Welcome to our little party.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And I honestly wish I had. But no, I had to pick this as the one time where I finally step up and voice what's on my mind instead of sitting there with my head down and my keeping my nose clean.
> 
> It's completely spoiled my desire to be any part of it again and to be perfectly honest it's spoiling the whole DIS for me right now.
> 
> I'm really thinking I just need a break. I don't know. I'm putting any trip planning on hold right now because I just can't do it right now. I'm really at the end of my rope with no where else to go. I wish something would go _right_ for me for a change. Or at the very least not make me feel horrible.



Did you see my picture though?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Did you see my picture though?



Picture of what


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Picture of what



Ooh maybe I put it on my trip report.  I'll check.


----------



## kaoden39

That's odd.  I swear I posted a picture of a shark somewhere.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's odd.  I swear I posted a picture of a shark somewhere.



Mmmm, nope.  Everyone, Michele is losing her marbles!


----------



## DizNee Luver

***Hugs**** Jessica!! I really hope that this doesn't spoil the love you have of the DIS & trip planning.  Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole cart....(I think that's how my dad used to say it....lol)

You are loved & respected here!!!  Just avoid the thread that is the issue....I'm doing that with the DisAbilities threads.....any time I've posted over there, I either get totally ignored or I get personally attacked.  Very unpleasant!!

Just take a deep breath, look at some of your awesome pictures & let the disney magic make you smile (even if it's only from the inside)....

*+*+*+*+Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust*+*+*+*+


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Mmmm, nope.  Everyone, Michele is losing her marbles!



Maybe it was because it was a trademark picture?  Or I put it on a totally wrong page?  It was a shark.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> ***Hugs**** Jessica!! I really hope that this doesn't spoil the love you have of the DIS & trip planning.  Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole cart....(I think that's how my dad used to say it....lol)
> 
> You are loved & respected here!!!  Just avoid the thread that is the issue....I'm doing that with the DisAbilities threads.....any time I've posted over there, I either get totally ignored or I get personally attacked.  Very unpleasant!!
> 
> Just take a deep breath, look at some of your awesome pictures & let the disney magic make you smile (even if it's only from the inside)....
> 
> *+*+*+*+Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust*+*+*+*+







kaoden39 said:


> Maybe it was because it was a trademark picture?  Or I put it on a totally wrong page?  It was a shark.



Uh-huh ... If you say so. And was it a shark shark or a snark shark? 

Oh, I couldn't help myself.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Uh-huh ... If you say so. And was it a shark shark or a snark shark?
> 
> Oh, I couldn't help myself.



Well, actually it was Bruce from Finding Nemo.  And I will let you guess which one.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, actually it was Bruce from Finding Nemo.  And I will let you guess which one.



The one with the double S! Am I right, or am I right?

'Ello.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The one with the double S! Am I right, or am I right?
> 
> 'Ello.



Well of course you are.  Definitely indeed.  And always remember that, "fish are friends not food."


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well of course you are.  Definitely indeed.  And always remember that, "fish are friends not food."



Yes, because "I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine"!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yes, because "I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine"!



OMG thank you for another quote I am running out of them for my paper chain.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> OMG thank you for another quote I am running out of them for my paper chain.



 How many more do you need? I can recite far too many.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> How many more do you need? I can recite far too many.



Well, lets see I need 90 links on my chain and I have about 12 done and I have about 14 more quotes so....you can see the dilemma.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, lets see I need 90 links on my chain and I have about 12 done and I have about 14 more quotes so....you can see the dilemma.



 Dilemma? I think you've passed dilemma and moved on to problem of epic proportions!

Would you like a big tip on where to get some great quotes?

IMDb!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Dilemma? I think you've passed dilemma and moved on to problem of epic proportions!
> 
> Would you like a big tip on where to get some great quotes?
> 
> IMDb!



I didn't think of them.  I figure that I will just have quotes on like the last thirty.  Otherwise I ought to finish about the time to leave.


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> I'm really at the end of my rope with no where else to go. I wish something would go _right_ for me for a change. Or at the very least not make me feel horrible.



I'm with you there!


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> Welcome to our little party.



It's seriously time that we get our little meet up planned.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> It's seriously time that we get our little meet up planned.



Here, here! Someone refresh my memory -- why have we not??





kaoden39 said:


> I didn't think of them.  I figure that I will just have quotes on like the last thirty.  Otherwise I ought to finish about the time to leave.



Haha, that then defeats the purpose, no? I think the last month leading up to leaving time sounds good to me. I wont call you a slacker or nothing!



merrrydeath said:


> I'm with you there!



I wish none of us were 'here'


----------



## merrrydeath

Belle Ella said:


> Here, here! Someone refresh my memory -- why have we not??



Everyone come to San Jose!!!



Belle Ella said:


> I wish none of us were 'here'



But misery loves company, isn't that what "they" say?


----------



## kaoden39

There is nothing to say that we cannot all go to Disneyland next year.  We do not need to be part of an organized group either.  There has to be a time we can all go.


----------



## Belle Ella

LALALALALA *insert smiley plugging his ears* LALALALALA

I will not discuss Disneyland for the next 24 hours starting ... now!!

Blasphemy, I know, but I am making a stand gosh darnit! Just don't ask me against what.


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> Everyone come to San Jose!!!
> 
> 
> 
> But misery loves company, isn't that what "they" say?



Yeah, something like that. I guess i't better than being all lonesome like.

Do you know the way to San Jose? 

You silly girl. Don't want to go too far, eh? I'm the one in the middle. Ya'll should come to my podunk town and ... we could go visit all the antique shops downtown


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> LALALALALA *insert smiley plugging his ears* LALALALALA
> 
> I will not discuss Disneyland for the next 24 hours starting ... now!!
> 
> Blasphemy, I know, but I am making a stand gosh darnit! Just don't ask me against what.



I am totally cool and we shall discuss the zoo.  Are there bears at the Oakland zoo?  There are no bears at the Sacramento Zoo, I was amazed, and dismayed.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, something like that. I guess i't better than being all lonesome like.
> 
> Do you know the way to San Jose?
> 
> You silly girl. Don't want to go too far, eh? I'm the one in the middle. Ya'll should come to my podunk town and ... we could go visit all the antique shops downtown



And isn't there a dollhouse shop there too?  It has to be after my trip if there is.  I want a dollhouse.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am totally cool and we shall discuss the zoo.  Are there bears at the Oakland zoo?  There are no bears at the Sacramento Zoo, I was amazed, and dismayed.



Umz. That's a very good question. All I remember is that the Oakland zoo is smallish-like. And I remember is they have one of those sky ride things that takes you over the lions!  I was so afraid I was going to fall in.

Not like the grizzly bear sisters in S.F. who are so, so, so cute! Every time I have gone they have been wrestling with each other.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> And isn't there a dollhouse shop there too?  It has to be after my trip if there is.  I want a dollhouse.



Umz, again. I really don't know. I shall find out for you tomorrow. I never get out and about around here to be frank. especially not since graduating.

I are a loner.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Umz. That's a very good question. All I remember is that the Oakland zoo is smallish-like. And I remember is they have one of those sky ride things that takes you over the lions!  I was so afraid I was going to fall in.
> 
> Not like the grizzly bear sisters in S.F. who are so, so, so cute! Every time I have gone they have been wrestling with each other.



What about elephants?  They don't have elephants either.  I figure that maybe later in the year we are going to visit other zoos.  Like the Folsom zoo that is an animal rescue zoo.  It's quite interesting looking.

http://www.folsomzoofriends.org/


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Umz, again. I really don't know. I shall find out for you tomorrow. I never get out and about around here to be frank. especially not since graduating.
> 
> I are a loner.



So am I.  I have like one friend that I do things with now that I am married and have kids.  I have let Scotty and the kids to become so much of my life.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What about elephants?  They don't have elephants either.  I figure that maybe later in the year we are going to visit other zoos.  Like the Folsom zoo that is an animal rescue zoo.  It's quite interesting looking.
> 
> http://www.folsomzoofriends.org/



Elephants they have! They were the first aminals I saw when I went.

And oooh - looks cool!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Elephants they have! They were the first aminals I saw when I went.
> 
> And oooh - looks cool!



So does Oakland I googled it.  The Folsom one looks small but I think that it might be a really cool place to go and learn about the animals.


----------



## merrrydeath

kaoden39 said:


> What about elephants?  They don't have elephants either.  I figure that maybe later in the year we are going to visit other zoos.  Like the Folsom zoo that is an animal rescue zoo.  It's quite interesting looking.
> 
> http://www.folsomzoofriends.org/



The San Francisco Zoo has no elephants either, which makes me sad because they are my favorites!



Belle Ella said:


> You silly girl. Don't want to go too far, eh? I'm the one in the middle. Ya'll should come to my podunk town and ... we could go visit all the antique shops downtown



Just thought I'd see what I could get away with. I can drive anywhere if it's on a Sunday/Monday, but that's sometimes hard.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> So am I.  I have like one friend that I do things with now that I am married and have kids.  I have let Scotty and the kids to become so much of my life.



It's better than nothing! I get canceled on whenever I try to do something with my one friend I do things with. The same with my family. It's quite depressing.

Anyway! Tomorrow will be a fun day. Off to Targ-ey to buy The Princess and the Frog in the a.m. and then I shall be spending many hours diligently working on my shell that is to be critiqued on Wednesday.

I would much prefer a  day. But without further ado ...

 to everyone who sticks through my insanity!

Heigh ho. Heigh ho. It's off to dream I go


----------



## merrrydeath

GOODNIGHT


----------



## Belle Ella

*cough* and I meant that Oakland, not S.F. has the elephants, like Meredith mentioned. I hate walking by the pachyderm house these days ...


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> The San Francisco Zoo has no elephants either, which makes me sad because they are my favorites!
> 
> 
> 
> Just thought I'd see what I could get away with. I can drive anywhere if it's on a Sunday/Monday, but that's sometimes hard.



Well, we need to come up with something that works around both of your jobs and Scotty's bicycle racing which starts again on April 3.  Oh yippee.  I shouldn't complain that means that I have the chance of a day trip at least once a month.



Belle Ella said:


> It's better than nothing! I get canceled on whenever I try to do something with my one friend I do things with. The same with my family. It's quite depressing.
> 
> Anyway! Tomorrow will be a fun day. Off to Targ-ey to buy The Princess and the Frog in the a.m. and then I shall be spending many hours diligently working on my shell that is to be critiqued on Wednesday.
> 
> I would much prefer a  day. But without further ado ...
> 
> to everyone who sticks through my insanity!
> 
> Heigh ho. Heigh ho. It's off to dream I go



Oh good another movie for me to have quotes from right?

Goodnight!!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, well my work schedule changes depending on how many hours they've given our department. Right now I'm only working Thursday - Saturday. I'm free on Sunday, so long as it's after noon so I can get a couple hours of sleep followed by coffee! My school schedule is M/W from 4PM to 7PM, T from 7PM to 10PM and then F from 5PM to 7PM. But I do have a new class starting next week that is a T/TH class.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, well my work schedule changes depending on how many hours they've given our department. Right now I'm only working Thursday - Saturday. I'm free on Sunday, so long as it's after noon so I can get a couple hours of sleep followed by coffee! My school schedule is M/W from 4PM to 7PM, T from 7PM to 10PM and then F from 5PM to 7PM. But I do have a new class starting next week that is a T/TH class.



Good Morning!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Good Morning!!



Good morning! 

I will be off to grab coffee soon so I can finish my silly shell. After today, it will be finished!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Good morning!
> 
> I will be off to grab coffee soon so I can finish my silly shell. After today, it will be finished!



Yay!!  I am sure you will be thrilled to finish it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yay!!  I am sure you will be thrilled to finish it.



Understatement. Except for the part where I am scared to death of the new project! We have to reproduce a master drawing on 40x40 paper. This is so not something I can do. I will be very happy when this class is over.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Understatement. Except for the part where I am scared to death of the new project! We have to reproduce a master drawing on 40x40 paper. This is so not something I can do. I will be very happy when this class is over.



Look at it this way.  The sooner the projects are done the sooner you are out of that class.


----------



## Belle Ella

So, so very true. And that day can't come soon enough 

Well, I'm heading off to do tape down the project. I'll share a before and after photo later since I did a very small amount of work on it yesterday in class.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So, so very true. And that day can't come soon enough
> 
> Well, I'm heading off to do tape down the project. I'll share a before and after photo later since I did a very small amount of work on it yesterday in class.



Cool, sounds good.


----------



## DizNee Luver

Hope today is better for you Jessica!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> Hope today is better for you Jessica!!!



 So far so good. Thanks Laurie!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, this is about as good as this dumb shell is going to get. It's not horrible, but it's not close to any of the work in my class. I'll post a few photos as soon as the dumb thing is dry.

Now, why is this weight not lifted off my shoulders?


----------



## DizNee Luver

Just take a deep breath & go......WHATEVER!!!  I always feel better when I just let it go!


----------



## Belle Ella

Every time I try to take a deep breath I end up holding it  What is wrong with me?!



OK, so here is where I was on the shell before class yesterday:






And after class:






And with the exception for a few contours I have to go back in and add tomorrow morning when I am 100% sure it's dry, this is what I will be turning in:


----------



## Belle Ella

Belle Ella said:


> LALALALALA *insert smiley plugging his ears* LALALALALA
> 
> I will not discuss Disneyland for the next 24 hours starting ... now!!
> 
> Blasphemy, I know, but I am making a stand gosh darnit! Just don't ask me against what.



 Has it been 24 hours yet?

No?

Curses!


----------



## kaoden39

I like it.  I think it is great.


----------



## Belle Ella

Thankies Michele


----------



## Belle Ella

Anyone else buy the Princess & the Frog today? Woohoo for $10 coupon from the bullseye for the Blu ray/DVD combo pack & a rebate.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Thankies Michele



Your welcome, but no thanks needed.  I do like it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Anyone else buy the Princess & the Frog today? Woohoo for $10 coupon from the bullseye for the Blu ray/DVD combo pack & a rebate.



I remembered it after I walked out of Target and I didn't feel like going back inside for it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aws.

I honestly don't hate it. My problem is that I keep comparing it to everyone else in my class which is just ... heartbreaking almost. Especially considering I have put in almost twice as much time on this as some of them have.

I think it's safe to say I will not become an artist.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aws.
> 
> I honestly don't hate it. My problem is that I keep comparing it to everyone else in my class which is just ... heartbreaking almost. Especially considering I have put in almost twice as much time on this as some of them have.
> 
> I think it's safe to say I will not become an artist.



I think that maybe they are potential artists?  And art is also subjective, art is about what you like.


----------



## Belle Ella

If art is about what you like and I don't like drawing or painting I think it's safe to say no art for me.

Now .. photography on the other hand is something I could get into.

OK! So I know I said no Disneyland trip talk for 24 hours and I am still a couple of hours away. Goes to show you: never trust a word I say!!

Well, part 1 of things needed to go well for this summer to become a reality has fallen into place. They are indeed offering the 5 days for the price of 3 promotion! So considering we would need 4 days if we wanted to do a little park time on Sunday and I am the only one with the GAD voucher, this saves a few smakeroonies.

So that's $184 from the Disneyland website. My Credit Union wont have their prices published until May I'm guessing, but they are usually $15-$20 cheaper than what the website offers. So I'm guessing it'll be about $164-$170 

Now, keep your fingers crossed for me please that the HoJo will get their July dates up soon and ours will be covered!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> If art is about what you like and I don't like drawing or painting I think it's safe to say no art for me.
> 
> Now .. photography on the other hand is something I could get into.
> 
> OK! So I know I said no Disneyland trip talk for 24 hours and I am still a couple of hours away. Goes to show you: never trust a word I say!!
> 
> Well, part 1 of things needed to go well for this summer to become a reality has fallen into place. They are indeed offering the 5 days for the price of 3 promotion! So considering we would need 4 days if we wanted to do a little park time on Sunday and I am the only one with the GAD voucher, this saves a few smakeroonies.
> 
> So that's $184 from the Disneyland website. My Credit Union wont have their prices published until May I'm guessing, but they are usually $15-$20 cheaper than what the website offers. So I'm guessing it'll be about $164-$170
> 
> Now, keep your fingers crossed for me please that the HoJo will get their July dates up soon and ours will be covered!



That is fantastic news for me.  I waited to buy everybody else ticket because of it.  And I am crossing my fingers and toes for you!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I would have been shocked if they didn't reprise this promotion. But it doesn't mean I am not doing a HUGE happy dance right now!

My day just got significantly better.

Now I may just make it through tonight's class. TTFN! I hope I don't fall asleep in boring Anthro.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I would have been shocked if they didn't reprise this promotion. But it doesn't mean I am not doing a HUGE happy dance right now!
> 
> My day just got significantly better.
> 
> Now I may just make it through tonight's class. TTFN! I hope I don't fall asleep in boring Anthro.



Have a good class!!


----------



## Belle Ella

So another high note to end today! I got an 85 on my exam last week after missing a class and totally forgetting to study for it.

 I was so worried I totally got an F for a few minutes there. But nope. I've got myself a B. And I have every intention of raising that for the next exam!

And tomorrow morning I am off to breakfast with _*Nameless*_ at IHOP. I don't think I've even eaten breakfast since Disneyland in September ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So another high note to end today! I got an 85 on my exam last week after missing a class and totally forgetting to study for it.
> 
> I was so worried I totally got an F for a few minutes there. But nope. I've got myself a B. And I have every intention of raising that for the next exam!
> 
> And tomorrow morning I am off to breakfast with _*Nameless*_ at IHOP. I don't think I've even eaten breakfast since Disneyland in September ...



Yay!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Good morning!!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Good morning!!  And Happy St. Patrick's Day!!



God Morning!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> God Morning!!



Duuuuude! I didn't even see this guy  Even better. I've got my handy-dandy work-made necklace on. I am ready to go. I wonders if *Nameless* will be wearing any green?


----------



## Belle Ella

So good news or bad news?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hey!  Happy St. Patty's Day! 

Hope the bad news isn't too bad! 

Good news first!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey!  Happy St. Patty's Day!
> 
> Hope the bad news isn't too bad!
> 
> Good news first!





Okie-dokes! Good news is I may have talked *Nameless* back on board. We talked about it quite a bit today. And turns out her co-worker (who used to work with _both_ of us at Target) just got back from Disneyland and is making her want to go even more.

Bad news is just ho hum. I have art class today  Critique on my shell and then we start our new project. I'm looking forward to it less than I was the shell. Boo.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well hopefully Nameless will go for sure now! Maybe she just needs that other co-worker to keep talking about what a great place it is, to keep her on the right track!

And I am sure you will do good on your critique. It looks really good! And I don't think the teacher will be comparing it to the others.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well hopefully Nameless will go for sure now! Maybe she just needs that other co-worker to keep talking about what a great place it is, to keep her on the right track!
> 
> And I am sure you will do good on your critique. It looks really good! And I don't think the teacher will be comparing it to the others.



 Thank you! I'll have to have an update after class with just how it goes. I think this is turning into B.E.'s never-ending trip and art class report, lol.

But it's helping my sanity. That's what matters, right?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Exactly! It's nice to have somewhere to vent. Even if you haven't met or don't really know the people you are venting to. Everyone gets it though! I am addicted to this site btw, lol. I have read countless trip reports in the last few weeks. I keep coming back here though, because you are a fun little group to chat with. AND I love your reports and pictures.


----------



## kaoden39

Hi there!!  

The good news look good!!  THe bad news....don't stress it.


----------



## Belle Ella

I can't say thank you enough for how much ya'll 'ground' me lately. I would be totally freaking out without you!

All of this art venting makes me really want to start up my blog again, which was part of my assignments for my last photo class as a way of sharing each others work. I haven't posted on it since before Turkey Day!

http://playingwithcameras.blogspot.com/



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Exactly! It's nice to have somewhere to vent. Even if you haven't met or don't really know the people you are venting to. Everyone gets it though! I am addicted to this site btw, lol. I have read countless trip reports in the last few weeks. I keep coming back here though, because you are a fun little group to chat with. AND I love your reports and pictures.



It's a B.E. party in here. Are we all B.E.nders?  I'm in a silly mood right now. Which is a great thing to be in.


----------



## kaoden39

Yay for the silly mood!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yay for the silly mood!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Silly moods are good! I am in one as well, as I am nearing the start of a 4 day weekend!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Silly moods are good! I am in one as well, as I am nearing the start of a 4 day weekend!!!



Niiice. 4 day weekends are cause for celebration. I wish I had one coming up.

As it stands I am 2 1/2 weeks away from Spring Break. Man I wish I was going to DLR that week!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I wish I could too! Instead my best friend and I are gonna go be geeks and stand in line for the midnight release of New Moon on Friday!! It's no Disnyland, but something to look forward to!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I wish I could too! Instead my best friend and I are gonna go be geeks and stand in line for the midnight release of New Moon on Friday!! It's no Disnyland, but something to look forward to!



PSH! That's not geeky! I would be right out there with you. I did @ Hot Topic for Twilight but Borders is the only place doing it here and I can't preorder mine online because my account is being a PITA! So I'm just picking it up at 8 a.m. from work. I'm bummed not to do a midnight thing for the first time since my addiction kicked in. I'm tempted to just go anyway, but then I wont get up in time to get my copy.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Is Wal-mart (sorry that might be swear word to you, lol) not doing it there? All the ones here are. I figured it would be there too. Unless it is a forbidden place, since you work for Target, lol. Also Best Buy, if you have any of those there. And they are selling it in a cool collectors tin!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Is Wal-mart (sorry that might be swear word to you, lol) not doing it there? All the ones here are. I figured it would be there too. Unless it is a forbidden place, since you work for Target, lol. Also Best Buy, if you have any of those there. And they are selling it in a cool collectors tin!



They probably are, but I'm not a fan of the company on so many levels and I will do my darnedest not to buy it from them. It's hard though, because they are the only place in the U.S. offering behind the scenes footage of Eclipse on their special edition!!  It breaks my heart. I have like 5 stores I want to buy it at for all the extra stuff. I'm doing what I did with Twilight though. I know people buying it at different locations and they're giving me the extra bonus stuff they don't need. It all works out in the end.

Oh man, Art class was actually full of awesome today. The critique went well and I'm getting bonus points for taking photos of everyone's shell for our teacher-dude. I'm tempted to share one that I really, really loved but not sure if I should. Oh man, if only you could see the shells from his other class. Oh man, they make you so sheepish to show yours because they were just  good.

And for our next project? I get to reproduce this on 40x40 paper:


----------



## kaoden39

I am so glad that class went well, you are always apprehensive about art class.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sweet! Glad it went well!   Hopefully that next one goes well too!

As for the DVD (or Blu-ray in my case), I think we will end up sucking it up and going to Wal-mart (sorry to say), cause at least there we can wait inside until it's time, where as Best Buy, we'd be waiting outside until midnight. Brrrrr!


----------



## Belle Ella

3 words: Girl Scout Cookies!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> 3 words: Girl Scout Cookies!!



Yummy.  Sounds good.  I went shopping today and got some Bruschetta veggie chips.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yummy.  Sounds good.  I went shopping today and got some Bruschetta veggie chips.



Yummy yummy in my tummy. I completely forgot I had ordered some from a gal at work. It was a very pleasant surprise to walk into this morning. That and I got another pot of gold for answering the St. Patrick's Day trivia. Looks like I'm the only one who really does out silly fun events because _nobody_ had done them yesterday. Awww.

Never heard of those before. But they sound tasty.

I have this love-love relationship with food!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yummy yummy in my tummy. I completely forgot I had ordered some from a gal at work. It was a very pleasant surprise to walk into this morning. That and I got another pot of gold for answering the St. Patrick's Day trivia. Looks like I'm the only one who really does out silly fun events because _nobody_ had done them yesterday. Awww.
> 
> Never heard of those before. But they sound tasty.
> 
> I have this love-love relationship with food!



You would never know by looking at you.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You would never know by looking at you.



Yeah well, I'm sure it will catch up with me eventually. Especially since the past year I've been a lazy bump on a log.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah well, I'm sure it will catch up with me eventually. Especially since the past year I've been a lazy bump on a log.



I meant to tell you that Snow White looks rather pretty in your signature.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I meant to tell you that Snow White looks rather pretty in your signature.



 She does, doesn't she. And who would I possibly have to thank for that?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She does, doesn't she. And who would I possibly have to thank for that?



Well, in the long run Grumpy Pirate.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, in the long run Grumpy Pirate.



 Yous has a point.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yous has a point.



Thankfully my hair normally covers it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Thankfully my hair normally covers it.





You are silly.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You are silly.



My dad used to say it all the time, yes he was silly.  So, I think I inherited it from him.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> My dad used to say it all the time, yes he was silly.  So, I think I inherited it from him.



Yeah, my sister has inherited her silliness from her dad. I feel so out of sorts around here because I do not get their sense of humor.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, my sister has inherited her silliness from her dad. I feel so out of sorts around here because I do not get their sense of humor.



That's okay I just inherited the the quirkiness, and the oddities.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's okay I just inherited the the quirkiness, and the oddities.



Not bad qualities to inherit. I get the jitteriness and anxiety from my dad. I would have preferred a sense of humor or some talent in the music department.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not bad qualities to inherit. I get the jitteriness and anxiety from my dad. I would have preferred a sense of humor or some talent in the music department.



What about the dance?  Isn't that part of the musical?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What about the dance?  Isn't that part of the musical?



It could be?  I'm decent at that, wouldn't go so far as to say good or talented with it. But I guess I could get better if I worked harder.

But like I said, I'm a lazy bump on a log.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It could be?  I'm decent at that, wouldn't go so far as to say good or talented with it. But I guess I could get better if I worked harder.
> 
> But like I said, I'm a lazy bump on a log.



You have to have rhythm to dance, and rhythm is musical.  I need to start walking more.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You have to have rhythm to dance, and rhythm is musical.  I need to start walking more.



Well, OK, I'll count that. Walking is good  My mother is supposed to be walking to work now that she doesn't start until 3'ish, but she keeps taking my car!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, OK, I'll count that. Walking is good  My mother is supposed to be walking to work now that she doesn't start until 3'ish, but she keeps taking my car!



Scotty is going to start riding his bike to work.  I will finally sleep in on a weekend day.


----------



## Belle Ella

Suh-WEET! I have $30 woth of coupons/savings to buy Toy Story & Toy Story 2 on DVD/Blu ray on Tuesday. So I'll be getting both combo packs for a total of less than $15 once my discount is factored in. Add to that the giftcard that I will be getting for my New Moon purchase tomorrow and I am all set.

YAY!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Suh-WEET! I have $30 woth of coupons/savings to buy Toy Story & Toy Story 2 on DVD/Blu ray on Tuesday. So I'll be getting both combo packs for a total of less than $15 once my discount is factored in. Add to that the giftcard that I will be getting for my New Moon purchase tomorrow and I am all set.
> 
> YAY!!



Woo hoo


----------



## Belle Ella

So I have spent the majority of my day watching New Moon and all the goodies on my Blu-ray  But darn that movie needs more Demitri.

I *am* one of Charlie's Angels.

So, speaking of this TR I am thinking of dropping by my Credit Union on Monday morning. They haven't posted anything on their website about the 5 days for the price of 3 summer park hoppers and I'm curious to know if they're waiting until they sell out of their adult pays the child's price tickets or reach the cutoff date of the promotion before they post the prices or start selling them. I would really like to get my PH about now so I can spread out the cost of everything. And I don't want to wait until May!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So I have spent the majority of my day watching New Moon and all the goodies on my Blu-ray  But darn that movie needs more Demitri.
> 
> I *am* one of Charlie's Angels.
> 
> So, speaking of this TR I am thinking of dropping by my Credit Union on Monday morning. They haven't posted anything on their website about the 5 days for the price of 3 summer park hoppers and I'm curious to know if they're waiting until they sell out of their adult pays the child's price tickets or reach the cutoff date of the promotion before they post the prices or start selling them. I would really like to get my PH about now so I can spread out the cost of everything. And I don't want to wait until May!



Maybe they are waiting until the others expire.  It makes sense to me.  I looked at all the places that I belong and the Disneyland website was the cheapest for me.


----------



## Belle Ella

I guess I'm just impatient! I feel like I need to do something. With no July Ent. date at the HoJo, no pricing on tickets through my CU, and not much else to do right now I'm getting antsy. I'm not even in the double digits yet and I'm planning out my countdown calender.

I be going MMMMMMAAAAAADDDDD!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I guess I'm just impatient! I feel like I need to do something. With no July Ent. date at the HoJo, no pricing on tickets through my CU, and not much else to do right now I'm getting antsy. I'm not even in the double digits yet and I'm planning out my countdown calender.
> 
> I be going MMMMMMAAAAAADDDDD!



I think that they might be doing the hotels with the 5 for 3 prices too so that would help money wise on that.  Try doing the numbers on the Disneyland website.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think that they might be doing the hotels with the 5 for 3 prices too so that would help money wise on that.  Try doing the numbers on the Disneyland website.



I haven't been able to find anything that beats us at the HoJo so far. And I'm not giving up on the Ent. rate -- it's too early for that. It's not like they've posted July dates and ours aren't on them. They just haven't gotten to July yet. It's such a horrible waiting game.

I wish I could talk Nameless into one more night so we could actually do 5 days. We're really only looking at 3 1/2 -- maybe a little more if we arrive early enough on Wednesday evening to do some stuff at night.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I haven't been able to find anything that beats us at the HoJo so far. And I'm not giving up on the Ent. rate -- it's too early for that. It's not like they've posted July dates and ours aren't on them. They just haven't gotten to July yet. It's such a horrible waiting game.
> 
> I wish I could talk Nameless into one more night so we could actually do 5 days. We're really only looking at 3 1/2 -- maybe a little more if we arrive early enough on Wednesday evening to do some stuff at night.



I was just looking at prices on Costco and the prices seem pretty good, but they cannot beat what we are getting through the Air Force.  I know that Hojo's had up 3 of our dates, and last I looked it was down to one.  I remember last year that they ended up with dates all summer so I am sure that it will be the same this year.


----------



## Belle Ella

OOh, what did I miss about getting something through the Air Force?

I wish I could talk my dad into bringing his family out here. They could definitely benefit from military discounts, but my dad can't fly right now because of blood clotting problems. Which is why I'd love for my sister to come out, but then military discounts are out the window for her since my dad would have to be here.

So here's something totally random: why on earth do people from high school who you weren't friends with _back then_ and certainly aren't friends with now send you a friend request on Facebook?  I don't gets it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OOh, what did I miss about getting something through the Air Force?
> 
> I wish I could talk my dad into bringing his family out here. They could definitely benefit from military discounts, but my dad can't fly right now because of blood clotting problems. Which is why I'd love for my sister to come out, but then military discounts are out the window for her since my dad would have to be here.
> 
> So here's something totally random: why on earth do people from high school who you weren't friends with _back then_ and certainly aren't friends with now send you a friend request on Facebook?  I don't gets it.



Belen's DH is retired Air Force so we get the discounts for them because she buys the vouchers on the base.  Too bad about your dad.

I wondered about that, Kody has had lots of request from people she knew in middle school that were never nice and now they all want to be friends.


----------



## Belle Ella

I wish I could take part in military discounts, lol. My dad is active duty and offered to get them for me once, but everything I read says you need Military ID to activate them once you get there which I do not have, lol. Silly dad.

I just don't understand people sometimes. This gal wasn't all that nice to me in high school so it's kind of confusing.

Oh, and did I mention that I may have really, really talked my co-worker into Disneyland for Valentine's day next year? It's so awesome. Since I'm more than likely not doing any of the Spring meets.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I wish I could take part in military discounts, lol. My dad is active duty and offered to get them for me once, but everything I read says you need Military ID to activate them once you get there which I do not have, lol. Silly dad.
> 
> I just don't understand people sometimes. This gal wasn't all that nice to me in high school so it's kind of confusing.
> 
> Oh, and did I mention that I may have really, really talked my co-worker into Disneyland for Valentine's day next year? It's so awesome. Since I'm more than likely not doing any of the Spring meets.



Belen does it every year so I do know that it will work.  And she usually buys the tickets on base but this year it was a better deal to buy them online from Disney.  Ah the internet, it is our friend.

I don't understand people either, who knows?  People change.

That is so cool.  I seriously doubt I will be making either of them myself especially since the second one seems to be falling through.  And frankly the first one well, it is a sore subject.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup. I am reserved to the fact that if it happens during a time I plan to be there I may try and meet up with a few ladies, but it's highly unlikely. And if the NorCal meet happens, it looks like I wont be doing that one either since the current popular date is a no-go for me.

I'm thinkin I will be taking myself to the WDFM next Saturday after I get paid.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup. I am reserved to the fact that if it happens during a time I plan to be there I may try and meet up with a few ladies, but it's highly unlikely. And if the NorCal meet happens, it looks like I wont be doing that one either since the current popular date is a no-go for me.
> 
> I'm thinkin I will be taking myself to the WDFM next Saturday after I get paid.



I have clue about the Nor Cal dates.  I was thinking that I know I am going to meet Laurie in the first week of August when they do Jelly Belly's, you need to too.  So there is a Dis-meet.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have clue about the Nor Cal dates.  I was thinking that I know I am going to meet Laurie in the first week of August when they do Jelly Belly's, you need to too.  So there is a Dis-meet.



Haha, so if Laurie is doing the girls trip and we meet up with Laurie in a mini-meet, does that make us official? Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm loosely planning on it. It all depends on what my mother ends up deciding to do for her birthday. So who knows


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Haha, so if Laurie is doing the girls trip and we meet up with Laurie in a mini-meet, does that make us official? Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm loosely planning on it. It all depends on what my mother ends up deciding to do for her birthday. So who knows



I don't know, I just know that I pulled out of the other.  I am going to meet her at Jelly Belly it's local.  And it is like August 3.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I don't know, I just know that I pulled out of the other.  I am going to meet her at Jelly Belly it's local.  And it is like August 3.



Yup, I remember the discussion -- especially because it's my mother's birthday. So I'll have to wait and see. I sure know that I would love to! But you don't always get to do what you want, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, I remember the discussion -- especially because it's my mother's birthday. So I'll have to wait and see. I sure know that I would love to! But you don't always get to do what you want, lol.



Hmm, this I know.  I am a firm believer in if wishes were money I would be rich.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Hmm, this I know.  I am a firm believer in if wishes were money I would be rich.



 Love it!

So ... I am really not wanting to go to work tonight!! This is horrible. And I swear that if I do I will be spending a lot of money that I shouldn't spend. Such as buying the New Moon Deluxe Edition on DVD so I can watch it at work while on my lunch break (and get another film cell because I don't like Jacob)


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Love it!
> 
> So ... I am really not wanting to go to work tonight!! This is horrible. And I swear that if I do I will be spending a lot of money that I shouldn't spend. Such as buying the New Moon Deluxe Edition on DVD so I can watch it at work while on my lunch break (and get another film cell because I don't like Jacob)



Poor Jacob....I have no clue.  I have never, will never seen or read any of the Twilight stuff.  I am more into to more along the lines of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  And now the sequel to it which is called The Dead-Tossed Waves.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Poor Jacob....I have no clue.  I have never, will never seen or read any of the Twilight stuff.  I am more into to more along the lines of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  And now the sequel to it which is called The Dead-Tossed Waves.



I'm into far more things than I would love to admit too. But my Twilight obsession ... it comes close to my Sharks Hockey & all things Disney obsession. Sometimes it even eclipses them both combined (I don't remember the last time I waited 12+ hours in the freezing cold for a Disney movie or a Sharks game ).


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm into far more things than I would love to admit too. But my Twilight obsession ... it comes close to my Sharks Hockey & all things Disney obsession. Sometimes it even eclipses them both combined (I don't remember the last time I waited 12+ hours in the freezing cold for a Disney movie or a Sharks game ).



Wow, that is devotion.  I don't know how my daughters survived the Twilight epidemic but they never did get it the disease.  Bawb got it and now Loren is enjoying the books.  Who knows?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Wow, that is devotion.  I don't know how my daughters survived the Twilight epidemic but they never did get it the disease.  Bawb got it and now Loren is enjoying the books.  Who knows?



Oh, there's still time. I'm converting newborns alllll the time 

Alright, off to work.  Have a magical evening.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh, there's still time. I'm converting newborns alllll the time
> 
> Alright, off to work.  Have a magical evening.



Oh yeah, I am gonna stay up half the night reading!!

Have a good day work "day"!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Aww! My Jim Shore figurine "Hunny of a Bear" arrived today. I usually only get ones with Snow White (as with most things) but with my DMV points I couldn't pass it up it was so cute. It was also my consolation for the fact that what I had been saving up points for was removed  But I love it. Yay.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I just love those Jim Shore figures! They are so cute. I have yet to get one of my own, but they are kind of pricey here. There are so many I love though! I also love the Swarovski items. I was really wanting the Sorcerer Mickey!! My grandma has a collection of Swarovski crystals that she is giving me eventually, and that one would have been an excellent addition! I wonder if it's still available?


----------



## kaoden39

I am a bad girl I have no clue who you both are talking about.  Google here I come.  I love the Precious Moments!!


----------



## Belle Ella

You don't know the Jim Shore figures? 

http://www.jimshore.com/content/ He's got an entire Walt Disney Showcase Collection

I love, love, love them. I have, I think, 4 different Snow White ones that I adore to pieces but have nowhere to display at currently.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You don't know the Jim Shore figures?
> 
> http://www.jimshore.com/content/ He's got an entire Walt Disney Showcase Collection
> 
> I love, love, love them. I have, I think, 4 different Snow White ones that I adore to pieces but have nowhere to display at currently.



Cute stuff.  I don't tend to collect dust collectors.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love them. I collect anythng with Snow White that I can afford


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I love them. I collect anythng with Snow White that I can afford



I used to, but then I had kids and well I got out of the habit.  Who knows what time will bring?  I may start a collection.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's a total impulse for me. If I had smarts, I'd probably put the money I would have spent towards another trip but ... yeah, not gonna happen. Not by a long shot. I'm great with my money when it comes to some things, but not so much with others!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's a total impulse for me. If I had smarts, I'd probably put the money I would have spent towards another trip but ... yeah, not gonna happen. Not by a long shot. I'm great with my money when it comes to some things, but not so much with others!!



Hello, my name is Michele and I too am an addict......


----------



## Belle Ella

I need rehab. I really, really do!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I need rehab. I really, really do!



Me too.  I went and got another copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and a book light.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Me too.  I went and got another copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and a book light.



How many copies do you have? 

I can so, so, so close to getting another copy of New Moon today. I want a different film cell and my friend hasn't told me what she has to see if we can trade because she wants the one that I have. But I want the Borders copy anyway. And I want the evil stores copy as well.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> How many copies do you have?
> 
> I can so, so, so close to getting another copy of New Moon today. I want a different film cell and my friend hasn't told me what she has to see if we can trade because she wants the one that I have. But I want the Borders copy anyway. And I want the evil stores copy as well.



Two copies, and I was at Borders today.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too. I went into a lot of stores today, lol. I shouldn't have. But somehow I managed to get out without spending any money. Hm. Do you know if Toys R Us has a paper circular? I know they are selling TS & TS2 for like $1 cheaper than Target but I'm buying it at Target and I want to match the price but I have to take in an ad.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too. I went into a lot of stores today, lol. I shouldn't have. But somehow I managed to get out without spending any money. Hm. Do you know if Toys R Us has a paper circular? I know they are selling TS & TS2 for like $1 cheaper than Target but I'm buying it at Target and I want to match the price but I have to take in an ad.



I bet you can see the circular online.  That is how I see most circulars.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I bet you can see the circular online.  That is how I see most circulars.



Yeah, but in order to get the price match at Target I would need to have the paper ad in hand.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, but in order to get the price match at Target I would need to have the paper ad in hand.



Hmm, we don't have one here in town so I have no clue anymore.


----------



## Belle Ella

I don't either. Oh well, it's only 1 dollar. I'll live considering the deal I'm getting on it anyway: I'd stop by TRU tomorrow since it's right next door to our store, but we open earlier than they do and I plan on being there at opening since I have other errands to run.

Each combo pack = $22.99
$10 off for purchasing them together
$10 manuf. coupon for each combo pack
$5 gift card from purchasing New Moon on Saturday
10% team member discount

 I'll be getting both DVD/Blu Ray combo pack for less than $10 out of my own pocket.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't either. Oh well, it's only 1 dollar. I'll live considering the deal I'm getting on it anyway: I'd stop by TRU tomorrow since it's right next door to our store, but we open earlier than they do and I plan on being there at opening since I have other errands to run.
> 
> Each combo pack = $22.99
> $10 off for purchasing them together
> $10 manuf. coupon for each combo pack
> $5 gift card from purchasing New Moon on Saturday
> 10% team member discount
> 
> I'll be getting both DVD/Blu Ray combo pack for less than $10 out of my own pocket.



Yay that is good.


----------



## Belle Ella

I be excited. Then I get to watch them at home and my family will be happy I'm not watching New Moon for the 10th time since Saturday ... 

GRR. I still want the Volturi film cell and not stupid shirtless Jacob.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I be excited. Then I get to watch them at home and my family will be happy I'm not watching New Moon for the 10th time since Saturday ...
> 
> GRR. I still want the Volturi film cell and not stupid shirtless Jacob.



My girls like shirtless Jacob.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> My girls like shirtless Jacob.



 Well, if you happen to get your hands on a film cell that needs to be traded for a shirtless Jacob I might be able to help.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, if you happen to get your hands on a film cell that needs to be traded for a shirtless Jacob I might be able to help.



Are you kidding I can guarantee that is one movie we will not get.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Are you kidding I can guarantee that is one movie we will not get.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


>



I told you they are not fans.  Now Bawb on the other hand.....


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I told you they are not fans.  Now Bawb on the other hand.....



I know, I know. And I was being sarcastic, lol. But I'm totally trading the damn thing with a friend of mine.

I don't think I will ever understand my obsessions.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know, I know. And I was being sarcastic, lol. But I'm totally trading the damn thing with a friend of mine.
> 
> I don't think I will ever understand my obsessions.



Eh, what do they hurt?


----------



## Belle Ella

That's my rationelle!

So I'm watching Toy Story  It ended up costing me $10 and some spare change for both. I'm a happy camper.

It was also free pastry day at Starbucks. Yummy, they have this delicious chocolate chip banana nut bread. It may be reduced fat but that thing was freaking delicious.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's my rationelle!
> 
> So I'm watching Toy Story  It ended up costing me $10 and some spare change for both. I'm a happy camper.
> 
> It was also free pastry day at Starbucks. Yummy, they have this delicious chocolate chip banana nut bread. It may be reduced fat but that thing was freaking delicious.



Woo hoo!! Two of my favorite movies.


----------



## FlameGirl

Am I going to be banned from this thread as a self-proclaimed Twilight hater?


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Am I going to be banned from this thread as a self-proclaimed Twilight hater?



Naw, just ignored and laughed at


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Naw, just ignored and laughed at



Trust me...I know I'm in the minority.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Trust me...I know I'm in the minority.



Half the time I feel like I am. It depends on where I am. But I defend my obsession by saying this: half of it stems from the events that I have been to and the people that I have met because of it. I have had so much fun interacting with people at midnight releases, premieres, and what not.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Trust me...I know I'm in the minority.



I am with you, so right now we are the majority!!  Love you Jazz!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, sure you do


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, sure you do



Just feeling the love is so warming!!


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> I am with you, so right now we are the majority!!  Love you Jazz!!



Oh, ok that's good to know.  I'm not bashing the books by any means...or maybe I am.  I just resisted reading them because I know myself pretty well and suspected I would hate them.  And then every single female my age or better told me how they'd read them start to finish and then started over again...my sister-in-law read Breaking Dawn 5 times in a row...so I gave them a shot.  And then was left scratching my head when I finished the last one.  

I will say this though...I've been to Forks.  Way before the whole Twilight mania.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah,  get made fun of a lot, but that's ok. I still don't know what about them I've fallen in love with. But it's a genre of book that I read a lot and it got my imagination going and that's when I really love a book. It's definitely not the best written story in the world, but I still love it.

And I got to meet Rob. Who is a lot better looking in person -- like I can't tell you.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Oh, ok that's good to know.  I'm not bashing the books by any means...or maybe I am.  I just resisted reading them because I know myself pretty well and suspected I would hate them.  And then every single female my age or better told me how they'd read them start to finish and then started over again...my sister-in-law read Breaking Dawn 5 times in a row...so I gave them a shot.  And then was left scratching my head when I finished the last one.
> 
> I will say this though...I've been to Forks.  Way before the whole Twilight mania.



My teenage girls didn't like it so I never even picked it up.  They only read Twilight, and just never went any further.  They do think Taylor Lautner is hot though.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> My teenage girls didn't like it so I never even picked it up.  They only read Twilight, and just never went any further.  They do think Taylor Lautner is hot though.



And I think they're crazy. Any time I see Lautner I still picture him as the girly-looking kid from Shark Boy and Lava Girl ...


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> My teenage girls didn't like it so I never even picked it up.  They only read Twilight, and just never went any further.  They do think Taylor Lautner is hot though.



Oh, my 10 year old daughter LOVES the books.  And I'm actually kind of glad for the whole hysteria right now...my parents live in Port Angeles, and Twilight is basically carrying the economy for their sleepy little town right now, so that's great.  I give it 3 to 4 years before it completely settles down and fizzles out and goes back to normal, but it's incredible how the books have put PA and Forks on the map and increased tourism exponentially.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And I think they're crazy. Any time I see Lautner I still picture him as the girly-looking kid from Shark Boy and Lava Girl ...



You and me both.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll be sad when I have no more Twilight-related events to go to. No more midnight movie parties, book releases are already done since S.M. currently has no intentions to finish Midnight Sun. I think I'll cry!

Not that it takes much!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You and me both.



Something we can agree upon!

It is extremely creepy to see my mother oogle him like eye candy though!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'll be sad when I have no more Twilight-related events to go to. No more midnight movie parties, book releases are already done since S.M. currently has no intentions to finish Midnight Sun. I think I'll cry!
> 
> Not that it takes much!



Why isn't she going to finish it?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Why isn't she going to finish it?



Because some stupid **** leaked her unfinished manuscript that she had been working on and she was upset by it and said she was going to take a break. Now she just wants non-Twilight time.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Oh, my 10 year old daughter LOVES the books.  And I'm actually kind of glad for the whole hysteria right now...my parents live in Port Angeles, and Twilight is basically carrying the economy for their sleepy little town right now, so that's great.  I give it 3 to 4 years before it completely settles down and fizzles out and goes back to normal, but it's incredible how the books have put PA and Forks on the map and increased tourism exponentially.



How great for their economy.  I think that is great.



Belle Ella said:


> Something we can agree upon!
> 
> It is extremely creepy to see my mother oogle him like eye candy though!



I think it is extremely creepy when woman my age get all googly over either of them.  Ew gross.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Because some stupid **** leaked her unfinished manuscript that she had been working on and she was upset by it and said she was going to take a break. Now she just wants non-Twilight time.



Well maybe if she takes a break she will come back to it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well maybe if she takes a break she will come back to it.



I sure hope so. She posted what was leaked after the fact so people wouldn't have to get all catty trying to find the leaked manuscript which to me was a sign of defeat. And the worst part it is was freaking GOOD. So much better than what she had published so far.



kaoden39 said:


> I think it is extremely creepy when woman my age get all googly over either of them.  Ew gross.



At least I'm in the same age group as Rob. But I'm not totally gaga over him. Now, Charlie Bewley on the other hand ... totally different story. But that guy is hilarious.



FlameGirl said:


> Oh, my 10 year old daughter LOVES the books.  And I'm actually kind of glad for the whole hysteria right now...my parents live in Port Angeles, and Twilight is basically carrying the economy for their sleepy little town right now, so that's great.  I give it 3 to 4 years before it completely settles down and fizzles out and goes back to normal, but it's incredible how the books have put PA and Forks on the map and increased tourism exponentially.



That's awesome!!

I'm actually from Washington. Not Forks, just Tacoma, but it makes me feel special.  Which is sad, I guess.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> I sure hope so. She posted what was leaked after the fact so people wouldn't have to get all catty trying to find the leaked manuscript which to me was a sign of defeat. And the worst part it is was freaking GOOD. So much better than what she had published so far.
> 
> 
> 
> At least I'm in the same age group as Rob. But I'm not totally gaga over him. Now, Charlie Bewley on the other hand ... totally different story. But that guy is hilarious.
> 
> 
> 
> That's awesome!!
> 
> I'm actually from Washington. Not Forks, just Tacoma, but it makes me feel special.  Which is sad, I guess.



My mom actually sent me a couple of pages from the Port Angeles newspaper last year...it was hysterical.  Bella Italia is a real restaurant, and they're totally pimping that Edward and Bella had their first date there.  They've put the "Bella's special" on the menu, which is mushroom ravioli.  There were also doing Twilight weddings and commitment ceremonies one weekend in some significant spot...it's so funny.  They wasted no time jumping on the Twilight bandwagon.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> My mom actually sent me a couple of pages from the Port Angeles newspaper last year...it was hysterical.  Bella Italia is a real restaurant, and they're totally pimping that Edward and Bella had their first date there.  They've put the "Bella's special" on the menu, which is mushroom ravioli.  There were also doing Twilight weddings and commitment ceremonies one weekend in some significant spot...it's so funny.  They wasted no time jumping on the Twilight bandwagon.



They would have regretted it had they not. I'm all for taking a trip up there myself if I could afford it and still get ym Disney fix. That and go to Montepulciano where they filmed the Italy scenes in New Moon, *and* the real Voltera ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I sure hope so. She posted what was leaked after the fact so people wouldn't have to get all catty trying to find the leaked manuscript which to me was a sign of defeat. And the worst part it is was freaking GOOD. So much better than what she had published so far.
> 
> 
> 
> At least I'm in the same age group as Rob. But I'm not totally gaga over him. Now, Charlie Bewley on the other hand ... totally different story. But that guy is hilarious.
> 
> 
> 
> That's awesome!!
> 
> I'm actually from Washington. Not Forks, just Tacoma, but it makes me feel special.  Which is sad, I guess.



Have you seen some of the woman on disboards signatures?  They are my age lusting after one or the other of the guys and it is just kind of gross to me.



FlameGirl said:


> My mom actually sent me a couple of pages from the Port Angeles newspaper last year...it was hysterical.  Bella Italia is a real restaurant, and they're totally pimping that Edward and Bella had their first date there.  They've put the "Bella's special" on the menu, which is mushroom ravioli.  There were also doing Twilight weddings and commitment ceremonies one weekend in some significant spot...it's so funny.  They wasted no time jumping on the Twilight bandwagon.



I say good for them.  Take advantage while they can.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, when they are young enough to be your son I find it creepy. Even worse when they are young enough to be your grandson ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, when they are young enough to be your son I find it creepy. Even worse when they are young enough to be your grandson ...



Exactly my thoughts.  Yuck.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw man, you know what I just realized? My new health class starts today at 4!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw man, you know what I just realized? My new health class starts today at 4!!



Oh no!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh no!!



That means I'll be at class from 4 to 10. I am so, so, so looking forward to that. Can't you tell?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That means I'll be at class from 4 to 10. I am so, so, so looking forward to that. Can't you tell?



Wow, that is a long class.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, it's technically 2. One from 4 to 6:50 and the other from 7 to 10. And of course they are on the opposite sides of campus so I get to spend my 10 minute break between the two hauling you-know-what to make it in time.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, it's technically 2. One from 4 to 6:50 and the other from 7 to 10. And of course they are on the opposite sides of campus so I get to spend my 10 minute break between the two hauling you-know-what to make it in time.



Well, you get a good work out between classes don't you?  Two classes iver that amount of time doesn't sound so bad to me.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, you get a good work out between classes don't you?  Two classes iver that amount of time doesn't sound so bad to me.



It does to someone who is so not a night person and would love to be in bed by 8 when possible


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It does to someone who is so not a night person and would love to be in bed by 8 when possible



Yeah that does make a difference.


----------



## Belle Ella

That it does!

Man, it's almost 1:30 and I haven't eaten lunch. My tummy is yelling at me!

FEED ME, FEED ME, FEED ME!

Man, I want _that_ as a tag.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That it does!
> 
> Man, it's almost 1:30 and I haven't eaten lunch. My tummy is yelling at me!
> 
> FEED ME, FEED ME, FEED ME!
> 
> Man, I want _that_ as a tag.



Have you ever seen Little Shop of Horrors?  There is this song "Feed Me Seymour."  That makes me think of it.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Have you ever seen Little Shop of Horrors?  There is this song "Feed Me Seymour."  That makes me think of it.



 You're right! I haven't seen that in forever. We did a small production of it when I was in high school before our new theater was built. Fun times.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You're right! I haven't seen that in forever. We did a small production of it when I was in high school before our new theater was built. Fun times.



Ah yes, fun indeed.


----------



## Belle Ella

I finally have my ticker back up!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I finally have my ticker back up!!



Yay!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, it makes me feel so much better. Now if only I could be in the double digits like you!


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, it makes me feel so much better. Now if only I could be in the double digits like you!



Cry me a river...


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Cry me a river...



 That'd be a tough pill to swallow! But we gotta start somewhere, right? We'll throw a big party for you when you get t the double digits! Pinky promise!


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> That'd be a tough pill to swallow! But we gotta start somewhere, right? We'll throw a big party for you when you get t the double digits! Pinky promise!



I know, right?  At least I have three vacations coming up before Disneyland so it will probably be here before I know it (and am ready for it).


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> I know, right?  At least I have three vacations coming up before Disneyland so it will probably be here before I know it (and am ready for it).


Time flies when you are having fun!! I'm thinking I need another vacation this year. I usually only take the one a year, if that. Last year with 2 (and both at Disneyland) was so crazy for me. My boss made fun of me for it. I usually don't take time off period.


----------



## Sherry E

Woo hoo!  I finally made it back to this thread!!  I haven't posted here in ages (though I have been reading along silently), but I figure that now that several of you are on my Facebook friend list (Jazz, Michele, Meredith, Laurie, etc.), you can all hunt me down over there and guilt me into coming back here, so I had better beat you to the punch!! 

Seriously, I was reading along and reading along and reading along all through your TR adventures from the September trip, and I kept making "mental notes" on things I wanted to comment on when I was all finished.  And then this thread kept growing and growing, and I kept thinking of other things I wanted to comment on...and it eventually got to be too much and I just gave up on trying to remember what I was going to comment on!! 

So...forgive me for commenting on things from your TR that were, like, *50 pages back*, but I am trying to recall things off the top of my head, in no order and with no rhyme nor reason, and blurt them out....better late than never.  (And don't feel like you have to reply - I am late in jumping back in, so I don't want to set everyone back in the chat!  I just wanted to throw in my comments before I forgot!)

1.  Jazz, you asked what the limit was on pages or posts before a thread was closed.  I don't know about posts, but you have to get to 250 pages before the thread locks.  So you still have a ways to go...though I'm sure it would be annoying to be mid-Trip Report and then have to start a whole new thread to finish it up.

2.  Your love of Snow White reminds me of this fantastic Cast Member exclusive watch that I got during my watch-buying frenzy in the '90s.  It came in a red box/tin like what the hunter brings the heart in.  There was a little yellow plastic sword stuck in the velvet interior of the box.  And the watch itself - the outer shell/face of the watch was the Magic Mirror, and inside the mirror, the face kept changing from the Witch to the Queen and back again.  It was sooooo cool.  I had to sell it in the late '90s, sadly, but I loved it while I had it!  I sold quite a few of my cool watches, but I did hang on to some, luckily!

3.  You guys were talking about cell phones - I don't talk on mine unless it is a necessary call, like someone has to call me at DLR to tell me when they are meeting me. I am not one of those sorts who gets on the cell at the grocery store, just so I can call someone and say, "I'm in the frozen food aisle!  What's new with you?!"  I don't even like talking on the cell.  My phone is basically for emergencies (because I do live alone and I am alone when I go out most of the time).

4.  Can you believe I live, basically, 10 minutes from Hollywood Blvd. and I have NOT been to the Studio Store & Soda Fountain yet?  But I love me some peppermint ice cream, so if that sundae that Frick had was made with peppermint ice cream, then I am all the more tempted to get there!

5.  I am a big Greek Mythology fan, too - from way back in my teen years.

6.  I think the fact that Dale brought you the tablecloth to use as a cover-up at Goofy's was the sweetest thing ever!  That is SOOOOO cute!  And I am so glad you had a great time there - you KNOW I had been championing a Goofy's visit for you prior to your trip, and I am glad it worked out or I would have looked like a fool!!

7.  I love ToonTown for the same reasons you do - I love the whimsical, over-exaggerated structures.  I love the colors.  I love the little hidden jokes and surprises all over ToonTown - there is always something to see there that has not been seen before, and the problem is that unless you do the Morning Madness, you can't always see all the little details of ToonTown because it is so jam-packed with kids.  I know it is an area that is catered to kids, but I knwo there have got to be more adults out there like us who enjoy ToonTown for all the reasons we do, and would like to have a chance to go around and really see everything.  I wish they would keep ToonTown open until park closing so that us big kids at heart could have a chance to get in there and look around.  Why don't they keep it open later?  BTW - I also love A Bug's Land in DCA for the same reasons - the exaggerated sizes of things, the colors and the little hidden details and nuances (like the bug sounds that pop out at you from the foliage).

8.  If and when you ever have time, I hope you will post all those wonderful photos you took of the Halloween window displays and the in-store displays, as well as the Halloween treats, in our Halloween superthread on the main DL forum - called "Halloween at DL."  We have a pretty good representation of a lot of other aspects of Halloweentime decorations, attractions, merchandise, etc., but we don't have a whole lot of the treats nor of the window or store displays, and yours are particularly festive!!  Like I noticed a little Halloween tree with ornaments (sprouting from a Mickey pumpkin, I think) in one of your photos, and I know people would love to see that in the Halloween at DL thread!

9.  Jazz, I have to say you are my hero for totally embracing being at DLR solo during those moments when you were solo, including character meals, rides, and all those things that many people would be reluctant to do alone.  I am alone most of the time, so I wouldn't want to be alone for an entire trip at DLR, for several days.  But my ideal trip would be exactly like what you had (except without any friend conflict, which I will address in a moment, and except for the fact that I would make my trip during Christmastime).  I would love to have a good 5 days or so to play, and part of the time would be devoted to wandering around by myself and getting in there and taking all kinds of photos, and the other part of the time would be devoted to friends.  As much as I am used to being alone and independent, there are some things I really prefer to enjoy with friends at DLR.  But you didn't let anything stop you - you got right in there and just carried on with your plans no matter what else was happening.  It's true - sometimes, without other people there, you can get much more accomplished and at a faster pace.

10.  I can totally relate to the conflict about friends with time management issues.  Ironically, the friend of mine who had/has the biggest problem with being late was also the biggest Disney lover out of all my friends.  Her lateness caused many a conflict and put me in many a bad mood.  I can tell by some of your comments - you remind me of me in so many ways in how you handle those situations!!

11.  As usual, I thoroughly enjoy your comprehensive photography.  You really leave no stone unturned in your time in the parks, and you get photos of anything and everything.  But I suspect there is much ground still to cover, so I hope your July trip goes as planned, and if not, hopefully you can make a Halloweentime trip and hit any previously unphotographed areas (like maybe some of the details in the back alleys of New Orleans Square?  Maybe more things in DCA?)!!

Oh, and P.S. - FlameGirl is not alone - I have not jumped on the "Twilight" bandwagon, either!

P.P.S. - I saw some of the drama that was ensuing on the Diva thread about the dates.  I have yet to go on a Diva trip.  I would have to have an AP first, and then I would want to make sure that there were at least some folks that I communicate with along on the trip, or I would feel totally out of place.  Now I have a bunch of the ladies on my FB friend list, so hopefully I will start coming out of my shell and getting to know some of the girls...because, you know....I am "shy and retiring" too!!  Muahahahahahahahahaha!!


----------



## kaoden39

Sherry!!!!  HI there!!!!  Great to see you here.

Jazz, you will be double digits soon enough.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hey, I know we are kinda past this topic, but I just want to post my two cents on here, just to support the side I am on!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey, I know we are kinda past this topic, but I just want to post my two cents on here, just to support the side I am on!



Hmm I know what team you are on for sure.  I am more on this team.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is a close runner up! That's for sure!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is a close runner up! That's for sure!



Well, he certainly more my age group.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

One's a little old for me, and the other is a little young. Oh well, when they are that far out of your reach, what does age matter? As long as they aren't kids!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> One's a little old for me, and the other is a little young. Oh well, when they are that far out of your reach, what does age matter? As long as they aren't kids!



Good point.  I am old enough though that I can be RP's mom.    I am feeling so old.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well I am about 7 years older than him. I guess that isn't so bad. I don't think it will ever matter how old Johnny is. He will always look good!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well I am about 7 years older than him. I guess that isn't so bad. I don't think it will ever matter how old Johnny is. He will always look good!



Oh indeed.  And he is funny good combination.


----------



## Belle Ella

Rob's my age, so if I can't have CB then I'll settle for him. Great photo though. Still doesn't do him justice. And wow is he a soft spoken guy.

OK, just got out of class. Well, I left a little early. It was putting me to sleep and it's all stuff I know about genetics from my very thorough Bio class last semester. How horrible am I?

SHERRYYYYYYYYY! So glad you stopped by. I'll try and add those photos to that thread sometime tomorrow if I remember!!

OK, I have a new goal -- somehow reach the max for this board before I get home from July!! Do you accept the challenge??


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh wow. My dad is now on Facebook! I don't think there's anyone left in my family!


----------



## merrrydeath

I have been away too long!! I went to Davis this weekend to move my bff back home. And phew am I still tired from that. She had 3 years worth of stuff in her apartment. but....uh. HI!


----------



## kaoden39

merrrydeath said:


> I have been away too long!! I went to Davis this weekend to move my bff back home. And phew am I still tired from that. She had 3 years worth of stuff in her apartment. but....uh. HI!



Hi there merrrydeath!!


----------



## Belle Ella

merrrydeath said:


> I have been away too long!! I went to Davis this weekend to move my bff back home. And phew am I still tired from that. She had 3 years worth of stuff in her apartment. but....uh. HI!



Sounds like you had a hard working weekend!


----------



## kaoden39

Only 150 pages to go!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Only 150 pages to go!



Ah, but do you accept the challenge?

150 pages ... If anyone can do it it's us!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ah, but do you accept the challenge?
> 
> 150 pages ... If anyone can do it it's us!!



Well, I am sure that if it can be done we can do it!!


----------



## wvnative

I'm sure we can do it Jazz!

As for Twilight, she lives right here close by so you can imagine how big the to do's get. The kid and I were disappointed when they picked RP as Edward. We're ok with Taylor L as Jacob though. lol

Can I just say that I am really not a Dakota Fanning fan and really wish they would've chosen someone else for that role? They make Jane sound so young and small in the books. 

I love love love those books though.


----------



## Belle Ella

Haha -- finally we start to even up the ranks.

To be honest, Dakota Fanning was who I pictured as Jane when I was reading the books. Everyone has their different ideas though. I never really pictred anyone as Edward. By the time I had read the books for the first time he had been long cast to play the role and I just accepted it. I can't really see anyone else in the role to be honest.

I wont say anything else as far as Jacob goes though,


----------



## DisneyStitch626

My second favourite is either Carlilse or Charlie. Maybe cause I like the father figure types. But Carlilse is pretty cute and Charlie is funny. As for Jacob. I like him in the movie, but the first time I read the book, I was so upset over Edward leaving, that I hated Jacob for being the replacement! Also I know I said age doesn't matter when they are untouchable, but he is a little TOO young for me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hey what happened to my ticker?


----------



## FlameGirl

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey what happened to my ticker?



It might be something to do with this.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Does it run from that site or something?


----------



## FlameGirl

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Does it run from that site or something?



If that was where your ticker came from, then yes.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> My second favourite is either Carlilse or Charlie. Maybe cause I like the father figure types. But Carlilse is pretty cute and Charlie is funny. As for Jacob. I like him in the movie, but the first time I read the book, I was so upset over Edward leaving, that I hated Jacob for being the replacement! Also I know I said age doesn't matter when they are untouchable, but he is a little TOO young for me.



Ah, Carlisle. PFac. I love him. Yes, I do. And Charlie was hilarious in the movie. I want him for my dad, really.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey what happened to my ticker?



There's a problem with the tickers from that site. Maybe try grabbing one from Mickey Path?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sweet! Thanks. That'll do for now. Although it looked better when it looked like Mj was dancing on top of the slider! 

Six months also sounded better than 190 days!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sweet! Thanks. That'll do for now. Although it looked better when it looked like Mj was dancing on top of the slider!
> 
> Six months also sounded better than 190 days!!!



See, I'm the opposite! I love counting down the days. Even when it seems like we're so, so, so far away. I just get cheated when I look at the months, weeks, and days.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think I'll like it better when we get under 100! Right now it just seems like such a long ways away!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I think I'll like it better when we get under 100! Right now it just seems like such a long ways away!!



And that's why I like it! I can see the progress every day. Every time I get down another 10 days I do a happy dance. That would be Friday when I'm 110 days away. It'll be so close to the double digits! So close!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I guess you're right. The first time I posted that ticker, it said something like 230 ish days left, and that's why I changed it to the other ticker! lol. It was a little much for me. Plus the other one had Stitch.


----------



## Belle Ella

If you'd rather have the other kind, Mickey Path does have the banners. I haven't taken a look at what kind of sliders and what not that they have, but they do have a selection.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I noticed that. There was an error when I tried to click on it though. Maybe I will give it a try later on when I get home from work.

As for counting down the days instead of months, it is going to be easier for when I want to start making PS's and things. I am also probably going to be making a countdown, cause I am a geek like that when I am excited, so I will have 2 ways to keep me organized.


----------



## Belle Ella

Once I get into my double digits I am totally counting down until I get to make my PS. Unfortunately, right now, there probably wont be too many. In order to keep this cheap we probably wont be doing any characters meals eek or even eat at Blue Bayou eek:). I don't know what to do with myself. I have already decided it wont be the best time to do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. Oh well, there will be other chances!

I noticed that the photo banners didn't load, but the regular banners (directly under the name tag countdown) worked for me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Where are you thinking about going for your PS's? I want to try Blue Bayou, but the only thing that appeals to me that I have seen so far are possibly the Monte Cristo, which looks so good, but also looks like a heart attack on a plate, and the Beignets (spelling), although I could be confusing BB with Cafe Orleans for those two items.


----------



## Belle Ella

The beignet's I think you are confusing with Cafe Orleans, but both CO and Blue Bayou will serve the Monte Cristo. Just make sure it's a lunch PS.

Personally, I love, love, *love* the BB and it breaks my heart to think of a trip without eating there. It's so much more than just the food. The entire atmosphere of the bayou at nigh, right on the waters of the Pirates ride (requesting and waiting for that water side table makes a huge difference). I always get the salmon whenever I eat there (well, I walways get it anywhere I go) and it is delicious!

I'm hoping I can talk *Nameless* into maybe splitting a plate so it wont cost as much. I really, really want to eat there.

Otherwise I would really love to make an early morning breakfast PS for Goofy's Kitchen. Or if I knew we could get there in time, make a dinner PS for the night that we arrive. Maybe even a lunch PS for the day that we leave to have one last hurrah but we may prefer to use the time in the parks.

I really don't know. I think where we eat is going to depend on wether or not we can get the Ent. rate for the HoJo and when the park ends up opening.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

There are so many places I want to try. I am liking the sounds of BB, and if Dillon and I split a meal, it shouldn't be too bad. We are probably going to be snacking a lot, so we don't really need any big meals anywhere. I'd also like to try ESPN Zone, as Dillon will want to check out the arcade there. And of course PCH for a character breakfast in hopes of seeing Stitch and Mickey. Also our hotel we booked (yes we have it booked!! ) is right by Mimi's so I wouldn't mind trying that if I can handle being away from the parks long enough.


----------



## wvnative

I was so thoroughly bummed when we missed our PS for lunch at Caranation. We will eat lunch there next trip come hell or high water. lol 

I have to say that alothough my omelette wa awesome, I don't think we'll be back to GK. It was way too expensive for as little as we eat and the few characters we got to see. I think next trip we may try the one a Plaza Inn or PPH


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Maybe I will book a dinner at Goofy's kitchen as well. That way we have one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner booked, and just take it easy for the rest. As far as ESPN goes, not sure if we need to book a PS for that or not.


----------



## Belle Ella

What hotel did you book?

I have to admit, I don't usually spend a lot of time in DTD. If I had another 5-day or maybe 6-day trip I would consider eating at the ESPN Zone. But with only 3 for sure days I would much rather cut my losses and stick as close to the parks as I actually can unless I can squeeze in characters (hence Goofy's Kitchen). And Mickey's Surfs Up caracter meal would be a great way to see Mickey and Stitchm although I have never had trouble finding both of them on my own in the park. The main draw to that for me would be Daisy if she's still there since she is never seen anywhere else. Kind of why I like GK and getting to see Balloo.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I was so thoroughly bummed when we missed our PS for lunch at Caranation. We will eat lunch there next trip come hell or high water. lol
> 
> I have to say that alothough my omelette wa awesome, I don't think we'll be back to GK. It was way too expensive for as little as we eat and the few characters we got to see. I think next trip we may try the one a Plaza Inn or PPH



:hug



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Maybe I will book a dinner at Goofy's kitchen as well. That way we have one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner booked, and just take it easy for the rest. As far as ESPN goes, not sure if we need to book a PS for that or not.



Um, I can't remember about ESPN Zone. I've never eaten there or anyhwere in DTD. I think you make your reservations through them and not through the Disney PS system, but I'm not sure.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We booked the Quality Inn, which I think is right beside HOJO. Nothing fancy by all means, but we will only be using it to sleep and shower, so we don't need anything more really. We got 6 nights for under $400. Not too shabby I don't think?


----------



## Belle Ella

That would be a great rate for sure. But I'm not sure where it is honestly. The only place I've stayed on Harbour or anywhere near DLR without being onsite is the HoJo, lol.

I know there's a handy dandy map somewhere showing where the hotels and whatnot are along Harbour.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

According to googlemaps.com, Quality Inn is just behind Mimi's Cafe. There is what looks like a parking lot separating it from Mimi's. And HOJO is just across the street from Mimi's.


----------



## Belle Ella

Huh, I never realized that it was back there. I'm trying to remember walking through the parking lot to get to Mimi's, lol.


----------



## FlameGirl

wvnative said:


> I was so thoroughly bummed when we missed our PS for lunch at Caranation. We will eat lunch there next trip come hell or high water. lol
> 
> I have to say that alothough my omelette wa awesome, I don't think we'll be back to GK. It was way too expensive for as little as we eat and the few characters we got to see. I think next trip we may try the one a Plaza Inn or PPH



We are SO over character meals.  We aren't buffet people to begin with, my daughter eats like a bird, so for us it's a waste of money.  I'd so much rather take that $100 for breakfast and go have sushi, or try someplace like NR.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> We are SO over character meals.  We aren't buffet people to begin with, my daughter eats like a bird, so for us it's a waste of money.  I'd so much rather take that $100 for breakfast and go have sushi, or try someplace like NR.



 And I'm the exact opposite! Well, I'm not a buffett person -- but I am an I like to eat whatever I can grab person. For me the thing about character meals is the character interaction. I don't even have to be a kid to enjoy them (even though we all know I'm a kid at heart). That experience I had at Goofy's Kitchen last September was just *amazing* and I would be all sad if I had never gotten to experience that. The whole Dale and the tablecloth thing comes to mind  Some are better than others.

I just feel out of place at places that are considered more 'fine dining'. It's just not me.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> And I'm the exact opposite! Well, I'm not a buffett person -- but I am an I like to eat whatever I can grab person. For me the thing about character meals is the character interaction. I don't even have to be a kid to enjoy them (even though we all know I'm a kid at heart). That experience I had at Goofy's Kitchen last September was just *amazing* and I would be all sad if I had never gotten to experience that. The whole Dale and the tablecloth thing comes to mind  Some are better than others.
> 
> I just feel out of place at places that are considered more 'fine dining'. It's just not me.



Well, to be fair, we only ever did the Lilo & Stitch breakfast, and it was a total bust.  My daughter wanted to have the character interaction but decided that after our breakfast, she'd settle for finding them in the park.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Well, to be fair, we only ever did the Lilo & Stitch breakfast, and it was a total bust.  My daughter wanted to have the character interaction but decided that after our breakfast, she'd settle for finding them in the park.



Aww! I'm sorry she didn't enjoy it so much. I'm wondering if it was just a L&S (well, not Mickey's Surfs Up or something like that) thing. It's one that I've never done before. Did they have things for the kids to participate in? I know Goofy's Kitchen has little dance sessions and cooking lessons : so to speak. It was fun for us to observe all the kids, but it may be targeted to a younger audience. At GK every character was at our table multiple times. Balloo tried to scare both my friend and I. It worked on me -- I shot out of my chair and came close to letting out a full scream. But it was hilarious. I had so much fun. And that was my actual birthday meal.

I can't remember if I posted these two videos:


----------



## DisneyStitch626

The costs are a little pricey for the character breakfasts, but for how often I am able to get down there, I would like to splurge. The character interaction is the thing I am looking forward to the most. When I went there last time, I only met Mickey. He was a must, so we made sure to do that. I remember wanting to meet others, but I don't really remember why we didn't. So this time I am going to make a point of it. And try to add the pictures to my photo pass.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And I really want to watch those videos, but they won't work on my work computer for some reason.  I guess I will have to wait until I get home.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> And I really want to watch those videos, but they won't work on my work computer for some reason.  I guess I will have to wait until I get home.



Boo! That's lame. Do you have a blocker at work? They are posted to my Photobucket account.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well it's not blocked, but that site never completely loads. Like I can log in, but my pictures don't load or anything. It's really weird. It's totally fine at home.


----------



## Belle Ella

Silly technology sometimes!

HA! Look at that. Already to page 103 on day 1 of operation "Close Thread before July 14".

 I figure if we can get as close to 1 page per day or more we can do it.

I just really want a new thread to reorganize my TR's on, but don't want to abandon this one until I have to.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well, it's been about 3 pages already today, so at this rate I don't see that being a problem!


----------



## Belle Ella

Nope! Especially since we've got well over 100 days to go still!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Is Nameless for sure going now? Or is she still on the fence? Hopefully she has officially decided. It's not fair to keep saying maybe when you really don't have too much time left.


----------



## Belle Ella

I really don't know. When I talk to her she says she's saving up money and she didn't say no at all for the first time. She's waiting to hear if we can get the Ent. rate for the HoJo or not. I wish they would get their July dates up already. If it comes down to getting them published in June she'll probably back out entirely.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's too bad. It seems like HOJO is pretty random at releasing those dates. Too bad they couldn't be a little more predictable. But I guess theres probably a reason for it.


----------



## Belle Ella

It can be frustrating. But considering it's not something they have to do I don't think I should really complain about it. I am just not patient


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am not patient either, so I know where you are coming from! We are getting our Disneyland tickets through airmiles, but we only have enough miles for 1 and a bit, so we are scrambling to save as many as we can in the next few months. We've been shopping at Safeway, getting gas at Shell, and eating out at Boston Pizza when we go out! In the end, it will save us $450, but I want to order the tickets now! lol


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm still trying to find ways to save money and way I can. I've been trying to cut back on soda which will save me a lot of money in the long run. But it's a work in progress. It's going to end up being part of my health assesment project for my new health class! Also if I can stop going to starbucks or eating out as much as I do that would help.

It's just hard when I'm in class all evening and want to grab a quick bite to eat to ahve with me!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I know what you mean about cutting back on pop (soda in our language )!  I drink coke all the time, love the stuff!! But I am on a diet trying to lose a few pounds, so it's not good for the calories. There is always Coke Zero, but as much as they say it tastes the same as regular, it totally doesn't!! Who are they trying to fool??? Anyways, I am doing good. I have cut down to one a week! It is so hard though. I don't know how often I find myself thinking how I would just love an ice cold glass of Coke! Mmmmm.


----------



## Belle Ella

Good for you! I'm jealous -- 1 a week? I'm hoping to cut myself off slowly. Go from 1 a day to maybe 1 every other day and keep spacing it out. It's the only way I'll be able to do it. I am not kidding when I say I drink *a lot* of soda. It's so terribly unhealthy and it's gotten to the point where I had a headache if I don't have one before 10AM (that's usually when I'm on my "lunch" break at work).

I want to be healthier, I really do. And I say that and I get a lot of crap from people I know. "But you're not fat" they say. Which is confusing for me because I don't remember saying that I was. I guess I fall into the "thin" category, but that never means healthy automatically.


----------



## Belle Ella

Question: Does people calling pop "soda" annoy you as much as people calling soda "pop" annoys me? It drives me crazy, lol.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Question: Does people calling pop "soda" annoy you as much as people calling soda "pop" annoys me? It drives me crazy, lol.



Pop sounds so freaking goofy to me...


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Aww! I'm sorry she didn't enjoy it so much. I'm wondering if it was just a L&S (well, not Mickey's Surfs Up or something like that) thing. It's one that I've never done before. Did they have things for the kids to participate in? I know Goofy's Kitchen has little dance sessions and cooking lessons : so to speak. It was fun for us to observe all the kids, but it may be targeted to a younger audience. At GK every character was at our table multiple times. Balloo tried to scare both my friend and I. It worked on me -- I shot out of my chair and came close to letting out a full scream. But it was hilarious. I had so much fun. And that was my actual birthday meal.



Let's see...when we walked in, we met Daisy and Minnie and she posed with them...and that was fine.  But when Lilo and Stitch came to our table, I think she felt a little sheepish.  But, it was kind of empty in the restaurant, so that may have been part of it.  

I think she would have been perfectly happy going to GK if we had done that, but we hate hate hated the food at the Lilo and Stitch breakfast and after paying $70 for it (seriously, I had a mini bagel and a little bit of scrambled eggs.  She had a waffle.), we were soured on the concept.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I laugh when people say Soda honestly. Just sounds funny to me. Is it a US/Canada thing? I don't really know, but I think it's kinda funny.

I think I would have a harder time cutting down on Coke if they brought back Vanilla Coke. We had it for a few years here, and I loved the stuff!! But they took it away!! I have no idea why. I know a lot of people that like it. 

Honestly, if I wasn't trying to lose 10 pounds, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about cutting back on my Coke intake, I guess that's bad, cause they are in no way healthy for you. Sometimes I just can't help it though. I don't even really like much else for "soda".


----------



## Belle Ella

It's a US/Canada and even a US/US thing depending on where you live. My cousin (who lives in Colorado) gets so *mad* at us when we say soda, or "hecka" and "hella" which I'm pretty sure the last two are a California thing. It drivers her nuts.

"Pop" though just doesn't give me any kind of image of soda. It makes me think of someone hitting someone (popping them over the head) or some silly cartoonish explosion.

Good luck on the loosing 10 pounds! We've been trying to support both my parents in their efforts (my mom especially because of her diabetes). It's not an easy thing to do!


----------



## Belle Ella

HA! Take that -- page 104


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Pop sounds so freaking goofy to me...



 I know, right?!



FlameGirl said:


> Let's see...when we walked in, we met Daisy and Minnie and she posed with them...and that was fine.  But when Lilo and Stitch came to our table, I think she felt a little sheepish.  But, it was kind of empty in the restaurant, so that may have been part of it.
> 
> I think she would have been perfectly happy going to GK if we had done that, but we hate hate hated the food at the Lilo and Stitch breakfast and after paying $70 for it (seriously, I had a mini bagel and a little bit of scrambled eggs.  She had a waffle.), we were soured on the concept.



I'm sure it's a lot harder to enjoy when looking at the $$ aspect when you've got kids. I on;t have to look at the price for little old me. I shudder to think how much more expensive everything gets when you look at the prices for a whole family.

Hopefully if/when you give a character meal another shot (and I'd totally understand if you didn't) it goes a lot better. Just like everything in life they can be hit or miss. I know I didn't exactly enjoy my second round at Minnie's due to everything going on. For the time I spent there that day it was a total bust.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Thank you!   I am going to the gym too, so that should help. I have a work out buddy, and it's a lot easier to do this stuff when someone else is doing it too!

People hear say "hella" all the time, not sure where that came from. Don't hear "hecka" as much though.

Yay on 104!!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

They probably visited us crazy Californians!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ugh! What I wouldn't give to visit California right now! Not that I am complaining about my country, because of course I love it, but around March, when you've already had 6 months of cold and snow, California looks extra appealing! The weather has been teasing us. Last week it was warm and sunny and the snow was almost completely gone. And now it's cold and grey and it looks like the snow is threatening to come back. 

So I just learned I get 2 more days off of work for my vacation thanks to over time, we will get 5 FULL days in the parks!!! But I also learned that Gay Days will be going on the first 2 days we are there. I am hoping that won't make it TOO busy!


----------



## Belle Ella

Huh. Well, it looks like the DIS will be getting ticker's of it's own: http://www.distickers.com/ticker/main.php <-- look on the left hand toolbar.

OK, I have to go pick up some new textbooks before Art class today, so I'm off! Don't have too much fun without me


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sweet! I will wait until they have more Disneyland themed ones though. Right now it's mostly WDW stuff.

Have fun buying books!


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> I know, right?!
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure it's a lot harder to enjoy when looking at the $$ aspect when you've got kids. I on;t have to look at the price for little old me. I shudder to think how much more expensive everything gets when you look at the prices for a whole family.
> 
> Hopefully if/when you give a character meal another shot (and I'd totally understand if you didn't) it goes a lot better. Just like everything in life they can be hit or miss. I know I didn't exactly enjoy my second round at Minnie's due to everything going on. For the time I spent there that day it was a total bust.



We may give GK a shot during our next trip...we're going to stay offsite at the Residence Inn Maingate, and we plan to utilize their free breakfast, make our own lunches and bring those into the park, and then either head back to the room for dinner or possibly eat in the park, so that will help absorb some of the cost.  But you're not kidding...our last trip, we paid in the neighborhood of $75 - 100 for every.  Single.  Meal.  It got really old.


----------



## kaoden39

Wow weren't you all the chatty group earlier?


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sweet! I will wait until they have more Disneyland themed ones though. Right now it's mostly WDW stuff.
> 
> Have fun buying books!



Not only a textbook but a stupid Iclicker for taking tests. Fun times. Thankfully, for my wallet, my mommy paid for them. I love my mommy!!!



FlameGirl said:


> We may give GK a shot during our next trip...we're going to stay offsite at the Residence Inn Maingate, and we plan to utilize their free breakfast, make our own lunches and bring those into the park, and then either head back to the room for dinner or possibly eat in the park, so that will help absorb some of the cost.  But you're not kidding...our last trip, we paid in the neighborhood of $75 - 100 for every.  Single.  Meal.  It got really old.



I really hope that I remember to bring more foods to make lunch with. I'm not a breakfast eater so I can live there and why I have never really minded the fact that the HoJo doesn't have a free breakfast. At least being on the DIS tends to save us a few dollars here and there in the tips that we pick up from others (like if you _do_ go out for breakfast -- utilize Mimi's breakfast coupons!!) but then we also usually end up spending more because was want to try the things that other tried. What a double edged sword.



kaoden39 said:


> Wow weren't you all the chatty group earlier?



 Don't you know it! I wasn't kidding when I said we're going to get this thread closed before I leave in July.

We'll just turn it into the B.E. Airlines Chatty Thread.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not only a textbook but a stupid Iclicker for taking tests. Fun times. Thankfully, for my wallet, my mommy paid for them. I love my mommy!!!
> 
> 
> 
> I really hope that I remember to bring more foods to make lunch with. I'm not a breakfast eater so I can live there and why I have never really minded the fact that the HoJo doesn't have a free breakfast. At least being on the DIS tends to save us a few dollars here and there in the tips that we pick up from others (like if you _do_ go out for breakfast -- utilize Mimi's breakfast coupons!!) but then we also usually end up spending more because was want to try the things that other tried. What a double edged sword.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't you know it! I wasn't kidding when I said we're going to get this thread closed before I leave in July.
> 
> We'll just turn it into the B.E. Airlines Chatty Thread.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, c'mon it's a great idea!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, c'mon it's a great idea!



Yes, but it's a long process.  I have a thread that there are like 10 of us that talk on it on a regular basis and it takes a while to do it even with 10 of us.


----------



## Belle Ella

I know, I know. But we're doing so well! A girl can dream. But we've got 111 days left to do damage. And damage we will do! We've already got about 4 pages under the belt just from today!

It gives me motivation to not disappear for another couple of days.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know, I know. But we're doing so well! A girl can dream. But we've got 111 days left to do damage. And damage we will do! We've already got about 4 pages under the belt just from today!
> 
> It gives me motivation to not disappear for another couple of days.



You know I think it can be done.  Look how many pages were added today alone.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> You know I think it can be done.  Look how many pages were added today alone.



Precisely!!


We can do it,
Yes we can!
If we can't do it,
No one can!!


----------



## kaoden39

Ooh rah!!  Ooh Rah!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Ooh rah!!  Ooh Rah!!



 WOW, I'm glad I turned my head because I totally snorted out my water!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> WOW, I'm glad I turned my head because I totally snorted out my water!!



I'm glad you turned your head too.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I'm glad you turned your head too.



Yup. Ruining my laptop would _*not*_ be helpful.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am sure her computer is glad as well!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup. Ruining my laptop would _*not*_ be helpful.





DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am sure her computer is glad as well!



I am sure that her laptop is pleased as punch!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am sure that her laptop is pleased as punch!!



She thanks me all the time when I don't spill liquid all over her.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She thanks me all the time when I don't spill liquid all over her.



Is it an emotional conversation or is she the strong silent type?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Is it an emotional conversation or is she the strong silent type?



Why, option #2, of course. I thought that was obvious!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Why, option #2, of course. I thought that was obvious!



Well, I wasn't quite sure so......


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, I wasn't quite sure so......



Well, I guess it's just because ... I am so smart, I am so smart, S.M.R.T.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, I guess it's just because ... I am so smart, I am so smart, S.M.R.T.



Is that an acronym?   Hmm?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Is that an acronym?   Hmm?



http://www.angelfire.com/film/tsss/ss/smrt.WAV

I'm sure I could make it into one though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> http://www.angelfire.com/film/tsss/ss/smrt.WAV
> 
> I'm sure I could make it into one though.



It took me to an incorrect url.


----------



## Belle Ella

That's lame. Works for me. It's an audio file.

This will do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrfhjLd9e4


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's lame. Works for me. It's an audio file.
> 
> This will do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrfhjLd9e4


----------



## Belle Ella

*inserttoothygrinhere*

Well, I think 6 pages is enough damage for one day. Well done! My wrist says so too, so we're off to bed!!

Sleep tight everyone.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *inserttoothygrinhere*
> 
> Well, I think 6 pages is enough damage for one day. Well done! My wrist says so too, so we're off to bed!!
> 
> Sleep tight everyone.



Goodnight!!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Wow, 6 pages yesterday. Crazy!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Wow, 6 pages yesterday. Crazy!



I know.  It is entirely possible to make it to 250 pages by July.


----------



## Belle Ella

Heck yeah it is. Because we are full of awesome!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, so I know you kind of explained this to me once before, but I am too lazy to go back and find that page.  I have a couple questions about character meals again.

I want to do both PCH breakfast and Goofy's Kitchen. I think I have decided I want to do breakfast for GK too, cause I found the menu, and I like the sound of breakfast better. And it's a tad cheaper. But of course if I go there, I will want pictures. Do you have to get a picture package if you want to take pics with your own camera? I just want to estimate roughly how much each of these character meals will cost, so I can do a daily budget and know how much I need to save! I want to see lots of characters, but not sure if the cost will be worth it? And do you have to pay per person for the picture packages too, or is that a group cost. I don't want to pay $35 each for 2 of us to get pictures. I am so confused! lol


----------



## Belle Ella

Nope, no need to pay extra for that. You are free to use your own camera to your hearts content.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, that is kind of a relief! So you just have to pay the $27 or whatever it costs PP and thats it, unless you want pictures that you can add to the photopass, then you have to pay for a picture package. Do I have that right?


----------



## wvnative

That sounds about right to me. We used our own camera for all of the character shots except Pluto. The kid opted to buy that one. There was a 5x7 and 4 smaller ones. I think it was about $33.

I don't think I'll be so opposed to trying the other ones when it's just her and I. At least then we kind of get our money's worth since we both actually eat. lol 

I'd love to stay and play Jazz and help you rack up pages, but I do have actual work to get done today plus some homework I'd like to get started on.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, that sounds better. I think if I were to pay for a picture package, it would probably be Stitch at PCH, if they do it there too. And if for some awful chance he isn't there, then hopefully Mickey, as he is a lifetime favourite!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ok, that is kind of a relief! So you just have to pay the $27 or whatever it costs PP and thats it, unless you want pictures that you can add to the photopass, then you have to pay for a picture package. Do I have that right?



You can choose to just pay for the meal, however much it ends up being based on where you go and what meal it is. Remember that when they do the character photo or package photo before you get seated that you can ask them to take it with your photo as well without paying for it. But if you would like to add it to your PhotoPass account you'll have to purchase the package. Like Denise mentioned, I think it was about $30 something. I would have to find my receipt.

I tried to take a photo of the folders the picture packages come in. It's really cute! But I can't find my card reader to upload my photos right now. Boo!



wvnative said:


> I'd love to stay and play Jazz and help you rack up pages, but I do have actual work to get done today plus some homework I'd like to get started on.



Do your homework, lady!!

It's actually a reminder that I need to get mine done as well. Before I totally forget.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, I think it's all starting to make more sense to me now! Thanks! 

I think right now I am more excited about all the pictures I want to take, than anything else. When we went on my family trip back in 1996, my Dad gave us each a disposable camera to take pictures with. It sucked only having a limit of 24, and not knowing how they were going to look until you got them developed, only to find that you really suck at taking pictures! My brothers were only 12 and 13, so you can imagine what their pictures looked like!


----------



## Belle Ella

Ah, and that right there is the reason why I absolutely love digital photography! There is almost no limit to what you can photograph! The trouble then is not underestimating how many photos you'll take which is why I:

1. I bring as many memory cards as I can. I think I took close to 8 or 10 MB worth of memory cards with me in September. I can easily fill those up in one day and still need room for more. Luckily, it turned out to be more enough for that trip. I prefer to have more room then necessary, rather than the alternative. Unless you shoot in RAW which is a huge file size and takes up more space (hence why I need so much room) I doubt anyone would really need that much. But memory cards are so much cheaper nowadays.

2. I bring my laptop with me! That allows me to download the photos that I take every night so I get to start with a clean state every morning!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We have 2 8 GB memory cards, and 2 cameras. One DSLR and one P&S. We have 2 batteries for the P&S, and my BF is an I.T., so guaranteed we will have a laptop with us. He can't be without a computer for over a week! So for that, I think we are all set. We might try to do some pictures in RAW. But not sure how much difference it makes.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> We have 2 8 GB memory cards, and 2 cameras. One DSLR and one P&S. We have 2 batteries for the P&S, and my BF is an I.T., so guaranteed we will have a laptop with us. He can't be without a computer for over a week! So for that, I think we are all set. We might try to do some pictures in RAW. But not sure how much difference it makes.



For me, the reason that I ended up shooting my entire vacation in RAW was because I planned on using some shots for my photography assignment and couldn't use JPEG. It's too compact a file size and for what I was planning to do with them it would loose a lot of information and detail. Unless you plan of doing a lot of manipulation with them in Photoshop, JPEG is usually perfectly fine. I'll probably be switching back to it for the majority of my next vacation. We'll see.


----------



## Belle Ella

I actually did my homework!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I actually did my homework!!



Yay that is great!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah, I am not sure how much playing I will do with them in PS, but no harm in taking some in RAW if you have the room for it, right?

Good job on the homework front!


----------



## Belle Ella

That's a great way to look at it! I guess so long as I have the room I will probably always shoot RAW. It's just hard for me when I get to writing my TR because then I have so many photos to edit!

And thankies! I am so excited that I didn't procrastinate with it until an hour before it was due. I would have been screwed at that point because it took a while! The class only started Tuesday and I couldn't get the book until last night. But yay! Short term classes kinf of scare me, I have to be honest.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Short term classes are pretty scary. So much to learn in so little time! Our high school ran on the quarter system when we were going there, and we had 2 classes every term that lasted for about 10 weeks. One class in the morning, one class in the afternoon. While it was nice only having 2 classes to worry about at a time, there was also a lot of information that had to be processed in one day!


----------



## kaoden39

I hate to be ignorant but what is RAW?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It is a really really high resolution picture. I am sure Jazz will have a better description of it. I don't quite remember what RAW stands for.


----------



## wvnative

kaoden39 said:


> I hate to be ignorant but what is RAW?



I'm glad you asked because I have no idea either. lol 

Yay Jazz! Go you!!!! You wanna come do my homework? lol I didn't do the homework I had planned to do today yet because I can't access the stupid vidoes from this PC. I'll have to wait til I get to school and get on my personal laptop. I did get something done that's not due for another 6 weeks though. lol Hopefully he gives us class time today so I can get my case study completed. It's due tomorrow. lol


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> It is a really really high resolution picture. I am sure Jazz will have a better description of it. I don't quite remember what RAW stands for.



Oh okay.  



wvnative said:


> I'm glad you asked because I have no idea either. lol
> 
> Yay Jazz! Go you!!!! You wanna come do my homework? lol I didn't do the homework I had planned to do today yet because I can't access the stupid vidoes from this PC. I'll have to wait til I get to school and get on my personal laptop. I did get something done that's not due for another 6 weeks though. lol Hopefully he gives us class time today so I can get my case study completed. It's due tomorrow. lol



I wasn't gonna ask but I decided it was better to ask.  It sucks that you couldn't access the videos.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Short term classes are pretty scary. So much to learn in so little time! Our high school ran on the quarter system when we were going there, and we had 2 classes every term that lasted for about 10 weeks. One class in the morning, one class in the afternoon. While it was nice only having 2 classes to worry about at a time, there was also a lot of information that had to be processed in one day!



Exactly! Somehow I'll make it through this class. But I'm hoping it will really give me the motivation I need to STOP DRINKING MY SODA (I know I mentioned it before, but I had to again because that's my homework).



kaoden39 said:


> I hate to be ignorant but what is RAW?



A basic way to describe it is that a RAW data file is to digital photography what a negative is to analog/film photography. It's minimally processed by the sensors of the camera itself and allows for more control when it comes to editing the image and fine tuning it. It gives you a higher quality image (which also means it's a larger file size). A problem with JPEG files is that they are highly compressed and loose a lot of data and you loose more and more every time it is opened and saved because you compress it even more and so your image quality will be low.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I'm glad you asked because I have no idea either. lol
> 
> Yay Jazz! Go you!!!! You wanna come do my homework? lol I didn't do the homework I had planned to do today yet because I can't access the stupid vidoes from this PC. I'll have to wait til I get to school and get on my personal laptop. I did get something done that's not due for another 6 weeks though. lol Hopefully he gives us class time today so I can get my case study completed. It's due tomorrow. lol



Stuff like that is lame! I had one online class where everything I needed was all in a format that was only accessible by a PC and I am trying to take the class from a Mac. OOOH! I was so mad.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Exactly! Somehow I'll make it through this class. But I'm hoping it will really give me the motivation I need to STOP DRINKING MY SODA (I know I mentioned it before, but I had to again because that's my homework).
> 
> 
> 
> A basic way to describe it is that a RAW data file is to digital photography what a negative is to analog/film photography. It's minimally processed by the sensors of the camera itself and allows for more control when it comes to editing the image and fine tuning it. It gives you a higher quality image (which also means it's a larger file size). A problem with JPEG files is that they are highly compressed and loose a lot of data and you loose more and more every time it is opened and saved because you compress it even more and so your image quality will be low.



That so makes so much sense.   Not really, but okay.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's OK Michele!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I so badly want to get a Mac computer, but every reason I give my BF, he counters it with something a PC can do the same or better. Ugh! He just doesn't get it! I am sure with him being an I.T., he is probably right on most of it, but still doesn't sway me from wanting one. AND I already have an iPhone and an iPod, so why not keep going?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's OK Michele!



I was just thinking that our point and shoot can't do that I am sure.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm sorry, but PC's do not do the same things and better. Especially not in the graphics and digital photography world. That's a load of bull  I've worked with both and Mac is the standard in the digital (photography and graphics, which are what I do) world as far as I am concerned.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

2 pages so far today!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I was just thinking that our point and shoot can't do that I am sure.



Nope, I don't think so, lol! Although they are starting to make P&S that have more manual controls, I'm sure it will happen eventually.


----------



## Belle Ella

What the HAM SANDWICH!!

How did I miss this Press Release on this year's Summer Nightastic: http://www.disneylandnews.com/press+releases/disneyland+offers+value+package.htm

Reading it now.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's what I keep telling him! There are better programs on a Mac for the things I want to learn. He insists that he will find something better for a PC. It's hard to reason with him when he knows so much about computers and I know diddly.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Nope, I don't think so, lol! Although they are starting to make P&S that have more manual controls, I'm sure it will happen eventually.



I need to put the money out for a real camera.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> What the HAM SANDWICH!!
> 
> How did I miss this Press Release on this year's Summer Nightastic: http://www.disneylandnews.com/press+releases/disneyland+offers+value+package.htm
> 
> Reading it now.



I knew all that stuff.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> What the HAM SANDWICH!!
> 
> How did I miss this Press Release on this year's Summer Nightastic: http://www.disneylandnews.com/press+releases/disneyland+offers+value+package.htm
> 
> Reading it now.



That's exciting! I can't wait to see WOC. How much different are the Magical Fireworks compared to "Remember..."?  Also has anyone seen the Halloween ones? I have a feeling those will be the ones I will be seeing. I am slightly disappointed that I won't see all the regular stuff, as Halloween isn't one of my favourite seasons, but should still be pretty cool. Just wish I could see the things the other way too!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I knew all that stuff.



It's all stuff I knew, I just hadn't seen that particular Press Release.

I'm still seriously underwhelmed by it. Just WOC, Fantasmic, and Magical? I'm still bummed about the fact there will be no DEP. I would much rather see that than WOC seeing as my impression is WOC will run year round (on a weekend schedule when the big rush is over like Fantasmic) whereas the DEP was a seasonal thing. That was the whole reason I picked July in the first place. And I don't like Magical, although I guess it means I can pass on the time consuming finding a place to watch it from and go for rides only.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That's exciting! I can't wait to see WOC. How much different are the Magical Fireworks compared to "Remember..."?  Also has anyone seen the Halloween ones? I have a feeling those will be the ones I will be seeing. I am slightly disappointed that I won't see all the regular stuff, as Halloween isn't one of my favourite seasons, but should still be pretty cool. Just wish I could see the things the other way too!



I would love to go at Halloween, the villains are out and I love my villains.



Belle Ella said:


> It's all stuff I knew, I just hadn't seen that particular Press Release.
> 
> I'm still seriously underwhelmed by it. Just WOC, Fantasmic, and Magical? I'm still bummed about the fact there will be no DEP. I would much rather see that than WOC seeing as my impression is WOC will run year round (on a weekend schedule when the big rush is over like Fantasmic) whereas the DEP was a seasonal thing. That was the whole reason I picked July in the first place. And I don't like Magical, although I guess it means I can pass on the time consuming finding a place to watch it from and go for rides only.



Actually all the video I have seen about WOC it looks cool to me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

There are some videos on YouTube of them testing it, and it looks really sweet. But I am also really disappointed I won't get to see DEP. Why can't they move it back to Mainstreeet where it was before. It was actually why my family went back in 1996, because they were supposed to be retiring it back then.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Actually all the video I have seen about WOC it looks cool to me.



It's not that I don't want to see WOC, because I really really do. *BUT* I would still be able to see WOC if I had gone with September dates, or October dates. The whole reason I picked the summer was so I could see the DEP because that is traditionally when they run it. It's not like it's a weekend thing all year 'round. Does that make sense?

I'm just really bummed about it. I probably wont get over it until I'm actually there 

It doesn't help any that this is supposed to be a make up trip for all the crap that went on in September and it's already starting out on a sour note.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> There are some videos on YouTube of them testing it, and it looks really sweet. But I am also really disappointed I won't get to see DEP. Why can't they move it back to Mainstreeet where it was before. It was actually why my family went back in 1996, because they were supposed to be retiring it back then.



See, that's my thought. I was hoping with the WOC opening that's what they would do since the current parade on Main St. is seriously disappointing. Or at least hoping there would be a new parade for the 55th anniversary.

Oh well.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's not that I don't want to see WOC, because I really really do. *BUT* I would still be able to see WOC if I had gone with September dates, or October dates. The whole reason I picked the summer was so I could see the DEP because that is traditionally when they run it. It's not like it's a weekend thing all year 'round. Does that make sense?
> 
> I'm just really bummed about it. I probably wont get over it until I'm actually there
> 
> It doesn't help any that this is supposed to be a make up trip for all the crap that went on in September and it's already starting out on a sour note.



Then shift your focus to something else.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am not sure I will make time for that parade that's going on now. If we have time, or it's on when we are passing, maybe we will stop to see it, but it won't be the same as DEP. Or even the Lion King Parade that was on when I was last there. Wow, that was a long time ago! But it was cool!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am not sure I will make time for that parade that's going on now. If we have time, or it's on when we are passing, maybe we will stop to see it, but it won't be the same as DEP. Or even the Lion King Parade that was on when I was last there. Wow, that was a long time ago! But it was cool!



I was there for the Lion King parade.  We might watch the parade while we are there, we will be there long enough for sure.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I keep thinking that we are going to have to rush rush rush the whole time we are there to do everything. But we have 5 full days, and it sounds like people get everything done in 3 and even repeat lots of things. There will be things I will be repeating for sure. Space Mountain is one of them!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I keep thinking that we are going to have to rush rush rush the whole time we are there to do everything. But we have 5 full days, and it sounds like people get everything done in 3 and even repeat lots of things. There will be things I will be repeating for sure. Space Mountain is one of them!



You should have plenty of time to see and do everything.  More than once.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, you both and your 5 and 6 days, lol. I got spoiled on my last trip. I wish I could do 5 days again. For sure I've got 3. Maybe 3 1/2 and maybe a couple more hours. It'll all depend on what time we leave from home and what time we leave when we come back.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

3 isn't too bad! I've read one day reports on here! Plus you will probably be back in a few months! I have to live with the fact that I may not be able to go back in YEARS!! *shudders*


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, you both and your 5 and 6 days, lol. I got spoiled on my last trip. I wish I could do 5 days again. For sure I've got 3. Maybe 3 1/2 and maybe a couple more hours. It'll all depend on what time we leave from home and what time we leave when we come back.



Oh you can do it.


----------



## Belle Ella

I know, I know. But it's tough to go back to 3 days after you've done a big trip. You want the same tme you had the last time or more. I'm sure with *Nameless* I'll be able to do more than I did with *Frick* though. She and I are power walkers, lol.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And hopefully she is an early riser, so you don't have to almost have a character breakfast by yourself!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know, I know. But it's tough to go back to 3 days after you've done a big trip. You want the same tme you had the last time or more. I'm sure with *Nameless* I'll be able to do more than I did with *Frick* though. She and I are power walkers, lol.



I don't power walk at Disneyland, I meander.  I have to take the time to smell the flowers, you know what I mean?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I will probably be a power walker the first day or so, dragging the BF everywhere, and then I will probably wear down and meander the rest of the time. I have a feeling it might be really busy my first couple days though. Maybe that's when I should be doing the meandering.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I don't power walk at Disneyland, I meander.  I have to take the time to smell the flowers, you know what I mean?



I think power walk is the wrong word, I just can't think of any way to describe it. It's more just that she and I like to do things at a faster pace which comes in handy when you've got 3 days in the parks during a *very* crowded season. *Frick* ... well, let's just say I hate that it would take us 20 minutes to get somewhere that I could got in 5 walking at my 'leisurely' pace. You loose a lot of time to do things and I like to get as much done in one day as possible. I'm not an intollerent person and I'm sure this post makes it sound like I am, but with all the crap I put up with for her over the years it gets to be a point where enough was enough, you know?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I will probably be a power walker the first day or so, dragging the BF everywhere, and then I will probably wear down and meander the rest of the time. I have a feeling it might be really busy my first couple days though. Maybe that's when I should be doing the meandering.



I will power walk the first day, that is true but I have to enjoy myself and meander when I go.  I have never taken the time to look at the windows on Main Street and that sort of stuff and I really want to this time.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I take it, as i have not seen her on here since your last trip report, that you no longer talk?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Wow, is this page 4??


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think power walk is the wrong word, I just can't think of any way to describe it. It's more just that she and I like to do things at a faster pace which comes in handy when you've got 3 days in the parks during a *very* crowded season. *Frick* ... well, let's just say I hate that it would take us 20 minutes to get somewhere that I could got in 5 walking at my 'leisurely' pace. You loose a lot of time to do things and I like to get as much done in one day as possible. I'm not an intollerent person and I'm sure this post makes it sound like I am, but with all the crap I put up with for her over the years it gets to be a point where enough was enough, you know?



That is like walking with my Mom and it drives me nuts.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Wow, is this page 4??



I was thinking the same thing!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I will power walk the first day, that is true but I have to enjoy myself and meander when I go.  I have never taken the time to look at the windows on Main Street and that sort of stuff and I really want to this time.



Oh! You must, you must, you must! I love the windows on Main St.

Question: Just judging from the photos that I take does it seem like I meander a lot? Just curious, lol.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I take it, as i have not seen her on here since your last trip report, that you no longer talk?



That would be a negative. To make a long story short -- I've known her for over 20 years, but she has a lot of growing up to do and responsibility to learn. Taking 2 trips with her last year really forced me to realize how unhealthy a thing it was for me (mentally and emotionally) to spend so much time with her. I haven't talked to her a total of 2 times this year.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Wow, is this page 4??



 Heck yeah it is!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That is like walking with my Mom and it drives me nuts.



Glad you can see where I'm coming from then. Sometimes I feel like I'm too harsh on her, but knowing the things that I do it's hard not to. I'm glad I can kind of relax more with this trip.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh! You must, you must, you must! I love the windows on Main St.
> 
> Question: Just judging from the photos that I take does it seem like I meander a lot? Just curious, lol.
> 
> 
> 
> That would be a negative. To make a long story short -- I've known her for over 20 years, but she has a lot of growing up to do and responsibility to learn. Taking 2 trips with her last year really forced me to realize how unhealthy a thing it was for me (mentally and emotionally) to spend so much time with her. I haven't talked to her a total of 2 times this year.
> 
> 
> 
> Heck yeah it is!



Yeah it does actually seem as though you meander to a certain extent.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah it does actually seem as though you meander to a certain extent.



Every time I look through my photos that's the feeling that I get. Which is funny, because I know how I *do* tour. My meandering is actually a pretty fast pace. My leisure walk is pretty much the equivalent to a power walk for most people. Which is where I picked that term to begin with, lol.

I do tend to walk slower in the morning when the crowds aren't so big. But by the time the crowds hit I move faster and do a lot of weaving, lol. It's kind of funny.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Glad you can see where I'm coming from then. Sometimes I feel like I'm too harsh on her, but knowing the things that I do it's hard not to. I'm glad I can kind of relax more with this trip.



My mom also always wants to go back to the room in the afternoon and rest.  This last trip I told her to go ahead and I plan on dong that again this trip.  She has this habit of wanting to sit down on just about ever bench and she doesn't want to go on mos rides and expects me to sit with her while the others ride.  I am not doing that anymore, there are rides I have never been on because she doesn't like them.  I will ride Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Grizzly River Run this trip!!


----------



## Belle Ella

You know what, now that I think about it -- switch that around. I move faster in the morning when the crowds are low so I can get more done. I do most of my leisurely walking and looking for things to photograph in the afternoon when it gets busier.

I really don't know.

Maybe I don't have a touring style.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's too bad that things happen that way. I recently had to tell a friend that I couldn't hang out with her anymore, unless she changed some of the habits she had. I just got tired of hearing about that stuff. It wasn't really affecting me directly, which is why she would fight me on it, but if it's things that bother you, then it does affect you. She just didn't get that, so I told her I couldn't be friends with her. It's hard, but you gotta do what you gotta do.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> My mom also always wants to go back to the room in the afternoon and rest.  This last trip I told her to go ahead and I plan on dong that again this trip.  She has this habit of wanting to sit down on just about ever bench and she doesn't want to go on mos rides and expects me to sit with her while the others ride.  I am not doing that anymore, there are rides I have never been on because she doesn't like them.  I will ride Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Grizzly River Run this trip!!



See, the good thing about me is that while I don't do a lot of rides I have no problem splitting up so I can do what I want to do and you can do what you want to do. I'm easy to please  I did spend a lot of time trying to convince *Frick* that we should head back to the hotel, but it was more because I knew she couldn't handle it otherwise. And I ended up being right, but she still refused to listen to me and only made herself feel worse which made her grouchy and me thoroughly pissed off.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That's too bad that things happen that way. I recently had to tell a friend that I couldn't hang out with her anymore, unless she changed some of the habits she had. I just got tired of hearing about that stuff. It wasn't really affecting me directly, which is why she would fight me on it, but if it's things that bother you, then it does affect you. She just didn't get that, so I told her I couldn't be friends with her. It's hard, but you gotta do what you gotta do.



See, here's something I firmly believe: The things your friends do, *do* effect you directly and vice versa. Most of the time they seem like they don't, but if it causes stress in your friendship than it is effecting you. Friendships and relationships take a lot out of you and require a lot from you. It's funny because we talked about social health in class on Tuesday and it's really letting me be able to actually put some of my feelings on the matter into words.


----------



## kaoden39

I guess my Mom is enough for me on this.


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## DisneyStitch626

It's always good to be able to describe your feelings so you can be sure you aren't over-reacting. For a long time I thought I was over reacting and just stressing over things that really had nothing to do with me. But they never stopped bothering me, and even she would admit that things she does is stupid, but do you think that means she would learn her lesson?? Of course not. So I just finally said "you know what, Im not going to tell you what to do, so i am going to distance myself from you, until you've learned to control yourself and your habits". Of course that started a big arguement, and I can say now that I have to find someone else to go to Nickelback and U2 with this spring!


----------



## kaoden39

This trip should be interesting 4 teenagers, 2 seniors, 1 toddler and Scotty and I.  Quite the diversity when it comes to ages.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is quite the diversity! Might have trouble making decisions on things with that many ages in one group! Should still be a lot of fun though!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> This trip should be interesting 4 teenagers, 2 seniors, 1 toddler and Scotty and I.  Quite the diversity when it comes to ages.



 You can say that again!

AH! I love just going with a friend. This will be a great experience if it's the last thing I do!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is quite the diversity! Might have trouble making decisions on things with that many ages in one group! Should still be a lot of fun though!



Well, here is the beauty of the plan, the two seniors are doing the parks together.  I trust the four teens to have good judgment, so they can tour together and that leaves Scotty and I alone.  This is the beauty of the plan.



Belle Ella said:


> You can say that again!
> 
> AH! I love just going with a friend. This will be a great experience if it's the last thing I do!



I am hoping that Scotty and I are able to have a few hours a day that are just ours.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, here is the beauty of the plan, the two seniors are doing the parks together.  I trust the four teens to have good judgment, so they can tour together and that leaves Scotty and I alone.  This is the beauty of the plan.



That is a great way to look at it! I'm sure that's what my parent's loved about our last trip together. The fact that I could go off on my own. Mind you, this was in my bratty teenage years when everyone giving me grief for my lack on interest in certain rides made me dislike the parks eek: I know, blasphemy, right?) so I never got to enjoy the time.

I don't even remember my trip that Christmas ('03 I think) at all other than seeing a LOTR movie and listening to Suburban Legends in DTD.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is why Dillon and I are doing this trip now, before we have kids. That way we can do it all ourselves. And after living with me for 3 years, he should be able to tolerate me while I am most likely going crazy when there! And probably the days leading up to it! It's already all I talk about, and so farso good!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That is a great way to look at it! I'm sure that's what my parent's loved about our last trip together. The fact that I could go off on my own. Mind you, this was in my bratty teenage years when everyone giving me grief for my lack on interest in certain rides made me dislike the parks eek: I know, blasphemy, right?) so I never got to enjoy the time.
> 
> I don't even remember my trip that Christmas ('03 I think) at all other than seeing a LOTR movie and listening to Suburban Legends in DTD.



We have discussed that we will have breakfast and dinner together.  There are a couple of situations where we will be together but honestly I set the trip up like this.

When I was a teenager and I would go with my parents I went and did my own thing except for at meal times.  It worked great for all of us, and some of the best times I had were by myself.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's like the best of both worlds that way. You get to go and experience things as a big group, but you also get the more alone and "me" time as well.

I totally get it!

Although *winkwink* It'll be fun to be part of a group someday too. But even then, being attached at the hip is never a good thing.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's like the best of both worlds that way. You get to go and experience things as a big group, but you also get the more alone and "me" time as well.
> 
> I totally get it!
> 
> Although *winkwink* It'll be fun to be part of a group someday too. But even then, being attached at the hip is never a good thing.



I think that being part of a group would be great but no scavenger hunt please.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I think that being part of a group would be great but no scavenger hunt please.



 No scavenger hunt -- Princesses' promise!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, alrighty! I must be off. I have an errand to run before class.

Don't have too much fun without me!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I don't get what all these scavenger hunts are all about. Not sure that i've actually done one.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We'll try not to! Have fun!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> No scavenger hunt -- Princesses' promise!



Pinky swear!!



Belle Ella said:


> Well, alrighty! I must be off. I have an errand to run before class.
> 
> Don't have too much fun without me!



Have fun!!



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I don't get what all these scavenger hunts are all about. Not sure that i've actually done one.



I haven't done one for years but you are given a list of things to find and the first one to finish their list wins.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hmm, sounds like something you would like as a kid, but I guess it depends on what the prize is!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hmm, sounds like something you would like as a kid, but I guess it depends on what the prize is!!



Well, it is usually something that kids do, but there are adults that do it too.  Not my cup of tea.


----------



## FlameGirl

Hey you guys...you sure were chatty today.  You know, unlike every other day.

Worst day ever.  Just pooping (typo but it stays) in to say hi.


----------



## Belle Ella

Awww, Kathy!  Glad you popped by to say hello though!

OK -- so here's some news before I go finish making my dinner:
*I may be going in October*!!!

Sit on that for a pretty minute, why don't you.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Told you that you would get to go again a few months later!! When in October?? That's when I'll be there!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so here's the deal ... my dad and I may take a father/daughter trip!

For anyone who remembers or was around when I brought this up my, my dad has expressed interest in taking another trip to Disneyland. His conditions? It cannot be during the middle of the summer, and _preferably_ low crowds but that can be overlooked for the holidays. I made a few proposals and his interest really piqued when I mentioned Halloween.

So it became a possibility.

Tonight when I walked in the door after class my dad was watching his daily dose of the video blog that he has been following for ages: Shay Carl. He turned to look at me and in a real giddy excited (mocking me) voice "Guess where Shay Carl went?" It didn't take a genius to figure out the answer to that question!!

DISNEYLAND!!

So of course I got all "Aw, I want to go" and then my dad said "me too"! Of course I jumped on the opportunity I was presented with. I asked if he really wanted to go and we had a little talk about it and he thinks we may be able to do October, or even a late September at the beginning of the Halloween season.

We wont make any definite plans right now. I wonder how late would be too late to book a room in October. We may end up staying on site because my dad loves the Grand Californian and would prefer to be as close as possible to the Esplanade since he's been having knee trouble lately. I'm going to do my best to not push the issue though, because that wont get me anywhere. I still have the HoJo booked for some dates in October. Maybe I should just book the last weekend in October just in case, so we'll have it, and I can always cancel it if need be. We can always take ART. 

Andrea -- what are your dates? I may be able to make an effort to get there while you are and I could say hi!

Now I don't know if I should just plan an October trip and cancel the July trip if *Nameless* can't go, or if I should just stick with July no matter what and then see if I can do the second trip with my dad or if he can't go.

Gawrsh. I hate not being able to make decisions.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That sounds so exciting!! I hope your Dad doesn't change his mind!! Staying at the GC would be so awesome!! 

We are going to be in the parks from Oct 2nd to the 6th. All the Halloween stuff should be completely up by then!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That sounds so exciting!! I hope your Dad doesn't change his mind!! Staying at the GC would be so awesome!!
> 
> We are going to be in the parks from Oct 2nd to the 6th. All the Halloween stuff should be completely up by then!



That it should!

Hm. I hope my dad and I can go the dates that I had originally picked we'll be arriving on your last day. But even those dates are not a guarantee. My boss' birthday is October 3rd and she'll be going to Vegas, so depending on when she gets back will determine if I can actually get those dates off. That would have been fun to say hi. We'll just have to wait and see.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well if it doesn't happen that way, oh well, but it would be really cool if it did!


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Hey you guys...you sure were chatty today.  You know, unlike every other day.
> 
> Worst day ever.  Just pooping (typo but it stays) in to say hi.



Oh Kathy I am sorry to hear that.



Belle Ella said:


> Awww, Kathy!  Glad you popped by to say hello though!
> 
> OK -- so here's some news before I go finish making my dinner:
> *I may be going in October*!!!
> 
> Sit on that for a pretty minute, why don't you.



I don't want to sit for a minute!!!




Belle Ella said:


> OK, so here's the deal ... my dad and I may take a father/daughter trip!
> 
> For anyone who remembers or was around when I brought this up my, my dad has expressed interest in taking another trip to Disneyland. His conditions? It cannot be during the middle of the summer, and _preferably_ low crowds but that can be overlooked for the holidays. I made a few proposals and his interest really piqued when I mentioned Halloween.
> 
> So it became a possibility.
> 
> Tonight when I walked in the door after class my dad was watching his daily dose of the video blog that he has been following for ages: Shay Carl. He turned to look at me and in a real giddy excited (mocking me) voice "Guess where Shay Carl went?" It didn't take a genius to figure out the answer to that question!!
> 
> DISNEYLAND!!
> 
> So of course I got all "Aw, I want to go" and then my dad said "me too"! Of course I jumped on the opportunity I was presented with. I asked if he really wanted to go and we had a little talk about it and he thinks we may be able to do October, or even a late September at the beginning of the Halloween season.
> 
> We wont make any definite plans right now. I wonder how late would be too late to book a room in October. We may end up staying on site because my dad loves the Grand Californian and would prefer to be as close as possible to the Esplanade since he's been having knee trouble lately. I'm going to do my best to not push the issue though, because that wont get me anywhere. I still have the HoJo booked for some dates in October. Maybe I should just book the last weekend in October just in case, so we'll have it, and I can always cancel it if need be. We can always take ART.
> 
> Andrea -- what are your dates? I may be able to make an effort to get there while you are and I could say hi!
> 
> Now I don't know if I should just plan an October trip and cancel the July trip if *Nameless* can't go, or if I should just stick with July no matter what and then see if I can do the second trip with my dad or if he can't go.
> 
> Gawrsh. I hate not being able to make decisions.



And I didn't have too!!!  That would be wonderful and it would be great if yours and Andrea's days crossed over.  Hmm October huh?  I have always wanted to go in October.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well if it doesn't happen that way, oh well, but it would be really cool if it did!



Yup, yup. I wish my dad was an advanced planner. But, oh well. I'm thinking the best dates for him and me would probably be to leave the night of the 23rd (Thursday) and stay until the 27th (Monday) if I can manage to only schedule T/Th and Friday classes since I wont have school that Friday. I hope that at least our last day would fall on their first day of full-fledged Halloween. That was pretty much what happened last year for a friend who went that weekend into Monday. Hm. It's so hard not to give into the temptatation of asking him a million questions to find the best time to go.



kaoden39 said:


> And I didn't have too!!!  That would be wonderful and it would be great if yours and Andrea's days crossed over.  Hmm October huh?  I have always wanted to go in October.





Well! I am off to work for what feels like the first time in ages (because it is, our department has like ... no hours). Have a great day!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Going on actual Halloween would be pretty cool. It would be cool to go to Mickey's Trick or Treat thing! But I think they have that on other days too. It will be a cool time of the year to go, I just hope it's not too busy, but not quiet enough that all the good rides are being refurbished.


----------



## wvnative

OH Jaaazzzz???? Guess who else is considering a Halloween trip? We may have to compare schedules since I can go any weekend if I get myself talked into it. I'm really hoping for a deal on one of the on site hotels as we'd love to try one out and HOJO has no EC dates listed for October weekends. It's all weekdays which is not helpful at all. lol  I'd rather go closer to Halloween personally. What weekend do you have booked at HOJO?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sounds like October is turning out to be a popular month to go!!


----------



## kaoden39

I was reading recently about the fact that there is really no off season any more.  And that October is becoming much more popular.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was reading that too. I just hope that Gay Days doesn't make it too bad for crowds! I haven't really been able to find just how busy it gets. Like compared to last year.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I was reading that too. I just hope that Gay Days doesn't make it too bad for crowds! I haven't really been able to find just how busy it gets. Like compared to last year.



I just read at, http://www.disneylandvacationtips.com/disneyland-attendance.html#holidays

_2010 Dates to Avoid if You Don't Like Crowds

   1. January 16 - 18 Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
   2. February 13 - 15 President's Day weekend.
   3. April 3 - 4 Easter weekend.
   4. March 29 - April 9 Spring Break for the local schools.
   5. May 29 - 31 Memorial Day weekend.
   6. July 3 - July 5 4th of July weekend.
   7. September 4 - 6 Labor Day weekend.
   8. October 1  3 Gay Days Anaheim.
   9. October 9 - 11 Columbus Day weekend.
  10. November 11 - 14 Veteran's Day weekend.
  11. November 25 - November 28 Thanksgiving break for schools.
  12. December 24 - January 2 Holiday break for schools._


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yikes, well looks like the following weekend isn't much better. Well we will probably just tough through it. With there being Fast Passes on most of the rides we will want to do, it shouldn't be too bad. I hope....


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yikes, well looks like the following weekend isn't much better. Well we will probably just tough through it. With there being Fast Passes on most of the rides we will want to do, it shouldn't be too bad. I hope....



No and chances are if you spend time over in DCA it won't be as busy.  And you can also hang out in DTD so that helps.  Just don't stress over the crowds and go with the flow and you should be okay.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah with 5 days, it should be ok. And it will be our first time in DCA or DTD, so I don't think there should be a problem in wanting to hang in those places if the crowds get too much. We are kind of used to them, as our fair that comes to Calgary every summer (The Stampede), attracts people from all over the world and can get VERY busy, so we have been kind of trained for crowds I guess you could say! haha.


----------



## wvnative

We did October the first year they did Halloweentime purely by accident. It was the kid's sweet 16 gift but we had to wait for fall break. lol

I just LOVE Halloween so I really enjoy seeing all the decorations and villains and characters in costume and all the yummy pumpkin goodies and the carved pumpkins and the NBC overlay. Inhale... deep breath. lol I've had caffeine today. Can you tell? 

Although, even with a kickin' deal on the DI&S for the weekend of the 15th, the numbers are still pretty high. Maybe I can get the kid to chip in or even buy her own DAP so it'll cut down on the cost to go next spring break. Then again, maybe prices on flights will drop some more and I'll be able to get a better deal. Good thing I can't book anything yet although I did already reserve a room... just in case.

Oh yea, Hey Jazz, DI&S has deluxe rooms for $69 the weekend of the 10/15 and is close which would be good for your dad if you don't want to fork out the cash for on site.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2428387

Just came across this thread a little while ago. Just thought I would share it, as its a very interesting story!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm not feeling to well today gals so I may not be on for much chatting. My head is killing me, but I've got a few things to take care of online anyway. And I did say our 250 goal would be my incentive to checking in every day!

I just wanted to give  to everyone.

And Denise -- it would be so awesome to see you again!

My head hurts too much to think about possible dates in October right now. The trouble is that it will be hard to convince my dad to go if I'll be missing any school. But I was hoping for a strictly Mon/Wed. schedule next semester which would mean we could drive later Wed. afternoon and have until Sunday. It sucks that my college doesn't have any days off in October. Somehow I'll talk him into missing 1 day, at the most 2. It would only be 1 class, right? I mean, everyone is OK with my sister missing class to fly out to Colorado in a couple of weeks.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry you aren't feeling well. Get better soon! And I am sure you will find the right dates.


----------



## kaoden39

Jazz get better soon girl.


----------



## wvnative

Ah man! Headaches suck!!! I hope it goes away soon.

I completely understand about classes. It's my major concern with our trip and one of two reason I can't book anything yet. We won't even have our schedules until sometime in August most likely and won't have the money saved until mid September. That's why I opted for a Fri to Sun kinda deal. I won't even have to take time off from work that way. We can fly out right after work and catch the latest possible flight home on Sunday. If I can get her to pack light, we could even just do carry ons. It's not like we should need a lot for that short a trip. haha

Hopefully our class schedules allow it. Hopefully yours will too. lol I would so love to hang out with you again sans the annoying travel companions.  You'll like the kid. She understands the Disney magic and tours well.


----------



## kaoden39

That sounds fun, and you need a break from school too.


----------



## FlameGirl

Morning ladies. 

Thanks for the kind words the other night...what a horrible day.  I got a call from my daughter's teacher, who wanted to have a meeting the next day (yesterday) about a situation between my daughter and another girl in her class.  My daughter is in the 4th grade, and she has not gotten along with this kid since kindergarten.  This kid says the MEANEST things to my daughter and they've continued to be frenemies all of these years, until this year...I've had enough...so I told my daughter that we're done....don't LOOK at Cameron, don't SPEAK to Cameron, nothing.  So, the ****e hit the fan at school the other day and my daughter finally stood up to this girl and naturally, this little brat went to the teacher and tattled on MY kid, who got in trouble.  

So, my husband and I got to go sit down with the teacher and basically stand up for my daughter and explain that dude, seriously?  If you're going to have this conversation with us, about our child, you damn well better be having the same conversation with Cameron's parents as well.  And I'm sick and bobdamned tired of trying to reinforce the no touch no talk no eye contact rule with my child with regard to Cameron, meanwhile, Cameron just does as she pleases and works her hardest to bait my kid.  Blah.  I didn't think it was possible to despise a child this way, but I assure you, it is.

In the midst of the Cameron drama, my kid left her cello laying on the classroom floor out of the case and it was tripped over and broken.  STABBY.  

Then I got an email from a friend, telling me that a mutual friend / ex coworker had just passed away from cancer.  

Then my puppy and I got in our first real fight.  We've since made up.  


Ok sorry to threadjack.  Jazz that's totally great that you and your dad might get to take a trip in October!  

Oh, and guess what I ordered that will be here on Tuesday?  Go on, guess!


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Morning ladies.
> 
> Thanks for the kind words the other night...what a horrible day.  I got a call from my daughter's teacher, who wanted to have a meeting the next day (yesterday) about a situation between my daughter and another girl in her class.  My daughter is in the 4th grade, and she has not gotten along with this kid since kindergarten.  This kid says the MEANEST things to my daughter and they've continued to be frenemies all of these years, until this year...I've had enough...so I told my daughter that we're done....don't LOOK at Cameron, don't SPEAK to Cameron, nothing.  So, the ****e hit the fan at school the other day and my daughter finally stood up to this girl and naturally, this little brat went to the teacher and tattled on MY kid, who got in trouble.
> 
> So, my husband and I got to go sit down with the teacher and basically stand up for my daughter and explain that dude, seriously?  If you're going to have this conversation with us, about our child, you damn well better be having the same conversation with Cameron's parents as well.  And I'm sick and bobdamned tired of trying to reinforce the no touch no talk no eye contact rule with my child with regard to Cameron, meanwhile, Cameron just does as she pleases and works her hardest to bait my kid.  Blah.  I didn't think it was possible to despise a child this way, but I assure you, it is.
> 
> In the midst of the Cameron drama, my kid left her cello laying on the classroom floor out of the case and it was tripped over and broken.  STABBY.
> 
> Then I got an email from a friend, telling me that a mutual friend / ex coworker had just passed away from cancer.
> 
> Then my puppy and I got in our first real fight.  We've since made up.
> 
> 
> Ok sorry to threadjack.  Jazz that's totally great that you and your dad might get to take a trip in October!
> 
> Oh, and guess what I ordered that will be here on Tuesday?  Go on, guess!



Kathy how awful.  I hope it all works out.

I am gonna guess park hoppers>


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> Kathy how awful.  I hope it all works out.
> 
> I am gonna guess park hoppers>



Thanks.

Oh, and nope...not park hoppers.  There is no way you'd know this....Jazz and I talked about it in PM the other day.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sorry about the bad stuff Kathy. Just hope some good stuff can start to make it better!!

And lemme think ... is it camera related??


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> And lemme think ... is it camera related??



Hee.  Warmer...warmer....YOU'RE BURNING UP!


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Hee.  Warmer...warmer....YOU'RE BURNING UP!



You tease!

I really hope you got a DSLR *clickclickclickclick*


----------



## kaoden39

Sounds great.


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> Kathy how awful.  I hope it all works out.
> 
> I am gonna guess park hoppers>



Hey Michele - if you want, I can make the white background of your Belle avatar transparent for you...just a thought....that way you wouldn't have a box around her.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> You tease!
> 
> I really hope you got a DSLR *clickclickclickclick*



Heh.  After we talked about cameras, I read that review you sent me on the D40.  I sent the specs off to my husband so he could contrast and compare, and he was really impressed with the camera's capabilities in direct relation to the price tag....so I did it.  I'm the proud owner of the Nikon D40...(the exact camera Jazz has).

I'm funny that way...with technical stuff, I get totally ADD when doing my homework.  I'd so much rather take a recommendation from someone else.

So, it'll be here on Tuesday!  

So, my next question for you is...do you have any lenses other than the kit lens it comes with?


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Hey Michele - if you want, I can make the white background of your Belle avatar transparent for you...just a thought....that way you wouldn't have a box around her.



Wow Kathy, that would be great the box drives me nuts.


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> Wow Kathy, that would be great the box drives me nuts.



Sure thing.  Firing up PS as we speak.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Sure thing.  Firing up PS as we speak.



I assume you are talking about Photo Shop, I have it and the only thing I know to do with it is to clean pictures up,


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> I assume you are talking about Photo Shop, I have it and the only thing I know to do with it is to clean pictures up,



Yes, sorry...PhotoShop.

Here's what I'm going to do...

I'm going to make a duplicate layer of the image, turn OFF the background layer, then select the white background around Belle and delete it.  That will give a checkered (transparent) background around Belle, then save to a .GIF format.  That should do the trick.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Heh.  After we talked about cameras, I read that review you sent me on the D40.  I sent the specs off to my husband so he could contrast and compare, and he was really impressed with the camera's capabilities in direct relation to the price tag....so I did it.  I'm the proud owner of the Nikon D40...(the exact camera Jazz has).
> 
> I'm funny that way...with technical stuff, I get totally ADD when doing my homework.  I'd so much rather take a recommendation from someone else.
> 
> So, it'll be here on Tuesday!
> 
> So, my next question for you is...do you have any lenses other than the kit lens it comes with?



 Awesome!!

I love that little camera, I really do. Especially how small it is. It's been the best friend I have had for ages now!

And I do have one other lens so far (I've been wanting more though ). It's a 50-200mm. I mostly use it at hockey games.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Yes, sorry...PhotoShop.
> 
> Here's what I'm going to do...
> 
> I'm going to make a duplicate layer of the image, turn OFF the background layer, then select the white background around Belle and delete it.  That will give a checkered (transparent) background around Belle, then save to a .GIF format.  That should do the trick.



Sounds great.


----------



## Belle Ella

I was going to do the same thing with my Snow White but I've been lazy. Never thought to save it as GIF though. I usually use PNG for transparent backgrounds.


----------



## FlameGirl

I'm super excited about the camera...I've wanted an SLR for a few years now and once I looked at this one, it's gotten GREAT reviews.  Can't wait to get my grubby hands on it.  

I don't know if these message boards will support files that aren't .jpeg or .gif...otherwise I would normally use another file type if I was going to say, import it into Illustrator or something.


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> Sounds great.



What's your email addy?


----------



## Belle Ella

My internet is being mean  First it wont let me post and then it eraes my entire message. Stupid, stupid internet!


----------



## FlameGirl

I hate that.


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so as I was trying to say!!

I know how you feel. I was so excited when I finally got my hands on a DSLR to call my very own for the first time. I swear it didn't leave my side for what felt like months!! I wish I had the opportunity to get out with it more right now but my scool schedule is packed and I can't carry around my camera bag on top of my art portfolio, backpack, art case, etc. I'm already bogged down like I can't believe!

I doubt the avs would take the PNG, yeah. I know I can post them though. I do all the time since it bugs me that the background on the boards ins't white. That boxey look isn't my thing when I make graphics, words, and signatures.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> What's your email addy?



kaoden39@gmail.com


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so as I was trying to say!!
> 
> I doubt the avs would take the PNG, yeah. I know I can post them though. I do all the time since it bugs me that the background on the boards ins't white. That boxey look isn't my thing when I make graphics, words, and signatures.



That's so funny...you can tell if someone is a designer by little OCD things just like that.  Your avatar is FINE Michele, but the white box has been nagging at me for days now.  haha.  

Reminds me of 500 Days of Summer when she said "They used to call me 'anal girl'.


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> kaoden39@gmail.com



OK...its on its way!


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so as I was trying to say!!
> 
> I know how you feel. I was so excited when I finally got my hands on a DSLR to call my very own for the first time. I swear it didn't leave my side for what felt like months!! I wish I had the opportunity to get out with it more right now but my scool schedule is packed and I can't carry around my camera bag on top of my art portfolio, backpack, art case, etc. I'm already bogged down like I can't believe!



So, let's talk battery life.  How long can you typically go without recharging?  Do you have a spare battery?


----------



## Belle Ella

Hm, never saw that so I'll take your word for it!

It's funny because I make graphics occasionally some place where the background color is so close to white that you almost can't see the box if it's not transparent, but it still drives me up the wall! It just stands out a little too much.


----------



## kaoden39

Thank you Kathy.  I changed it.  For some reason it shows up the same.  I will mess with it later.  Right now I need to get ready to drop my girls at the movies and go shopping.  Talk to you ladies later.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Hm, never saw that so I'll take your word for it!
> 
> It's funny because I make graphics occasionally some place where the background color is so close to white that you almost can't see the box if it's not transparent, but it still drives me up the wall! It just stands out a little too much.



Like your Snow White...the background is a different white than the forum.


----------



## FlameGirl

kaoden39 said:


> Thank you Kathy.  I changed it.  For some reason it shows up the same.  I will mess with it later.  Right now I need to get ready to drop my girls at the movies and go shopping.  Talk to you ladies later.



Well, that's irritating.  I wonder why it's filling in the transparent with white.  Any ideas Jazz?


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> So, let's talk battery life.  How long can you typically go without recharging?  Do you have a spare battery?



The lazy cheapo that I am has yet to purchase a spare battery, although I have been meaning too. The battery lasts ... Oh, I wish I could say for sure. When I'm at Disneyland I charge it every night and never have a problem during the day. Don't even come close to getting low on it. I wish I paid more attention to it or could remember at this point.


----------



## Belle Ella

It might be an automated thing by the host of the boards. A way to test it would be to upload it to Photobucket and post it in a message. That's the best guess that I have. Or testing it out with a PNG.

Michele -- did you save it as a GIF? have fun!!


----------



## kaoden39

It loaded but it still shows up as a white background.

So, the girls went and saw Alice, they loved it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I would really like to see it! We almost saw it last night, but it was almost sold out when we got to the theater. We figured all the good seats would be gone, so we saw Bounty Hunter instead. Good movie, but still sad we didn't see Alice.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I would really like to see it! We almost saw it last night, but it was almost sold out when we got to the theater. We figured all the good seats would be gone, so we saw Bounty Hunter instead. Good movie, but still sad we didn't see Alice.



They had a lot of fun.  Our son stayed with his grandma and Scotty and I hung out together and ran errands.  

And during that time I convinced him that I need a trip by myself in October to Disneyland.  Now to decide on the dates.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, well it would be cool if we all ended up there at the same time! But I will understand if people can't make it on those particular dates. I would consider changing the dates a bit, but it falls on a long weekend (Canada's Thanksgiving), so it gives us an extra couple days with the way we planned it.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, well it would be cool if we all ended up there at the same time! But I will understand if people can't make it on those particular dates. I would consider changing the dates a bit, but it falls on a long weekend (Canada's Thanksgiving), so it gives us an extra couple days with the way we planned it.



Which part of the weekdays will you be her?  I am going to shot for like coming down on Sunday and going to the park on Monday and Tuesday when I go.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We will be there from the 2nd to the 6th which is a Saturday to Wednesday.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> We will be there from the 2nd to the 6th which is a Saturday to Wednesday.



That might just work.  We need to get Jazz to go down during that time too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We should! That would be pretty awesome!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> We should! That would be pretty awesome!



Yeah it would and her and I live close enough that we could drive together.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That would save you both a lot of money. Probably make it a lot easier for both of you.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That would save you both a lot of money. Probably make it a lot easier for both of you.



And it would be far of a less lonely a ride for us.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hopefully Jazz can try and make it work!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hopefully Jazz can try and make it work!



I know.  I think I will cross my fingers.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Me too!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Me too!



We are building up her thread too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yes we are! At this rate, she will be at 250 pages long before her trip!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yes we are! At this rate, she will be at 250 pages long before her trip!



I hope so, I know how much she wants it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, we're almost at 120 if you think about it. And 120 isn't far from 150. And 150 is only 100 away from our goal!! 

Aw, Andrea, you've got to see Alice soon -- OK? I've seen it twice now, lol. And I talked my sister into giving me her tickets since I can use them for my Disney Movie Rewards. Too bad you can only send in 4.

As for October dates, it would be awesome to go with some familiar ... does faces work? 

I know for a fact I wont be able to get the weekend of October 2-3 unless I'm not working at the Bullseye by then. Or unless my department gets a new Team Lead before then. My TL (direct supervisor) is going to be on vacation for her birthday and I already know I wont be getting any time off around then. It'll be great to pick up hours to make up for her shift though, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

By the way, ya'll rock!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, we're almost at 120 if you think about it. And 120 isn't far from 150. And 150 is only 100 away from our goal!!
> 
> Aw, Andrea, you've got to see Alice soon -- OK? I've seen it twice now, lol. And I talked my sister into giving me her tickets since I can use them for my Disney Movie Rewards. Too bad you can only send in 4.
> 
> As for October dates, it would be awesome to go with some familiar ... does faces work?
> 
> I know for a fact I wont be able to get the weekend of October 2-3 unless I'm not working at the Bullseye by then. Or unless my department gets a new Team Lead before then. My TL (direct supervisor) is going to be on vacation for her birthday and I already know I wont be getting any time off around then. It'll be great to pick up hours to make up for her shift though, lol.



Hopefully we can work something out.



Belle Ella said:


> By the way, ya'll rock!!



Of course we do.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry I was a little late in this! I was participating in Earth Hour!

And I plan on trying to see that movie as soon as I can. Maybe I can convince my friends to go this weekend when I go to visit them in Edmonton! 

I have also been begging my boyfriend to let me go get the Toy Story's on Blu-ray but something just happened to our year old tv and it has a big line going across it. Hard to watch an HD movie on a tv that isn't exactly HD at the moment.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry I was a little late in this! I was participating in Earth Hour!
> 
> And I plan on trying to see that movie as soon as I can. Maybe I can convince my friends to go this weekend when I go to visit them in Edmonton!
> 
> I have also been begging my boyfriend to let me go get the Toy Story's on Blu-ray but something just happened to our year old tv and it has a big line going across it. Hard to watch an HD movie on a tv that isn't exactly HD at the moment.



Oh no.  I was bad I did not do Earth Hour.  Well I did it earlier in the day though.  That would cause problems watching anything.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We didn't really have anything important to watch tonight. Nothing that couldn't wait an hour. Seemed like everyone else in our neighbourhood forgot though!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> We didn't really have anything important to watch tonight. Nothing that couldn't wait an hour. Seemed like everyone else in our neighbourhood forgot though!



I did mine during the day, I figure that I would rather not sit in the dark when I don't feel good.  I would have fallen asleep and then been awake at around three am and been shot all tomorrow.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah doing it early was probably a good idea then! I have already been sleeping off and on all day thanks to a bad cold I have. So I was actually thankful for an hour of complete peace this evening. We even did it for an extra hour.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah doing it early was probably a good idea then! I have already been sleeping off and on all day thanks to a bad cold I have. So I was actually thankful for an hour of complete peace this evening. We even did it for an extra hour.



That's what I have is a cold.  This is like the second or third cold I have had in the last year.  I never get colds normally and this year I have been just destroyed by them.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry to hear you are sick so much.  I am kind of the opposite. I used to get a lot of colds. This last year I haven't been getting as many, but when I do finally get one, it is not fun! The last one I had lasted through the entire month of July. Ugh. Didn't have much of a summer. I hate colds!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry to hear you are sick so much.  I am kind of the opposite. I used to get a lot of colds. This last year I haven't been getting as many, but when I do finally get one, it is not fun! The last one I had lasted through the entire month of July. Ugh. Didn't have much of a summer. I hate colds!



I don't normally get one and it drives me nuts.  I upped my vitamins and am walking more so I hope that helps.  I had H1N1 and I think that it weakened me so I am sick more because of it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oooh, sorry to hear. That couldn't have been fun. I hope it wasn't too bad. I was sick right around when that was going around, and I had to get tested for it, not a fun test, but luckily I didn't have it.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oooh, sorry to hear. That couldn't have been fun. I hope it wasn't too bad. I was sick right around when that was going around, and I had to get tested for it, not a fun test, but luckily I didn't have it.



All three of my kids and I had it.  The first five or so days I felt probably the sickest I have ever felt and then after that it was just like a bad cold.  I figure I was lucky.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

You are lucky! There were quite a few that didn't make it. I heard that most were people that had underlying health problems, but there were some that were perfectly fine before catching that as well. Glad you and your family pulled through!


----------



## Belle Ella

I didn't know you had H1N1 Michele. That would scare the patootie out of me!

I'm always surprised I don't get 'sick' sick more often. All of my wonky overnight schedules have to weight down on my immune system. But I really don't get sick as much as I complain that I do.

Not that I'm complaining!  I'm a miserable sick-ee. And I'm a paranoid sick-ee.

Ahh, to be home from work before 6 AM. I like this. Too bad I still wont fall asleep until sometime after 7 most likely and will be up before 10:30.

But it's OK. Because last night we discussed how fast the year has gone by already. When I go in for my next O/N shift it will be April!! Which means July will be here before I know it, really.


----------



## wvnative

I could probably do the first weekend of October but I think closer to the middle work work better for us.

As for not feeling well, allergy season has officially hit Phoenix. All of the citrus trees are blooming (and smell wonderful) and those make everyone sneeze. lol Everywhere you go, people are sneezing. We started our allergy meds back in January. lol 

AND.. I had no idea we were supposed to do earth hour yesterday. I even watched the news yesterday morning.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

The weather here has been really up and down the past few weeks. One day it will be nice and sunny, the next it will be ice cold and ready to snow. Even in one day it is bad. In the mornings I will have to scrape the ice off my car windows, and by the time I am off work, it is so warm that I need to turn on my air conditioning. All that weather changing usually just gives people around here headaches. I get a full blown cold. Ick!

It would be so cool if we could all plan October trips. Even if we don't get to see each other (which would be so awesome if we could) we can still compare the trips we had as the park would have been mostly the same for all of us.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> You are lucky! There were quite a few that didn't make it. I heard that most were people that had underlying health problems, but there were some that were perfectly fine before catching that as well. Glad you and your family pulled through!



Thank you.



Belle Ella said:


> I didn't know you had H1N1 Michele. That would scare the patootie out of me!
> 
> I'm always surprised I don't get 'sick' sick more often. All of my wonky overnight schedules have to weight down on my immune system. But I really don't get sick as much as I complain that I do.
> 
> Not that I'm complaining!  I'm a miserable sick-ee. And I'm a paranoid sick-ee.
> 
> Ahh, to be home from work before 6 AM. I like this. Too bad I still wont fall asleep until sometime after 7 most likely and will be up before 10:30.
> 
> But it's OK. Because last night we discussed how fast the year has gone by already. When I go in for my next O/N shift it will be April!! Which means July will be here before I know it, really.



Yay for the time going fast!!




wvnative said:


> I could probably do the first weekend of October but I think closer to the middle work work better for us.
> 
> As for not feeling well, allergy season has officially hit Phoenix. All of the citrus trees are blooming (and smell wonderful) and those make everyone sneeze. lol Everywhere you go, people are sneezing. We started our allergy meds back in January. lol
> 
> AND.. I had no idea we were supposed to do earth hour yesterday. I even watched the news yesterday morning.



I think our allergy season is starting, my husband has allergies.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> The weather here has been really up and down the past few weeks. One day it will be nice and sunny, the next it will be ice cold and ready to snow. Even in one day it is bad. In the mornings I will have to scrape the ice off my car windows, and by the time I am off work, it is so warm that I need to turn on my air conditioning. All that weather changing usually just gives people around here headaches. I get a full blown cold. Ick!
> 
> It would be so cool if we could all plan October trips. Even if we don't get to see each other (which would be so awesome if we could) we can still compare the trips we had as the park would have been mostly the same for all of us.



You know you're right it would be fun to compare crowds and to see how every one else views the park and how many similar pictures we have.


----------



## Belle Ella

Denise -- I hate allergy season! Mine were kicking my butt a couple of days ago. Man, was that annoying or what!

Angela -- That's a great way to look at it!

Happ sundae Sunday. Too bad I'm not supposed to have ice cream because that sounds delicious.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Mmmmm, ice cream! I haven't had any in quite a long time. Sounds like I could be making a trip to Dairy Queen at some point today.


----------



## Belle Ella

Delicious sounding, huh? Why do I do that to myself. Now I'm sooooo hungry.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Delicious sounding, huh? Why do I do that to myself. Now I'm sooooo hungry.



I just watched Brian Boitano's cooking show and he made this desert with banana cake, and ice cream that looked to die for good.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I just watched Brian Boitano's cooking show and he made this desert with banana cake, and ice cream that looked to die for good.



Brian Boitano cooking show? As in, Brian Bointano the figure skater? Huh, I didn't know he had a cooking show. But that does sound delicious!

By the way  We are on our way to 250 pages but I officially have 2500 posts!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Brian Boitano cooking show? As in, Brian Bointano the figure skater? Huh, I didn't know he had a cooking show. But that does sound delicious!
> 
> By the way  We are on our way to 250 pages but I officially have 2500 posts!



Yay!!  Congratulations in 2500 posts!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yay!!  Congratulations in 2500 posts!!



Now I wonder how long it will be until I get a tag?

Oh man, so I just found out that someone in my family is at the Happiest Place on Earth right now! I'm a little envious, let me tell you. But so excited for them at the same time. I love it when people I know are there, even when I wish I was there myself. Their poor little guy has a broken leg though, which is no fun. But at least they are getting to skip the lines


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Now I wonder how long it will be until I get a tag?
> 
> Oh man, so I just found out that someone in my family is at the Happiest Place on Earth right now! I'm a little envious, let me tell you. But so excited for them at the same time. I love it when people I know are there, even when I wish I was there myself. Their poor little guy has a broken leg though, which is no fun. But at least they are getting to skip the lines



I got mine before 1000.  

It sucks to be at Disneyland when you are hurt or sick.  

And yes, Brian Boitano the figure skater, he has a cooking show on Sundays.  It's on the Food Network.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, I'm just not special enough  I kid, I kid!

I have to say I would take a day at Disneyland sick or hurt over a day healthy at home. That's dedication, man!

Huh. I never would have guessed. I had no idea. But I don't watch Food Network that often.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, I'm just not special enough  I kid, I kid!
> 
> I have to say I would take a day at Disneyland sick or hurt over a day healthy at home. That's dedication, man!
> 
> Huh. I never would have guessed. I had no idea. But I don't watch Food Network that often.



I have done it sick, so I can tell you that while you are busy in the park you forget how bad you feel.  But, oh when you get to a slow moment it all rushes back.  Hence my hate for the que for Roger Rabbit.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have done it sick, so I can tell you that while you are busy in the park you forget how bad you feel.  But, oh when you get to a slow moment it all rushes back.  Hence my hate for the que for Roger Rabbit.



 I know what you mean. I've been there. How many days do we all have left now? No getting sick!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know what you mean. I've been there. How many days do we all have left now? No getting sick!!



We have 78 days left.  And I made a deal with WBG I am getting another trip to Disneyland this year and one next year!!  So in the twelve months following my activating my AP I get three trips to Disneyland.  And I got that pm we were discussing.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am going to be loading up my vitamins big time before we go. I don't want to be sick for my first time in so long. And who knows when I could go again! 186 days!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> We have 78 days left.  And I made a deal with WBG I am getting another trip to Disneyland this year and one next year!!  So in the twelve months following my activating my AP I get three trips to Disneyland.  And I got that pm we were discussing.



It's Sunday. My brain is set to "auto-pilot". 

But OOOH That's like the best newsies ever. Congrats! See, getting that AP did turn out to be a great idea! Now, hopefully I'll be able to tag along on at least one, right? *hinthint*winkwink* Ah, somehow I'll make something work for another trip. At some point. I get ahead of myself a lot of the time. Not such a great thing to do sometimes.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am going to be loading up my vitamins big time before we go. I don't want to be sick for my first time in so long. And who knows when I could go again! 186 days!!!





I'm just over a week away from being in the double digits!! 107 days!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Lucky!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am going to be loading up my vitamins big time before we go. I don't want to be sick for my first time in so long. And who knows when I could go again! 186 days!!!



No amount of vitamins would have helped me.  Mine required surgery.  But, may I also recommend taking hand sanitizer too.  And have disinfecting wipes for the remote in your hotel room.  



Belle Ella said:


> It's Sunday. My brain is set to "auto-pilot".
> 
> But OOOH That's like the best newsies ever. Congrats! See, getting that AP did turn out to be a great idea! Now, hopefully I'll be able to tag along on at least one, right? *hinthint*winkwink* Ah, somehow I'll make something work for another trip. At some point. I get ahead of myself a lot of the time. Not such a great thing to do sometimes.



Gosh I was hoping you would feel that way!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Surgery scares the living daylights out of me. It's part of my whole anxiety thing. I'm kind of terrified of getting injured. I've never broken a bone (well, my pinky toe running into a wall, but that hardly counts) or had surgery of any kind.

I would prefer to keep it that way!

 I shall say it again. We'll make plans to make plans!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ick! Surgeries are not fun! Sorry that's what it came to! I am starting to get an ear infection I think. I am really really hoping not. I had one last summer. Worst pain I've ever been in! Even over top of breaking 3 fingers at one time. So when it comes to Disneyland, I will be doing whatever it takes to stay healthy. I dont want any chance of getting one of those there.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Surgery scares the living daylights out of me. It's part of my whole anxiety thing. I'm kind of terrified of getting injured. I've never broken a bone (well, my pinky toe running into a wall, but that hardly counts) or had surgery of any kind.
> 
> I would prefer to keep it that way!
> 
> I shall say it again. We'll make plans to make plans!



Well, mine saved my life so all in all it was a good thing I think.  

I think planning to plan sounds good.  Lets get our current trips done first.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, mine saved my life so all in all it was a good thing I think.
> 
> I think planning to plan sounds good.  Lets get our current trips done first.



It definitely, definitely is Michele! More than a good thing. 

I wish things like that didn't scare me as much as they do. If it ever comes down to that I know it would be because it was needed. But just thinking about it makes me start to hyperventilate a little.

Have I mentioned that I have some issues?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I get that way when I think of surgeries too. When I broke my fingers I had to get a surgery to put them back together. And I probably would have been panicking if I hadn't been so loaded up on morphine. But when it's a life saving one, you would hope you could look past your fears.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ick! Surgeries are not fun! Sorry that's what it came to! I am starting to get an ear infection I think. I am really really hoping not. I had one last summer. Worst pain I've ever been in! Even over top of breaking 3 fingers at one time. So when it comes to Disneyland, I will be doing whatever it takes to stay healthy. I dont want any chance of getting one of those there.



I am all for being healthy for the upcoming Disneyland visit.  I am all for staying healthy, I have kids in school and that is the only reason I keep getting sick.




Belle Ella said:


> It definitely, definitely is Michele! More than a good thing.
> 
> I wish things like that didn't scare me as much as they do. If it ever comes down to that I know it would be because it was needed. But just thinking about it makes me start to hyperventilate a little.
> 
> Have I mentioned that I have some issues?



It's okay to have issues.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am all for being healthy for the upcoming Disneyland visit.  I am all for staying healthy, I have kids in school and that is the only reason I keep getting sick.
> 
> It's okay to have issues.



Those darn children!

And it's good to know. I think it just adds to my wonderful personality!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Those darn children!
> 
> And it's good to know. I think it just adds to my wonderful personality!



But, always keep an open mind about having a surgery if you need it.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll try 

So, my family all ditched me today. So I am sitting home with a Battlestar Galactica marathing, lol.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sounds like an interesting afternoon! I just got back from finally purchasing my Toy Story's on blu-ray!!!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'll try
> 
> So, my family all ditched me today. So I am sitting home with a Battlestar Galactica marathing, lol.



Most of mine went for a walk.  I am killing time watching Kung Fu Panda and playing on the computer.  And trying to decide what I want to eat.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sounds like an interesting afternoon! I just got back from finally purchasing my Toy Story's on blu-ray!!!!



 I grabbed mine on Tuesday. Had a Toy Story marathon. It was wonderful.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Most of mine went for a walk.  I am killing time watching Kung Fu Panda and playing on the computer.  And trying to decide what I want to eat.



Why is it so hard to decide on food sometimes?

OMFG! NO!

I just realized I left my extra hot pocket from work last night in the fridge for about 10 hours. Great.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sounds like an interesting afternoon! I just got back from finally purchasing my Toy Story's on blu-ray!!!!



Woohoo!!



Belle Ella said:


> I grabbed mine on Tuesday. Had a Toy Story marathon. It was wonderful.



I went to watch my oy Story yesterday and my DVD case was empty.  I was so upset.  One of my kids obviously put it somewhere else.  That and my Shrek!!



Belle Ella said:


> Why is it so hard to decide on food sometimes?
> 
> OMFG! NO!
> 
> I just realized I left my extra hot pocket from work last night in the fridge for about 10 hours. Great.



I am craving pineapple but that just will not work for dinner.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think that we will be having a Toy Story marathon tonight. I just hope that black line across our tv doesn't bother me too much. Knowing me though, it will drive me crazy.

A walk sounds good. It's nice enough here today. If we get time, we might take the dogs out after dinner.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Just starting the first movie, and I just wanted to mention how I love the opening shot with the castle. Gives me goosebumps!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Just starting the first movie, and I just wanted to mention how I love the opening shot with the castle. Gives me goosebumps!



It does that to me too!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am going to be so emotional at everything when I get there, I just know it. I was only 16 last time I went, and the Electrical Parade and Fantasmic! made me cry. Can't imagine I am going to be any better now. A commercial on tv almost gets me. And I am not a sappy person!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am going to be so emotional at everything when I get there, I just know it. I was only 16 last time I went, and the Electrical Parade and Fantasmic! made me cry. Can't imagine I am going to be any better now. A commercial on tv almost gets me. And I am not a sappy person!



Do you have the trip planning DVD?  That always makes me cry.  I feel like a sap.  My kids just look at me and shake their heads.  When my husband told me to start planning the trip I cried.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I just got that planning that DVD a few weeks ago, and it totally did! My boyfriend was watching it with me, so I tried my best to hold it in. He must think I am a loonie!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I still have a VHS copy of the Electrical Parade that I bought in Disneyland and I tried to watch it recently too, and I was no good for that either!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I just got that planning that DVD a few weeks ago, and it totally did! My boyfriend was watching it with me, so I tried my best to hold it in. He must think I am a loonie!



It's the music and everything that gets me going every time.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I still have a VHS copy of the Electrical Parade that I bought in Disneyland and I tried to watch it recently too, and I was no good for that either!



Oh my gosh that would do it for both Scotty and I.  We watched it on our honeymoon for the first time together.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That must be it for me too. I am usually fine watching any Disney movie, but when it comes to the park, that's when I lose my cool! lol


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That must be it for me too. I am usually fine watching any Disney movie, but when it comes to the park, that's when I lose my cool! lol



Me too.  I have so many good memories tied to the parks too.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*sigh* 186 days seems like such a long time!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> *sigh* 186 days seems like such a long time!



If it makes you feel any better I will be posting pictures and such on my trip thread and the Jazz will be posting pictures from her trip.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That will make be feel lots better! 

I have a feeling the 2 day drive down there will be a looooong one for me! I will be bouncing in my seat once we hit LA.


----------



## Belle Ella

Speaking of photos, I do have more that I haven't shared yet. If anyone mnds me posting them from like, 2006


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That will make be feel lots better!
> 
> I have a feeling the 2 day drive down there will be a looooong one for me! I will be bouncing in my seat once we hit LA.



Well the first day will be filled with prettier landscape, especially if you drive down highway 5.  Once you start getting into central or so California it isn't pretty.  And the second day will be rougher because it will be count down time until you see Disneyland.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Speaking of photos, I do have more that I haven't shared yet. If anyone mnds me posting them from like, 2006



Pictures?  Like one of us would mind?  I know I wouldn't.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well the first day will be filled with prettier landscape, especially if you drive down highway 5.  Once you start getting into central or so California it isn't pretty.  And the second day will be rougher because it will be count down time until you see Disneyland.



Oh yeah, that drive through central CA on 5 is sooooo fun. I can't tell you how excited I get with every quarter of an hour that goes by. It's kind of sad. It usually goes by pretty fast for me though. From here to the HoJO parking lot, lol. I'm singing along to music the whole way which makes time go by faster for me. It's why my Disneyland play list is so important to me.



kaoden39 said:


> Pictures?  Like one of us would mind?  I know I wouldn't.



I don't know why I bother asking sometimes.  After dinner I'll probably get started on them. Maybe I'll add the missing day 3 from my June'07 TR.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am looking forward to the landscape. It will be different scenery and so that will keep me occupied for sure.

Yes!! Pictures please!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am looking forward to the landscape. It will be different scenery and so that will keep me occupied for sure.
> 
> Yes!! Pictures please!!



That's true.  And be sure and look for Mt Shasta once you get in California, that is the area I want to retire to.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I will make a note to look for that! We will be taking the 15 the whole way I believe. According to google, that is the fastest way from here.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I will make a note to look for that! We will be taking the 15 the whole way I believe. According to google, that is the fastest way from here.



It is  I-5 is a long road and at times it will seem like it goes forever.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I-5 is closer to the coast isn't it? We will be coming down though Montana. Then Idaho, Utah, then it looks like a little bit of Arizona, then Nevada, then finally into California! It looked like it was a 15, but maybe it was I-5?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I-5 is closer to the coast isn't it? We will be coming down though Montana. Then Idaho, Utah, then it looks like a little bit of Arizona, then Nevada, then finally into California! It looked like it was a 15, but maybe it was I-5?



I am wrong then.  I am sorry.  I was thinking that you would be coming down through Washington, and Oregon.  Silly me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's ok! As much as I would love to come down that way and see the coast, and see where you guys are from, that would take at least an extra day. It's 12 hours from here to Vancouver, then another 20 hours to Disneyland. Where as it's 26 altogether from here. But if I had the extra time I for sure would!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That's ok! As much as I would love to come down that way and see the coast, and see where you guys are from, that would take at least an extra day. It's 12 hours from here to Vancouver, then another 20 hours to Disneyland. Where as it's 26 altogether from here. But if I had the extra time I for sure would!



I wasn't thinking about the fact that you had mentioned the Calgary Stampede so that would make it silly to go down through the state and 5 is the the valley 1 is the highway that goes along the coast.


----------



## Belle Ella

Driving 26 hours for Disneyland is what I can dedication!!

Alright, well, Titanic is on and I've got some photos to go through. I can't believe I never finishde my brief '07 report. I gotsta do that!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh, ok. I think I got it now. Yeah it makes more sense, now that I see it on googlemaps. I would still love to take that route someday.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Driving 26 hours for Disneyland is what I can dedication!!
> 
> Alright, well, Titanic is on and I've got some photos to go through. I can't believe I never finishde my brief '07 report. I gotsta do that!!



I know, I thought Laurie's drive was long.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh, ok. I think I got it now. Yeah it makes more sense, now that I see it on googlemaps. I would still love to take that route someday.



Highway one in beautiful, but it is so windy and full of curves that if you get car sick it is awful.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am usually good with car sickness, I don't get it unless I try reading or something. I am sure after this trip I will be able to convince Dillon to go down there again, so maybe next trip we can come back that way or something. 26 hours will be very long, but it's something that we haven't done before, so I think it will be ok. 

I love Titanic! And I was wondering what happened to the rest of that TR!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am usually good with car sickness, I don't get it unless I try reading or something. I am sure after this trip I will be able to convince Dillon to go down there again, so maybe next trip we can come back that way or something. 26 hours will be very long, but it's something that we haven't done before, so I think it will be ok.
> 
> I love Titanic! And I was wondering what happened to the rest of that TR!



Or just one trip drive up the coast a little way to like Malibu or San Simeon to see some on the coastline.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yes that would be cool! As long as flying stays as expensive as it has been, we will be driving whenever we go anywhere. Except maybe if we decide to go to WDW, which I want to do. Or back to Mexico or something of course.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know, I thought Laurie's drive was long.



Heck, I still think 6 hours is long. Not that it took me 6 hours one time ... 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I love Titanic! And I was wondering what happened to the rest of that TR!



For some reason, I thought I finished it. Guess not.  I'll have some stuff up soon, I hope. Depends on how long my account wants to take to upload.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yes that would be cool! As long as flying stays as expensive as it has been, we will be driving whenever we go anywhere. Except maybe if we decide to go to WDW, which I want to do. Or back to Mexico or something of course.



Yeah, I think flying is the way to go if you are going to those places.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Heck, I still think 6 hours is long. Not that it took me 6 hours one time ...
> 
> 
> 
> For some reason, I thought I finished it. Guess not.  I'll have some stuff up soon, I hope. Depends on how long my account wants to take to upload.



We stop a lot on the way down for my mom and kids.  When it is Scotty and I we don't take nearly as long.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I just remembered that we need passports now!! I find it so silly we need them to drive across the border.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I just remembered that we need passports now!! I find it so silly we need them to drive across the border.



I know.  I thought about that myself.  9/11 and all that.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I guess a lot has happened for them to make that decision. It's just a lot of money to get passports, so i miss the times that we didn't need them to cross the border.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> We stop a lot on the way down for my mom and kids.  When it is Scotty and I we don't take nearly as long.



I can see how that would happen. When it's just me I like to drive straight through.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I just remembered that we need passports now!! I find it so silly we need them to drive across the border.



At least you remember _now_ rather than when it's too late!


----------



## kaoden39

Well ladies I am off to bed.  I will chat with you tomorrow.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> At least you remember _now_ rather than when it's too late!



So true!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Good night! I am off to bed shortly too. Just finishing up TS2!


----------



## Belle Ella

Good night to you both!


----------



## Belle Ella

*My poor Baby!*
June 17, 2007​
It's hard going back to San Diego after only 2 days at Disneyland. But at least I would be going back. I couldn't afford 2 nights in Anaheim since I splurged and stayed at the Grand Californian as a birthday present to myself. I left earlier enough to get back to the beach house at a decent hour and spend the evening with the family. My uncle made us all dinner (BBQ!) and we talked about what we would be doing the next day. We decided that the girls -- meaning myself, my aunt, my sister and my cousin would go to the San Diego Zoo on Sunday

And we would take my car since it was more logical than the big blue bus.

My aunt hadn't ever ridden in a car with me before, but my mother had told her plenty of stories. I don't know if I still do this, but I tend to talk to myself when I drive. Mostly, it's just mumbling about directions.  I don't know, but my aunt got a kick out of it.

Here is a photo of the cousins outside the zoo:



Here's the main thing that stands out in my mind about that day: It was *hot*!! It was so hot and sunny that I ended up with a heat rash before we finally left. I was pretty miserable, but couldn't really do much at that point. I love the San Diego Zoo. You can easily spend the whole day there which you are hard pressed to do at any Zoo in Northern California, although I do love the San Francisco Zoo with all my heart.

Of course I took tons of photos of the awesome animals. Someday, when I upload the photos to an image host I may share the album link, but I feel like I would be cheating to post some of them  My TR deserves lots and lots of Disneyland photos! And I will get back to those eventually.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing with a book in the shade. I probably should have been indoors because of the heat rash but it was vacation! I did go to sleep early since I was planning on driving back to Anaheim early the next morning to get my 3rd day at Disneyland!! Too bad I couldn't get a restful night of sleep. I had parked my car out in the front of the beach house where the big blue bus normally was parked but everyone had gone out for a little while. While I was sleeping my sister was moving my car to the parking space in the back and well .. she banged up my baby!

So my first car got her first scratch at the hands of my sister. Going from this ...





... to this ...



I had no idea she was moving my car at all. I just remember being woken up because somebody was in hysterics. She was freaking out because she thought I was going to go on a murderous rampage or something. According to my mom I came out, gave her a hug, and then went back to sleep.

All I know is it's almost 3 years later, my car is paid off, and other than painting over it so it didn't rust through my poor car is still not fixed. I hate looking at the passenger side now (especially after my own tiny little bender last year). She said she would pay to get it fixed, but that's never going to happen. I have come to accept that fact.

When you're going back to Disneyland in the morning, nothing can phase you apparently.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay! More trip report!   Sorry to hear about your poor car!


----------



## kaoden39

I love the San Diego zoo.  I haven't been for years.  Maybe next year.


----------



## wvnative

Oh your poor baby! My poor Stittch has a little owie too. I was trying to back out of the garage in our oold place and there was someone parked in the no parking area. I turned a little too sharp and crunch.

We've been craving ice cream for days now. I told the kid to remind me today when I get home and we'll go get some. lol

Golly, you'd think it was humid here today or something. My hair is slightly unruly today. haha  I'm sure I'll be pulling it out of my face before too awful long. lol 

The San Diego Zoo is totally on our list of must do's.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

This thread is sure quiet today!


----------



## Belle Ella

I know, huh? My interne has been really spotty this morning so I haven't been able to get on the DIS until right now! Sometimes I hate the technology that I am addicted too! It doesn't help that I couldn't fall alseep last night until well after midnight so I'm all groggy and sleepy today.

It's not a good day. Not at all. Why can't I be on Spring Break now instead of _next_ week?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Aw, sorry you are having a bad day!  And I know how you are feeling about not being able to get on DIS. Last week when they were doing the upgrades and said it was going to be two hours, I almost had a panic attack! Haha, no not really, but I was having a boring day at work that day, and I had nothing else to do, so I was upset at it being down.

Hope your day gets better! It's a short week this week! That is if you get Friday off too?


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hope your day gets better! It's a short week this week! That is if you get Friday off too?



Nope, I technically have class on Friday night. Ahh. Oh well. At least next week I get to do a whole lot of nothing.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ah. I figured you guys did Good Friday on Easter weekend as well. We get the day off. Short weeks are nice. Nice that you get next week off though!


----------



## Belle Ella

I thought we would as well. There aren't many Friday classes anymore. Everything is promarily M/W and T/Th now. But of course my dance class is on Fridays, lol.

I just need a break, lol.

It's lame though. Having spring break after Easter means by the time we get back we have 1 month left of classes before finals. I would much rather have it a couple of weeks earlier to break up the monotony of the semester.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah that doesn't make much sense they would have it so late in the semester. It's my friends spring break from college too this week and next week, so it sounds like that is roughly the same.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Just wanted to share something exciting! I just mentioned to my boyfriend the possibility of maaaybe taking a trip to WDW at Christmas time 2011, and he said "as long as we don't have to drive". So!!! It looks like I might be doing some more planning as soon as we get back from our DL trip!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Just wanted to share something exciting! I just mentioned to my boyfriend the possibility of maaaybe taking a trip to WDW at Christmas time 2011, and he said "as long as we don't have to drive". So!!! It looks like I might be doing some more planning as soon as we get back from our DL trip!!



Very cool!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Just wanted to share something exciting! I just mentioned to my boyfriend the possibility of maaaybe taking a trip to WDW at Christmas time 2011, and he said "as long as we don't have to drive". So!!! It looks like I might be doing some more planning as soon as we get back from our DL trip!!



That's so awesome!! 

OK, so I am really behind with our new art project. I probably wont be on tomorrow since I really need to catch up on this small study before I get to start my large drawing.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's so awesome!!
> 
> OK, so I am really behind with our new art project. I probably wont be on tomorrow since I really need to catch up on this small study before I get to start my large drawing.



And we all know how much you love your art......


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> And we all know how much you love your art......



Oh yeah. I am sooo looking forward to it, don't you know?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh yeah. I am sooo looking forward to it, don't you know?



Oh I know, I really, really, know!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh I know, I really, really, know!!



 It's not like I haven't made my feelings known.

EUGH. I work about 20 times slower than everyone else. I am 3 days behind right now. It's lame.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's not like I haven't made my feelings known.
> 
> EUGH. I work about 20 times slower than everyone else. I am 3 days behind right now. It's lame.


----------



## wvnative

Goodness! I expected to come back and find pages and pages of stuff. lol 

I hate being behind in my schoolwork too Jazz. Of course I also hate when I forget that I work a week ahead and get all nervous because I have a quiz or something due and can't get to it only to remember that it's actually not due for another week. lol I never know when something will come up and I won't be able to focus on homework for a few days. Right now I am behind in my reading though. I should have read two chapters last week and read NONE. I tried last night but it is so freaking boring I barely got through half a chapter.  I should be able to get some read before class today and I hope to go sit on the patio, in the sun and read for a bit this afternoon after class. My legs are still ghostly white and I really feel the need to correct that his year. hehe My arms are finally starting to tan again so I look all uneven.  I'm actually considering a tanning salon which I haven't done in about 15 years. lol


----------



## wvnative

Hey Jazz, I just happened to think.... and something you can store back there in the back of your mind where all your Disney plans live. If your dad opts out on you for October, you could still come down and room with me and Teri. I'd love to see you and I know we'd have fun! Michele could come too and then you wouldn't have to drive alone and we'd have even more fun. A mini girls only trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

That would be like the most awesomest of things, it would  It's going to be a long bunch of months while things work themselves out though, that I can tell you for sure!

OK, so new Ent. dates up. But just April and May, yet again. I'm really starting to think that because of WOC they may not open up any summer dates at this rate.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Maybe they don't do it for summer in general, as it is always the busiest time of the year? 

That would be cool if you guys were able to all go together! It would sure save on the money issues!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Maybe they don't do it for summer in general, as it is always the busiest time of the year?
> 
> That would be cool if you guys were able to all go together! It would sure save on the money issues!



Historically, they have definitely had summer dates. In fact, the dates I'm going were up last year. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that something will come up before then. But it's generally based to how full they expect to be booked and if a lot of people are planning a summer vacation so they can see WOC after opening, it could definitely change the dates available. Heck, knowing my luck, if my dates are posted period, it will be days before we leave 

Man, oh man! That money saving thing is a pretty important factor!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I know what you mean about the money saving thing! Just hours after I posted about our possible plans to go to WDW, Dillon's brother annouced that he wants to get married in Mexico next March. That means after Disneyland, we have to try and save $2000 for that. I am not sure it's possible. But it's his brothers wedding so we kinda have to. Not that I mind a trip to Mexico, but I find it dumb that they expect us to be able to afford that. Also it might put a damper on our new WDW plans, but I am hoping I can find some good deals and still be able to work on it!


----------



## Belle Ella

Ouch. Yeah, I definitely couldn't manage that. What prompted the decision to get married in Mexico?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No idea. I think his fiance's family is quite well off, and is probably paying for their wedding. Just the guests have to pay their way. We went to Mexico about a year and a half ago, and we loved it, but it's kinda different when you are forced to go in between trips that we want to go on.


----------



## Belle Ella

I kind of get put off by having weddings someplace where family and friends are going to have to shell out big bucks in order to attend. It's one thing if it's where you live and they have to pay to get out there but another if you're going off to some location and expecting everyone to go. I'd pass, even if it was my sister, but that's just me


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well if we can't afford to go, then we are simply going to have to pass. But we will try. We loved Mexico so much, so it would be hard not to try. If it hurts our WDW trip, that's not so bad, we can postphone that one. But we are still 100% going to DL in October, if I have anything to say about it!


----------



## Belle Ella

I know the feeling! Well, hopefully everything works out for everybody involved!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Thank you. I am sure it will be fine! I will just tell them that we can't cancel DL as the hotel is paid for and non-refundable They don't have to know that we can easily get our money back.


----------



## Belle Ella

Haha! The old "what they don't know wont kill them" routine. I like it!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Exactly! I know the wedding is important, as it is a close family member, but they can't expect us to cancel all of our plans for the year, just to be able to go. It's not our fault they picked a $2000 trip! I am still researching WDW stuff anyways. It looks like things wouldn't be too bad, even if we went for a week.


----------



## Belle Ella

If I looked into WDW trips I would doom myself, for sure! It will be some time before I can do that one. I'll need time and a good enough reason to hop on a plane since I hate them so!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Disney isn't a good enough reason???

I have been reading some really cool TR's about the place, which gave me the idea to want to go. The reason I picked christmas is because I think it would be really cool to see all the decorations. 

As for money, their Value hotels aren't as bad as I was expecting. As much as I would love to stay in one of the deluxe ones for $3000 for 1 week, the Pop Century has been getting good reviews and is less than $600! For a Disney hotel! For 6 nights! If you can get a person or 2 to go with you, that is not bad at all. I don't think anyways.


----------



## Belle Ella

Disney is a good enough reason to drive 6 hours to Disneyland  I just cannot get on a plane just to go to WDW right now. No way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks! I am petrified of flying. *PETRIFIED*.

But it all works out because I don't have the time to dedicate to going to WDW right now.

It will happen someday.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah, with going to school, that would be a hard one to do.

How come you are so scared of flying?


----------



## Belle Ella

Bad experiences. I'm just a generally anxious person and one of my last flights I had one my worst panic attacks ever and I refuse to do it again unless it's for something really, really, really, important to me. I can't even bring myself to fly to Colorado for my grandfather's 80th birthday party. It's a bad phobia. I literally make myself sick over _thinking_ about flying.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hmmm, that's too bad. I have the same phobia about Moths, but luckily I shouldn't ever have to think about something I have to do with them! I hope...

A fear of flying on the other hand, could cause problems if you needed to be somewhere that you couldn't drive to!


----------



## Belle Ella

Precisely!

AHH! Well, I've got a couple of errands to run before class. Catch everyone later!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## wvnative

Belle Ella said:


> That would be like the most awesomest of things, it would  It's going to be a long bunch of months while things work themselves out though, that I can tell you for sure!
> 
> OK, so new Ent. dates up. But just April and May, yet again. I'm really starting to think that because of WOC they may not open up any summer dates at this rate.



Yea I know. That's why I said you could just file it in with your Disney stuff. lol 

I know the pain of waiting for those EC days to post. They were sold out when we got there so there was zero chance of getting anymore than the one we had. Same for October. They have lots of weekdays but we can't go then because of school. When DI&S came up at $69 a night, I figured that would be a safe way to go. We like that hotel too and the proximity to the gates is mighty appealing. lol Shoot, they were only at $59 in September. You know, since I accidentally put the wrong dates in the second time. lol


----------



## kaoden39

Good Morning!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Good morning!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Good morning!



Is your today a good day?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yes! My boss is ordering chinese food for lunch as it's inventory day! Mmmm! How about you?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yes! My boss is ordering chinese food for lunch as it's inventory day! Mmmm! How about you?



Yum Chinese sounds wonderful.  I am just gonna have a lazy day.


----------



## wvnative

My this site is loading slow today.

I wanna have a lazy day but alas I have to work and I have both housework and homework that must be done today.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

This site IS slow today! And very glitchy! Lots of things won't load. Maybe they are still working on upgrades or something. 

Every day seems to be a lazy day at work for me lately. Just not much work to do these days. Answering phones doesn't take much time, so I spend most of my days on here lately!


----------



## Belle Ella

I wish I could get online at work. But then again, I'm only working 2 days or so a week right now. It's very, very lame!

I am so annoyed at myself right now. I spent yesterday doing my Health homework and was going to work on my Art project this morning before class for a few hours and see how much I could get done. Unfortunately for me, the original copy that has my grid on it that I need to work on my larger drawing. Which by the way, I'm really liking right now. You would bust out laughing if you saw the first one I did without a grid because it was just ... *BAD*! But right now, it looks good. Since I can't work on it, I'm going to take a photo of it real quick and share it (provided I can find my card reader).

Do ya'll have any Easter plans?


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> I kind of get put off by having weddings someplace where family and friends are going to have to shell out big bucks in order to attend. It's one thing if it's where you live and they have to pay to get out there but another if you're going off to some location and expecting everyone to go. I'd pass, even if it was my sister, but that's just me



We got married in Mexico, three years ago.  When we did price comparisons for our guests, it was actually roughly the same price for them to fly to Mexico and stay on site than to fly into Seattle and stay.  And the benefits for those planning the wedding?  Infinitely less stress involved.  And INFINITELY less expensive.

I don't think people that choose to have destination weddings feel that any of their guests are obligated to attend.  If anyone is coming in from out of town, you kind of have to assume they may not be able to make it.   That's just the thing.  Come if you can (or want to), don't if you don't.


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> We got married in Mexico, three years ago.  When we did price comparisons for our guests, it was actually roughly the same price for them to fly to Mexico and stay on site than to fly into Seattle and stay.  And the benefits for those planning the wedding?  Infinitely less stress involved.  And INFINITELY less expensive.
> 
> I don't think people that choose to have destination weddings feel that any of their guests are obligated to attend.  If anyone is coming in from out of town, you kind of have to assume they may not be able to make it.   That's just the thing.  Come if you can (or want to), don't if you don't.



And that's a way I've never looked at it. Part of it probably has to do with the fact it's not anything that's ever come up for me. What do I know, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, here's the small study after 3 hours of work on it:


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> OK, here's the small study after 3 hours of work on it:



That's looking really good.  Can you post the original that you're copying?


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> That's looking really good.  Can you post the original that you're copying?



I think I did ages and ages ago but we tend to go through pages really fast over here. I'll post them side by side:









Hardly perfect, but I'm working on it 

It's by Michelangelo, "Ideal Head of a Woman".


----------



## FlameGirl

It's looking good - nice work.  That's a very complicated drawing with lots and lots of shades and tones.  Are you using charcoal?


----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> It's looking good - nice work.  That's a very complicated drawing with lots and lots of shades and tones.  Are you using charcoal?



Right now I'm using charcoal pencil for the small study. I'll be using vine when I get to the big drawing if I feel comfortable with it which I don't. 

Yay, my mom is home. I can work on it now!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I wish I could say it looks good compared to the original, but it's not loading here at work! The original is though. 

And I agree with the Mexico wedding, I have always wanted one, and I wouldn't expect a lot of people to show up, but I would really want my immediate family there, so that is why we are going to have to try our best to be there! And it's a trip to Mexico, so we can't complain too much.


----------



## wvnative

I think that's lookin' good Jazz. Much better than anything I could have done. I am so not an artist. lol 

I've already forwarned my family that should I opt to tie the knot again, it'll be something very simple on a beach somewhere.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, this is as good as it's gonna get before I got to class.


----------



## FlameGirl

It's looking great!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I wish I could get online at work. But then again, I'm only working 2 days or so a week right now. It's very, very lame!
> 
> I am so annoyed at myself right now. I spent yesterday doing my Health homework and was going to work on my Art project this morning before class for a few hours and see how much I could get done. Unfortunately for me, the original copy that has my grid on it that I need to work on my larger drawing. Which by the way, I'm really liking right now. You would bust out laughing if you saw the first one I did without a grid because it was just ... *BAD*! But right now, it looks good. Since I can't work on it, I'm going to take a photo of it real quick and share it (provided I can find my card reader).
> 
> Do ya'll have any Easter plans?



Our plans are more Saturday related.  Scotty has a bicycle race on Saturday and that is Kacy's 17th birthday and my mom's birthday.  Sunday will just be a lazy day.



FlameGirl said:


> We got married in Mexico, three years ago.  When we did price comparisons for our guests, it was actually roughly the same price for them to fly to Mexico and stay on site than to fly into Seattle and stay.  And the benefits for those planning the wedding?  Infinitely less stress involved.  And INFINITELY less expensive.
> 
> I don't think people that choose to have destination weddings feel that any of their guests are obligated to attend.  If anyone is coming in from out of town, you kind of have to assume they may not be able to make it.   That's just the thing.  Come if you can (or want to), don't if you don't.



We got married in Carson City, Nevada.  Whoever wanted to come could.  We are simple.



Belle Ella said:


> OK, here's the small study after 3 hours of work on it:



Look's good.



Belle Ella said:


> Well, this is as good as it's gonna get before I got to class.



Look's good still.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, I'll get a photo of what it looks like after class when it stops raining here. I don't want to get it wet getting it from my car to the house! And I started the final version of it as well. Fun times! I've got a lot to work on over my spring break.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, I'll get a photo of what it looks like after class when it stops raining here. I don't want to get it wet getting it from my car to the house! And I started the final version of it as well. Fun times! I've got a lot to work on over my spring break.



That gives you a chance to take your time and do a relaxed project, or be like everybody else and rush through it at the last minute.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Your drawing looks great! Now that I can see it!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That gives you a chance to take your time and do a relaxed project, or be like everybody else and rush through it at the last minute.



I'd so much rather take my time with it! Work on it a little every day. I think that would be a great way to go about it.

yup, yup.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'd so much rather take my time with it! Work on it a little every day. I think that would be a great way to go about it.
> 
> yup, yup.



I knew it.  No more coffee projects?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I knew it.  No more coffee projects?



Who knows? Half our class is using a coffee wash for this project. Mine is just blue and black ink wash  I'm sad there's no coffee for me.

But the semester aint over yet!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Who knows? Half our class is using a coffee wash for this project. Mine is just blue and black ink wash  I'm sad there's no coffee for me.
> 
> But the semester aint over yet!



Do you get a caffeine buzz from just smelling the coffee?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Do you get a caffeine buzz from just smelling the coffee?



No  My slow behind was in the other room by myself since I wasn't working on the big project yet!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> No  My slow behind was in the other room by myself since I wasn't working on the big project yet!



Darn!! That is too bad.  A good caffeine rush might be nice.


----------



## Belle Ella

Man, oh man. I wish I could just forget this but I heard some pretty lame news from *Nameless* today. Her work schedule has changed and isntead of the 4 days on, 4 days off schedule we planned this vacation based on she'll now have Saturday - Monday off work.  The dates we have are Wednesday - Sunday. I have no idea if she'll be able to swing things around so she can go on those dates. The two other options from there are trying to get her one more day off and then just doing a Friday - Monday or a Saturday - Sunday trip. Or she just can't go and I attempt this by myself, but I am coming to the realization that the only way that will be a reasonable option is if I can get the Et. rate.

Someone remind me that this will all work out somehow.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Man, oh man. I wish I could just forget this but I heard some pretty lame news from *Nameless* today. Her work schedule has changed and isntead of the 4 days on, 4 days off schedule we planned this vacation based on she'll now have Saturday - Monday off work.  The dates we have are Wednesday - Sunday. I have no idea if she'll be able to swing things around so she can go on those dates. The two other options from there are trying to get her one more day off and then just doing a Friday - Monday or a Saturday - Sunday trip. Or she just can't go and I attempt this by myself, but I am coming to the realization that the only way that will be a reasonable option is if I can get the Et. rate.
> 
> Someone remind me that this will all work out somehow.



It will work out.  It is always darkest before the dawn.


----------



## wvnative

Oh my! Noine of us have posted in here today. What's up with that? lol


----------



## FlameGirl

wvnative said:


> Oh my! Noine of us have posted in here today. What's up with that? lol



Well, my new camera came today, and I'm completely overwhelmed.  Maybe Jazz can be my tutor.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

FlameGirl said:


> Well, my new camera came today, and I'm completely overwhelmed.  Maybe Jazz can be my tutor.



 Well, you gotta start somewhere! Mine took me a while since it was the first SLR I had used. But I was in a class learning it all at the same time.



wvnative said:


> Oh my! Noine of us have posted in here today. What's up with that? lol



Homework!!! And class!!! And out to dinner with the family with delicious breakfast food!!!

So, I'm hoping to see Nameless on Monday. Hopefully we can see if we can work something out for July. I'm really nervous about doing a solo trip financially right now.  Unless stupid ET rate finally pops up sometime soon.

And my grandfather hasn't been feeling well so our big Easter plans are now a no-go. So it looks like I get to do some spring cleaning this weekend!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


>



Hi, hi!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hi, hi!



How are you?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> How are you?



Tiiiiiiired! And bummed. You?


----------



## Belle Ella

Happy Friday!

Well, not so happy for me. I got about an hour or so of sleep last night and then had an early work morning. I am so tired and sore! But I completely forgot my cousin was going to be hangning out with my sister who I haven't seen in ages so I'm waiting to hear back from them to meet up with them.

Hopefully. It's been ages and she hasn't called!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Happy Friday!
> 
> Well, not so happy for me. I got about an hour or so of sleep last night and then had an early work morning. I am so tired and sore! But I completely forgot my cousin was going to be hangning out with my sister who I haven't seen in ages so I'm waiting to hear back from them to meet up with them.
> 
> Hopefully. It's been ages and she hasn't called!



Well, I hope it works out.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, I just found my cat hanging from the top of our screen door to the side yard with her claws on her front paws caught in the screen 5 feet fron the ground!

I heard this scratch-scrach-scratch of her hind paws trying to get leverege on the wood part of the door. I just about fell over laughing when I went to investigate and saw her!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, I just found my cat hanging from the top of our screen door to the side yard with her claws on her front paws caught in the screen 5 feet fron the ground!
> 
> I heard this scratch-scrach-scratch of her hind paws trying to get leverege on the wood part of the door. I just about fell over laughing when I went to investigate and saw her!



Oh goodness!!  I can just picture that!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh goodness!!  I can just picture that!!



I wish I had gotten a picture of it. But it probably wouldn't have been very nice of me to let her hang there some more while I went to grab a camera  I have a feeling it wasn't very comfortable for her.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I wish I had gotten a picture of it. But it probably wouldn't have been very nice of me to let her hang there some more while I went to grab a camera  I have a feeling it wasn't very comfortable for her.



ANd that is why I have become so adept at using my cell phone camera!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> ANd that is why I have become so adept at using my cell phone camera!!



Well, I could have done that as well except for the fact that my cell phone was right next to my camera. And both were on the complete opposite side of the house, lol. I didn't think checking on her would lead to a photo-worthy moment. I thought she was just scratching at the door to get inside the house since I locked her in the laundry room because she wouldn't stop howling while I was trying to take my nap.

My cat is obnoxious!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, I could have done that as well except for the fact that my cell phone was right next to my camera. And both were on the complete opposite side of the house, lol. I didn't think checking on her would lead to a photo-worthy moment. I thought she was just scratching at the door to get inside the house since I locked her in the laundry room because she wouldn't stop howling while I was trying to take my nap.
> 
> My cat is obnoxious!



That is because we are their pets not the other way around.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That is because we are their pets not the other way around.



You can sure say that again! My other one isn't much better. But at least she doesn't sit at the door and howl for hours on end. She's just the most reluctant attention ***** I have ever seen.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You can sure say that again! My other one isn't much better. But at least she doesn't sit at the door and howl for hours on end. She's just the most reluctant attention ***** I have ever seen.



That's a cat for you.  That is why I like dogs.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's a cat for you.  That is why I like dogs.



I'd take a cat over a dog any day.

What I love most about my other cat is that she absolutely hates everyone in the house but me. Makes me feel special.

The dog doesn't like me. Nope. So I don't like her back. But dogs scare me, and they have since I was bit by one as a kid. I have a funky scar right above my eye because of it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'd take a cat over a dog any day.
> 
> What I love most about my other cat is that she absolutely hates everyone in the house but me. Makes me feel special.
> 
> The dog doesn't like me. Nope. So I don't like her back. But dogs scare me, and they have since I was bit by one as a kid. I have a funky scar right above my eye because of it.



Well, that makes sense to me.  I haven
t had a cat for a pet since my baby was poisoned by a cruel neighbor.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> Well, that makes sense to me.  I haven
> t had a cat for a pet since my baby was poisoned by a cruel neighbor.



Sorry to hear about that! That is so awful. I don't get how someone could do that to an animal. 

Seeing the cat up on the screen door must have been classic! My moms cat used to do stuff like that all the time! So funny!

I love both dogs and cats. My cat right now is very annoying though. He just doesn't stop meowing. I have no idea what his problem is. He has food and water, run of the house, lots of toys and 2 dog friends to play with. And gets lots of people attention. He has a good life! He sure doesn't seem to think so!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry to hear about that! That is so awful. I don't get how someone could do that to an animal.
> 
> Seeing the cat up on the screen door must have been classic! My moms cat used to do stuff like that all the time! So funny!
> 
> I love both dogs and cats. My cat right now is very annoying though. He just doesn't stop meowing. I have no idea what his problem is. He has food and water, run of the house, lots of toys and 2 dog friends to play with. And gets lots of people attention. He has a good life! He sure doesn't seem to think so!



I will never understand how people can be like that.  It just was horrible.


----------



## Belle Ella

Wow. That's just cruel. 

My cat has a habit of getting herself caught on things. Fences, screen doors, you name it. It also led to the big vet fiasco after she tore her side open getting caught on something once again. She sure didn't like that experience. But she hasn't learned her lesson either.

I'm really trying to keep her inside right now which is the huge problem. She wants out so all she does all day long (when she's not sleeping) is sit by the door and howl constantly.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Wow. That's just cruel.
> 
> My cat has a habit of getting herself caught on things. Fences, screen doors, you name it. It also led to the big vet fiasco after she tore her side open getting caught on something once again. She sure didn't like that experience. But she hasn't learned her lesson either.
> 
> I'm really trying to keep her inside right now which is the huge problem. She wants out so all she does all day long (when she's not sleeping) is sit by the door and howl constantly.



We had a cat that had been hurt really bad and his vet said to not let him go outside and boy was he nutso when he couldn't go out.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> We had a cat that had been hurt really bad and his vet said to not let him go outside and boy was he nutso when he couldn't go out.



Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what we're dealing with. I never wanted her out in the first place but she's a stealthy little brat and she blends in with the carpet sometimes so she'd be out the door before we knew she was even in the room.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what we're dealing with. I never wanted her out in the first place but she's a stealthy little brat and she blends in with the carpet sometimes so she'd be out the door before we knew she was even in the room.



He was horrible, he climbed the Christmas tree, he was constantly on the counter.  But, I miss him terribly.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> He was horrible, he climbed the Christmas tree, he was constantly on the counter.  But, I miss him terribly.



As much as Ella drives me up the wall, I will miss her when she's not here anymore


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> As much as Ella drives me up the wall, I will miss her when she's not here anymore



I truly know how that feels.  Pudge died on my birthday 17 years ago and I still miss him.  He was my baby, I had to feed him with an eye dropper when he was a kitten.


----------



## Belle Ella

So, did I mention I am officially on Spring Break? Now I just need to find something to do with myself.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So, did I mention I am officially on Spring Break? Now I just need to find something to do with myself.



Woo hoo!! So are we!!  I was going to sleep until double digits today but my son and his best friend woke me up at 3 am.  Argh so much for double digits.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

This page is sooooo quiet this weekend! Everyone must be off doing their Easter things!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> This page is sooooo quiet this weekend! Everyone must be off doing their Easter things!



Actually it was Kacy's 17 birthday, and my mom's too yesterday and I was busy with that.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh, well happy birthday to them! We went down to my Dad's in Calgary for Easter dinner last night, and now we are having dinner at Dillon's Mom's tonight. Too much food this weekend!


----------



## Belle Ella

Happy birthday to Kacy and your mom, Michele!

And a happy Easter to everyone too.

It was great, we got off work at 3 this morning. Yay! Too bad I was still wide awake when I got home.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Happy Easter!!

It's always nice to be able to get off early.

Hope everyone is having a good day!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh, well happy birthday to them! We went down to my Dad's in Calgary for Easter dinner last night, and now we are having dinner at Dillon's Mom's tonight. Too much food this weekend!





Belle Ella said:


> Happy birthday to Kacy and your mom, Michele!
> 
> And a happy Easter to everyone too.
> 
> It was great, we got off work at 3 this morning. Yay! Too bad I was still wide awake when I got home.



Thanks ladies.  April 4 is always a rough day for me.  It is the anniversary of my ER trip from when I almost died.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry to hear, that's gotta be tough, I can't imagine.

Ugh, I need to hit the gym and work out hard tomorrow! Too much food this weekend! And everyone keeps giving us chocolate! Can't eat anymore!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry to hear, that's gotta be tough, I can't imagine.
> 
> Ugh, I need to hit the gym and work out hard tomorrow! Too much food this weekend! And everyone keeps giving us chocolate! Can't eat anymore!



Tell me I know.  We had a birthday and Easter.  Way too much food.  We still have tons of cupcakes and ice cream left even.  Argh I cannot get away from it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I used to not pay much attention to all the food on holidays. But now that I am watching my calorie intake, and trying to be healthier, it seems like it's just so much! I LOVE turkey and mashed potatoes. And then you add the stuffing, and salads, and then of course dessert. That's already way too much. And as soon as dessert was done, they set a bowl of chocolate Easter eggs in front of us! And I am one of those people that even if I am not hungry, I will eat it if it's sitting in front of me. Ugh! So full! Haha


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I used to not pay much attention to all the food on holidays. But now that I am watching my calorie intake, and trying to be healthier, it seems like it's just so much! I LOVE turkey and mashed potatoes. And then you add the stuffing, and salads, and then of course dessert. That's already way too much. And as soon as dessert was done, they set a bowl of chocolate Easter eggs in front of us! And I am one of those people that even if I am not hungry, I will eat it if it's sitting in front of me. Ugh! So full! Haha



I know all about it.  I didn't make too big of a meal today but I still didn't eat much.  I just am not in the mood to eat.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah it must be a tough day for you. I probably wouldn't feel up to much either. Hope your day was still enjoyable though.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah it must be a tough day for you. I probably wouldn't feel up to much either. Hope your day was still enjoyable though.



It was, I spent a lot of time with my son.  He is the youngest and I think that it hit him the hardest to be separated from me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well that's good that you got to spend that time with him!


----------



## wvnative

We had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. It's been a while since I've felt rested coming into Monday morning. lol I even still got some stuff done at home.


----------



## Belle Ella

Happy Monday! Just got home from work a little bit ago. Probably headed to the movies with *Nameless* today as well. Hoping I can attempt to straighten out what will happen with July. *crossfingers*


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well that's good that you got to spend that time with him!



It's always fun to spend time with them.



wvnative said:


> We had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. It's been a while since I've felt rested coming into Monday morning. lol I even still got some stuff done at home.




A relaxing weekend is nice.




Belle Ella said:


> Happy Monday! Just got home from work a little bit ago. Probably headed to the movies with *Nameless* today as well. Hoping I can attempt to straighten out what will happen with July. *crossfingers*




Oooh what movie are you going to see?


----------



## DizNee Luver

I sure hope things work out for your trip!!!!!  You're always more than welcome to come later in the month & hang with our family!!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I've been down lately, lol. The lack of sleep since last Thursday doesn't help any!

OK, so I think we're still headed in the right direction with *Nameless* for Disneyland. We went to the movies yesterday (saw The Last Song -- I heart Greg Kinnear) and we talked about it. We'll probably end up moving our dates over by a few. It just depends if we'd rather arrive on a weekday or on a weekend. I just have to keep giving her numbers to shoot for as far as how much it'll end up costing us.

We're going out for breakfast tomorrow morning! Yummy! I love food. It shall be my downfall in so many ways, lol. And a book swap. We're each others own personal libraries. That is when we remember to bring the books that we're supposed to -- which I never do!

I can't remember if I mentioned it, but our Easter plans fell through after my Grandfather wound up in the hospital. I have to see if my dad heard any results from the tests they were supposed to do yesterday. The last I heard they _think_ he has pnuemonia and were going to be investigating a spot they found in his lungs on an x-ray or something. I hate being one of the "children" in the family because nobody ever really tells you what's going on exactly. It's stressful!


----------



## Belle Ella

By the way -- I am potentially doing the double digit dance!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> I sure hope things work out for your trip!!!!!  You're always more than welcome to come later in the month & hang with our family!!!!



 Aww, Laurie! Have I mentioned how much you and everyone totally rock lately?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I've been down lately, lol. The lack of sleep since last Thursday doesn't help any!
> 
> OK, so I think we're still headed in the right direction with *Nameless* for Disneyland. We went to the movies yesterday (saw The Last Song -- I heart Greg Kinnear) and we talked about it. We'll probably end up moving our dates over by a few. It just depends if we'd rather arrive on a weekday or on a weekend. I just have to keep giving her numbers to shoot for as far as how much it'll end up costing us.
> 
> We're going out for breakfast tomorrow morning! Yummy! I love food. It shall be my downfall in so many ways, lol. And a book swap. We're each others own personal libraries. That is when we remember to bring the books that we're supposed to -- which I never do!
> 
> I can't remember if I mentioned it, but our Easter plans fell through after my Grandfather wound up in the hospital. I have to see if my dad heard any results from the tests they were supposed to do yesterday. The last I heard they _think_ he has pnuemonia and were going to be investigating a spot they found in his lungs on an x-ray or something. I hate being one of the "children" in the family because nobody ever really tells you what's going on exactly. It's stressful!



I like Greg Kinnear but I cannot stand Miley Cyrus so that movie is way out for me.




Belle Ella said:


> By the way -- I am potentially doing the double digit dance!!



Woohoo!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I like Greg Kinnear but I cannot stand Miley Cyrus so that movie is way out for me.



Tell me about it!! I can't stand her, but we decided to give it a shot against our better judgment. You aren't missing anything, I promise. My opinions were simply confirmed. But I'm still a sucker for a Nicholas Sparks story ... even though it's generally not my cup of tea.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Tell me about it!! I can't stand her, but we decided to give it a shot against our better judgment. You aren't missing anything, I promise. My opinions were simply confirmed. But I'm still a sucker for a Nicholas Sparks story ... even though it's generally not my cup of tea.



I have only seen one Nicholas Sparks and I did not like it at all.  It was called something like Nights in Roadanthe or something like that.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I have only seen one Nicholas Sparks and I did not like it at all.  It was called something like Nights in Roadanthe or something like that.



Well, I haven't seen that one. It didn't look appealing to me. It's got Richard Gere in it or something like that. He gives me the heebie-jeebies!

But I absolutely *love* "A Walk to Remember". Like, love, love, love, love it!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, I haven't seen that one. It didn't look appealing to me. It's got Richard Gere in it or something like that. He gives me the heebie-jeebies!
> 
> But I absolutely *love* "A Walk to Remember". Like, love, love, love, love it!



Well it was sad, way too sad.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well it was sad, way too sad.



Ah. That's a typical Nicholas Sparks story for you. Tearjerkers and heart breakers.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ah. That's a typical Nicholas Sparks story for you. Tearjerkers and heart breakers.



I cannot handle sad anymore.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I cannot handle sad anymore.



Understandable. I probably couldn't either. As it is right now it's not something I like, but somehow A Walk to Remember is still one of my favorite movies. But I haven't had to deal with a lot of 'sad'.

On the other hand, I had a mini 'action'/RDJ movie marathon today, followed by Glee. Makes me happy.


----------



## kaoden39

So on Friday my husband took Kody to see Family Force 5.  They are doing a Christmas tour again.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> So on Friday my husband took Kody to see Family Force 5.  They are doing a Christmas tour again.



I bet that was awesome. I've only seen them the one time at Warped Tour. That was awesome. Ack. And ages ago.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I bet that was awesome. I've only seen them the one time at Warped Tour. That was awesome. Ack. And ages ago.



Scotty loved them and plans on going with them in December to see them again.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hey there!

Sorry to hear about your Grandfather. I hope he pulls through! 

And it's good that your plans are still good for July, even with a few minor changes!

I am not sure about that Last Song. I am all for chick flicks, but I hate Miley as well. I like both Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston.  I own A Walk To Remember, and I love it! Can't make it through without crying though.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hey there!
> 
> Sorry to hear about your Grandfather. I hope he pulls through!
> 
> And it's good that your plans are still good for July, even with a few minor changes!
> 
> I am not sure about that Last Song. I am all for chick flicks, but I hate Miley as well. I like both Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston.  I own A Walk To Remember, and I love it! Can't make it through without crying though.



I don't know how you guys can watch those sad movies.  Says the woman that watches Beaches and cries every time she sees it.  I also cry when I hear the song Wind Beneath My Wings.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I mostly like the happy chick flicks. Romantic comedies I guess is what they are called. We just saw Bounty Hunter last week, and that was pretty good. One of my all time favourites is 10 Things I Hate About You. But my all-time favourite movie is Ghostbusters. I've loved it since I was little.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I mostly like the happy chick flicks. Romantic comedies I guess is what they are called. We just saw Bounty Hunter last week, and that was pretty good. One of my all time favourites is 10 Things I Hate About You. But my all-time favourite movie is Ghostbusters. I've loved it since I was little.



I am a wuss.  My favorite movies are Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.


----------



## wvnative

That new movie with Miley in has a snowballs chance in , well... of being watched by us. We are SO not Miley fans. I liked Nights in Rodanthe though. Not enough to watch it more than once but it was good enough the one time. haha

The kid's favorite movie is PS I love you. Talk about a tear jerker. She's not aloud to watch that one in the living room when I'm home anymore. 

I don't think I really have a favorite anymore. It used to be Labrynth but I've not watched it in forever now. My go to movies are probably the HP series or POTC. Oh, and I love 300 but that's all about Gerard Butler. Oh my. I liked him before that movie but like him even better now. lol That accent just makes me melt. 

Anyway, I'm glad your plans for July aren't completely stalled. Now go get some sleep.


----------



## Belle Ella

I don't even think I have a 'favorite' favorite movie. I could never turn down watching and of the Disney movies I grew up watching, but do I have some absolute all-time favorite movie? Nope. 

Ahh, Gerard Butler. He's Scottish so he's got the seal of approval in my household (my step-dad's family is Scottish). It's kind of funny.

 Almost breakfast time! I want french toast!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I love Gerard Butler! He is second runner up to Rob Pattinson for me!! 

P.S. I Love You is such a good movie. Sad, but still good!


----------



## wvnative

Hehe, yea well, Pattinson is young enough that I could be his mom so he does nothing for me.

Gerard on the other hand..... like I said, the accent alone does me in.

OK well, it appears to be time for me to go home now so I'll catch you all later when I log in to do homework.


----------



## kaoden39

Pattinson= 

Gerard Butler=muy calliente.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

We are falling behind on your goal to make it to 250 pages by July! We need to keep at it! 

Hope everything is ok!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And also, I was reading some menus a couple weeks ago on allears.net and came across something called "Banana Stuffed French Toast" which just about made me drool all over my keyboard,  , so yesterday I decided to try french toast with bananas sliced on top and then add syrup, and it was the best breakfast supper ever!!! You need to try it! Mmmmm!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> We are falling behind on your goal to make it to 250 pages by July! We need to keep at it!
> 
> Hope everything is ok!



I know we need to get to cracking on this.  

Jessica, I hope that every thing is okay at home.




DisneyStitch626 said:


> And also, I was reading some menus a couple weeks ago on allears.net and came across something called "Banana Stuffed French Toast" which just about made me drool all over my keyboard,  , so yesterday I decided to try french toast with bananas sliced on top and then add syrup, and it was the best breakfast supper ever!!! You need to try it! Mmmmm!



Oh that sounds yummy but like a lot of work.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Actually it only took a few minutes. Dillon sliced up the bananas while I made the egg mix. And then all you do is fry up the bread on a skillet, and put the bananas and syrup on top when they're done. Took us maybe 10 minutes. Minus the time waiting for the skillet to heat.


----------



## wvnative

Haha, I was gonna say, as far as breakfsts go, french toast is one of the fastest. I'm sure it was good with banana. There's zero chance of getting my kid to to that though. She doesn't do bananas.

I was thinking I would pick up a couple of croissants this weekend and have those croissant breakfast sandwiches they serve at Carnation. I didn't have one this trip and now I wish I had.  The bananas foster crepes soudned (and looked) really good too but I was too full from the omelette to try them.

YOOHOO... Jaaazzz, where are you?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

My Mom isn't a fan of bananas either. I don't really get it. Bananas seem the easiest fruit to eat because they aren't as bitter or acidic as a lot of fruit can be. Banana's and Mangos are my fave!

Those banana crepes sound so good! It reminds me of a place we have in Calgary that I love so much! It's called Cora's and they are all about their fruit. They have this one dish called the "Mountain of Fruit Waffle" and it litterally is a mountain of fruit on top of this plate sized waffle. They have bananas, kiwi, strawberries, pinapple, melons, and grapes piled on top of whipped cream and custard. Best breakfast ever! And you don't leave feeling like trash, like you normally would at Dennys!  I just heard last week that we are getting a Cora's in Red Deer, and that makes me sooo happy. It's going to be a monthly tradition to go there!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Actually it only took a few minutes. Dillon sliced up the bananas while I made the egg mix. And then all you do is fry up the bread on a skillet, and put the bananas and syrup on top when they're done. Took us maybe 10 minutes. Minus the time waiting for the skillet to heat.



I was picturing stuffed french toast requiring cooking the bananas and such.



wvnative said:


> Haha, I was gonna say, as far as breakfsts go, french toast is one of the fastest. I'm sure it was good with banana. There's zero chance of getting my kid to to that though. She doesn't do bananas.
> 
> I was thinking I would pick up a couple of croissants this weekend and have those croissant breakfast sandwiches they serve at Carnation. I didn't have one this trip and now I wish I had.  The bananas foster crepes soudned (and looked) really good too but I was too full from the omelette to try them.
> 
> YOOHOO... Jaaazzz, where are you?



Kacy, hates bananas so I don't tend to cook anything with bananas.


----------



## Belle Ella

I been busyyyy! Enjoying my Spring Break, sort of. I borrowed some books from my friend and when I start a new series I get sucked in until I finish them. I kind of go dead to the world for a time when that happens. But it's usually just a day or two at a time depending on how many books. I'm on obsessive and fast reader :roftl:

By the way, has anyone see How to Train Your Dragon?!?! OH MY GOSH!! *I LOVED IT*!!!

OK, I gotta catch up here for a second, lol. But I'll be back into my book zone in a minute. Real life comes second.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I get the same way with books. Especially with the Twilight series. As soon as I was done Breaking Dawn, I started Twilight again. Right now I am about to read Eclipse for the 3rd time.  I want to make sure I read it before the movie comes out!

Speaking of Twilight. The Comic Expo is coming to Calgary in 2 weeks and Peter Fachinelli and 2 of the Quileute tribe will be there! I am going to go try and meet them! So excited!


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, have fun! I was so, so close to going to the convention in S.F. this year (ezpecially since CB was going to be attending) but it never worked out. I was so bummed. But it was also the weekend that my sister was in the hospital so it wasn't the best time regardless.

So I'll have to make do with meeting Rob when he came to S.F. with the cast tour for Twilight. I am determined to go again if they do the same promotion for Eclipse (they did it with New Moon but I couldn't get the time off). I was on the news and everything.

Let me just say he's a gorgeous man in person! Him on screen doesn't do much for me though.

Now, shall I confess how many times I have read Twilight (and every book in the series)?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, I am guessing more times than I have?

I would LOVE to meet Rob in person!  Unfortunately the Expo he will be attending is the one in Ottawa, which is pretty much across the country. So unless you think it's worth it to sacrafice our trip to DL to meet him, I won't be going. *sigh*


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, there's always when they do press for Breaking Dawn. Maybe you'll get lucky. It was an interesting day. Interesting in ways I cannot describe. He speaks so quietly it's hard to hear him though. I was glad I went though.

Oh, and he couldn't spell Jessica! Or Jazz for that matter, it was hilarious 

I have honestly lost count, but I do know that it's well over 10 times (although I think I'm only at 6 for Breaking Dawn). When I first picked them up before Breaking Dawn came out I had read them roughly ... 6 times by the time BD was released.

It's a strange obsession I cannot describe. I did mention I go a little crazy when I read books.

Now, you *did* here that Stephenie Meyer is releaseng a new book in June? A sort story/novella about the newborn Bree right? Gonna get it? And did you ever read The Host?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Did you see him in Remember Me? A friend and I went and saw it on opening night, and I have to say I liked seeing him without all the white make-up. And actually showing more emotion other than anger!


----------



## Belle Ella

No, I didn't end up having the guts to go see it after I read a spoiler about the ending. It brought up a lot of stuff for me and I ended up having a panic attack sitting on my fraking couch. No way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks was I going to be able to go see it in a theater. I loved watching him in the trailer though.


----------



## kaoden39

Ho-hum....never read them....nope....Harry Potter anyone?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> Well, there's always when they do press for Breaking Dawn. Maybe you'll get lucky. It was an interesting day. Interesting in ways I cannot describe. He speaks so quietly it's hard to hear him though. I was glad I went though.
> 
> Oh, and he couldn't spell Jessica! Or Jazz for that matter, it was hilarious
> 
> I have honestly lost count, but I do know that it's well over 10 times (although I think I'm only at 6 for Breaking Dawn). When I first picked them up before Breaking Dawn came out I had read them roughly ... 6 times by the time BD was released.
> 
> It's a strange obsession I cannot describe. I did mention I go a little crazy when I read books.
> 
> Now, you *did* here that Stephenie Meyer is releaseng a new book in June? A sort story/novella about the newborn Bree right? Gonna get it? And did you ever read The Host?



Yes I did hear about the new book! So excited!!! I didn't start reading the books until after the first movie was out. A friend forced it on me because after seeing the movie, I didn't get what the obsession was about. I thought it was good, but not obsession material. Then I read the book.....I was hooked! And I was so sad when I finished BD, cause it meant I had to snap out of their world! Until I was shown Midnight Sun at least!


----------



## Belle Ella

Ah, the saga alone that is Midnight Sun. I hope someday she finishes it. Oh well.

Michele, I enjoy HP. But just enjoy. I never got really hooked on it for some reason. I'm not sure why.

And Andrea, if you haven't read it you should try her other boot that is supposed to become a series. The Host. It's a much better effort from her as far as story and writing goes. As addicted as I am to Twilight it's obvious she wasn't really a writer beforehand. The Host was definitely an improvement and I loved it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ah, the saga alone that is Midnight Sun. I hope someday she finishes it. Oh well.
> 
> Michele, I enjoy HP. But just enjoy. I never got really hooked on it for some reason. I'm not sure why.
> 
> And Andrea, if you haven't read it you should try her other boot that is supposed to become a series. The Host. It's a much better effort from her as far as story and writing goes. As addicted as I am to Twilight it's obvious she wasn't really a writer beforehand. The Host was definitely an improvement and I loved it.



The only author I have read over and over is Tamora Pierce.  She has some great female empowering novels.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hmm, which are hers again? She sounds familiar but I can't place a book title right now.

I have a long list of authors and other series that I love. I have a strange addiction to YA supernatural books.

And I will openly admit to it!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hmm, which are hers again? She sounds familiar but I can't place a book title right now.
> 
> I have a long list of authors and other series that I love. I have a strange addiction to YA supernatural books.
> 
> And I will openly admit to it!



She has several series.  My favorites of hers are Song of the Lioness,  Immortals, and Protector of the Small.  All excellent.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I have the Host, my Mom lent it to me. I have yet to read it though. I still have yet to read a book since the Twilight series. I love books, but for some reason I was so depressed that I was done that series, I haven't been able to start another one yet. If there was another series someone could convince me to read (other than Harry Potter. I tried, it just wasn't for me) I probably would. I will try and read Host soon. As soon as I am done round 3 of the Twilight series!  I tend to prefer series of books rather than just one. Because if I am enjoying it, I like it to last longer.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry to hear that you have something tied with 9/11. I had no idea Remember Me had anything to do with it until I was in the theater watching it. It came as quite a shock.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> She has several series.  My favorites of hers are Song of the Lioness,  Immortals, and Protector of the Small.  All excellent.



I'll have to add them to my seemingly never ending list of books to read 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I have the Host, my Mom lent it to me. I have yet to read it though. I still have yet to read a book since the Twilight series. I love books, but for some reason I was so depressed that I was done that series, I haven't been able to start another one yet. If there was another series someone could convince me to read (other than Harry Potter. I tried, it just wasn't for me) I probably would. I will try and read Host soon. As soon as I am done round 3 of the Twilight series!  I tend to prefer series of books rather than just one. Because if I am enjoying it, I like it to last longer.



Well, I can offer you a lot of different series depending on what you're looking for. In my kick to try something to fill the Twilight void I picked up Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz which keep getting better with each book, the Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (and another series of hers, Subbus Blues, etc.) both of which I adore, the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (City of Bones, City of Ash, City of Glass) which I absolutely *loved* ...Um, I could keep going on 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry to hear that you have something tied with 9/11. I had no idea Remember Me had anything to do with it until I was in the theater watching it. It came as quite a shock.



I'm just pissed they left that to be the big twist at the end. I think it's too soon to pull out something like that without being up front about it. I know people who would have had a harder time than me walking into that movie without knowing beforehand. So I simply refuse to see it, which makes me sad. But I'm glad I _did_ read the spoilers so I could make that decision.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Are you going to avoid seeing it altogether? Or just in the theater. Cause other than that part, it is still a good movie. But I can understand if it's too hard on some people. I was surprised that they kept it a big secret too, but I guess if they hadn't, the ending would have been ruined.

Some of those book series sound interesting. Not too sure about getting into another vampire series, but I could give them a try. I keep thinking that it would kind of feel like a Twilight rip off, but maybe not.

I like the suspense/love kinda books. I also love murder mysteries, although some have scared me a little. Even though they scare me, I can't put them down because they are just so good. Tess Gerritsen is a great writer! She has a series that is really good.


----------



## kaoden39

The Lioness series is about a girl posing as a bioy to become a Knight, The Immortals is about a animal mage, and The Protector of the Small is about a girl who is allowed to become a knight.  There are two other series that go with these three too.  She is my absolute favorite author and I recommend her highly.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll probably rent it when it comes out and skip the ending since I get the idea of it. We'll see if I remember 

I can guarantee you, none of the series that I listed is a Twilight ripoff. The ones that do involve vampires (Vampire Academy, Blue Bloods, another called House of Night) are all so cmpletely different from one another it's crazy. Which is why I love them all, because they all have something different to offer. The Mortal Instruments series isn't vampire per se but it's good, easily my favorite of everything that's coming to mind that I read. And they all ahve their own suspense.

My all time favorite series though? Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. Hands down. No contest.

I'm trying to remember which series has a new book coming out next. They end up coming out in 2 week intervals it feels like, every 6 months. All the series I read. So I go crazy waiting for them and then I have to keep up. Not that it's hard but considering I can't stop myself from buying them it tends to get me into trouble every now and again.

OH! I totally got a pair of shoes for $6 at work today. Some days I love my job. I needed a new pair and it's the first time I ahve ever seen something go clearance, to 75%, in my size -- least of all in a style that I like. It made for a happy day.


----------



## kaoden39

New shoes, fun.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I would consider reading those books then, maybe this weekend I will take a stroll though chapters to see what I can find. But I still want to finish Eclipse and Breaking Dawn first, and consider starting The Host. Since I already have it and all.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I would consider reading those books then, maybe this weekend I will take a stroll though chapters to see what I can find. But I still want to finish Eclipse and Breaking Dawn first, and consider starting The Host. Since I already have it and all.



If you want to see what a book is about before you read it a good site to belong to is goodreads.com.  I belong and I am kaoden39 on there too.  It is a great way to find out about books or to even just find books.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw man, how sad is it that I sum up my good day by the fact that I purchased new shoes.



I am becoming my mother!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw man, how sad is it that I sum up my good day by the fact that I purchased new shoes.
> 
> 
> 
> I am becoming my mother!



New shoes are a good thing.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, that sounds cool, I will have to check that out! I always have trouble picking out a good series on my own I can't usually tell by the cover or the little blurb on the back, if I will like it or not. The last couple series were recommended by friends. But once in a while I get lucky and find something all on my own! Plus I like going to Chapters to get a Vanilla Latte from Starbucks and just browse through.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Shoes ARE a good thing!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ok, that sounds cool, I will have to check that out! I always have trouble picking out a good series on my own I can't usually tell by the cover or the little blurb on the back, if I will like it or not. The last couple series were recommended by friends. But once in a while I get lucky and find something all on my own! Plus I like going to Chapters to get a Vanilla Latte from Starbucks and just browse through.



If you join just send me a friend request.


----------



## Belle Ella

I just think it's funny. Shoes have never really been my thing. But mine are falling apart. And anytime you can spend $6 instead of ... well, however much shoes cost elsewhere = big win!!

I wish I had a formula for how I pick out a new series. I just grab a book and read. And then pass it off to Nameless and wait for her to pass me another one and back and forth. I just loaned her the Shopahloc books and she loaned me an immortals series that's not my cup of tea but at the same time I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't finish it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I LOVE the Shopaholic books!!! Actually there are a couple out that I haven't read yet But it has been years since I read the first few, so maybe I should start at the beginning again.

Going to go to that site now...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I just think it's funny. Shoes have never really been my thing. But mine are falling apart. And anytime you can spend $6 instead of ... well, however much shoes cost elsewhere = big win!!
> 
> I wish I had a formula for how I pick out a new series. I just grab a book and read. And then pass it off to Nameless and wait for her to pass me another one and back and forth. I just loaned her the Shopahloc books and she loaned me an immortals series that's not my cup of tea but at the same time I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't finish it.



I liked the City of Bones series.  I have found that if I look at Tamora Pierce's book list I generally like the ones she does.


----------



## Belle Ella

The last one she has published, Shopaholic & a Baby is my aboslute favorite. Definitely pick them back up and start from the begining! She's actually writing a new one last i heard. No idea what it'll be about/titled, but I was so excited when I found out!

So, I finished 3 books in a day and a half and I'm really bummed with nothing to read now. Looks like I'll be making a trip to Borders or Barnes & Noble tomorrow. Which is how I end up spending so much money on books.

Sometimes I don't think I have ever heard of a library card ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> The last one she has published, Shopaholic & a Baby is my aboslute favorite. Definitely pick them back up and start from the begining! She's actually writing a new one last i heard. No idea what it'll be about/titled, but I was so excited when I found out!
> 
> So, I finished 3 books in a day and a half and I'm really bummed with nothing to read now. Looks like I'll be making a trip to Borders or Barnes & Noble tomorrow. Which is how I end up spending so much money on books.
> 
> Sometimes I don't think I have ever heard of a library card ...



I still recommend the Tamora Pierce novels.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, I added you Michelle.

I have always rathered buying books than borrowing them from the library. For one, it's always nice to come home with a brand new item that no one else has gone through. Two, I am very bad at returning them on time, even if they've been read weeks prior. 

Looks like I have got a LOT of reading to do. I am going to need something to do to make the time pass by a little faster over the next 5 and a half months! Looks like i've found things to keep me occupied enough.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup, yup. It's on my listies!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry *Michele*


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ok, I added you Michelle.
> 
> I have always rathered buying books than borrowing them from the library. For one, it's always nice to come home with a brand new item that no one else has gone through. Two, I am very bad at returning them on time, even if they've been read weeks prior.
> 
> Looks like I have got a LOT of reading to do. I am going to need something to do to make the time pass by a little faster over the next 5 and a half months! Looks like i've found things to keep me occupied enough.



Goodreads is great fun for finding books.  I approved your friend request.



Belle Ella said:


> Yup, yup. It's on my listies!!



Join goodreads.com



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry *Michele*



No problem, it's all good.


----------



## wvnative

I'll read HP with you Michele. Of course,by now, I probably have them all memorized.

I love the Twilight series too. I actually just picked up Twilight to read again two days ago. I have to be careful though as I still have to get my reading done for my classes too. haha

I also enjoyed the trilogy put out by Christopher Paolini (Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr) as well as a series the kid has by Laurie Stolarz. 

And you of course can't go wrong with JRR Tolkien. haha

My step dad got into Vince Flynn books and I've been reading those along with him. I think he's finally a couple of books ahead of me now so I can probably pick those back up again too. Like Jazz, I read super fast and get a little obsessed. 

Oh and Janet Evanovich's books always seem to keep my attention. They're all very similar but a fun read anyway.

When I was younger I used to read Terry Brooks. I got to Running with the Demon and just couldn't get through it so I gave up on his stuff.

I have also read (and reread) the Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lireal, and Abhorsen). I don't think I own a book I haven't read at least twice and there are many that have been read dozens of times.

I actually do have a library card (or two) but I prefer to own the books so I can read them again whenever I want.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

When I was younger I read the Sweet Valley series. From when I was 7 I started with Sweet Valley Kids, then graduated to Sweet Valley Twins (middle school age), then to Sweet Valley High, then there was even a Sweet Valley University. I would be reading constantly as there was so many books in each generation. And of course there were my favourites that I read probably 10 or 15 times. I wish they were still around, but I am probably too old for them now anyways. Maybe not though if Twilight is supposed to be for teens.


----------



## kaoden39

The majority of what I read is considered YA and it is my preference.  There is another author everyone might like because her books are romance style.  Her name is Maria V Snyder.  The books are Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study.  They have action, a good storyline and romance.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Those sound good. I like romance, as long as it's got other stuff going on too!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Those sound good. I like romance, as long as it's got other stuff going on too!



That's me.  There is enough action going on I couldn't understand why they were in the romance section.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well that's good! I love books like that. With the exception of Twilight of course. *sigh*


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well that's good! I love books like that. With the exception of Twilight of course. *sigh*



I really like the male character in the book, and the female character the book is about is likable too.


----------



## Belle Ella

Gosh darn all this book talk!

So, I picked up The Host last night. Mentioning it here had it on my brain all stinking day. It's a pretty long book and I made the mistake of picking it up sometime after 8 p.m.  You think I would know better than to pick up a book like that so 'late' at night knowing full well it would e hard for me to put it down for something so trivial as sleep. I stayed up until I finished it around 4 a.m. and couldn't fall asleep until closer to 5 a.m. I hope this helps my overnight shift tonight!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Gosh darn all this book talk!
> 
> So, I picked up The Host last night. Mentioning it here had it on my brain all stinking day. It's a pretty long book and I made the mistake of picking it up sometime after 8 p.m.  You think I would know better than to pick up a book like that so 'late' at night knowing full well it would e hard for me to put it down for something so trivial as sleep. I stayed up until I finished it around 4 a.m. and couldn't fall asleep until closer to 5 a.m. I hope this helps my overnight shift tonight!!



You know I bet it does.


----------



## Belle Ella

I hope so. It's funny that to get through work I need continues cafeine but when I'm reading a book all night I somehow manage to keep going on nothing but water and some snacks every now and again because I get so *hungry*!!

I'm so tempted to pick up another book right now, but if I do I'll have a hard time getting to work tonight!

OH, and hows this for fun -- My mother left a broken plasti container on the ground in our living room. Well, the klutz that I am tripped over and I got a nice scrap from my knee all the way down to my foot where it's a pretty nice gash. I am really looking forward to being on my feet all night!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh, and somebody stole half of our aluminum cans from our side yard that we were waiting to take to the recycling center. Yeah, there went some of my Disneyland saving money. I was so happy about that. I really hope they needed it, whoever it was.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Wow, you are a fast reader! I am sure if I didn't have so many distractions around me all the time, I would be a lot faster. I just started Eclipse again this morning, and I only stopped so I could go to the gym with a friend. Don't want to be putting that off. Now I plan to get back at it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am glad I am not the only klutzy one. That sounds painful though. Dillon was working on one of his arcade machines a couple weeks ago, and left one of the metal panels open. Of course I would be one to walk into it. Now I have a huge gash above my knee.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I hope so. It's funny that to get through work I need continues cafeine but when I'm reading a book all night I somehow manage to keep going on nothing but water and some snacks every now and again because I get so *hungry*!!
> 
> I'm so tempted to pick up another book right now, but if I do I'll have a hard time getting to work tonight!
> 
> OH, and hows this for fun -- My mother left a broken plasti container on the ground in our living room. Well, the klutz that I am tripped over and I got a nice scrap from my knee all the way down to my foot where it's a pretty nice gash. I am really looking forward to being on my feet all night!!



Oh no.  I  hope you will be okay.




Belle Ella said:


> Oh, and somebody stole half of our aluminum cans from our side yard that we were waiting to take to the recycling center. Yeah, there went some of my Disneyland saving money. I was so happy about that. I really hope they needed it, whoever it was.



Crooks




DisneyStitch626 said:


> Wow, you are a fast reader! I am sure if I didn't have so many distractions around me all the time, I would be a lot faster. I just started Eclipse again this morning, and I only stopped so I could go to the gym with a friend. Don't want to be putting that off. Now I plan to get back at it.



I have been known to read on the treadmill at the gym.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I am glad I am not the only klutzy one. That sounds painful though. Dillon was working on one of his arcade machines a couple weeks ago, and left one of the metal panels open. Of course I would be one to walk into it. Now I have a huge gash above my knee.



I had an very painful infection in one of my breast once and I seemed  to bump into things and hit it constantly.  Now any other time I don't bump into things with the girls.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I definitely read if i am there by myself. But my friend and I get pretty chatty when we are there together, so I know there is no point in taking a book. It helps having a friend though, cause we end up working harder. We get to talking and before we know it, we've been running for 20 minutes. It seems easier.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> I had an very painful infection in one of my breast once and I seemed  to bump into things and hit it constantly.  Now any other time I don't bump into things with the girls.



Ouch! Isn't that always the way things go though?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I definitely read if i am there by myself. But my friend and I get pretty chatty when we are there together, so I know there is no point in taking a book. It helps having a friend though, cause we end up working harder. We get to talking and before we know it, we've been running for 20 minutes. It seems easier.



And the beauty of the treadmill is that you can go at your own pace but still be together.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ouch! Isn't that always the way things go though?



It never fails.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> And the beauty of the treadmill is that you can go at your own pace but still be together.



Yeah, I love the treadmill for that. And it's not as painful as some other machines. I have so much trouble on the step master or whatever it's called. I get the best workout with it, so I still do it every day, but it kills me every time! I hate that thing!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Fast reader I am. And I'm sure I already mentioned the obsessive part. I can't concentrate on much else once I've started reading something which speeds everything up.

Could never read at the gym though, seeing as the only thing I did there was swim. But I haven't been in what feels like forever. I was probably still in high school the last time I set foot in any kind of gym.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah, I love the treadmill for that. And it's not as painful as some other machines. I have so much trouble on the step master or whatever it's called. I get the best workout with it, so I still do it every day, but it kills me every time! I hate that thing!!



I have a love/hate relationship with it.  I love to hate it.  I enjoy the weight machines and I could spend all day there, but I know I need the cardio.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Fast reader I am. And I'm sure I already mentioned the obsessive part. I can't concentrate on much else once I've started reading something which speeds everything up.
> 
> Could never read at the gym though, seeing as the only thing I did there was swim. But I haven't been in what feels like forever. I was probably still in high school the last time I set foot in any kind of gym.



I would rather exercise in my own home.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I would rather exercise in my own home.



I probably would too ... if I had a pool. And maybe if I had the motivation to actually 'work out' which I never do even though I tell myself this will be the week or the day or the month or the year that it changes.

So far? Nope.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I have tried exercising at home. Even got a Wii Fit. But I never seemed to be able to get a good enough workout out of it. Plus I find I work harder at the gym. I have a friend pushing me too, so that helps a lot. It's also a women's only gym, so I am not as self conscious too.


----------



## kaoden39

Our gym is coed and there are some teenagers that work there that I always feel like they look down on me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I probably wouldn't like going there at all. Everyone is pretty friendly at mine, and for the most part everyone just minds their own business. It's good.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah I probably wouldn't like going there at all. Everyone is pretty friendly at mine, and for the most part everyone just minds their own business. It's good.



I need to belong to a ladies only gym.  Ours is like a meat market.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I wouldn't feel very comfortable at a coed gym. I would be constantly feeling self conscious. At the girls only gym, not so much. Maybe a little jealous though, of the ones look like they spend all their time there!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah I wouldn't feel very comfortable at a coed gym. I would be constantly feeling self conscious. At the girls only gym, not so much. Maybe a little jealous though, of the ones look like they spend all their time there!



One of the things that I don't like is the way that some guys act when you are alone.  Especially old men.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, that would get kinda creepy! Although once in a while there is a woman that will stare or something, and it can also get a little creepy at times!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, that would get kinda creepy! Although once in a while there is a woman that will stare or something, and it can also get a little creepy at times!



Andrea it is creepy.  Nothing like a gray haired balding guy with gold chains staring at your chest as you work out.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ick! I am shivering just thinking about it!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ick! I am shivering just thinking about it!!



I know.  It is yuck.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Women only is definitely the way to go!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh man, reminds me how I felt out on the pool deck every now and again. 

My co-worker is a member at a UFC gym which has kept her very motivated with her working out (and it's definitely doing her good, I'm a little envious). She always has stories of the looks she gets from people there. Makes me want to stay home even more.

I'm so unmotivated. I really wish I could change that. It's a work in progress.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I still have trouble getting motivated. I am starting to see results now, which is helping. You need someone to push you.


----------



## Belle Ella

I do. That's my big problem with a lot of things is having someone there to keep me motiviated. It would make it easier if I had more people in my life period, lol.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Too bad "Nameless" seems too busy to hang out with. It might be fun to try with her.


----------



## Belle Ella

Neither of us would be good at keeping each other motivated for a gym!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, yeah it's better when you have someone who is always motivated to push you. You will both find excuses to not go all the time, if neither of you are the "lets go!" type.


----------



## wvnative

As tiny as you are Jazz, I don't think it would take much to keep you in shape. lol 

I wouls LOVE to lose this last 15 lbs before my reunion in August. As soon as I made up my mind to eat better (again) I started craving all that stuff I shouldn't be having. lol Dangit!

I'm gonna try to get the kid to go for a walk or something with me in the evenings.


----------



## Belle Ella

That's what keeps the hope alive for me that when I finally get motivated to get into shape I'll actually be able to do it. Maybe if it stops raining at some point today I'll take the dog for a walk.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626

Posting!!!

It's been so quiet on here, I felt I had to say something, so....Happy Tuesday!! 

Hope everyone is doing well today!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yes, yes. Happy Tuesday. I wish I had anything to add but I'm in a world full of "should *not* be spending time on the computer" right now. I kind of procrastinated on my art project all break long, it's due tomorrow, and I have done absolutely nothing on it right now. I'm kind of freaking out since I'm in class until 10 tonight. I don't know if I can get the whole thing done before class at 4 tomorrow.



Why did I do this to myself?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I procrastinate like that too. Makes times stressful! Hopefully you find the time to do it!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I'm really freaking out about it at the moment. I'm hoping against all hope that I have an exam in my Anthro. class that I didn't know about so I can get in and get out and be home before 10 so I can get something done on it tonight.

I wonder if my sister will help me ... How horrible is that?

And GROSS. My instructor totally pulled out a real human heart. I feel like I'm going to pass out in here.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ugh, I don't think I could handle that. I am ok with that stuff in movies, but real life is a different story!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Belle Ella said:


> And GROSS. My instructor totally pulled out a real human heart. I feel like I'm going to pass out in here.


----------



## Belle Ella

Luckily for me it was blocked by her computer screen so I just had to duck my head and I couldn't see it. But the smell!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, wow. The wierdness doesn't end there. My Anthro. Prof. just pulled out his pet snake on us. And is now continuing his lecture with it around his neck.

What the french toast?!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Is there a full moon tonight or something?


----------



## Belle Ella

I have no idea. But this is just ... odd!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, I'm really freaking out about it at the moment. I'm hoping against all hope that I have an exam in my Anthro. class that I didn't know about so I can get in and get out and be home before 10 so I can get something done on it tonight.
> 
> I wonder if my sister will help me ... How horrible is that?
> 
> And GROSS. My instructor totally pulled out a real human heart. I feel like I'm going to pass out in here.







Belle Ella said:


> Luckily for me it was blocked by her computer screen so I just had to duck my head and I couldn't see it. But the smell!!!



Ewwww



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Is there a full moon tonight or something?



Jacob!!




Belle Ella said:


> I have no idea. But this is just ... odd!




Indeed it is!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Ew. No Jacob mentioning in my thread.

Yuckies.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ew. No Jacob mentioning in my thread.
> 
> Yuckies.



I was just thinking full moon.....human heart.


----------



## Belle Ella

This day keeps getting better. I'm sitting in my Anthropology class (snake wrapped around my instructor and all) and I'm chatting with my mom through Facebook about a Boa that wrapped itself around her leg in Biology one day centuries ago. Classic.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> This day keeps getting better. I'm sitting in my Anthropology class (snake wrapped around my instructor and all) and I'm chatting with my mom through Facebook about a Boa that wrapped itself around her leg in Biology one day centuries ago. Classic.


----------



## wvnative

Um.. eeewwww! 

Disections were the reason I tested out of regular biology and into honors environmental biology in HS. I don't do gross. lol 

We had to watch what was hopefully the last of the incredibly boring, put you to sleep, videos in my CIS class yesterday. Even the instructor got bored so he turned it off an sent us home. haha


----------



## Belle Ella

Can I go to sleep? Working on my art project is exhausting me. And I finally had it to a point that I actually liked it and then I did something that kind of screwed it up a little bit. Oh well. Im waiting for it to dry, I'll do one more layer of charcoal on it and then I'm officially saying that I am *done*. It's a crap assignment and I know it wont compare to other work in my class this time around, but at least I have _something_ to turn in today.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay! You got it done! Well, almost done, but that's gotta be a big relief!


----------



## kaoden39

Yay for getting to the finish line on your product.


----------



## Belle Ella

It'll do  But I know I'll hear crap about it in class. Oh well. It's better than nothing.

Now I need food because I am starving.

Tomorrow I am taking the rest of my family to the airport. Guess I have to go get gas too.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It'll do  But I know I'll hear crap about it in class. Oh well. It's better than nothing.
> 
> Now I need food because I am starving.
> 
> Tomorrow I am taking the rest of my family to the airport. Guess I have to go get gas too.



Good luck with it!!


----------



## Belle Ella

HAHA! Well, guess what?

*NO CRITIQUE TODAY*!!

We had a sub and an extra day to work on our drawings which means I now have until Monday to 'work' on it.

Go figure.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> HAHA! Well, guess what?
> 
> *NO CRITIQUE TODAY*!!
> 
> We had a sub and an extra day to work on our drawings which means I now have until Monday to 'work' on it.
> 
> Go figure.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I don't feel like laughing right now. I was so ready to get the darn thing graded. Now I have even more time to obsess and freak out over it.

But yay, Glee is back as of last night. That was a long time coming!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, I don't feel like laughing right now. I was so ready to get the darn thing graded. Now I have even more time to obsess and freak out over it.
> 
> But yay, Glee is back as of last night. That was a long time coming!



I didn't think about the freaking out part.  Silly me.  

I have never watched Glee.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, it figures hey?

I have never watched Glee either. My brother just raves about it, but it doesn't seem like my kinda thing. I dunno.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, it figures hey?
> 
> I have never watched Glee either. My brother just raves about it, but it doesn't seem like my kinda thing. I dunno.



That's me.  I just am not the High School Musical type of person you know?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah me neither. Never really liked many musicals. Maybe when I was a kid. I liked Little Shop of Horrors!  But thats it.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah me neither. Never really liked many musicals. Maybe when I was a kid. I liked Little Shop of Horrors!  But thats it.



With me it's Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> That's me.  I just am not the High School Musical type of person you know?



I am not a High School Musical person either. I just love Glee. The show is freaking *hilarious* and fun which is why I love it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am not a High School Musical person either. I just love Glee. The show is freaking *hilarious* and fun which is why I love it.



Maybe I will watch it sometime.


----------



## Belle Ella

I got my family hooked on it. They didn't think they'd like it but were passing by when I was watching an episode and just stood there for almost two hours thinking they would just move on in a second. It was too funny!

Last night was the first new episode since December so I've been relishing in it. Watched it 3 times (loved that they have a cover of "highway to hell" and a couple other favorites in the eppisode). Next week is an all-Madonna episode. Should kick butt!

I'm a Gleek.

Now I'm trying to find a movie to watch but we have nothing that I want to watch right now and Netflix's instant play selection isn't really doing it for me either.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I got my family hooked on it. They didn't think they'd like it but were passing by when I was watching an episode and just stood there for almost two hours thinking they would just move on in a second. It was too funny!
> 
> Last night was the first new episode since December so I've been relishing in it. Watched it 3 times (loved that they have a cover of "highway to hell" and a couple other favorites in the eppisode). Next week is an all-Madonna episode. Should kick butt!
> 
> I'm a Gleek.
> 
> Now I'm trying to find a movie to watch but we have nothing that I want to watch right now and Netflix's instant play selection isn't really doing it for me either.



I am watching Human Target  while I wait for American Idol.


----------



## Belle Ella

Never heard of Human Target. What's it about? As for AI ...  Can't stand it.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Never heard of Human Target. What's it about? As for AI ...  Can't stand it.



It's about a guy who used to be an assassin that now takes care of people.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hm. Interesting! I can't say that I watch much TV anymore, honestly. Movies? Yes, by the truck load sometimes (at least it feels that way). But TV series, not as much. Right now I watch Glee and Supernatureal with the occasional episode of Survivor thrown in. OH! Plus one on daytime because I love Ellen!! Which reminds me I have to watch todays episode. It's my 1 hour a day I am guaranteed to laugh!!

I figure maybe I should get to be early tonight seeing as I ahve to be awake before the awful hour of *4 o'clock* in the morning!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hm. Interesting! I can't say that I watch much TV anymore, honestly. Movies? Yes, by the truck load sometimes (at least it feels that way). But TV series, not as much. Right now I watch Glee and Supernatureal with the occasional episode of Survivor thrown in. OH! Plus one on daytime because I love Ellen!! Which reminds me I have to watch todays episode. It's my 1 hour a day I am guaranteed to laugh!!
> 
> I figure maybe I should get to be early tonight seeing as I ahve to be awake before the awful hour of *4 o'clock* in the morning!!



Indeed.  Goodnight.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, not a lot of TV compared to the days when there were multiple shows every night of the week that I ahd to try and arrange. EEK!! The headaches it caused.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, not a lot of TV compared to the days when there were multiple shows every night of the week that I ahd to try and arrange. EEK!! The headaches it caused.



There are a few must see shows for me.  I am a big fan of the Monday night shows on CBS.  Like Big Bang Theory.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, here's fun: nobody else's alarm clocks went off this morning so it was up to me to wake everyone up. That's so much fun!

Happy Thursday!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, here's fun: nobody else's alarm clocks went off this morning so it was up to me to wake everyone up. That's so much fun!
> 
> Happy Thursday!!



Oh my.  I hope it all gos better from there!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Happy Thursday!

This site stopped working for me last night, so I haven't been able to get on until just now at work! 

I am so glad to hear someone else likes Little Shop of Horrors too!! Almost everyone I ask about it has never heard of it! It's a shame! Such a funny movie.

As for Glee, maybe I will let my brother show it to me when I go to Calgary to visit my fam this weekend. 

And I say I like American Idol, and I watch the first few episodes of the season, then I just kinda forget about it. I dunno why.


----------



## wvnative

We love Glee! The kid just bought the first season on DVD. 610 minutes of Glee. Whew! It's a must watch at our house.

We like the AI auditions. I think we're about done with it now though. Let's just say we were less than thrilled with this week's show(s).

Rocky Horror is one of my favorite Musicals. We own that one on DVD. lol I like Little Shop too but rarely ever watch it. I never think to rent it and won't buy it. The next musical I buy will be My Fair Lady. I absolutely love that one. 

I like Human Target too.

Hmmmm... I think my tummy is hungry. Time for a bagel.


----------



## kaoden39

wvnative said:


> We love Glee! The kid just bought the first season on DVD. 610 minutes of Glee. Whew! It's a must watch at our house.
> 
> We like the AI auditions. I think we're about done with it now though. Let's just say we were less than thrilled with this week's show(s).
> 
> Rocky Horror is one of my favorite Musicals. We own that one on DVD. lol I like Little Shop too but rarely ever watch it. I never think to rent it and won't buy it. The next musical I buy will be My Fair Lady. I absolutely love that one.
> 
> I like Human Target too.
> 
> Hmmmm... I think my tummy is hungry. Time for a bagel.



I think the guy that stars in Human Target is kind of hot.  As my dear mom would say he's the type you wouldn't kick out of bed because of cracker crumbs.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think House is kinda hot for an old and kinda crazy guy.


----------



## DizNee Luver

Hope your day gets better Jessica!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I watched House for a while. Big fan of Hugh Laurie but I cannot do medical shows anymore. They *fuh-reak* me out!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I think House is kinda hot for an old and kinda crazy guy.



Especially when he lets you hear his accent. 



Belle Ella said:


> I watched House for a while. Big fan of Hugh Laurie but I cannot do medical shows anymore. They *fuh-reak* me out!!



Yes, they can do that.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I don't mind them. I don't like watching them while eating anything, but I can handle them. If I can handle the Saw movies, I can handle anything! I love Grey's Anatomy and House, so I just decided that I had to overlook the gross stuff. Although after watching so many episodes of House, you start wondering if a cough is normal or a symptom of something you could die from.

And yes, his accent is lovely!


----------



## Belle Ella

This may be _shocking_  but I am a bit of a Hypochondriac, which is why I can't watch them anymore.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ah yes, that would be a good reason not to watch those kind of shows! I probably wouldn't either.


----------



## FlameGirl

Hey ladies...

Haven't been around here for a few days but wanted to pop my head in.  Jazz, I'm in love love love with my new camera.  

I will have to catch up on the thread when I get a chance but wanted to take a second to say hi!


----------



## Belle Ella

It's good to hear from you Kathy!! Hope things are going well and *so* glad you are loving the camera!!


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Hey ladies...
> 
> Haven't been around here for a few days but wanted to pop my head in.  Jazz, I'm in love love love with my new camera.
> 
> I will have to catch up on the thread when I get a chance but wanted to take a second to say hi!



Hi Kathy!!  Long time no see.


----------



## wvnative

I think Hugh Laurie is the reason I like the live action 101 Dalmations movies. lol 

Class was incredibly boring yesterday. I'm thinking it will be boring again on Tuesday but since we are so far ahead, he's thinking about giving us a "free study" day next Thursday. That means I won't have to go to class HAHA. I think he's as ready for the semester to be over as we are. lol


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It's Friday Guys!!!!

What is everyones plans for the weekend?

I am going down to Calgary to visit some family and friends. I was going to visit my Dad, but apparently he is going to Phoenix tomorrow to go to golf school for the week. Boooring! But hopefully the weather is nice for him!

It's one of my best friends 30th birthday, and his wife (my othe best friend) is throwing a surprise party for him, so that should be exciting. Then on Sunday it's their sons 1st birthday, so a big weekend for them! I will be going to the disney store for a gift, because apparently he has found a liking to Mickey! That's news I like to hear!

Anyways, hope all is well!


----------



## kaoden39

No big plans for us this weekend.


----------



## wvnative

Me either. I am on furbaby duty today and tomorrow as my folks are in Flagstaff for the Spring quilt meeting. We want to shop for new glasses for the kid and I have to run by Costco to replenish my neverending supply of cat litter, cat food, bottled water and oreo cookies. lol

Other than that, I'll probably watch movies, mow the yard and work on an essay.

Your dad picked a good week to come to Phoenix. Mid to low 80's after the weekend with a chance of rain on Wed. that will cool us down a little more. It would have been even better two or three weeks ago though. haha It's been pretty well gorgeous wince the rain stopped.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

wvnative said:


> Me either. I am on furbaby duty today and tomorrow as my folks are in Flagstaff for the Spring quilt meeting. We want to shop for new glasses for the kid and I have to run by Costco to replenish my neverending supply of cat litter, cat food, bottled water and oreo cookies. lol
> 
> Other than that, I'll probably watch movies, mow the yard and work on an essay.
> 
> Your dad picked a good week to come to Phoenix. Mid to low 80's after the weekend with a chance of rain on Wed. that will cool us down a little more. It would have been even better two or three weeks ago though. haha It's been pretty well gorgeous wince the rain stopped.



It's supposed to be nice here this weekend, but definitely not 80. Actually I don't know what 80 is equal to in Celcius. It will be 20 celcius here. 

Sounds like an ok weekend for you though. Shopping and oreos sounds good to me!   And little furry guys are fun!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Only plans for us is to go see Anthony play baseball tomorrow & then go out to karaoke......mama needs her bi-monthly stress reliever!!! 

Have a great weekend everyone!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm all lazy today. It feels wierd when my family isn't home.

I'm probably going to go see Kick-*** tomorrow, but other than that my weekend plans are undecided other than  work  and driving back to the airport on Sunday evening.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm all lazy today. It feels wierd when my family isn't home.
> 
> I'm probably going to go see Kick-*** tomorrow, but other than that my weekend plans are undecided other than  work  and driving back to the airport on Sunday evening.



Let me know how good it is.  I may take Loren to go see it.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll be sure to do so!! Hopefully I actually go see it. We'll see what happens.


----------



## kaoden39

Go Sharks!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Man, that game drove me nuts the other day. I'm going to miss the end of tonight's since I have to go pick up the family from the airport (keep your fingers crossed that I don't get lost on the drive to Oakland -- simpler things have been known to happen).

I did end up seeing Kick-A$$ today. Nice and violent, just the way I like 'em!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Man, that game drove me nuts the other day. I'm going to miss the end of tonight's since I have to go pick up the family from the airport (keep your fingers crossed that I don't get lost on the drive to Oakland -- simpler things have been known to happen).
> 
> I did end up seeing Kick-A$$ today. Nice and violent, just the way I like 'em!!



But, do you think I can take my son to see it?  He is a mature 13 years old.  And they drove me absolutely nuts, I was frustrated with them.  Tonight they are playing the defense they should have played the other night.


----------



## Belle Ella

My parents would have let me see it at 13 if I had asked too. According to the MPAA: Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving children. Biggest offenders were obviously the violence, second the language, followed by the drug use and sexual content/nudity. I remember we had this conversation about Watchmen ages and ages ago, lol.

This is another reason I will never have kids  deciding what they can see and what they can't see would give me anxiety.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> My parents would have let me see it at 13 if I had asked too. According to the MPAA: Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving children. Biggest offenders were obviously the violence, second the language, followed by the drug use and sexual content/nudity. I remember we had this conversation about Watchmen ages and ages ago, lol.
> 
> This is another reason I will never have kids  deciding what they can see and what they can't see would give me anxiety.



Well, honestly I think Watchmen was a little too dark for him.  Heck it was a little too dark for me.  I don't know, he needs something to take his mind off of other things.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I can understand that. I'd say it's just as violent, but it's not as dark a movie in tone. It's obsiously meant to be funny.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, I can understand that. I'd say it's just as violent, but it's not as dark a movie in tone. It's obsiously meant to be funny.



I am kind of meh about the violence.  I am sorry he is a boy and they are lovers of violence.  But, the storyline is more what I had in mind.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yesterday we _finall_ turned in master drawings. It only took about forever and a day! It went better than I thought it would, so I'm happy to be sort of done with it. Outside of the minor tweaks I have to do before turning it in with our final portfolio.

And to top it off, guess who had a Disneyland dream last night?! I did! I did! I'm 85 days away provided we don't change our dates by a couple of days, and I'm finally starting to get excited!! It's weird for me to say that because normally I'm a little more excited far earlier but with all of the money stress and is she/isn't she with my friend it's been hard to enjoy. It's part of why I've been a little MIA from here. But last night's dream was awesome. It was myself, my sister, and two of our cousins!! I wish I could really get the 4 of us to go. It would really save us some money between splitting gas prices and the hotel, lol.

AWW! I really wants to go.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay for finally being excited! It's hard to get excited when you don't know if or when it's going to happen, but at least you got it mostly figured out!

I get Disneyland dreams all the time! Except for some reason I never make it actually into the park. It's always me trying to get there, but I always wake up before I do. It's wierd. Probably because I haven't been there in so long. But I have been getting them more lately, probably cause it's all I think about!

Glad your art class went well. No more drawing for a while?


----------



## Belle Ella

Funnily enough I usually have Disneyland dreams fairly often. But this is the first one that I have had in a very, very long time. So I was pretty excited, and the fact that I can actually remember it is pretty exciting as well. You know that feeling when you want to dream a dream but the more you focus in on the details, the more you can't remember a thing?

Crud-o-la. I am trying to print out my health assignment and we run out of ink. So not fun! At least I was already planning a trip to Target today to pick up the new Glee music. Guess I gotta go do that now so I can print everything I need to print -- there's a lot of it!


----------



## wvnative

YAY! I love Disneyland dreams. I have them fairly frequently. hehe

Speaking of school, I turned in my last Access assignment today. I took my last quiz for my other class too I think. I'm thrilled that this semester is almost over. lol I did sign up for two summer classes though and I changed my major just slightly. I'm sorely tempted to do a dual degree. hehe


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I hate when you can't remember a dream! It sucks more when you see someone, and then you remember they were in your dream, but you still can't remember anything about the dream to figure out why they were in it.

Ink is so expensive! I try not to use my home printer very often cause it cost like $80 to get ink for it. So I do most of my printing at work!


----------



## Belle Ella

I can't wait for this semester to be over. But it's almost that time. We're about a month out. Today should be an easy day. Helth class, but we always get out early, and then an exam in Anthro. on genetics which should be pretty easy and I'll be home before 8 p.m. -- just in time for Glee!

Yeah, ink is definitely expensive. I don't have a job where I can actually print things from so the home printer is the only option, really. Luckily I don't have to pay for the ink. I bought 4 packs (2 of black/color) plus a CD and it was just under $100 with my team member discount!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's not too bad. Usually its $80 just for 1 set (1 black, 1 colour) for mine. I just avoided printing anything if I could. Sometimes you can get printers for less than that! But if you use it for school and stuff, it's probably worth it in the end.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, that would suck. It also depends on where you buy it from. I know my store carries it for less $$ than if I went to an office supply store or what not.


----------



## wvnative

While I do print most of what little bit of my school stuff needs printed at work, we have one of those refill places right around the corner from the house. It wasn't as cheap as I'd hoped at $22 but it was still cheaper than buying a brand new one.  

According to my calendar, yesterday was the beginning of week 13 of our 16 week semester. We're getting there. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

Hm. The ink I bought today was under $20 for the black and I think like $22 for the color.

OK, so I had to do an entire project for my health class today because I totally spaced on it. It's a big disease report and I decided to do mine on bipolar disorder (which is what my sister was diagnosed with after the whole in February). At least I did it. Now she's lookig over all the information I pulled together.

Now time to get some mini studying in for my exam tonight, haha!


----------



## wvnative

I hate it when I forget to do something and have ot pull it all together last minute. lol 

I'll be working on the paper we have to do for my international business class over the weekend. I've got it about halfway done but will need to add in some fillers I'm sure. It's not due til May 3rd so I've got time. We were informed yesterday that there will be no CIS class on Thursday. He said he'll still be there in case anyone wants to come in but for those of us that have passing grades, he's not making that class a requirement since we're so far ahead. lol I should probably email him to verify whether or not we'll actually be presenting our powerpoint presos to the class or not. If we're presenting, I'll make a few changes to mine. If not, I'll add the music and call it good.


----------



## Belle Ella

Last night was supposed to be our exam in Anthro so I was so excited that I could get in and get out and be home before 8 p.m. But of course we get to class and he starts rambling for a second about how his other classes missed a day of lecture because we had a power failure the previous week. So he wanted to do lecture the first half of class since he was going to introduce different stuff to his other class before their exam, and we would start it at 8 instead of 7. A few of us were freaking out because we just wanted to go home. Luckily the class voted in favor of just taking the class and high tailing it out of there!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

All this talk about school really makes me want to go back. There is a 2 year Photography program in Calgary that I have been eyeing up for a few years now, but I just can't afford it. The only way I could do that is if I asked my Dad to pay, which I really don't want to ask for anything that much, even though he said he would pay for my education. It would also mean a move to Calgary for both Dillon and I, which also means job moves. Not sure it is all worth it, but maybe sometime in the future. Plus, we wouldn't be able to afford Disneyland, so that might not work!


----------



## Belle Ella

Because life caters to our Disney obsession, not the other way around.

Man, oh man. Nameless likes to give me panic attacks in the DLR department. Her laptop broke which is now another expense coming her way. So now it's once again looking like this trip is doomed.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh no! This is not good!

Just tell her she doesn't need a laptop for a few months and Disney is more important!!! Haha. Although she probably uses it for school, hey?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

If I didn't live so far away, I would offer to get Dillon to take a look at it for her. That is what he does for a living.


----------



## Belle Ella

No laptops would go over so well with either one of us  *NOT*!!

I think I would just die without my laptop. Just die. I remember my vacation last June to visit my grandmother in Texas for a week and my hard drive crashed the first day that I was there. It took me *forever* to get my laptop back in running order because I kept forgetting to order a new HD. It was absolute torture. Torture I tell you!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, I know what you mean. I can't go without mine either. You should see it right now. It looks like it's been run over by a bus. The monitor frame is cracked, keys are missing. And I have to have it plugged in, in order for it to stay on, because the battery is completely dead. But because I have an IT for a boyfriend, it still runs like it's brand new. I really would like a nice shiny new one though! I am still trying to convince Dillon to let me get a Mac. If I get a Mac though, it will probably be the full sized one, not a laptop. 

Has she said what is wrong with her laptop? Maybe it's something I can get instructions on how to fix it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Nope, she hasn't. I should ask her. My uncle is also an IT for the county. He always does all of our computer stuff, lol. Between our crazy schedules though I haven't had the chance to actually talk to her lately.

I really, really, really want to go this summer but I'm thinking maybe it would be better to postpone and maybe try the end of September?

No. That wouldn't work. A big point about the summer trip was that I wouldn't be missing any school because I need to stop doing that.

GAAH!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

If you were to go in the summer, would you still be going in the fall? Or is it a one or the other thing?

If you could get your Uncle to look at her laptop, maybe it will be something that won't cost much to get fixed. Usually it's something fixable, unless it's really old, then it might not be worth it.


----------



## Belle Ella

It's one or the other. I can barely afford to do one, two would not be happening unless it's the trip with my dad that he would be paying for. But I can't do the fall because of school. So it's really just a summer option or nothing until 2011.


----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## DisneyStitch626

What about going for a long weekend in September? Or August even. That would give her another month to have money. But if you had to wait til September, you could go on a long weekend (if you have one). It might be busier, but you'd still get to go, and maybe only miss one day of school.


----------



## Belle Ella

See, I may actually have weekend classes next semester depending on when the classes I need are offered. So even a weekend in the fall wouldn't work. We do have a holiday over Labor Day, but I have a family thing going on that weekend.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ah, well maybe something will work out. There is always Columbus Day weekend in Oct. if you don't have any weekend classes then.


----------



## Belle Ella

Except that we don't get it off at my school, lol. We have one Friday off at the very end of September that could _maybe_, just maybe work (and even put us into Halloween territory) but it's a *long* shot and I don't want to cancel the summer trip and then have that not work out, you know? Otherwise the other holidays fall between November and January during times that I gurantee you will be blocked out at work meaning I can't get time off unless I have a new job.

I hate when this gets so confusing.

Is it crazy that one reason I love going in the summer is the heat?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No, I love the heat too. Which is why living here kinda sucks for me sometimes. I would love to check out DL in the summer sometime, if I can bear the crowds. If you like heat, you should try going to Mexico sometime. So beautiful! If you can force yourself onto a plane, that is.


----------



## wvnative

The kid and I specifically opted out of Saturday classes for the next few semesters because of it screwing up vacation plans. I'd rather take the class online that sit through a class every Saturday and not be able to take a long weekend when I need to. lol

I'm tellin' you. You need to suck it up and get on that plane and just come do the one October weekend with us. I could probably even be talked into taking that Friday off after all and not making it such a whirlwind trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hm. Maybe I should push back my dates by just 1 week. HoJo just posted the Ent. rate for July 21, 22, 23rd which is a week later than I was planning on, but $59/night? I think it may be worth it.


----------



## wvnative

I think you could be right. lol

What's one more week after all?


----------



## Belle Ella

One more week when it's cheaper is nothing. I could definitely do that. So, I think I'll see if Nameless wants to for sure back out and if not I think I will officially change my reservation. Maybe I should book the other date now and call to get the rate now just to be set on that option.

By the way ... I had an odd call from *Frick*. Apararantly she now thinks that our friendship isn't healthy for the both of us and we need to end it.



















Duh? That's really all I found myself thinking. Like, thanks for catching on to what I realized ages ago. Only I'm the chicken who can't always say it out loud and chose simply to just not talk to her.

I'm working on it.


----------



## Belle Ella

I never did share a photo of the "final" master drawing did I? Well, I've done some work to it since I took this photo, but I thought I would let everyone have a look:






We're actually doing a self portrait for our next assignment and rather than take a new photo I'm totally going to see if I can get away with using one of the photos from my March/September trips to Disneyland!

Here's to hoping that he'll let me. He did say he wanted the background of the photo to be something that said something about us. Disneyland definitely qualifies.


----------



## RiverLou

I don't think it was and odd call in the least.


----------



## Belle Ella

RiverLou said:


> I don't think it was and odd call in the least.



Odd more in a sense of out of the blue with everything I've got going on right now..

And Holy SHEEP.


----------



## RiverLou

Hardly even out of the blue with all you've been writing about me on here behind my back.


----------



## Belle Ella

Which is in the past. And we all need our place to vent, that's what this is for me. Besides, I would hardly call something in public domain on a website and thread you are fully aware of as '_behind your back_'.

You're welcome to disagree, but I'm not going to argue about it.

Art class time. Have a great afternoon all. We're slacking again. Still have 105 pages to go!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Even better. Make that 104.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hopefully getting that cheaper rate will convince Nameless that she should go. Hope it works out!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And we gotta get working on this page....


----------



## DisneyStitch626

...even if it means making more than one post....


----------



## DisneyStitch626

...at a time when it isn't neccessary....


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, I'll stop now. Sorry, lol.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## kaoden39

Come on Jazz, how can we beef up this trip report without more visits from you?  Hmm missy???


----------



## Belle Ella

It would be easier if I didn't have class!

Is anyone going to see Oceans? It comes out tomorrow - *Earth Day*!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh, I know! We should play a game. Maybe.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oooh, what kind of game?


----------



## kaoden39

A game?


----------



## Belle Ella

Um. I dunno. We could make up our own game.

How about the ABC's of ... something?

I am so uncreative after art class.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Um. I dunno. We could make up our own game.
> 
> How about the ABC's of ... something?
> 
> I am so uncreative after art class.



How about we go from each others post like for instance like ABC's Disney.  

A is for Aladdin and the next person B is..... so on and so forth.  You can start because it is your thread.


----------



## Belle Ella

Suh-weet. ABC's of Disney. I can do that.

*A*lice in Wonderland


----------



## kaoden39

Bambi


----------



## Belle Ella

*C*heshire Cat


----------



## kaoden39

Pinocchio's Daring Ride


----------



## Belle Ella

I love how you switched things up there 

Walt Disney's *E*nchanted Tiki Room


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I love how you switched things up there
> 
> Walt Disney's *E*nchanted Tiki Room



Thank you


----------



## kaoden39

Fantasmic


----------



## Belle Ella

You are very welcome, of course!


----------



## Belle Ella

*G*oofy's Kitchen


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*H*ercules


----------



## kaoden39

Pixie Hollow


----------



## Belle Ella

Tw for the price of one. I like it  Maybe if all three are here we should establish a pattern? But I am selfish so I go first 

Mr. *I*ncredible


----------



## DisneyStitch626

The Adventures of *I*ccabod and Mr. Toad


----------



## kaoden39

Jungle Cruise


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*J*afar


----------



## Belle Ella

*K*aa!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*K*anga


----------



## Belle Ella

Or we can not take turns


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, we're just rambling off.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup. It'll be 2 1/2 full alphabets by the time we're done. I go next! Then ya'll can fight amongst yourself for 2nd best


----------



## Belle Ella

*L*ittle Brother


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*L*ittle Red Wagon


----------



## Belle Ella

This is fun!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It is! I like this.


----------



## Belle Ella

*M*ushu


----------



## kaoden39

Finding Nemo


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*M*ickey's Fun Wheel


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ooooh, a sneak in!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ooooh, a sneak in!



 It's an O but it doesn't count. I tease, I tease


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Fine. *O*hana. As in Ohana means Family. Family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten.

Does that count?


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I'll let that one slide. *Safe*!!

the *P*rince


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*P*rincess Diaries


----------



## Belle Ella

Alrighty. I be signing off for the night. Battery is dead-o on the laptop-o and my wrist hurts.

I'm off to see *O*ceans (would have made a great O, you know) tomorrow morning before class. Yipee. Hooray.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, it would have.

Have a good night!


----------



## wvnative

Queen of Hearts


----------



## Belle Ella

We have another player!!

The *R*escuers


----------



## wvnative

Scat Cat


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*T*imon & Pumba


----------



## kaoden39

Teacups


----------



## wvnative

Uncle Art (from Meet the Robinsons)


----------



## kaoden39

Violet, from the Incredible's


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Viola, from the Incredible's



ERRRR!

Change it to Violet and you've got it.


----------



## Belle Ella

*W*alt Disney, the man himself


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*W*onderful World of Disney


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> ERRRR!
> 
> Change it to Violet and you've got it.



I wonder why I did that?  Well, my mind is kind of distracted still.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I wonder why I did that?  Well, my mind is kind of distracted still.



 It's OK. We forgive you!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's OK. We forgive you!


----------



## Belle Ella

Alas, we are not yet finished!!

*X* Atencio


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*Y*zma


----------



## Belle Ella

Toy Story *Z*oetrope


----------



## Belle Ella

We did it!  We did it!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We did it!  We did it!!



What now?


----------



## Belle Ella

I dunno. We'll play again after we give it some time.

How is everyone doing? I'm getting ready to start planning out my official schedule for next semester. And *IF* I can get away with no weekend classes and no Friday classes, and preferably have all of my classes on Monday/Wednesday then the summer trip will officially 100% done and I will focus all my energy on my 2nd Annual birthday trip and just stick with the less-drama involved September trip.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I dunno. We'll play again after we give it some time.
> 
> How is everyone doing? I'm getting ready to start planning out my official schedule for next semester. And *IF* I can get away with no weekend classes and no Friday classes, and preferably have all of my classes on Monday/Wednesday then the summer trip will officially 100% done and I will focus all my energy on my 2nd Annual birthday trip and just stick with the less-drama involved September trip.



Sounds like a plan to me!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sounds good to me too. A trip is a trip. Even if it's a little later.

I bought Birnbaun's Disneyland Guide 2010 yesterday. I've already learned a lot from these boards, but it's still a fun read anyways. I'm still waiting to see if my brother and his girlfriend are 100% in so I can continue planning.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sounds good to me too. A trip is a trip. Even if it's a little later.
> 
> I bought Birnbaun's Disneyland Guide 2010 yesterday. I've already learned a lot from these boards, but it's still a fun read anyways. I'm still waiting to see if my brother and his girlfriend are 100% in so I can continue planning.



I buy one every year.  It's an addiction.


----------



## Belle Ella

I bought one last year, and I bought another this year. Plus, I love the coupon in th back


----------



## Belle Ella

It's Friday! It's Friday!
​


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I can use some of the coupons in the back, but not the Visa one.  Do you know how much I want a credit card with Mickey on it! More than a normal person would, that's for sure! But I can't cause it's only available to US citizens. 

But anyways, so happy it's *FRIDAY!!!!*


----------



## wvnative

I would love, love, love to schedule my fall classes but won't be able to for at least another month. They won't approve any financial aid until then. lol 

I'm really glad it's Friday. It's not even so much that I have anything special to do this weekend. I just don't want to have to be on a schedule for a day or two. hehe Plus, it means that there's one less week of school left. I think both of my classes are actually done early this semester. I know our online final is available on 5/3 and we're done when that's done. We don't actually have a final in the other class although I'm still not sure if we have to present our powerpoints or not. I need to make a note to ask him about it.


----------



## kaoden39

Yay for Friday!!  

I personally think 5/3 is the best day of the year.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> Yay for Friday!!
> 
> I personally think 5/3 is the best day of the year.



How come?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> How come?



My birthday.....


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That would make it a good reason then!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That would make it a good reason then!



That was my thought.


----------



## Belle Ella

I think the only coupon I have used from the back of it was the whatever % off for spending whatever amount of money at one of the shops. I don't buy anyhting in DTD so all the other coupons are kind of useless for me, lol.

I can't actually schedule my classes yet. I forget when that is. But the Fall schedule is out so I could kind of peruse and look at what possible time frames I could work with. A Monday & Wednesday only schedule would work best for me if I can swing it.

And then I think I will just got back to a September trip. Every day I change my mind. It's horrible.

Today was my annual performance review at work. It actually went well, and I got the best raise that I've gotten since switching to this position a few years ago. It makes me happy. Plus I'll be picking up some hours in other departments. Maybe I can actually start saving money again so I can really afford Disneyland instead of thinking I can.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, here's some news I have been holding out for: My Credit Union now has their summer promotion tickets with the 2 days free when you buy 3. So I can get my Hopper for $165.60


----------



## DisneyStitch626

New Eclipse preview!!!!!

Oh. My. Goodness. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIfPZtVDWY&feature=player_embedded


----------



## Belle Ella

Thanks for the link to it! It aired on Oprah today. I squealed with joy. Not _too_ much longer. At least it will be here before Disneyland.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> Thanks for the link to it! It aired on Oprah today. I squealed with joy. Not _too_ much longer. At least it will be here before Disneyland.



I can't wait! I am glad there isn't as much of a gap between this one and New Moon. I don't think I could wait much longer than that.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626

A friend of mine and I are having a Rob Pattinson night. We are starting out with Twilight, then we are going to go see Remember Me as it's now playing in the cheap theatre, and then if we are still awake enough after, we are going to watch New Moon!    If Remember Me was playing any earlier we would probably start with that, then do the Twilight movies, but it only has the late time slot. Should still be fun!


----------



## Belle Ella

Sounds like fun! I'm thinking of having a Twilight marathon tomorrow. We'll see. Right now I'm getting ready to sit down and watch Avata with my dad.

And I *think* I am officially done with the summer splanning and focusing on September for my birthday. My dad says he's very confidant we could turn it into a family trip (him, mom, and myself).


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Rob nights are so much fun! And even though Remember Me is a 9/11 movie, you should still try to watch it when it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray. It is a really good movie, and you get to see a different side of his acting. We made it through Twilight, Remember Me, and half of New Moon. By the time we started New Moon, it was after midnight, and we both started a big yawning fest, so we decided it was time to end Rob night. 

Anyways, glad you are still going to be able to go, and glad your Dad seems to be set on going in September. That should be fun!


----------



## Belle Ella

Man, come midnight tonight I will be at work, trying to get through my shift. Heck, it wont even be lunchtime by the time midnight rolls around. That's got me all kinds of depressed now, lol.

I'll definitely rent it when it comes out on DVD, but I'm skipping the ending 

I would love to take a trip with the parents. The last time we all went to Disneyland I was in my "I hate doing everything with my family" phase and I don't remember enjoying it. Of course it was also our one trip during the winter holidays and I have nothing to show for it, which I'm sad about. But it would be fun to show them all of the things I know that they don't. I know my dad would love to see the Lilly Belle or maybe do a tender ride. Plus it would be my best chance at staying on-site since that is where they would prefer to stay is money cooperates. We'll see how everything stands when my sister leaves for College in August!


----------



## Belle Ella

So, I think I have dates!! September 23rd to September 26th!! Which puts the countdown at ... 151 days!

That should definitely give us enough time to close out this thread.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So, I think I have dates!! September 23rd to September 26th!! Which puts the countdown at ... 151 days!
> 
> That should definitely give us enough time to close out this thread.



Without a doubt.  Hey there is still some talk about rearranging a nor cal meet if you are interested.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll drop by and take a look. I'm not super invested in it if certain individuals are going. But I can't say no to finally going to the WDFM since I can't get anybody else to go with me, lol.

How was your weekend?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay for setting some dates! You will be back a few days before I leave. You can let me know what it's like there, lol. Glad you still get to do a trip!


----------



## Belle Ella

Awesome how that works out. Maybe I'll actually get some photos up to share before you leave. But knowing my track record I doubt it, haha.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Even a couple teasers will probably send me over the edge with excitement, if I haven't gotten there already by then!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, I'll make something happen! Just for you, K?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'll drop by and take a look. I'm not super invested in it if certain individuals are going. But I can't say no to finally going to the WDFM since I can't get anybody else to go with me, lol.
> 
> How was your weekend?



Not long enough.  How about yours?  And how about those Sharks?


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, mine wasn't long enough either. I kind of put off some HW too late. Tomorrow's going to fun. Especially since I'm working in the morning so I can't catch up like I normally would. Oh well. You snooze, you loose.

And YAY!! Round 2, here we come. I be happy.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, mine wasn't long enough either. I kind of put off some HW too late. Tomorrow's going to fun. Especially since I'm working in the morning so I can't catch up like I normally would. Oh well. You snooze, you loose.
> 
> And YAY!! Round 2, here we come. I be happy.



Happy is good.


----------



## Belle Ella

Not having to live through a first round exit is good 

OK, I really need to go to bed. I am exhausted. And I have to be at work at 6 tomorrow. Man, working graveyard screws up my system!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not having to live through a first round exit is good
> 
> OK, I really need to go to bed. I am exhausted. And I have to be at work at 6 tomorrow. Man, working graveyard screws up my system!!



Goodnight!!  See you tomorrow.


----------



## Belle Ella

Too bad I barely got any sleep. I don't think I fell asleep until after midnight. So less than 5 hours right there. After only 3 hours of sleep on Sunday morning. After being up since 6 AM on Saturday.

Today is going to be _*fun*_.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I would _love_ a few pictures before I go. That would be awesome, thank you. 

The weekend *did* go by a little too quickly. Yesterday I tried to be lazy in hopes that the day would go by slower, but it didn't work. We got caught up watching episodes of the Big Bang Theory and the day passed before we knew it. Great show though. We watched almost a complete season yesterday!


----------



## wvnative

I can't begin to tell you how many movies went through our DVD player this weekend. lol We were very lazy but still managed to get some stuff done. I could probably have done with one more day though. lol 

I debated going that same weekend in September Jazz, but opted to split the difference between our birthdays instead of being there for hers. Although, we could do hers this year and mine next. lol I want to be there on my birthday next year anyway.

I can see what classes are available for fall as well, but with my financial aid, it's easier if I wait til the end of May to enroll in them. Hopefully I'll be further up their list this year since my FAFSA was submitted in January. I'm actually still waiting to hear about my summer grant. I should know something before the tuition is due though.


----------



## FlameGirl

Hi ladies! 

Drive by!


----------



## Belle Ella

Hi-hi everyone! So, what do you think of this idea: actually trying to get a little more up from June '07  I figure I can post a new update every couple of weeks. It' mostly photos from here on out anyway. I just have to find them first! It makes me miss the Parade of Dreams real bad!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## Belle Ella

I'm sleeeeeeepy!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm sleeeeeeepy!



I have the blues.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> I have the blues.



Hope everything is ok.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hope everything is ok.



Yeah, I guess.  Iamthisclose to canceling our trip.  I am frustrated with my ungrateful children.  I don't even care if I have $1500 wound up into park hoppers.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah, I guess.  Iamthisclose to canceling our trip.  I am frustrated with my ungrateful children.  I don't even care if I have $1500 wound up into park hoppers.



Oh no, that can't happen! That would be such a shame!! I hope it doesn't come to that.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh no, that can't happen! That would be such a shame!! I hope it doesn't come to that.



I am just out of it.  I am sure that my mood will change before I do anything rash that I might regret.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> I am just out of it.  I am sure that my mood will change before I do anything rash that I might regret.



I hope so! Rash decisions in this case will have a bad outcome!! No Disneyland is not a nice thought!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I hope so! Rash decisions in this case will have a bad outcome!! No Disneyland is not a nice thought!



I know.  I just am very frustrated with them and my life right now.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

kaoden39 said:


> I know.  I just am very frustrated with them and my life right now.



Aw, well I hope it gets better soon!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Aw, well I hope it gets better soon!



Thanks.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah, I guess.  Iamthisclose to canceling our trip.  I am frustrated with my ungrateful children.  I don't even care if I have $1500 wound up into park hoppers.



 I'm sorry Michele! I know I've made my parents feel the same way more than my fair share. If only I knew then what I know now. I hope today is better for you!


----------



## wvnative

I feel your pain Michele. There are days when I wish she'd grow up and move out already. Then I stop and remember that she's not always a PIMA. lol

Hope things get better!


----------



## Belle Ella

GRR. I hate stupid group projects. The 3rd and final person in my group didn't email me the info he was supposed to look up so I could send in our assignment. I'm super-mad right now. We've got 2/3 of the info we need and without his our presentation is going to suck and I'm already nervous as it is for having to get up in front of class (funny thing, we're covering the drug I take for my anxiety  looks like I may under it's influence when it's our turn).

Phooey.

Happy Tuesday, all!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh yeah! Just got my last Anthropology exam back! *98*!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's awesome! Good job!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh yeah! Just got my last Anthropology exam back! *98*!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm a happy camper.

But of course class is boring me to tears so I am putting my WiFi to good use. I am a horrible student. But we're talking about Primates and we have an opportunity for some extra cedit to check out some lemurs at the zoo. I'm totally doing it. Yay!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm a happy camper.
> 
> But of course class is boring me to tears so I am putting my WiFi to good use. I am a horrible student. But we're talking about Primates and we have an opportunity for some extra cedit to check out some lemurs at the zoo. I'm totally doing it. Yay!



Sounds fun to me.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too. I love going to the Zoo. Only problem is, he's doing the group thing at the Oakland Zoo which is such a let down for me. I wonder if I can do the assignment on my own at the S.F. Zoo. I could spend all day there!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too. I love going to the Zoo. Only problem is, he's doing the group thing at the Oakland Zoo which is such a let down for me. I wonder if I can do the assignment on my own at the S.F. Zoo. I could spend all day there!



Less bridge toll for Oakland zoo.


----------



## Belle Ella

I guess you gots a point, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I guess you gots a point, lol.



I know.  Thankfully my hair normally covers it.


----------



## Belle Ella

See, now you're recycling old material. You've used that one before.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> See, now you're recycling old material. You've used that one before.



That's what happens when you are old and tired.  Your mind starts to slip and the memory goes and other such excuses.


----------



## Belle Ella

Old and tired? Maybe it's time you retired.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Old and tired? Maybe it's time you retired.



From being a mom to teenagers?  That is an attractive thought right now.


----------



## Belle Ella

Whatever will get you through your day!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Whatever will get you through your day!



Do you think you have to give your kids severance pay if you fire them?


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, since it's not me who'd be getting the exe .... HECK NO!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, since it's not me who'd be getting the exe .... HECK NO!





Well, I am going to go to bed.  Goodnight.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Looks like a whole bunch comedians took over this thread last night. 

I wish we had enough time to check out the San Diego Zoo while we are down in California, but that would mean taking a day out of Disneyland, and I am not sure that I could handle that....


----------



## Belle Ella

Are you including me in this 'group of comedians' talk? I have no sense of humor!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And I know nothing about sarcasm


----------



## wvnative

ooi.. comedy and sarcasm? Two of my all time favorite things. lol

WTG on your test Jazz! I got good news yesterday too. Although classes don't technically end until May 13th, my CIS class meets for the last time on May 4th and my business class is over as soon as I take my final (available Monday) and submit my project which will be done this weekend come hell or high water. I'll be selling back those books on the 4th. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

I live in a house of sarcasm lovers and I'm the only one who's not in on the joke.

Sigh.

I don't want to go to art class today! Or ever again. I wish it was just plain over with.


----------



## Docter419

Completely off topic bella, but I'm pretty scared of the red wings....


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Just think. Art class will be over soon! At least for this year. Are you taking anymore next year? May I ask what it is you are studying for?


----------



## Belle Ella

Docter419 said:


> Completely off topic bella, but I'm pretty scared of the red wings....



I'm trying to think happy thoughts, happy thoughts! But it's hard. I was really hoping not to face the in round 2.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Just think. Art class will be over soon! At least for this year. Are you taking anymore next year? May I ask what it is you are studying for?



I still have more art classes to take, unfortunately. But hopefully no more with this guy. He's a little too intense for my liking. I'm studying digital media and have a couple more digital and non-digital classes I have to take.

Fun, fun times.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Belle Ella said:


> I still have more art classes to take, unfortunately. But hopefully no more with this guy. He's a little too intense for my liking. I'm studying digital media and have a couple more digital and non-digital classes I have to take.
> 
> Fun, fun times.



That sounds really cool. I would love that. At least the digital and art stuff. Maybe not some of the others. There is a 2 year photography program in Calgary I would love to do, but just don't have the money to.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Looks like a whole bunch comedians took over this thread last night.
> 
> I wish we had enough time to check out the San Diego Zoo while we are down in California, but that would mean taking a day out of Disneyland, and I am not sure that I could handle that....



Who us?  I was trying to bring levity into my life.  The San Diego zoo is wonderful.  And there is yet another reason for a next trip to Disneyland.




Belle Ella said:


> Are you including me in this 'group of comedians' talk? I have no sense of humor!



Sure you do!




DisneyStitch626 said:


> And I know nothing about sarcasm







wvnative said:


> ooi.. comedy and sarcasm? Two of my all time favorite things. lol
> 
> WTG on your test Jazz! I got good news yesterday too. Although classes don't technically end until May 13th, my CIS class meets for the last time on May 4th and my business class is over as soon as I take my final (available Monday) and submit my project which will be done this weekend come hell or high water. I'll be selling back those books on the 4th. lol



One of the reasons I fell is love with Scotty is he makes me laugh.  That hasn't changed in almost 18 years of marriage.




Belle Ella said:


> I live in a house of sarcasm lovers and I'm the only one who's not in on the joke.
> 
> Sigh.
> 
> I don't want to go to art class today! Or ever again. I wish it was just plain over with.



Poor thing.  I hoe class went okay.  I am not a great love of that feeling that was what I felt like when I was younger.




Docter419 said:


> Completely off topic bella, but I'm pretty scared of the red wings....



Me too.




Belle Ella said:


> I'm trying to think happy thoughts, happy thoughts! But it's hard. I was really hoping not to face the in round 2.
> 
> 
> 
> I still have more art classes to take, unfortunately. But hopefully no more with this guy. He's a little too intense for my liking. I'm studying digital media and have a couple more digital and non-digital classes I have to take.
> 
> Fun, fun times.



Is he one of those self important individuals?  Arrogant and all?




DisneyStitch626 said:


> That sounds really cool. I would love that. At least the digital and art stuff. Maybe not some of the others. There is a 2 year photography program in Calgary I would love to do, but just don't have the money to.



I am more of a digital art fan too.


----------



## Belle Ella

I think you mentioned that before  I really love photography. It's something I find really peacful and fun at the same time. I got some great shots of my mom's fat cat yesterday that I realy need to edit, but I've been so busy with homework!

OHH! Did you hear the news out of Summit today? Breaking Dawn has a director -- Bill Condon (Dreamgirls).


----------



## kaoden39

Oh and Hi there!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think you mentioned that before  I really love photography. It's something I find really peacful and fun at the same time. I got some great shots of my mom's fat cat yesterday that I realy need to edit, but I've been so busy with homework!
> 
> OHH! Did you hear the news out of Summit today? Breaking Dawn has a director -- Bill Condon (Dreamgirls).



And I think that you are good at it too!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Awz. You makes me blush. Thankies.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Awz. You makes me blush. Thankies.



Just the facts mam!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Just the facts mam!!



HAHA! I can just picture my dad saying that in his hippie voice. Wonderful.

OK, so I have no idea what I did but by the end of class today I was feeling so sick to my stomach. Not good. My sister has been sick the past two weeks. I do not want to get what she has.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> HAHA! I can just picture my dad saying that in his hippie voice. Wonderful.
> 
> OK, so I have no idea what I did but by the end of class today I was feeling so sick to my stomach. Not good. My sister has been sick the past two weeks. I do not want to get what she has.



Oh I hope you aren't getting sick.  I don't like being sick.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh I hope you aren't getting sick.  I don't like being sick.



Me neither. I'm a miserable sickly girl.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me neither. I'm a miserable sickly girl.



I was so sick for so long that just the slightest problem with my stomach and I kind of freak out on the inside.  I have a hernia again and Scotty is totally freaking over it.


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## DisneyStitch626

I hope it's nothing too serious Michele. Get better!

Yay! Hopefully they are finally going to start filming Breaking Dawn soon!! There is going to be such a big gap between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, and I don't know if I can wait that long!


----------



## kaoden39

Thanks guys.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hope ya'll are having a great Thursday!

I just did my group presentation on Ativan (which I take). We got a lot of questions -- directed at me! Because I just had to research a drug that I take.

Fun.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hope ya'll are having a great Thursday!
> 
> I just did my group presentation on Ativan (which I take). We got a lot of questions -- directed at me! Because I just had to research a drug that I take.
> 
> Fun.



Howdy!!

Sounds just like a ball.  Not.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

My Thursday has turned out well because I now have tomorrow off! Gotta love those random days off cause of overtime!!

That kinda sucks that you had to be center of attention just because you take that drug!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> My Thursday has turned out well because I now have tomorrow off! Gotta love those random days off cause of overtime!!
> 
> That kinda sucks that you had to be center of attention just because you take that drug!



Woohoo for Friday off!!  I wish that we had Friday off.  I would love to sleep in.  Maybe I will get to sleep in on Saturday.


----------



## Belle Ella

Gotta love Thursdays giving you a better Friday. I got so much work done this morning that I got my shift shortened tomorrow. I only have to be there 4 hours. And I need it!


----------



## kaoden39

That's great!!  Gotta love it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Maybe I'll take a trip to Starbucks since I have the time. I really shouldn't. But I might. Normally I would be out the door right now.


----------



## Belle Ella

By the way ...  GO SHARKS ... game 1 is in the bag. Let's keep that rolling.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am up at 7....on my day off...I have no idea why....oh well! Starbucks sounds good! Maybe I will make a trip there too!

I was planning on going to the scrapbook store and seeing what kind of Disney stuff they have. I want to start collecting stuff for the scrapbook I don't have pictures for.....yet!

My hockey team didn't make it to the playoffs this year, so I have no one to cheer for.


----------



## Belle Ella

You should cheer for my Sharks :rofl: And my other team to root for when I can't for the Sharks is anyone who isn't the Red Wings!

So the whole reason I wanted to go to Starbucks was for their bannan chocolate chip muffins. They are *delicious*!


----------



## Belle Ella

I am in such a good mood right now. I may have a tag-along for sure for this trip! The one and only cousin that I have that I actually get along with and I have been talking about an October trip together since we both got our licenses. I saw her post something on Facebook the other day about getting her GAD voucher and it got me thinking -- when is she going?!?!

I just got off the phone with her and she would be super, super stoaked about this trip and after I rattled off some prices to her and the 5 days for the price of 3 promotion that the trip will fall under she definitely thinks she can do it! And if my dad (and/or mom) does end up going it would be great to have her around as well. Plus 2 days of GAD fast passes instead of just 1!

I would so love for her to go! We hardly ever get to hang out anymore!

Still no word on if Nameless will be attending 

And in other news, the dates have been chose: September 23rd (Thursday) to September 27th (Monday)!

Please send some  pixie dust  that the HoJo will have their Entertainment rate up for those dates. Unless my parents go, that's where I would like to stay although I will be keeping an eye out for better deals.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Mini Tour Time*
June 18, 2007​
Somehow, despite the car drama and my sister damaging my baby, I actually managed to get some sleep considering I had to wake up extra early if I wanted to be ready to leave early and in turn arrive at the Parks as close to opening as I actually could. I also learned a new lesson: gas stations do not open up early enough for me! This just goes to show you how early I was trying to leave San Diego.

The drive was uneventful, which is a great thing when you normally get lost at almost every turn! Then again, it was just the freeway 

I think I had two goals for this, my third and final Disney day of 2007: Get photos with all of the Princesses and get as many sign/land photos as I could. But considering how small my memory cards were back then, that doesn't add up to the insane numbers that I can snap now.

Oh, and how could I forget the Parade of Dreams? Again!

So we'll start with my brief tour of half of Main Street:



































And then continue into what is usually (but no longer) one of my least-visited Lands ...




















I cannot believe I didn't go on this!

















































So I _did_ go on one ride in Tomorrowland that day -- just one -- Autopia. Say what you want about it, it's a favorite of mine and always will be. When I was younger it was just so exciting to be able to 'drive' seeing as I couldn't out in the (non) real world just yet. 

Now, here's something I find funny. I hear that Buzz Lightyear is a pretty usual find roaming around Tomorrowland, yet the one and only time I have ever spotted this character was on a day when I was trying to breeze through the Land to get my sign photos and get out rather than my last two trips where I saw hide nor hair and actually spent considerable time in Tomorrowland.

Go figure!

Now I just wish I had stopped for a photo. There's a character to add to my *must-not-forget* list. I should probably start it now.

*Coming Up:* Princesses & Fantasyland ​


----------



## Belle Ella

*Pretty Pretty Princess(es)*
June 18, 2007​
You may find this crazy, but *yes* I stood in line for the Princess Fantasy Faire a grand total of twice in one day! It shouldn't be hard to believe. I'm fairly certain I did the same thing during one of my 2009 trips at least once. I easily would have gone back for round number 3 since a certain Princess still eluded me, but I never made it back. But getting to see my 7 Princesses for those two extremely long waits (this was the first summer that they were doing the PFF) was what I wanted!

And up, I was totally getting autographs 

I even hung around to catch a little of the Coronation Ceremony and storytelling they had.















I can spot my sunburn!!


































Now here's something that I miss, the _*other*_ Ariel's Grotto that is no more. It was replaced by Pixie Hollow, which is great and all but for a girl who isn't so keen on Tinkerbell and her friends, I miss the old set up!



















And what fun would it be visiting the Princesses without a stroll through Fantasyland, and even an encounter with *EVILL*!!!



















What was next to do? Find the perfect spot for the Parade of Dreams! And guess who decided to drop by? Why, everyone's favorite Peter Pan, of course!






*Coming Up:* Parade of Dreams, revisited​


----------



## Belle Ella

*I dream a Parade of Dreams*
June 18, 2010​
I will let the photos do all the talking this time 'round! But I sure do miss the Parade of Dreams!























































































































I wish there was much more than this to share, but I have to say that this is the end of all that was Disneyland of my SoCal venture in June 2007! It's always hard to leave and I couldn't even stay until dark before the drive back to San Diego, I was just so beat! But I did get some face time with one of my favorite characters on my way out!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Sea World & Goodbye*
June 19-20, 2009​
After the last of my 3 days at Disneyland I still had a few options on my CityPass left and 1 day of fun in San Diego before I would need to be heading home and back to that not-so real world that included my job! After a long drive from Disneyland back to the beach house and a not-quite-long enough night of sleep my family and I spent the day at Sea World! It was a great day, I love marine animals and could watch them all day if I could. And I got my photo taken with a dolphin named Kenobi!











*A Navy Seal!*


















It was a great day and a fun way to end out the week. I had to drive back home the next day, 1 day earlier than the rest of my family, since I had to get to work. Boo-hoo! Funnily enough on my drive home my dad was driving down to Monterrey to go the the Aquarium!

And sadly, but truly, that is the end of my summer 2007 vacation!!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

Look! I finally finished it!! Aren't you proud of me?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Look! I finally finished it!! Aren't you proud of me?



Yes, I am very proud of you.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yes, I am very proud of you.



 I am too. I only put it off forever and ever and ever!

Anyone wanna place a bet as to whether or not I can start and finish up my July '06 trip photos before September?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am too. I only put it off forever and ever and ever!
> 
> Anyone wanna place a bet as to whether or not I can start and finish up my July '06 trip photos before September?



I don't know....Yes, actually I am sure that you will.


----------



## Belle Ella

I think I will. It would make what I want to do for the next installment of my never-ending thread *when* this one fills up -- because it will.

Happy Saturday, everyone!


----------



## kaoden39

Happy Saturday!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Are you doing anything today?


----------



## DizNee Luver

Hope you have a great weekend!!!  I'm living in a sick ward & hoping I'm over it....now to get the twins better before Mike & Addy come down with it.....yuck!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Are you doing anything today?



Loren has a band review today so my day will built around that.



DizNee Luver said:


> Hope you have a great weekend!!!  I'm living in a sick ward & hoping I'm over it....now to get the twins better before Mike & Addy come down with it.....yuck!



Yuck!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> Hope you have a great weekend!!!  I'm living in a sick ward & hoping I'm over it....now to get the twins better before Mike & Addy come down with it.....yuck!



 Oh noes! Hope everyone feels better soon!



kaoden39 said:


> Loren has a band review today so my day will built around that.



Well, I hope it ends up being a good day! Now, may I ask what a band review is?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh noes! Hope everyone feels better soon!
> 
> 
> 
> Well, I hope it ends up being a good day! Now, may I ask what a band review is?



It's a band competition.  He plays the trombone, in concert band, jazz band, and he marches in the band.


----------



## Belle Ella

Ahhhh! Okie dokie, I get it. Sounds like it could be an interesting day then.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Loved the rest of the TR! Love all your pictures!!

I am living in a sick ward as well today, with the sick person being myself! But it's really nice outside today, so I was thinking of maybe spending the day out there!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay! I'm glad I finally got it finished. I do still have 1 more trip's worth of photos to share from June 2006, which was my first semi-solo trip (meaning without the parents) which was a salvaged vacation all in big thanks to *Frick's* mom.

I'm sorry to hear you aren't feel well though! No fun!


----------



## kaoden39

I missed his jazz performance where he has a solo.  I am going to go back to watch him march.  I will get another chance to see him perform his solo again.


----------



## eeyore_adorer

Belle Ella said:


> Yay! I'm glad I finally got it finished. I do still have 1 more trip's worth of photos to share from June 2006, which was my first semi-solo trip (meaning without the parents) which was a salvaged vacation all in big thanks to *Frick's* mom.
> 
> 
> Yes, it was a nice trip, wasn't it. I'm glad that you and your sister were able to join us.
> 
> It should be as interesting to read this trip report as were all your others.
> 
> 
> Frick's Mom


----------



## Belle Ella

eeyore_adorer said:


> Yes, it was a nice trip, wasn't it. I'm glad that you and your sister were able to join us.
> 
> It should be as interesting to read this trip report as were all your others.
> 
> 
> Frick's Mom



Aww! Hiya. We really, really, really loved that you invited us along.  Thank you, thank you again.

Too bad I never could have done a TR for it way back when. I might actually remember more of it. I do have very clear memories of us eating lunch and waiting for Captain Jack to pop up. Just another reason why this September's TR had better start sooner rather than later. So I never forget everything.

And I just found my stash of photos. Maybe I'll start tomorrow. Except that I really need to work on my final art project. It's so hard for me to start working on this thing.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw! Here's something sad that I just realized. Frick and I never did see Aladdin while we were there in September. Now that I'm not going in July I'll never get to see it again since it's going dark in August! Just over a month before we'll be there.

** moment of silence **


----------



## eeyore_adorer

Belle Ella said:


> Aw! Here's something sad that I just realized. Frick and I never did see Aladdin while we were there in September. Now that I'm not going in July I'll never get to see it again since it's going dark in August! Just over a month before we'll be there.
> 
> ** moment of silence **



I didn't realize it was going dark. I've never seen the show and since we're going in June, I'll have to make sure that we see it.


----------



## Belle Ella

eeyore_adorer said:


> I didn't realize it was going dark. I've never seen the show and since we're going in June, I'll have to make sure that we see it.



How exciting you're going again this summer! I was going to be there in July but plans kind of fell through and in the end I kind of decided to go for a late birthday trip that should fall at the start of Halloween season.

But yeah, Aladdin is ending on August 15 and a new show will be opening next Spring (it's supposed to be the Toy Story musical they've done on the Cruise Line). Definitely check it out while you're there! It's amazing (as *Frick* well knows )


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## eeyore_adorer

Yes, I'm looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get away for a while. It was kind of a last minute thing, as I really had no plans to go again this year. But, when Disney offered up their 5 nights-for-3 , I knew I couldn't resist. So, we're going to stay at the GCH and make a vacation of it. We might go to Club 33 again, but this time I'd like to have dinner there.

Knowing that this is the last time that we'll be seeing Alladin, I'm sure Frick will take lots of photos.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love the 5-for-3 summer deal. It's a big reason why I was planning for 5 days instead of 3. And it gives me an excuse to use my Give-A-Day voucher for fast passes rather than admisssion. I'm trying to talk mom and dad into going. Dad seems to be interested but doesn't want to talk about it now. If so, I hope he'd loke to stay on site. I love the GCH. It's so, so, so much like my grandfather's style of woodworking so it always remindsme of his house. We stayed there as a family back in '03 for Christmas and loved it. I even splurged for one night and one night only for the summer I went by myself the first time. But for now, I'm just planning to stick to the HoJo and saving my money for everything else I'd love to do.

You guys did Club 33 for lunch last summer, right? It's got to be even more amazing at night for dinner. Especially if you get the chance to watch any of Fantasmic.

Some day I'd love to eat there. Talk about memorable.

I hope it does the trick for you. Sometimes we all really do need to just get away.


----------



## kaoden39




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## Belle Ella

So how was the rest of the day for you?

Would it surprise you if I said that I didn't get any sleep? Yay for another graveyard and 24+ hour day.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So how was the rest of the day for you?
> 
> Would it surprise you if I said that I didn't get any sleep? Yay for another graveyard and 24+ hour day.



One graveyard shift a week is rough on a person.  

Loren's band did well, they won almost everything.


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## eeyore_adorer

Well, I hope your parents decide to go with you. I'm lucky that Frick likes to still hang out with me (sometimes) and vice-versa. It makes for some nice memories to look back on and I'll take them as long as I can. Either way, have fun on your upcoming trip. 

In spite of your differences, you and Frick were good friends and you were nice to have around. But, things change, life goes on and people move on. Please be kind in future trip reports. You have a knack for telling a great story, without the need for much else to be thrown in. 

I'll always remember the little girl you once were and the young woman that you have become. I wish you all the best with your life and wherever it takes you. I can't speak for Frick, but I'm sure she feels the same and wishes you no ill-will.


Frick's mom


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## DizNee Luver

Bummer you won't get to see Aladdin one more time!!  It really is a fabulous show & I'm not sure Toy Story will fill it's shoes very well.


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## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> Bummer you won't get to see Aladdin one more time!!  It really is a fabulous show & I'm not sure Toy Story will fill it's shoes very well.



I don't see how TS can either, but I figure I'll hold the final verdict until I can see it for myself. At least I _did_ to see Aladdin at all. And I got some grat photos from it to boot.



eeyore_adorer said:


> Well, I hope your parents decide to go with you. I'm lucky that Frick likes to still hang out with me (sometimes) and vice-versa. It makes for some nice memories to look back on and I'll take them as long as I can. Either way, have fun on your upcoming trip.
> 
> In spite of your differences, you and Frick were good friends and you were nice to have around. But, things change, life goes on and people move on. Please be kind in future trip reports. You have a knack for telling a great story, without the need for much else to be thrown in.
> 
> I'll always remember the little girl you once were and the young woman that you have become. I wish you all the best with your life and wherever it takes you. I can't speak for Frick, but I'm sure she feels the same and wishes you no ill-will.
> 
> 
> Frick's mom



 I know I never have and never will wish her no ill-will. 20+ years is a long, long time to know someone. I hope your trip is fun and more.



kaoden39 said:


> One graveyard shift a week is rough on a person.
> 
> Loren's band did well, they won almost everything.



It is, it really is. But at least I wont be doing it forever. Too bad I've already been doing it longer than I ever intended too in the first place. Such is life when you are still somewhat clueless what you want to do when you 'grow up'.

I'm glad to hear his band did so well! Awesome 



So, I've already managed to upload half of the July '06 photos. So I'll probably start sharing them later this week. They'll all be up tonight but I really need to do _something with my art project! Other than the grid that my dad had to help me with.  I've decided I'm going to watch all of my Disney Princess movies while I work._


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## kaoden39

I love princess movies.


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## Belle Ella

Me too! Shocking, right?


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too! Shocking, right?



I swear who would have guessed???


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## Belle Ella

Not me, that's for sure! Do you think maybe I like Snow White to boot?


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not me, that's for sure! Do you think maybe I like Snow White to boot?



No way!!  You're kidding me??


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> No way!!  You're kidding me??



What does a baby goat have to do with anything?


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> What does a baby goat have to do with anything?



Go Sharks!!  2-1


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Go Sharks!!  2-1



 Oh yeah! Do you get versus? Are you watching it now? I don't get the channel so the best I got is keeping up with the live blog.

Blech.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh yeah! Do you get versus? Are you watching it now? I don't get the channel so the best I got is keeping up with the live blog.
> 
> Blech.



Yeah, we do, and it is a good thing.  Versus is about the only channel you can find bicycle races.  Detroit just scored making it 2-2.


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## Belle Ella

Ah, that would be a great channel for you to have!

I usually don't mind not having versus. I don't particularly like their hosckey broadcasts. But come playoff time, boy does it suck!

GRRR.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ah, that would be a great channel for you to have!
> 
> I usually don't mind not having versus. I don't particularly like their hosckey broadcasts. But come playoff time, boy does it suck!
> 
> GRRR.



It is a good channel for us, that way WBG gets his bicycle racing fix.


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## Belle Ella

*Whoooooooooo!*


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *Whoooooooooo!*



I couldn't have said it better myself!!


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## Belle Ella

That totally makes up for me not being able to watch the game. The series is 2-0 now. Yay.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That totally makes up for me not being able to watch the game. The series is 2-0 now. Yay.



I know.  A little breathing room.  Thank goodness.


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## Belle Ella

You can say that again!

Yay! So I finished uploading all of the photos. I'll probably start it tomorrow night after art since I'll probably be working on my project somemore tomorrow morning. I did get a lot of my art HW done today though, so that's good.

And I totally just found an old disc of photos that Frick and I had taken at Point Reyes. All the way back from June 2008. Wow. There's a lot of random photos that I realized I've been missing until today. Crazy.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You can say that again!
> 
> Yay! So I finished uploading all of the photos. I'll probably start it tomorrow night after art since I'll probably be working on my project somemore tomorrow morning. I did get a lot of my art HW done today though, so that's good.
> 
> And I totally just found an old disc of photos that Frick and I had taken at Point Reyes. All the way back from June 2008. Wow. There's a lot of random photos that I realized I've been missing until today. Crazy.



I love Point Reyes.  There are so many beaches that you can visit and enjoy.  We love camping near there at Samuel P Taylor state park.  It has a grove of redwoods and it is beautiful.


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## Belle Ella

We used to go to Point Reyes frequently when I was a kid. We usually go to Drakes Beach. And it wouldn't be an outing if we didn't stop by the Rouge et Noir Cheese Factory. Yum. Yum. It completes our picnic.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We used to go to Point Reyes frequently when I was a kid. We usually go to Drakes Beach. And it wouldn't be an outing if we didn't stop by the Rouge et Noir Cheese Factory. Yum. Yum. It completes our picnic.



Samuel P Taylor is on Sir Francis Drake blvd, not much before the cheese factory going towards Point Reyes.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Samuel P Taylor is on Sir Francis Drake blvd, not much before the cheese factory going towards Point Reyes.



Well I learned something new today. My dad and sister would love to do that. I'm not much of a camping person though


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well I learned something new today. My dad and sister would love to do that. I'm not much of a camping person though



I would recommend reservations.  As far as camping goes it is a nice place, there are showers with hot water.  Always a favorite of mine.


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## Belle Ella

Yeah, hot showers would be great great great. I can't remember the last time anyone in my family really went camping. My dad usually takes one vacation a year and it's usually been for Burning Man the past few years now. But he's not going this year, part of why I'm hoping he'll go for Disneyland with me! But with me and camping, I need running water and a bathroom. Which isn't camping according to my sister.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, hot showers would be great great great. I can't remember the last time anyone in my family really went camping. My dad usually takes one vacation a year and it's usually been for Burning Man the past few years now. But he's not going this year, part of why I'm hoping he'll go for Disneyland with me! But with me and camping, I need running water and a bathroom. Which isn't camping according to my sister.



I think it is the only way to camp.  I figure it is enough that I am sleeping in a tent, I also want a hot shower and a toilet that flushes.


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## Belle Ella

Here, here!

Speaking of sleaping in a tent, and other things I wont be doing tonight: staying online much longer! I've got to get ready for sleep. Got a couple of early morning errands I have to run. Ciao!


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Here, here!
> 
> Speaking of sleaping in a tent, and other things I wont be doing tonight: staying online much longer! I've got to get ready for sleep. Got a couple of early morning errands I have to run. Ciao!



Me too.  I need to go to Target tomorrow.


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## Belle Ella

I like the sound of that!

Happy Monday. If there ever is such a thing.


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## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I like the sound of that!
> 
> Happy Monday. If there ever is such a thing.



And I was at Target yesterday too.


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## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> And I was at Target yesterday too.



If you aren't careful you'll live there ... like me!


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## wvnative

I was at Target the other day too. Of course, we rarely go anywhere else. haha I only went for, golly I can't remember, I want to say laundry soap but I'm pretty sure that's not it. Anyway, I had the kid with me so she ended up with other stuff she needed for her trip.


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## Belle Ella

I've always shopped at Target. It's part of why I applied when I was out looking for my first job. Now I just shop there even more even though I try not too. I see everything there and it's hard not to buy things sometimes.

Did ya'll see any of our Disney dinnerware? Not the kids ones  I want them, bad.


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## DisneyStitch626

Did I hear Disney dinnerware??? What is it like? I don't think there are Target's in Canada, at least not where I live. But dinnerware would be cool!


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## Belle Ella

EEE! I love your new signature!

And yes, I said Disney dinnerware. It's just plastic stuff, but it's not the little kiddie plates! I freaked out when I first saw them in our store. There's a Mickey Mouse set, Alice in Wonderland set, and a Bambi set. I think there's one more but I can't forget it. Dinner plates, cups, bowls, serving trays and aluminum bottles that are all sold individually.

I'm trying to see if I can find them on the website.


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## DisneyStitch626

Awe, even though I haven't seen them yet, I have a feeling I am going to fall in love with the Mickey set!

And thank you on the signature. I was doing some spring cleaning and decided to take out all my Stitches I have collected over the years. They've been in a storage container since we moved a year ago, and thought it was finally time to let them free! lol.


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## DisneyStitch626

Except for the front middle one in the Flames Jersey. He is my original that I bought before the movie was even released in the theatres. I doubt he has even seen the inside of a box! Lol. He sits on my bed every day, even though I am close to 30 years old!


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## Belle Ella

Well, I wasn't going to say anything 'bout the Flames jersey, but since you mentioned it ... I want one for Thumper! TOo bad Stitch is more widely avaialable. I think my Thumper plush collection consists of no more than 5 or 6. It makes me sad.

So I couldn't find them online. Lame-o. I've been debating about when I'm going to buy them. If I'm going to buy them. I have to wait until this Thurs/Fri when I get paid regardless, but I was hoping they might go on sale (no such luck and I have been lkeeping my eye out) or maybe even clearance this week since they got taken down from their full endcap. It's so hard because by the time I do, I bet out stock is going to be crazy low.


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## DisneyStitch626

Can you put them on hold until you get paid? Do they let you do that there?

That's too bad about Thumper. I see him once in a while at the Disney Store here, but I can't recall how many versions of him there were. I have been wanting to get a Thumper actually. But I didn't see him the last time I was there. I would like a Jiminy Cricket too.

As for the jersey, I got it at Build A Bear Workshop. So if you have one of those near you, you should check it out.


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## Belle Ella

Naw, we don't do layaway. I wish we did sometimes, but oh well. I always check to make sure they are sitll there though. And luckily the clearance/sale stuff is my department so I'll know as soon as it gets marked down, if it does. And then I'll be all over it. If it weren't for the taxes out of my checking account right now I would go and get them today but they still haven't taken out my stupid state taxes yet. It's annoying and I don't want to accidentally overdraw because I totally would. I forget sometimes 

All of the Thumpers I see at the Disney store I already have. But I go in and check whenever I'm there! I'm not sure about any Build-a-Bears in the area, but I'll have to look into that. It would be good for Thumper!


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## DisneyStitch626

That's too bad that you can't do layaway. Good that it's your department though, so you can keep an eye on them.

The taxes stuff seems like kind of a pain. I am glad we don't have to do that here. Whatever taxes we have to pay, just come off our pay checks. And then of course theres the 5% gst (government service tax) that gets added onto everything we purchase. Except food products.

The jerseys are really cute. They actually come in a full set with pants and a helmet, but they didn't look good on him, so I just kept the jersey. Fit perfectly! It's been on him for about 6 years, lol. I took it off him the other day, and he just looked funny, so I put it back on! I was just in a Build A Bear a couple weeks ago, and they still sell them. Maybe you can look in the DTD Build A Bear, if you can spare the few minutes out of the parks!


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## Belle Ella

I have a feeling DTD would have Ducks stuff if anything. YUCK. I'd buy it, but only to burn it. 

EUGH. I have no motivation to start on this art project. And very little time to get it done compared to our others. So, so not cool.


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## DisneyStitch626

I bet they'll have a few different kinds. I saw Toronto Maple Leafs (puke), Vancouver Canucks (bigger puke) and Edmonton Oilers (biggest puke) at the one in Calgary. So I bet Sharks is there. Or maybe they have a site you can order from?

It's hard to get motivation to do homework. Actually I think art and comm tech (our high school photography/silkscreening/photoshop class) are the only classes I didn't need any motivation in homework.


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## DisneyStitch626

Well I did a little bit of searching on their site, and there seems to be Ducks, but no Sharks. 

http://www.buildabear.com/shop/browsecategory.aspx?Category=NHL&SiteCode=BABW_US


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## Belle Ella

That is so lame! It's not even like the Sharks are a nobody-team. Makes me mad. My dad wouldn't mind if sweet little Thumper was sporting a Bruins jersey though.

If only this was an art class. I never need to be pushed to take photos. But this whole art thing has me seriously ... I can't think of the word I'm looking for. Unconfident? I don't know. It's just not helping my self-esteem any, I can tell you that.


----------



## kaoden39

We have a build a bear in our mall.  My nieces MIL is the manager, I should have Stephanie ask her about it.


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## DisneyStitch626

Well you have been doing good on all your projects so far, that should help boost the confidence, shouldn't it?

On that last one, where you had to draw the shell and the one after where you had to draw the woman, did they ask you to draw that particular picture, or is that just the one you picked? My art classes seemed to be much more about using your own creative side. I have to admit a few of my drawings in my short-lived general studies program, included the mouse. But we were always asked to do just a general task, such as draw a room in 3 dimensional, or 2 dimensional. But the room could be whatever you wanted. I got more confidence knowing it was something I created, and not drawing the same thing everyone else was drawing.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> We have a build a bear in our mall.  My nieces MIL is the manager, I should have Stephanie ask her about it.



Sounds like a good idea 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well you have been doing good on all your projects so far, that should help boost the confidence, shouldn't it?
> 
> On that last one, where you had to draw the shell and the one after where you had to draw the woman, did they ask you to draw that particular picture, or is that just the one you picked? My art classes seemed to be much more about using your own creative side. I have to admit a few of my drawings in my short-lived general studies program, included the mouse. But we were always asked to do just a general task, such as draw a room in 3 dimensional, or 2 dimensional. But the room could be whatever you wanted. I got more confidence knowing it was something I created, and not drawing the same thing everyone else was drawing.



It might boost the confidence if it weren't for how the projects make me feel. The best way I can describe it is that any time I am drawing I get depressed. It doesn't make me happy, I don't find it fun. It stresses me out and I just hate it. It's enough to make me really rethink this whole digital media thing if I have to take any more drawing/painting classes as a requirement. Which is sad.

As for the assignments, we get the theme/topic of each piece but we get to actually pick what we draw. I got to choose the shell for the shell drawing. I got to go find a master's sketch that I wanted to reproduce. Actually, I had to find three and the class voted on which of the three each individual brought they would be doing. So we all did something different. And with this assignment we got to pick the photo of ourselves we're doing. Mine is from me at Disneyland. It's the only thing I like about this assignment. Me holding my dole whip float! Yum.

I have decided that I don't care that I didn't work on it at home outside of making my grid. It probably wont go so well when my Mr. B wants to know why it's a rather blank piece of paper but I would rather start on it with supervision and then block out a few hours at home for the rest of the week to work on it since I don't start class until 4 tomorrow and Wednesday and don't have to work either. I figure if I put in a couple of hours both days it will make up for the weekend. As long as I get it done, right?

I don't know how the painting one is going to work out. We had to paint color wheels and let's just say mine looks like a kindergartner painted it. I mentioned to my art BFF that the number one rule of painting is that *jazz should not be allowed to* and I meant it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I always enjoyed drawing as long as it was something I wanted to draw. I used to just sit and draw while watching my Disney movies when I was younger. I drew the cover to the Snow White VHS once, I think that's the one I spent the most time on. Mickey was always something I was drawing, but I would spend hours on him, because if his ears weren't exactly right, they weren't good enough. I am too much of a perfectionist when it comes to that, so it always took me forever. 

I haven't drawn since I broke 3 of my fingers a few years ago. I had to teach myself how to hold a pen again, and I get cramped up if I write too long, so I can't do it anymore. 

I will admit though that I still enjoyed photography more!


----------



## Belle Ella

See, the whole me hating it so much makes it impossible for me to spend a long time on one drawing unless I'm being forced to (like an assignment). And I am a bit of a perfectionsit too so it's just so so so hard.

Oh well. I'll be happy when I don't have to draw again for a very, very, very long time.

How'd you break 3 fingers? Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I could go on and on here. I can't imagine trying to train myself to hold a pen/pencil all over again. I think I would have given up.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It was my first and last piggy back ride. The guy who was carrying me decided to run, and he slipped on some gravel and I flew off of him, and then somehow he landed on top of me. My first ever broken bones and my first ever stitches. I had to get surgery to get pins put in my fingers. After 6 weeks with pins, my fingers kinda froze in the straight position. I still can't bend them at the second knuckle. Just enough to hold a pen. Just my luck that I had to break my writing hand. I've tried physio, but it's too time consuming with a full time job, and I can't really afford a part time job, so straight they stay! I've been told that to do anything now, after almost 4 years, will probably require another surgery, so I have been putting it off!


----------



## Belle Ella

I would be putting it off too! At least a small consolation is just how widespread computer use is nowadays. It's got to be a lot easier to type with straight fingers thand write anything by hand! Imagine if it were't an option for anything!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

So true! Definitely easier to type, than to write. 

I have learned to use it as it is, so it doesn't bother me too much most of the time. My job sometimes requires a lot of writing, depending on the project size. Right now I am doing a big one, so it's taking me longer than it should, cause I have to keep taking breaks. I was told that I am almost definitely going to have arthritis in them when I get older. Not looking forward to that! Oh well, not much I can do about it!

It would probably stop me from being able to take any drawing classes though, so if I decide to get into school in the future, I better make sure I don't have to do that.


----------



## Belle Ella

I repeat -- OUCH!

In all honesty, the only bone I've ever really broken was my pinkie toe. Why? Because I kicked a wall on accident as I was running to answer the phone. I don't think I'm cut out to ever break anything major. I think it might kill me -- I'm that big of a baby!

By the way, the PTR introduction for July '06 should be coming along within the hour!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Belle Ella time travel take 2!*
... because once is never enough ...​
Talking about recent trips is _soooo_ yesterday. Didn't you know? I've already gone back to the good ol' summer of 2007 for a Disneyland and San Diego fiesta but now it's time to go back even further to the summer of 2006! I know, I know, it's not vintage Disney -- but it's the oldest you'll get out of me if you want pics to prove it! So let's get crackin'!

​
*Who?*

Me, myself, miss Belle Ella a.k.a. Jazz a.k.a. *Frack*. It's hard to believe this, but at the height of this trip I was only a mere 19 years old! Tagging along for the ride would be the little sister who from here on out shall be forever known as *Miss Lumberjack* (she's leaving us for Humboldt this summer). But of course, in the scheme of things, we were the tagalongs for this vacation! It would not have been possible without the *Frick* and the mother of Frick. Ummz. And because I am having a nickname meltdown once more she will be referred to as *MOF*.

And of course, this will be a sad, lonely PTR for the simple fact that there is not one awesomely-colorful-photo to speak of! For shame.

*What?*

And here I thought we had been over this before. This is what we call a Pre-Trip Report (PTR).Even if it's a short one. You need to be informed on the pre-trip details, methinks!

Wait! Is it still considered "pre-trip" if you are writing about the pre-trip, long after the trip occurred? Or is that just trippy? 

*Where?*

What a silly question to even ask. This *is* the DIS is it not? The ultimate Disney planning community? And this *is* the Disneyland Trip Report board is it not? Ill let you be the judge!

But I guess I could share the site location if you wanted me to be more specific. The. Disneyland. Hotel.  My first (and so far only) stay there, actually.

*When?*

July 2006! So we're going back 4 years here, people! The exact dates elude me, but I do know that I was there on Disneyland's 51st Anniversary, July 17. Is it not enough to know that it was during peak-season in the middle of the summer?

*Why?*

So this trip really all started by accident. My grandmother, who just happens to be my closest friend in the whole wide world, had recently moved from California to Texas of all places to be closest to her daughter and the next wave of grandchildren as my sister and I were both growing up. I took the move very hard because she and I are very close and I didn't want to give her up. But sadly, I didn't have a say in the matter. I wanted to go visit her and July 2006 seemed like the perfect time to go as my (biological) dad's whole family was going to be there including him and my little siblings, but a recent and horrible flight to and from Colorado had solidified my resolve to die before I got anywhere near an airport so that left me with very few options, driving myself being the one that made the most sense. Unfortunately this decision did not sit well with a few members of my family. It was literally the first and only time I have ever witnessed (well, heard) my mother get into an argument with my dad or my grandfather. Simply put everyone's concerns over my sister and I driving there had me severely freaked out and it got to a point where I had to make a really hard call for me.

My summer were canceled only a mere few weeks before I was set to leave. You have to love family drama.

The birth of the Disneyland trip came about during a distraught conversation with *Frick* about the whole fiasco. I would hate to think that I forced the idea at all, but when it was brought up that *MOF* was offering for *Miss Lumberjack* and myself to come and stay with them on their vacation so long as we could provide ourselves with park hoppers I don't think it would have been physically possible for me to turn it down. Not to mention how beautifully the timing worked out on my end that they would be at Disneyland during the time I had already requested off from work so I could go to Teaxs.

And so, after lots of discussions, it was really going to happen! My sister and I would drive down a day or two after they had arrived and would stay with them for a couple of days, and then return a day or two before they did. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am usually a big baby too. I think I took all that chaos pretty well considering! I think the only reason I cried when it happened is because my friend wouldn't let me look at my hand, so I was panicking. I think I was in shock or something, so I didn't feel much pain. I actually had an ear ache last year that was 10 times worse than 3 broken fingers.

They just said on the radio that the band Kiss is now more recognizable in pop culture than Mickey Mouse! As if!!

Yay for a PTR! I am looking forward to it! I could look at pictures of DL all day. I subscribed to the Disneyland Photo of the day threads, and I love them. On Windows 7, you can set your wallpapers to change every so often, and so I just saved a bunch of pictures from that site so everytime I go on my laptop it's a different picture of DL.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Good start!


----------



## Belle Ella

There will be lots of pictures, as per always! I can guarantee that. This TR will be a lot more photos than dialogue since I don't remember the details all that well. I'll probably o posts based on lands rather than days this time around since I have no idea what I did on what days. One of the cameras that I used hadn't had the time date set so it said this trip started on January 1st. HA!!

I should go through my Disneyland collection on Flickr and see how many I actually have.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Doing it in sections sounds cool!

If there is still a date (even though it is wrong) couldn't you still follow it in order? It would just start Jan 1st to 4th or however long your stay was.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll see. I haven't actually looked at the metadata to see how it worked out or if it kept resetting itself. Decisions, decisions!

Okie dokes. Gotta leave for Art. Let's hope I'm still alive tonight!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Good luck!


----------



## kaoden39

I have broken bones before and it is no fun.  I would rather bite the bullet and do the art.  And I don't have the art instinct unless I am using thread or yarn.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, it's progressing well enough. At least I'm doing the assignment correctly. But I only got 9 squares done during our 2 1/2 hour class  That is, 9 squares out of about 256.


----------



## Belle Ella

Odly enough, I apparantly have 4 days of photos from July '06 -- ranging from the 14the to the 17th. And yet, my park hopper was only for 3 days. Go figure, right?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, that's odd.

Sounds like that art project is going to take you a while.

Just watched Big Bang Theory and they talked about Disneyland!!! They mentioned the World Of Color too. ABC must be trying to advertise for it, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

I wouldn't doubt that. But hey, Disney references will always make me happy. One of the girls in my art class was wearing an Ariel shirt today and it made my day. Really.

But yeah, my project is going to take a while. And I work slower than everyone else. But it will get done. Now that I've actually started it I'll be OK. My art BFF decided that I need to have at least 20 more squares done by Wednesday, so I'm going to prove her right and do more than that, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

*The tale begins ...*
Part 1​

When time-traveling B.E. Air style there's one very big question: How to start??!! If only I knew, if only I knew ... Well, I can tell you we'll skip the boring drive talk and simplify it as this: _It was long. It was boring. We made it there alive._ I had trouble finding the parking lot for the Disneyland Hotel, but eventually we got everything situated and made our way into the lobby to meet up with *Frick* and *MOF*. It was literally the first time I had ever stepped foot into a Disney hotel and it was definitely a great feeling when we walked in! After getting our things situated in the room (which I only wish I had taken photos of to remember, but such is my luck that I only walked away with a photo of a couple of art pieces on the walls and the front of a cabinet) we made our way with *Frick* and *MOF* to go pick up our tickets at a AAA office that used to be in DTD but I'm pretty sure isn't anymore. And 4 years later, I still have that PH!















I can't tell you if we actually hit the Park the first day that we were there or not (and I do mean Park and not Parks since I know without a shadow of a doubt that I didn't set foot in DCA) but I do know the first place I went once there: New Orleans Square! This was back in the day before the Dream Suite and when it was the Disney Gallery. July 2006 brought along a new look to the front room of the Gallery, filled to the brim with items from the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It was really neat to take a peek at!





_cannibal-island throne_





_letters of marque_





_tia dalma's locket_





_davy jones's chest_





_davy jones's pipe_





_jack sparrow's rings_





_ragetti's costume_





_pintel's costume_















_i spy a jar of dirt!!_​
The Pirates additions to the Disney gallery weren't the only ones that summer at Disneyland. Whether you loved the change or not, Captain Jack Sparrow was added to the POTC ride and we all had, had, had, *had* to check it out and see if we could spot Cpt. Jack. Now, I have to mention before I share these photos that this was back in my non-common sense days (although sometimes I'm still not so certain I've mastered that art) when I used flash in dark rides. I figured that everyone else was so why not me? I cringe looking at these photos now, and looking back on taking them, but here you have it!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Haha, that's odd.
> 
> Sounds like that art project is going to take you a while.
> 
> Just watched Big Bang Theory and they talked about Disneyland!!! They mentioned the World Of Color too. ABC must be trying to advertise for it, lol.



I know I caught that.  But, the thing is Disney owns ABC and Big Bang Theory is on CBS.  They must have paid really good for it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Great start! I didn't know Jack Sparrow was on the ride more than once. I think I saw him 3 times!  I need to learn how to take pictures on the dark rides with no flash! I love all the costumes and stuff!

And you are right about Big Bang Theory. I think I assumed it was on ABC cause of the World of Color reference, but it is on CBS. Weird. Disney must have paid a pretty penny for that! Great episode, although I would have loved to actually see Sheldon IN the park! Lol.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Great start! I didn't know Jack Sparrow was on the ride more than once. I think I saw him 3 times!  I need to learn how to take pictures on the dark rides with no flash! I love all the costumes and stuff!
> 
> And you are right about Big Bang Theory. I think I assumed it was on ABC cause of the World of Color reference, but it is on CBS. Weird. Disney must have paid a pretty penny for that! Great episode, although I would have loved to actually see Sheldon IN the park! Lol.



Me too.  I think that show is hilarious.  And to see Sheldon in Disneyland itself would be brilliant.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I love that show! We just heard about it a few weeks ago, and we've already watched the first 2 seasons and caught up on the third. It's great. It's the first sitcom I have really liked since Friends ended. I've been wanting to get into How I Met Your Mother next.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know I caught that.  But, the thing is Disney owns ABC and Big Bang Theory is on CBS.  They must have paid really good for it.



 Who knew. Well, you did. I've never seen the show to be perfectly honest.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh, you need to watch! Lol. It's a great show if you are just looking for a laugh. Sheldon is a really unique character, and his scenes are so funny. Bazinga!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll think about it. I finally cut down on the number of shows that I watch t an easily manageable number. I don't know if I want to add more into the mix.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Jsut look up some clips on youtube to see if you're interested. If you'd like to see my favourite in particular, search for "Sheldon-Ball Pit" and watch the first video. I would send you the direct link, but I can't get to youtube at work.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll take a look as soon as I'm done writing the next bit


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay! Another piece!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup, yup! I figure I'll get one in every day and it will go pretty fast.


----------



## Belle Ella

*I spy with my little eye ... a Pirate!!*
part 2​
You don't think that was all that I had from New Orleans Square, do you? Now, I know that I mentioned my silly non-common sense days and using flash on dark rides, so to off set the previous photos that I shared, here is what that particular camera made of Pirates without any flash:














It makes you a little dizzy, doesn't it? My camera was, by no means, meant to be taking photos in the dark without flash. But it would be very useful outdoors during the rest of my trip, so it worked itself out in the end. Now it wouldn't be right for us to only go on Pirates once, and I'm pretty sure I lost count by the time it was time to drive home. So here are the rest of the photos I took when I wasn't busy singing along. _Yo ho, yo ho, a Pirate's life for me_.





i be davy jones

































I can't say for certain because up until 2006 I don't have too many memories of my previous Disney vacations, as sad as that may be. So I'm pretty sure that thanks to *MOF* I got to experience my first meal at Blue Bayou. My parents say they've never eaten there before, so I don't know when else I could have. What a yummy lunch it was. No waterside table for us this time though.





i spy *MOF*















*Frick* and *Miss Lumberjack*​
I would be lying if I said that was the end of our Pirate adventures. How could it be? It was the summer of pirates after all. I'm pretty sure everyone in our party had been interested in spotting Jack Sparrow himself and I remember one morning when we had actually stopped to ask what time he wold be out and about so we could plan accordingly. So we found ourselves eating a late breakfast at the Riverbelle Terrace, waiting and waiting untilwe didn't have to wait any longer!





happy pancakes



































it's lil ol' *Frack*





and of course *Frick*





and *MOF*​
Surprisingly, *Miss Lumberjack* wound up on camera duty with Frick's camera. So the girl who is more into the Pirates stuff than the rest of us (in my opinion -- you should see the pirate costume she put together for relay for life one year) didn't get her photo with one. But she did buy herself the goofy pirate ears. Which according to her I borrowed and subsequently lost after we got home. I'm still not so sure I believe this story! And I might also point out that the previous photo of myself is the one and only I have. Hence my new Disney motto: *pics or it didn't happen*!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oh, all those pictures are x's!!   Looks like I will have to wait until I get home to see them.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oh, all those pictures are x's!!   Looks like I will have to wait until I get home to see them.



Aw, lame-o!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I have no idea why they don't load. Most of the pictures in your past TR's load. Flickr isn't blocked. Photobucket half works. So no idea what the issue is.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, that's strange!! Is your connection running slow today or something? I know they are coming up just fine for me.


----------



## FlameGirl

Hey everyone...

Enjoying your TR Jazz...my daughter would have LOST HER MIND over seeing all of that Pirates stuff.

All of the pictures are coming up for me too.


----------



## Belle Ella

Hi Kathy!

Your daughter is a Pirates fan is she? It was cool! I had honestly never gone into the Disney Gallery before, and hadn't even thought of it. We only went in because of the huge banner that was advertising the POTC stuff they had in there. It was neat looking at everything and beyond. I should mention that I did buy a huge movie poster, lol.


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Hi Kathy!
> 
> Your daughter is a Pirates fan is she?



Oh, is she ever.

We took a DL trip in '07 and unbeknownst to me, she had found this Aztec medallion necklace in a shop in Adventureland, like the one Elizabeth wears in the first movie.  She asked my husband if she could buy it (or if he would buy it for her) and he told her no.  Well, our most recent trip in December, that kid, upon arriving at DL, went STRAIGHT BACK to the same store, found that necklace and bought it (she had her own $$ this time)...the very first thing she did on our trip.  Then she found the POTC Mickey ears she had her eye on from two years before and wore both the entire time we were there.  It was rather adorable.


----------



## Belle Ella

I know the necklace you're talking about. Too funny! I would have done the same thing for something I really wanted. I think I have a keychain with that piece on it somewhere. The question is wether or not I could actually find it! And I'm going to be that will be a big fat *no*!

I should take photo of the back of my car. I've got a Pirate skull decal on the window! It was either that or Jessica Rabbit with "I'm not a bad driver - Im just drawn that way".


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> I know the necklace you're talking about. Too funny! I would have done the same thing for something I really wanted. I think I have a keychain with that piece on it somewhere. The question is wether or not I could actually find it! And I'm going to be that will be a big fat *no*!
> 
> I should take photo of the back of my car. I've got a Pirate skull decal on the window! It was either that or Jessica Rabbit with "I'm not a bad driver - Im just drawn that way".



Too funny.  The sad thing is I  had no idea she wanted it, or had asked my husband for it...so once I saw how much she had her heart set on it this trip, I asked him...why the heck didn't you let her get it before?  I wish she'd have asked me...it was only $20.  

What's your name on Flickr Jazz?


----------



## FlameGirl

Here she is in the necklace, Mickey ears and the POTC sweatshirt she bought on the last trip.  Yeah, I'd say she's a fan.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, that's a cute story though. And a valuable lesson in a way.

Let's see, it's Click & Jazz. It was just supposed to be for my Photography class originally. Now it's a hodgepodge of a mess with everything because I can't stand Photobucket. The name actually came from a Blog that I started during class.


----------



## Belle Ella

Awesome!


----------



## FlameGirl

My flickr is a bit of a mess, too...I was disorganized when I first started using it and I'm starting to realize that.  I've been spending some time trying to clean it up but it is a MAJOR time-suck.

I added you as a friend, anyway.


----------



## Belle Ella

Eventually I'll get around to organizing mine. And uploading more of what I've taken with my SLR since I've really started to get into it. A majority of everything in there is all pre-SLR days. Well, maybe not a majority since I went crazy with my last two DLR trips 

We like having friends!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Apparently Flickr is the problem. I went to the site, and it loads fine, but pictures just don't show up at all. Not sure why that is. My connection at work is always slow, so maybe it's that. 

There are sooo many things I need to make sure we try and see! I need to start making a list. That gallery sounds cool!


----------



## Belle Ella

Hmph. Well, I hope it works when you get home! I'm thinking it may just be the connection. I hope so. When mine is going all trippy I get those annoying x-square things. I can't stand them. I want to see the pretty pictures.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I haven't had any problems at home before, so it should be fine there. It will be a while before I get there though. I have to get to the gym after work, since I skipped out yesterday.

FlameGirls picture wasn't working earlier, but now it is. But none of yours are yet. Weird!  

We are getting a huge upgrade to our systems at the end of the week, so maybe things will be better after that. I hope.


----------



## Belle Ella

Upgrades sound nice!

I just got home from lunch with my sister. I thought of you -- the check that I used to pay for my food was Stitch!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Aw, lol. That's cool that you have a Disney check book. I want one.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love it! It only has a couple of designs (Lilo/Stitch, Simba/Nala, Ariel/Flounder, and I think one more) which bums me out. I need to find a Disney Princess one. Or at least one that actually has Snow White in it!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That would be cool. I like the sounds of the one that you have. Did you get it through your bank, or another company?


----------



## Belle Ella

I ordered them through my credit union who orders them through Liberty. They odder 4 other sets but none of them have the Princesses, so I'm bummed. I don't want to order them from anywhere else though. It's easier through my CU.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah it would be kind of a pain to order it through another way. That's weird that they don't have Princess ones. Princess stuff is everywhere.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yes, yes! It would seem to be logical. Crazy people.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yes, yes! It would seem to be logical. Crazy people.



Crazy people?  I'm not here for a few minutes and you start talking about me.

A quick howdy before I leave to get the kids from school and got to Target.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Target again? Didn't you go yesterday and the day before? It's becoming your home away from home!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Target again? Didn't you go yesterday and the day before? It's becoming your home away from home!



I ended up not going yesterday, but went to the mall instead.  Our Target has a grocery store in it and I love buying a lot of my groceries there.


----------



## Belle Ella

PFresh! I think I would go nus if our store had that.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> PFresh! I think I would go nus if our store had that.



I can imagine it would be a hassle for the employees.


----------



## Belle Ella

From what I've heard about how they run it, it shouldn't be. That just has to be one gigantic store. I remember my Aunts in Texas. I swear their department letters went to T - not including their clothing. Even with our clothing we only go to Q. AHHHH!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> From what I've heard about how they run it, it shouldn't be. That just has to be one gigantic store. I remember my Aunts in Texas. I swear their department letters went to T - not including their clothing. Even with our clothing we only go to Q. AHHHH!



It's the same store we have always had in Fairfield, but, they just kind of pushed everything together.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Finally got to see the pics. I love all the pictures of signs you take!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It's the same store we have always had in Fairfield, but, they just kind of pushed everything together.



Hm. I've never seen the size of the Fairfield store to be honest. Have you ever made it down to Pleasant Hill (next to Toys-R-Us). I'd love to know what the size is compared to one another. We're supposed to get a remodel (but they've said this every year since I started) this summer. A Marshalls closed down right next to us and I always thought we would get the Pfresh if we were able to acquire the property. Wether or not this happens, I don't know -- nor could I say. But I've always wondered.

The horrible thing? And completely non-Target related. They are adding an In-N-Out to our shopping center. OMG. I am going to get myself into so much trouble.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Finally got to see the pics. I love all the pictures of signs you take!



YAY! Stupid work internet not letting you see them. Shame, shame, shame. I'm glad you liked 'em. Wait until you see the window displays on Main Street. I photographed them all that summer.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I can't wait to see all the window displays. I bet they look pretty cool at Halloween time. I hope I have enough time for all this stuff!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was looking to see if it was possible to get Disney checks through my bank, an though I haven't figured that out yet, I came across this:

http://www.walmartchecks.com/product.aspx?lineid=5&productid=1137

I know it's Walmart, but it's Disney Princess ones!


----------



## Belle Ella

I love the window displays. I always take time to look at them. It will be awesome to see them during a new time of the year!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Also, this site has the check book you have now (at least I think, from what you described. And also a princess one, with......Snow White!!

http://www.checksunlimited.com/checkdetail.aspx?vpid=317


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I've seen some pictures of window displays at Halloween last year, and they looked pretty cool. Looking forward to seeing it myself.

I also saw someone eating a dessert out of a Mickey Pumpkin mug that was so cute. I would love to get myself one of those!


----------



## kaoden39

I really don't think it is any bigger than the one in Peasant Hill.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Also, this site has the check book you have now (at least I think, from what you described. And also a princess one, with......Snow White!!
> 
> http://www.checksunlimited.com/checkdetail.aspx?vpid=317



EEEE! I wants it! 



DisneyStitch626 said:


> I've seen some pictures of window displays at Halloween last year, and they looked pretty cool. Looking forward to seeing it myself.
> 
> I also saw someone eating a dessert out of a Mickey Pumpkin mug that was so cute. I would love to get myself one of those!



I loved getting to see a few of the window displays when we went last September. I'm so excited for more.



kaoden39 said:


> I really don't think it is any bigger than the one in Peasant Hill.



I'm all trying to think who I know who works at that store. We get a lot of execs for other stores who come and train with us because of our offices and I know a few have gone off to that store. Totally random though!


----------



## wvnative

I  Target. I was just there yesterday and will probably be back today as I think what I found yesterday will actually work just fine after all. lol 

I have Disney checks too Jazz. Mine have eight scenes. Dumbo, Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan, Jungle Book, Alice, Bambi and Pinnochio. I have a cute Disney checkbook cover too with the Fab 5 plus Daisy.


----------



## Belle Ella

Target is my home away from home. Glad I'm not alone!

And O.M.E.!!! I love those checks. Too cute. I still have a full box of the Disney checks I have now so it will be a while before I need new ones. But at least I write checks somewhat often since I can use my Target discount with them even though I can't with my ATM card. Considering how often I shop there ...


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I would like to get some of those checks. But not sure I can in Canada. I need to look into it further. I think I only have one book left, so I need checks (or cheques, as we are supposed to spell it) soon anyways. Just don't want to pay an arm and a leg for them.


----------



## Belle Ella

You Canadians and your spelling. Isn't it colour too?

Or maybe we're the strange ones.

Either way, I tease.

Anyone notice there are now 2500 replies


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You Canadians and your spelling. Isn't it colour too?
> 
> Or maybe we're the strange ones.
> 
> Either way, I tease.
> 
> Anyone notice there are now 2500 replies



Did you know taht you are less than 200 away from 3000 posts?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think you guys are the strange ones!   Haha, just jokin!

Yep we spell it Colour. And favourite, neighbourhood, those are all the ones I can think of off the top of my head. It feels weird spelling World of Color without the "u"!

Yay on 2500!! I made it to 500 posts yesterday, and I am not sure I am ready to be called a DIS Veteran! I am only just new!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I think you guys are the strange ones!   Haha, just jokin!
> 
> Yep we spell it Colour. And favourite, neighbourhood, those are all the ones I can think of off the top of my head. It feels weird spelling World of Color without the "u"!
> 
> Yay on 2500!! I made it to 500 posts yesterday, and I am not sure I am ready to be called a DIS Veteran! I am only just new!



I find it irony that they call what we speak English.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I find it weird that there has to be different spellings of the same word when we speak the same language. It's amazing how much is actually different on each side of that border line! I also find it amazing at how different the accents can be from state to state and province to province. We can usually tell when someone is originally from Eastern Canada, just by how they talk.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I find it weird that there has to be different spellings of the same word when we speak the same language. It's amazing how much is actually different on each side of that border line! I also find it amazing at how different the accents can be from state to state and province to province. We can usually tell when someone is originally from Eastern Canada, just by how they talk.



It works the same here.  In the New York city area alone you can tell what neighborhood they are from.  It is interesting hearing all he accents.  I grew up in an Air Force town so I have always heard the different ones.  Some are much more melodic than others.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Just from being a NKOTB fan when I was a kid, I have learned to be able to tell a Boston accent from a New York accent. And I can tell a Southern accent, but not a particular state. That's about it.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Just from being a NKOTB fan when I was a kid, I have learned to be able to tell a Boston accent from a New York accent. And I can tell a Southern accent, but not a particular state. That's about it.



My daughters can tell what state a southern accent is from.  Me not so much.


----------



## Belle Ella

I can make 200 more posts easy peasy. maybe I should do my next installment word by word 

I love hearing accents. I'm usually good at telling where the Southern ones are from. My step-mom helped me with that one. And most Nor'Eastern ones are pretty easy to discern.

And if you ever hear anyone say 'hecka' or 'hella' they are from California. <--- My cousin's rule (she's from Colorado).


----------



## Belle Ella

*Sea Living*
Part 3​
What would days with pirates be without setting sail on the seven seas? Er ... I mean the Rivers of America! Same thing, really. Only here you can set sail on a ship or on a stern-wheeler riverboat. You can't really say that about the ocean now, can you? Well, I managed to get myself on board one of the two. So I present to you the Sailing Ship, Columbia!




















After boarding (and getting boarded by *yes* more pirates) I ventured a look-sie below deck which is outfitted to resemble the life and environment that would have been found on the ship in the 1700's. It's like a little on-ship-Museum, only more interesting. Much, much more interesting. And since you're going to make the rounds of the Rivers of America, it's worth said look-sie. You've got bunks, a 'kitchen' with a nice meal a-brewing, Captain's quarters, and other nautical paraphernalia.





fitted with extra garlic to ward of vampires ... err ... wrong report!!





are ye hungry?




















fancy learnin' to tie a knot?






























*gulp*


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can make 200 more posts easy peasy. maybe I should do my next installment word by word
> 
> I love hearing accents. I'm usually good at telling where the Southern ones are from. My step-mom helped me with that one. And most Nor'Eastern ones are pretty easy to discern.
> 
> And if you ever hear anyone say 'hecka' or 'hella' they are from California. <--- My cousin's rule (she's from Colorado).



I agree with your cousin.

I need to ride on the Columbia.


----------



## Belle Ella

We do say it! She came up with the rule because of my sistr and I. She had never heard anyone say it before and I use it a lot in my speech!!

You should, you should! Keep in mind if gets a little warm below deck!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We do say it! She came up with the rule because of my sistr and I. She had never heard anyone say it before and I use it a lot in my speech!!
> 
> You should, you should! Keep in mind if gets a little warm below deck!!



That is why you ride it in the morning.

And my 22 year old niece says it "hecka" times!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Why didn't I think of that. Man, I'm slow today.

And you have a great point. I never picked up on that one either! But yeah, it's cool to look around down there. I'll probably do it again to get different (better) photos. I also want photos of everything above the deck too.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Why didn't I think of that. Man, I'm slow today.
> 
> And you have a great point. I never picked up on that one either! But yeah, it's cool to look around down there. I'll probably do it again to get different (better) photos. I also want photos of everything above the deck too.



I am sure that my girls will take pictures of the crew too.  I am going to post the pictures that everyone else takes.  That should be interesting.


----------



## Belle Ella

Should be! I was hoping that back in the day *Frick* would post her own photos but that never happened. And I never got them while I was writing the majority of my report plus more photos to sort through scared me! I honestly haven't looked at many of them even though I've got them. I know there are some of me (like flying with Dumbo back in March'09). Maybe when I'm done with July'06 I can go through those too.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Should be! I was hoping that back in the day *Frick* would post her own photos but that never happened. And I never got them while I was writing the majority of my report plus more photos to sort through scared me! I honestly haven't looked at many of them even though I've got them. I know there are some of me (like flying with Dumbo back in March'09). Maybe when I'm done with July'06 I can go through those too.



I think you should.  I am actually getting really excited about this trip now.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm getting really excited for you!! Yay!! Yay!! I can't wait till you get to the actual trip part and come back and tell us all!!

I'm in an exclamation point mood today!!!!!!!!!!

I think I can keep some Disney photos coming until you leave.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm getting really excited for you!! Yay!! Yay!! I can't wait till you get to the actual trip part and come back and tell us all!!
> 
> I'm in an exclamation point mood today!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> I think I can keep some Disney photos coming until you leave.



Oh that sounds wonderful.  I have a binder I am taking with me to take notes every night so that I can write down at least my thoughts or highlights until I can post them.


----------



## Belle Ella

I love that idea. I kind of have something started. It's where I'm keeping all of my hotel info for now (along with my GAD printout and TS3 tickets) so I'll probably use it for the same thing come September-time.

OK, so I will leave this call up to you then: I have my next installment almost done. Should I stick to posting one a day to give us a little fix daily until I run out, or just keep going?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I love that idea. I kind of have something started. It's where I'm keeping all of my hotel info for now (along with my GAD printout and TS3 tickets) so I'll probably use it for the same thing come September-time.
> 
> OK, so I will leave this call up to you then: I have my next installment almost done. Should I stick to posting one a day to give us a little fix daily until I run out, or just keep going?



Eh you can keep it going.


----------



## Belle Ella

sounds good to me. More photos in 5 .. 4 .. 3 .. 2 .. Well, more like however long until I'm allowed to post again!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Exploring the Port of New Orleans Square*
part 4​
So we've seen Pirates and Pirates galore, but what trip through New Orleans Square would be complete without taking a tour through the Haunted Mansion? A pretty lame one, that's what!If I ever get to travel I would love to see how different the ride is at different Parks. I enjoy reading about the differences.






































































We're dawning on the close of my Pirate adventures and other explorations of New Orleans Square. It's sad, I know, but true. There are plenty of other areas of the Park (remember, we're using the singular here since I didn't go into DCA) to get to. But before I move on, here are the sights of one of my all-time favorite Disney ... Lands! Funny though, that it doesn't actually have the word "land" in it however. Maybe I should call it my favorite Disney ... Square! But that sounds even sillier.
























































... NOS photos continued in the next post ...​


----------



## kaoden39

I am so going to look for that clothesline.  I have never noticed it before.


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


>



Now I have a picture to get.


----------



## Belle Ella

Haha. You have an official scavenger hunt.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Haha. You have an official scavenger hunt.



I got an email from Disney that has a scavenger hunt in it.  I was thinking about printing it and doing it at Disneyland.


----------



## Belle Ella

You did? When? *Why did I not get this email?!?!*


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You did? When? *Why did I not get this email?!?!*



My DH even got one for his.....umm but it isn't your birthday yet is it?


----------



## Belle Ella

OK then. All is forgiven. But see, you didn't mention the birthday part the first time. You got me all freaking out for a second. Because I don't get enough mail from Disney as it is, you know.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK then. All is forgiven. But see, you didn't mention the birthday part the first time. You got me all freaking out for a second. Because I don't get enough mail from Disney as it is, you know.



I didn't realize that I had done that.  Silly me.  Shows what happens when I post while tired.


----------



## Belle Ella

Here, here. Posting and tired don't mix well. I have learned this often!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Here, here. Posting and tired don't mix well. I have learned this often!



That and the fact that I have entered the fanatic planning mode.  I even put something new on my trip report.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Love the pictures of the HM. Although I have to admit. The ones of the lady ghost gives me the chills!

Speaking of hunting, I ordered a Hidden Mickey book and it came in yesterday!! I think I might start a little game while we are there and see how many we can get. I want to try and take pictures of them, if it's possible.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Love the pictures of the HM. Although I have to admit. The ones of the lady ghost gives me the chills!
> 
> Speaking of hunting, I ordered a Hidden Mickey book and it came in yesterday!! I think I might start a little game while we are there and see how many we can get. I want to try and take pictures of them, if it's possible.



I always get a kick out of looking and have never used the book.  Someday maybe I will.


----------



## Belle Ella

I got the Disney plates. There's another set that I want, but for now this one will do. I'll share pics tonight!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay, I'd like to see them. Wish I could find them here. Maybe at Zellers, since I *think* Target may have botten them out a couple years ago. They haven't changed the name, but I know they were bought out, and the rumor was that it was Target. So maybe they'll have some of the same stuff. 

I really like the summery ones at the Disney Store right now. They are pretty cute. The ones with the little squares of different characters on them. I can't find them on the site now to show you a picture, but I saw them in the store a couple weeks ago.


----------



## Belle Ella

Looking never hurts!

I'll have to drop by the Disney store sometime. I don't know what they have since I haven't been lately.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

You should! They have a lot of cool t-shirts there right now too!

Just to inform you, incase you don't know already. Rob, Kristen and Taylor are going to be on Oprah on May 13th!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I got the Disney plates. There's another set that I want, but for now this one will do. I'll share pics tonight!!



I knew you would do it.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yay, I'd like to see them. Wish I could find them here. Maybe at Zellers, since I *think* Target may have botten them out a couple years ago. They haven't changed the name, but I know they were bought out, and the rumor was that it was Target. So maybe they'll have some of the same stuff.
> 
> I really like the summery ones at the Disney Store right now. They are pretty cute. The ones with the little squares of different characters on them. I can't find them on the site now to show you a picture, but I saw them in the store a couple weeks ago.



I love the ones at the Disney Store.  I saw then on Friday.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay!! Twilight on TV. I'm excited. Already have it set up to DVR.

Did you hear the news about Breaking Dawn's release date? Looks like it's gonna be November 18, 2011. No word on one or 2 movies though.

Well, I must get my bum to the Disney Store!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No I hadn't heard about BD's release date. That seems like such a long wait!!


----------



## Belle Ella

It does, but it's not like they are filming right now, so it makes sense. We can do it!

OK, here are the photos of the plates and stuff I got today:

Seving trays:





Bowls:





Aluminum water bottle:





Tumblers:





Plates:




















There's another set that I would like, but I wanted this one more!


----------



## kaoden39

So cute!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I think so! It's the 'fun' one that we cary. The others are prettier. But I liked this one to have for sure.

I'm gonna have so much Disney household stuff when I move out.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I think so! It's the 'fun' one that we cary. The others are prettier. But I liked this one to have for sure.
> 
> I'm gonna have so much Disney household stuff when I move out.



Yay!!


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## DisneyStitch626

I love those!! I want a set!!! I would stick with the Mickey ones, just cause he one of my faves. Almost have as many Mickeys and I do Stitch's! Almost.


----------



## Belle Ella

There's a second Mickey set. It's just white and black. Then there's a pink/powder blue bambi set, and the last one is alice in wonderland but I can't think how to describe it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I might like the white and black one for more subtle purposes. But I love colour, so that one is good too!


----------



## Belle Ella

My thoughts too! I probably wont splurge and get myself that second set as much as I want to. It doesn't fit so well into the "save money for Disneyland" plan.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah me neither. I already bought shirts from the Disney Store last week, so I should probably not look, lol.  But I DID get my Las Vegas Hotel booked this week, so at least the hotels are paid and out of the way!


----------



## kaoden39

I was a very good girl the other day.  I went to the Disney Store and didn't buy a thing.  It was more of a Disney fix for me.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It used to be very hard for me to go to the Disney Store and NOT buy anything. There was always something that I felt I needed. But the last few years it's mostly little kid stuff there and it isn't as fun as it used to be. It seems like they bring more of that stuff back every now and then, but not like it used to be.


----------



## kaoden39

I know what you mean.  It is way too full of little kid stuff and I guess that is what sells in the stores.


----------



## Belle Ella

I wish they carried more things for adults. But then again, I would get myself into a lot of trouble if they did!


----------



## wvnative

Did you get that kitchen stuff at Target Jazz? I love those glasses.

The paint is starting to come off mine so I'd like to replace them soon.


----------



## Belle Ella

I did get them at Target!

Here's some cell-y-phone pics of what we had left of the other 3 sets at our store:
















Like I said, I want them all!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Aww I LOVE the Black and White Mickey ones!!! The Bambi ones are cute too though.


----------



## kaoden39

I like the black and white Mickey's too.


----------



## Belle Ella

That would be my next set if I bought another. Yup yup.


OK, so I'm bored, so I'm totally going through the big old list of MTTMM wait-ees to see who didn't post full dates. Is that a little to OCD?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Just a bit. But I don't blame you. I do stuff like that too when I am bored.


----------



## Belle Ella

Plus, as one of the few who regularly update it, it is a little hard to read/navigate. So I think I'll try simplifying it and hope it doesn't ruffle any feathers. At least I'm not changing the order.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

Hi!!

So what are you doing for Mother's Day, Michele?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hi!!
> 
> So what are you doing for Mother's Day, Michele?



Sleeping in!!  And saving money for Disneyland.


----------



## Belle Ella

Sound like an excellent plan to me!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Sound like an excellent plan to me!



You'll never guess what store I was at today.  Lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

Umm. I dunno. I might need a hint. Do they wear red and khaki up the wazoo there?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Umm. I dunno. I might need a hint. Do they wear red and khaki up the wazoo there?



Umm yes as a matter of fact they do.  And they have 2 ltr sodas on sale too.


----------



## Belle Ella

They always have 2 liter sodas on sale. Or lt least it feels that way. 

I think I'm getting warmer. Do they also have a weird looking white dog with red circles on his face for a mascot-y?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> They always have 2 liter sodas on sale. Or lt least it feels that way.
> 
> I think I'm getting warmer. Do they also have a weird looking white dog with red circles on his face for a mascot-y?



And those weird red and white circles?  Yeah that's the place.


----------



## Belle Ella

I totally got it, you got it at Ross!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I totally got it, you got it at Ross!!



Yeah that's it.  You hit it right on the _Target!_


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yeah that's it.  You hit it right on the _Target!_



 Well, duh! 

Buy anything interesting?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, duh!
> 
> Buy anything interesting?



Nah just some groceries.  The most interesting thing I bought was some pasta sauce that is labeled for a chef on the food network.


----------



## Belle Ella

And does her un-prounouncable-name start with a G, by chance?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> And does her un-prounouncable-name start with a G, by chance?



Yes, indeed it does.  Not only is it un-pronounceable it is un-spellable.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Yes, indeed it does.  Not only is it un-pronounceable it is un-spellable.



Here here! *Everything* of hers was on sale the other week. I thought I was going to die when we were putting the signs up. We die a little every time a whole aisle is packed with signs. Then we die a little again when we have to take it down.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Here here! *Everything* of hers was on sale the other week. I thought I was going to die when we were putting the signs up. We die a little every time a whole aisle is packed with signs. Then we die a little again when we have to take it down.



The grocery area of our store is awful with signs.


----------



## Belle Ella

I don't even want to know how it looks, lol. I'd be mighty terrified. But yeah, those little flimsy signs? I own them.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't even want to know how it looks, lol. I'd be mighty terrified. But yeah, those little flimsy signs? I own them.



Oh you have my sympathy.  That has got to as thankless of a thing as you can find.


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh man. Embarrasing 25+ minutes. I am crazy, crazy, crazy terrified of bugs and there was this ucky big one flying around my room. I kind of ran out screaming and refused to go back in until it was dead but nobody would help. I had to bribe my dad $5 to kill it. Well, in the end my cat who slept through most of it jumped up and at the darn thing.

I owe my cat $5.

My skin is still crawling and I think I'm seeing imaginary flies now.

I am a pathetic 23 year old.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Don't worry. I do the same thing. Last year when a moth came in the house, I ran into the bathroom and shut the door and put a towel across the bottom so it couldn't crawl in and get me. Dillon got it out of the house in a matter of minutes, thankfully. I hate those things!!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Oh man. Embarrasing 25+ minutes. I am crazy, crazy, crazy terrified of bugs and there was this ucky big one flying around my room. I kind of ran out screaming and refused to go back in until it was dead but nobody would help. I had to bribe my dad $5 to kill it. Well, in the end my cat who slept through most of it jumped up and at the darn thing.
> 
> I owe my cat $5.
> 
> My skin is still crawling and I think I'm seeing imaginary flies now.
> 
> I am a pathetic 23 year old.



I am sorry but this struck me as hilarious.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Don't worry. I do the same thing. Last year when a moth came in the house, I ran into the bathroom and shut the door and put a towel across the bottom so it couldn't crawl in and get me. Dillon got it out of the house in a matter of minutes, thankfully. I hate those things!!!



Glad I'm not alone! My family is all demanding that I tell them what I'm going to do when I move out ... on my own. *gulp* I'll never make it through the night alone.



kaoden39 said:


> I am sorry but this struck me as hilarious.



I figured someone would find it entertaining. I think I'm going to have nightmares though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Glad I'm not alone! My family is all demanding that I tell them what I'm going to do when I move out ... on my own. *gulp* I'll never make it through the night alone.
> 
> 
> 
> I figured someone would find it entertaining. I think I'm going to have nightmares though.



Oh poor thing.  I am sorry, I used to be like that.


----------



## Docter419

Ot: We beat the red wings!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Docter419 said:


> Ot: We beat the red wings!!!



WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Sayonara suckers!! 

That felt good.

OK, so funny story. I can't watch the playoffs past the first round so long as the game is on Versus which means I have been miserable this series apart from the final scores. I asked my dad to call me sometime before 10 p.m. and let me know who *won* the game before I started my shift for work. I didn't want to wait a whole 8 hours before I found out. So he calls me, 2 minutes before I clock in to give me this message:

Detroit *one* .... long pause!

Say it out loud. Detroit one. Detroit won. He let me think the Sharks loss before he completed his sentence.

Detroit one. Sharks two. 

Oh yeah!! No more Red Wings!!


----------



## kaoden39

Oh yeah baby!!  They were aging me over that game.


----------



## Belle Ella

:rotlf: I'll take your word for it! I hate not being able to watch the games. It's driving me crazy.

Happy Mother's Day!

I thought of you today while we driving through Fairfield! We went up to Old Sacramento and had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack with my Aunt/Unlce and grandprents. I hope nobody was too put off how tired I was! I was hoping to sleep before we went up but I had to stay late at work this morning because of a sick call and just how large this week's add was. And then I couldn't even fall asleep for the drive!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> :rotlf: I'll take your word for it! I hate not being able to watch the games. It's driving me crazy.
> 
> Happy Mother's Day!
> 
> I thought of you today while we driving through Fairfield! We went up to Old Sacramento and had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack with my Aunt/Unlce and grandprents. I hope nobody was too put off how tired I was! I was hoping to sleep before we went up but I had to stay late at work this morning because of a sick call and just how large this week's add was. And then I couldn't even fall asleep for the drive!!



Did you wave?  Get some rest lady.


----------



## wvnative

I have recently discovered that our cats are worthless if the bug doesn't fly. Apparently non flying bugs just aren't entertaining enough to chase. lol


----------



## DisneyStitch626

My cat is useless when it comes to bugs too. He will bat it around, but he won't eat it. Just likes to play with it. To me, if it's not gone, it's not good enough.


----------



## kaoden39

You have to love cats.  They are independent souls.  Hmm much like teenagers.


----------



## wvnative

I can't imagine not having at least one in my home. I've gotten so attached to the kid's kitten (I'm gonna have to stop calling her the kitten soon since she turned one in April...lol) that I'm gonna be slightly heartbroken when the kid finally moves out on her own. lol

My two are the old fogies at 11 years old.


----------



## Belle Ella

My 2 cats have such interesting personalities. They are like 2 little people! Well, divas, more like it. And it's funny about the bugs. One of them is interested in the non-flying type and the other is interested in the flying type. So at least I have one for each kind!


----------



## Belle Ella

_*All Aboard*_
Part 5​
We'll continue with our final tour of New Orleans Square before departing on the Disneyland Railroad to discover more adventures! If I could get to Disneyland more often than I do currently, I would love to just dedicate specific days to just one Land. Heck, maybe even one specific trip. I at least know that I could spend my entire time in New Orleans Square and be perfectly happy!






goodbye disney gallery, hello dream suite























































*frick*











































​


----------



## kaoden39

My favorite land.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

As usual, it's not loading pictures for me at work. So I will have to wait until I get home. Not sure when that will be, cause I am going to fill out the paperwork for my new car after work!!!! EEEEEP!!! 

Sorry, I had to share my excitement!! I found out like 4 hours ago, and I am STILL shaking. I really wasn't expecting to get approved!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> As usual, it's not loading pictures for me at work. So I will have to wait until I get home. Not sure when that will be, cause I am going to fill out the paperwork for my new car after work!!!! EEEEEP!!!
> 
> Sorry, I had to share my excitement!! I found out like 4 hours ago, and I am STILL shaking. I really wasn't expecting to get approved!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> My favorite land.



 Great taste!!



DisneyStitch626 said:


> As usual, it's not loading pictures for me at work. So I will have to wait until I get home. Not sure when that will be, cause I am going to fill out the paperwork for my new car after work!!!! EEEEEP!!!
> 
> Sorry, I had to share my excitement!! I found out like 4 hours ago, and I am STILL shaking. I really wasn't expecting to get approved!





That's so exciting!!!!!! What's the car?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It's a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer. I have been in love with them since I test drove one over a year ago. I get to go pick it up at noon today and time just cannot go fast enough!!!


----------



## Belle Ella




----------



## DisneyStitch626

OMG, some of the pictures are working all of a sudden. Only 4. Weird.

May I ask what I need to search for on ebay for those cards. Nothing comes up for "Anahiem Entertainment Card".


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I think I found it! The Orange County one has Anahiem stuff in it, so I am assuming that one works?


----------



## Belle Ella

If you just search 2010 Entertainment Card that should be fine. It has nothing to do with what book the card is from. I could use the ET card from a S.F. book. They are all the same thing.


----------



## Belle Ella

Like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-Entertainm...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eff7ca543

You only need the card, not the book.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, I had already bid on it when you sent me that link and you sent me the exact one I bid on!! Crazy! lol!


----------



## Belle Ella

What a coink-e-dink!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

So I booked the HOJO!!! Used the DISboards discount, and hopefully I win that card and at least some of our dates get added to the list!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Crap, I think I might end up with a book and 2 cards, lol. Before I found out that it doesn't matter what card you pick, I bid on an Orange County book with a card. I hope someone else bids on it. I wish there was a way to cancel a bid!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Crap, I think I might end up with a book and 2 cards, lol. Before I found out that it doesn't matter what card you pick, I bid on an Orange County book with a card. I hope someone else bids on it. I wish there was a way to cancel a bid!



Well, you can always resell.  And you may get lucky and someone else may bid on it.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hopefully! Maybe I can find someone that might put it to good use, if I end up with it. I guess there are some coupons in there that might be useful on our trip.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hopefully! Maybe I can find someone that might put it to good use, if I end up with it. I guess there are some coupons in there that might be useful on our trip.



I was thinking about that.  Coupons for places to eat.  That is always nice.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Very true. Since the HOJO doesn't have continental breakfast like the Quality had, we might need some! Or we can go get a couple boxes of cereal and a small jug of milk. There are small fridges in the rooms right?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sorry Jazz. I should probably be asking these questions on my own trip report! Forgive me!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Very true. Since the HOJO doesn't have continental breakfast like the Quality had, we might need some! Or we can go get a couple boxes of cereal and a small jug of milk. There are small fridges in the rooms right?



Yes, there are.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sorry Jazz. I should probably be asking these questions on my own trip report! Forgive me!



Remember that we are supposed to be filling pages so I am sure she won't mind.  Gotta reach that 250 pages mark.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is true. I forgot about that!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is true. I forgot about that!



I have a question for you, I need an opinion.  I got an email from my DH's cousin who I have never met but am "friends" with on facebook.  She wants to start chatting online, she's bored.  Now as I say I do not know her except to know that she is kind of stalkery.  I am inclined to ignore her email.  Am I wrong?


----------



## Belle Ella

Jazz does not mind chattiness, so long as she is not expected to keep up. She's got a doozy of a headache today and she feels a little woozy!


----------



## Belle Ella

EEE! Michele, did you know the Beauty & the Beast musical will be in San Francisco this August?!?!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Jazz does not mind chattiness, so long as she is not expected to keep up. She's got a doozy of a headache today and she feels a little woozy!



Sorry to hear about your head.



Belle Ella said:


> EEE! Michele, did you know the Beauty & the Beast musical will be in San Francisco this August?!?!



Really?  Of course.  There is no way I can afford it.  School starts in August and we have marching band, and Las Vegas and school stuff to pay for.


----------



## Belle Ella

I don't think I can either, but I'm not going to loose hope. I so, so, so want to see it. I may see if the gal I work with (who is obsessed with B&tB) wants to go see it. Well, that's a dumb question. Or maybe my mom will take me, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I don't think I can either, but I'm not going to loose hope. I so, so, so want to see it. I may see if the gal I work with (who is obsessed with B&tB) wants to go see it. Well, that's a dumb question. Or maybe my mom will take me, lol.



I wish it was at a better time of year.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

So I ended up winning both of my items. I now have two cards and a book! Oops!


----------



## wvnative

DisneyStitch626 said:


> So I ended up winning both of my items. I now have two cards and a book! Oops!



I'd go through the book and see if there was anything in it that I could use on the trip. Then I'd probably relist one or the other. lol

Hey Jazz! Guess what I got for Mothers Day?

4 of the Disney Plates and 4 of the tumblers. lol


----------



## Belle Ella

Gotta love them Denise! Which set did you get?

OK, so anyone hear the news? Aladdin has been extended!! Looks like I may get to see it again after all!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...nted-genies-run-extended-at-hyperion-theater/


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yay I am glad it's back! Hopefully it stays until October at least! I wouldn't mind catching it since Aladdin is my favourite Disney movie (other than the obvious of course).


----------



## DisneyStitch626

How often should I be checking for the Entertainment Rate dates on that page? I've been checking a couple times a day so far, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> How often should I be checking for the Entertainment Rate dates on that page? I've been checking a couple times a day so far, lol.



I usually check at least once a day, around noon if I'm home, but it's normally only updated once a week. I'm just a little OCD about some things!


----------



## Belle Ella

Wow. So first there was the killer flying bug that my cat wasn't interested in chasing for a long time. Well, now insert a mouse into the list of things she'll go after. I didn't know she was outside but I heard her howling outside my room last night and I panicked and thought she was hurt so I let her in, only for her to drop something at my feet! She wanted to show me the mouse that she caught -- and it was still alive!

I'm surprised I didn't scream bloody murder or something, it was scampering all over our living room until the cats (and the dog) cornered it and we were able to catch it and put it outside.

He was actually kind of cute. We named him Gabriel before we released him


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Wow. So first there was the killer flying bug that my cat wasn't interested in chasing for a long time. Well, now insert a mouse into the list of things she'll go after. I didn't know she was outside but I heard her howling outside my room last night and I panicked and thought she was hurt so I let her in, only for her to drop something at my feet! She wanted to show me the mouse that she caught -- and it was still alive!
> 
> I'm surprised I didn't scream bloody murder or something, it was scampering all over our living room until the cats (and the dog) cornered it and we were able to catch it and put it outside.
> 
> He was actually kind of cute. We named him Gabriel before we released him



Oh my goodness.  Aren't cats nice in how they give you gifts like that?  I think they are showing us how important they are in case we forget.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Lol, that is why my cat stays inside! That and I would be constantly worried that he would get hit by a car. He isn't the smartest cat I have seen, so I don't trust him out there! He doesn't even know how to land on his feet when I put him down after holding him. And when he lays on the couch with me, he lays on the very edge and falls off when he changes positions. Every time. Not a smart kitty. 

At least you found out you aren't that scared of mice. I would rather see a mouse than a moth any day!


----------



## Belle Ella

Gotta love kitties like that though! Ella has her moments too. I just wish I knew how she got outside in the first place. After her side-stitch debacle last year I hate her being out there -- especially because I don't want a $600+ vet bill if she gets injured.

We actually took a photo of little Gabriel before letting him go in the wild. Actually kind of cute ... for a mouse.


----------



## wvnative

Belle Ella said:


> Gotta love them Denise! Which set did you get?



She didn't get me an actual set. I got a Mickey pants, Bambi, Thumper and an Alice I think. She did something similar with the tumblers.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> How often should I be checking for the Entertainment Rate dates on that page? I've been checking a couple times a day so far, lol.



I check about weekly Usually on Tuesdays as it seems to me they used to make changes late Monday/early Tuesday. I did recently hear that Lorealle posts it on the FB page slightly before it gets posted on their website though so it might be a good idea to friend Hojo on FB.



Belle Ella said:


> Gotta love kitties like that though! Ella has her moments too. I just wish I knew how she got outside in the first place. After her side-stitch debacle last year I hate her being out there -- especially because I don't want a $600+ vet bill if she gets injured.



Both Mom and my sister had indoor/outdoor cats that used to bring in all kinds of gifts. Dood brought my sister live birds. HAHA Bea brought mom live lizards minus their tails.

I'm really glad I have indoor kitties.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, I like that idea! Having different pieces from each. So cool. I love them all, don't you?

Honestly, this is the first time Ella's brought me a present like that. Well, the first time I've been the one to accept the delivery  My sister always tells me of mice she leaves at the door, or lizards and salamanders she brings home. she loves to show off what she catches.

I posted the pic of little Gabriel on my Facebook  So adorable.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Mice can be cute! Too bad they have too many deseases! I'll stick with Hamsters if I want a rodent!

*Happy Friday!!!*

Got any special plans this weekend?

I'm going down to Calgary to visit some friends and family, and test out my new car on the highway. Also going to work out some trip plans with my brother and his girlfriend. Looking forward to figuring some things out!


----------



## Belle Ella

It's been an exhausting few days! We had inventory Thursday night and that's really messed up my sleep. Sooooo tired!! Now I somehow managed to jam a joint in a finger on my right hand. It's all bruised and was very swollen yesterday. Not comfy!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's been an exhausting few days! We had inventory Thursday night and that's really messed up my sleep. Sooooo tired!! Now I somehow managed to jam a joint in a finger on my right hand. It's all bruised and was very swollen yesterday. Not comfy!!



Inventory is not fun at all.  Ow poor finger and hand.  I hope it gets better.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay! Guess who actually gets to wach today's game?!?!

Go Demers!! :woohoo


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yay! Guess who actually gets to wach today's game?!?!
> 
> Go Demers!! :woohoo



Goal!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Made me happy


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Made me happy



You should have heard my son yelling.


----------



## Belle Ella

Awesome. I tried to yell. Didn't work too well. My allergies have messed up my voice. It hurts.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Awesome. I tried to yell. Didn't work too well. My allergies have messed up my voice. It hurts.



Poor thing.


Psst......you are almost at 3,000 posts.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah, I'm a miserable little thing today. Oh well. I'll live. And that game. Man, not how I wanted game 1 to go, but no use dwelling on it.

2 more to go


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah, I'm a miserable little thing today. Oh well. I'll live. And that game. Man, not how I wanted game 1 to go, but no use dwelling on it.
> 
> 2 more to go



I know but it will be okay!!

And you will feel better too.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup, only game 1! Can't wait for game 2. 

Happy Monday!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, only game 1! Can't wait for game 2.
> 
> Happy Monday!



Happy Monday!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

So all is well. I finally managed to get something a little less flimsy for my finger than taping it, so now I can't bend it! Still all bruised though, but it's not looking any worse. Yay for my dad being totally obsessed with his safety preparedness stuff. We have all these make shift medical kits around the house and we found some foam splint things. It's perfect.

OK, so I hope tonight I'll add more photos. I need a Disney-pick-me-up!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So all is well. I finally managed to get something a little less flimsy for my finger than taping it, so now I can't bend it! Still all bruised though, but it's not looking any worse. Yay for my dad being totally obsessed with his safety preparedness stuff. We have all these make shift medical kits around the house and we found some foam splint things. It's perfect.
> 
> OK, so I hope tonight I'll add more photos. I need a Disney-pick-me-up!



I am glad you took care of your finger.  Tonight we have a band parent get to know you ice cream social.  I am so not excited.


----------



## Belle Ella

As in just the band parents? Sounds ... interesting! It can't be all that bad though. Have as much fun as you can.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> As in just the band parents? Sounds ... interesting! It can't be all that bad though. Have as much fun as you can.



It was an ice cream social.  And it gave the kids a chance to meet other kids and it gave parents a chance to be introduced to the boosters.  It was better than the meetings I attend at the girls high school.


----------



## Belle Ella

Ah, OK. I was a little confused. But then again, when am I not.

OK, is the IDS like crazy slow for everyone out there or is it just being anti-Jazz today? Or the past few days. I haven't been able to add any new photos because it just takes too long!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It's not just you. It look like 2 minutes just to be able to post this reply. And it's been like this for a few days at least. My computer at work here is always slow, but it's been worse lately.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

And sorry to hear about your finger. If anyone knows what bashed up fingers feels like, it's me. It's not fun. Good that you found something for it!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, glad to know I'm not alone. It seems to be doing alright at the moment, so maybe I can get a new photo post up tonight. We'll see. I don't get great reception in my Humanities class most of the time!

 And thanks! Thankfully my finger will be just fine after a few days. It's just really annoying at this point.


----------



## Belle Ella

Oops! I doubled!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ah, OK. I was a little confused. But then again, when am I not.
> 
> OK, is the IDS like crazy slow for everyone out there or is it just being anti-Jazz today? Or the past few days. I haven't been able to add any new photos because it just takes too long!



Dis has been goofy lately.  Hmmm......



Belle Ella said:


> Oops! I doubled!



Oh my!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, where else would you expect Goofy to be than somehwere that's DIS'freindly?!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, where else would you expect Goofy to be than somehwere that's DIS'freindly?!



I thought about that as I was typing that.


----------



## Belle Ella

*We're now on a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom*
Part 6​
Well, I suppose that we've already started our grand circle tour long ago, but we just decided to start 3/8 or so in. Or something like that. I never claimed to be any good at math, so we'll move along and starting back at the beginning - Main Street U.S.A. and the Main Street Station of the Disneyland Railroad! And of course a few other staples in the vicinity before hitting the hustle and bustle of the shops!




































well doesn't somebody still look 4th of july festive








































i am so ready fir my game of checkers




















i swear it's not meant for me









Well, I suppose more than just one somebody/building was still all kinds of 4th of July festive. It makes me wonder if they leave them up all of July. I never would have noticed before since this was the first time I had ever been during July and will stay that way for quite some time I'm afraid.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I can actually see all the pictures! I love the 50th Anniversary Garden. Also like the stable with your name on it! Lol.  I am so excited for all the little things.


----------



## Belle Ella

YAY!  I'm glad you can see photos today. That's reason to celebrate, it is!! Next post should have some fun stuff if you like looking at window displays, lol. If not ... tough luck because there are *a lot*!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No, no, I love the window displays!! keep 'em coming!


----------



## Belle Ella

Good  They;ll probably be up tonight. Which, of course, could mean it will take me until June ...


----------



## kaoden39

I can spend hours meandering and looking at the windows and things.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay! I'm not alone!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yay! I'm not alone!



Well duh!!


----------



## Belle Ella

You aren't refering to the ever-present minions in my head are you ... ?


----------



## Belle Ella

*Walking down Main Street, U.S.A.*
Part 7​
Outside of the general wonder that is walking down Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland (because, really, what's more wonderful than that?!?!?!) my favorite part is taking time to glance into all of the window displays. You see people just storming right past them so often and I'm sure we all do it too, but they are so much fun to walk by and see what little details you can spot. A whole new world of exploration! Of course, back in 2006, the goal of my Magic Morning (or were they still referring to it as Early Entry way back when?) had absolutely *nothing* to with any kind of ride strategy. I had one thing on my mind, and one thing only: to photograph every single window along Main Street with fewer people in my way!

So (in no particular order) I present to you ... the sights of Main Street and the * Windows to Enchantment*!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Windows to Enchantment*
Part 8​
We'll skip the general ramblings-on by me for this post and just keep on trekking down Main Street!





















































































now i'm craving a waffle cone










yum, my favorite snack place that's not churro or mint julep related


----------



## kaoden39

I love the window pictures.  Thank you.  Of course it has fueled my excitement.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Wow, those pictures just brought back a whole bunch of memories from 13 years ago. Especially the Refreshment Corner. That was the first place we went to on our family trip. We had a Mickey Mouse pretzel and a cup of coke. 

I love the old look of all the buildings. And the window displays just add to it. The details are amazing. Plus I couldn't help but notice some of the Stitch things!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I love the window pictures.  Thank you.  Of course it has fueled my excitement.



So close you can taste it, huh?!?!



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Wow, those pictures just brought back a whole bunch of memories from 13 years ago. Especially the Refreshment Corner. That was the first place we went to on our family trip. We had a Mickey Mouse pretzel and a cup of coke.
> 
> I love the old look of all the buildings. And the window displays just add to it. The details are amazing. Plus I couldn't help but notice some of the Stitch things!



Would you believe me if I said I still wasn't done with Main Street?  I have photos out the wazoo of *everything*!

And every time I saw Stitch in a photo I smiled for ya!

BTW, I love how it's like I have 2 readers. It makes me laugh hysterically  But all for good reasons. Do I really scare people off or something?

helloooooooooooooooooooo!


----------



## kaoden39

I think there are lurkers!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I wouldn't doubt there's a lot of lurkers! I guess only two of us like to talk. It's funny, I am not much of a talker normally. I guess Disney just brings it out of me!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah I wouldn't doubt there's a lot of lurkers! I guess only two of us like to talk. It's funny, I am not much of a talker normally. I guess Disney just brings it out of me!



I like to think it brings out the best in a person.


----------



## FlameGirl

Two and 1/2.  

Hi you guys!  We just booked our annual November / December trip to DL.  We leave on Thanksgiving day, the 25th, and are staying until December 5th.  We plan to hit the parks four days, take a day to rest and recuperate, and then hit the parks another four days.  EIGHT days.  Crazy.


----------



## kaoden39

FlameGirl said:


> Two and 1/2.
> 
> Hi you guys!  We just booked our annual November / December trip to DL.  We leave on Thanksgiving day, the 25th, and are staying until December 5th.  We plan to hit the parks four days, take a day to rest and recuperate, and then hit the parks another four days.  EIGHT days.  Crazy.



Sounds wonderful!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Awwws  C'mon lurkers! Say hi! I promise I don't bite. I love to hear from alls peoples!

Kathy -  I am green with envy right now. 8 days in the parks is awe-may-zing!!! That'll just be awesome. I hope you'll be doing a TR for yourself so we can enjoy all the funzies too.

OK, I'm in an odd-speak mood right now. Then again, when is that new?


----------



## FlameGirl

Belle Ella said:


> Kathy -  I am green with envy right now. 8 days in the parks is awe-may-zing!!! That'll just be awesome. I hope you'll be doing a TR for yourself so we can enjoy all the funzies too.



I just hope we don't get completely burned out on all things Disney.

ETA:  I do plan on doing a TR.  I can't wait to use my spiffy new camera at Disneyland!


----------



## Belle Ella

I would think if you don't overpace yourself you'll be good. Try and relax and not rush because no matter what crowds are like (I've never been that time of year so I can't comment) you have more than enough days to get everything you want done. You know? That's what I think leads to the biggest burn out.

YAY! More TR's I get to stalk  And I can't want to see the photos you get with your new camera. I'm all excited just thinking about it!


----------



## wvnative

I'm here too. Just haven't been overly talkative lately.


----------



## Belle Ella

wvnative said:


> I'm here too. Just haven't been overly talkative lately.



 Thanks for a drive by though! Have a good weekend!!


----------



## kaoden39

Hola!!  Happy Friday!!


----------



## DizNee Luver

So I haven't been very good at keeping up on these threads like I usually am.....hope things are going well!!  Haven't seen a lot on FB from you & started to worry a bit.   Hope you have a great weekend!!


----------



## wdvak

OK, I am the ultimate lurked here, but I enjoy reading everyone's posts and many times don't have the time to answer. Actually I probably have the time, but with my computer in my studio/basement I tend to feel that I need to get on to other things. .  However, I now have an iPad and really like that I can check on things at other times (while waiting for dd or as now having tea on the deck).

I like your pictures and am happy to see that somebody else has scads of pics too.   this last year I was looking at some from about 1970 and thinking about the differences. Then I was looking at the last couple of times I was at DLR, which was  about 18 years ago. I have been to WDW 1999 2002 2004 2008 2010, but not DLR.  so I almost feel like not only is it a first time for dd15, and a first Disney trip for just the 2 of us (unless dd22 jumps in at the last moment ) , but almost feels like a first for me as it has been so long and DCA wasn't there when I was.

See this why I lurk so that you don't have to see my rambles. 


url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




[/url]


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## kaoden39

wdvak said:


> OK, I am the ultimate lurked here, but I enjoy reading everyone's posts and many times don't have the time to answer. Actually I probably have the time, but with my computer in my studio/basement I tend to feel that I need to get on to other things. .  However, I now have an iPad and really like that I can check on things at other times (while waiting for dd or as now having tea on the deck).
> 
> I like your pictures and am happy to see that somebody else has scads of pics too.   this last year I was looking at some from about 1970 and thinking about the differences. Then I was looking at the last couple of times I was at DLR, which was  about 18 years ago. I have been to WDW 1999 2002 2004 2008 2010, but not DLR.  so I almost feel like not only is it a first time for dd15, and a first Disney trip for just the 2 of us (unless dd22 jumps in at the last moment ) , but almost feels like a first for me as it has been so long and DCA wasn't there when I was.
> 
> See this why I lurk so that you don't have to see my rambles.
> 
> 
> url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]



Oh I am so excited for you.  This should be great fun for you!!


----------



## wdvak

kaoden39 said:


> Oh I am so excited for you.  This should be great fun for you!!



Thank you.

DD15 and I were talking about what we have to do today and could hardly contain ourselves. ToT is top of her list as that has been her favorite since she was 4 and was tall enough to ride . Then we are off to see whatever else we can and just to have a good time. I always remind myself of that key fact before we go since I saw a mother berating her family in frontier land at WDW many years ago. Yes, it was hot and there were crowds, but it was the end of May and not that bad. She just forgot to enjoy and instead made a terrible day (if not trip) for all involved.

Back to trip anticipation.

url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




[/url]


----------



## kaoden39

wdvak said:


> Thank you.
> 
> DD15 and I were talking about what we have to do today and could hardly contain ourselves. ToT is top of her list as that has been her favorite since she was 4 and was tall enough to ride . Then we are off to see whatever else we can and just to have a good time. I always remind myself of that key fact before we go since I saw a mother berating her family in frontier land at WDW many years ago. Yes, it was hot and there were crowds, but it was the end of May and not that bad. She just forgot to enjoy and instead made a terrible day (if not trip) for all involved.
> 
> Back to trip anticipation.
> 
> url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]



You know I decided that this trip is going to be our no stress trip.  I have stressed over every trip and getting to whatever ride and wherever in the parks and then the trip becomes a battle ground and the fun is gone.  I am aiming for fun, and no structure.  It is killing me to not plan like normal but when it comes down to it I want it to be fun.


----------



## wdvak

kaoden39 said:


> You know I decided that this trip is going to be our no stress trip.  I have stressed over every trip and getting to whatever ride and wherever in the parks and then the trip becomes a battle ground and the fun is gone.  I am aiming for fun, and no structure.  It is killing me to not plan like normal but when it comes down to it I want it to be fun.



 I was fretting over not planning too, but decided that it was good for me.  With just the two of us going and having 3 half days and 3full days I figure that we can fit DLR in easily and maybe even go to Knotts Berry Farm for the coasters. Whatever we get done will be fun and looking for a concert harp is what we are really in Anaheim for  (at least that is how I put to DH)

 url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




[/url]


----------



## kaoden39

wdvak said:


> I was fretting over not planning too, but decided that it was good for me.  With just the two of us going and having 3 half days and 3full days I figure that we can fit DLR in easily and maybe even go to Knotts Berry Farm for the coasters. Whatever we get done will be fun and looking for a concert harp is what we are really in Anaheim for  (at least that is how I put to DH)
> 
> url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]



Oooh that is a good excuse.  I like it.  And if you happen to end up at Disneyland, well, it was there.  If you have seen my trip report somewhere along the line we went from planning to meandering.


----------



## Belle Ella

DizNee Luver said:


> So I haven't been very good at keeping up on these threads like I usually am.....hope things are going well!!  Haven't seen a lot on FB from you & started to worry a bit.   Hope you have a great weekend!!



 I've been so busy with things (work, school, my obsessive reading phase rearing it's head again ... I could go on) I find it hard to say anything on Facebook and can barely do a couple things on the DIS before I'm back to something else. It doesn't help any that ... the Sharks got swept by Chicago. I'm stewing over that one right now.



wdvak said:


> OK, I am the ultimate lurked here, but I enjoy reading everyone's posts and many times don't have the time to answer. Actually I probably have the time, but with my computer in my studio/basement I tend to feel that I need to get on to other things. .  However, I now have an iPad and really like that I can check on things at other times (while waiting for dd or as now having tea on the deck).
> 
> I like your pictures and am happy to see that somebody else has scads of pics too.   this last year I was looking at some from about 1970 and thinking about the differences. Then I was looking at the last couple of times I was at DLR, which was  about 18 years ago. I have been to WDW 1999 2002 2004 2008 2010, but not DLR.  so I almost feel like not only is it a first time for dd15, and a first Disney trip for just the 2 of us (unless dd22 jumps in at the last moment ) , but almost feels like a first for me as it has been so long and DCA wasn't there when I was.
> 
> See this why I lurk so that you don't have to see my rambles.
> 
> 
> url=http://www.myvacationcountdown.com/]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/url]



Yay! I love seeing lurkers pop out! Hiya, howdy. I hope all of the banter is enjoyable  And we love the ramble-rambling. It's the best part about my now very, very long TR. Hm, anyone count how many pages we are from retiring this one and starting afresh? Rambling helps that. We love it. We thrive off it! If you like rambling, this is the place for you!!

Actually, I'm about ready to start rambling!! I want to get an update in today though so I have to get on that. I need to finish this July '06 thing before we close out this thread and with my lack-luster pace lately that is so not going to happen.

Toodles!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling*
part 9​
Never thought to see so many photos of Main Street all in one go, huh? But it really shouldn't surprise you if you've been following along, either starting with this trip or if you've somehow stuck around since I started my TR's in March 2009. I know it doesn't surprise me, at least. And I'm certainly not stopping now. I only have roughly 600 photos to show from that entire vacation and considering how few that relates to previous excursions I see no point in not sharing them all. S I'll pick up where I left off at the Photo Supply shop ...















i love relaxing on that porch, how about you?





someday i should share my silhoutte portrait i had done



































































































I'm starting to realize that even I didn't think I had this many Main Street photos -- because I'm still not to the end! Eventually we'll get some other sights as well, I promise


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I am loving all the Main Street photos. I hope I have at least a moment to relax on that porch!  And I am also liking the looks of that Painless Dentist!! think I should make an appointment while I am there?


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, only after you do some recongaisance and do a little eaves-dropping outside the door


----------



## Belle Ella

*Roll On ...*
Part 10​
And so, we finally roll on and finish our tour of Main Street, U.S.A.! 



















































i can't wait to get a photo of the new door on my next adventure





























In retrospect it's probably one of the best mornings I have had at the Park, and probably one of my favorite usages of Magic Morning time I can think of. I never would have gone around photographing every little bit of Main Street that I could otherwise (well, OK, I would have but it would have taken much longer to do so) and just looking through them, one by one, I can almost picture myself walking down Main Street and it just makes me happy!

Now the question is where to next?

The only logical answer is to explore what would be staring us right in the face, wouldn't it? It shouldn't be too hard to guess!





did i mention we were there for the 51st anniversary day? july 17, 2006


























Maybe you can guess where we're going next?






How about now?​


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ok, I'll get on that!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Are a lot of those buildings on Mainstreet just for show, or can you actually go in all of them?


----------



## Belle Ella

You can go in all the shops, but at the same time you can't  Some of the fronts are just facades that you can't get through, like that porch for example, but everything behind the walls is a shop of some kind. And they are pretty much all interconnected and you can walk from one into another.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ah, ok. That's what I kind of thought, but wasn't sure. You never know what is or isn't real at that place!


----------



## kaoden39

Does anyone remember what the FPs for the GAD are for?


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Unfortunately I have no idea. Sorry.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Unfortunately I have no idea. Sorry.



That's alright.  I have been searching all over looking and I am not finding it.


----------



## DizNee Luver

kaoden39 said:


> Does anyone remember what the FPs for the GAD are for?



I do, I do!!!

3 from each of the 2 categories listed below:
(for you & up to 5 more people in your party....all most go with you to get them)

DAISY'S FAVORITES:
Autopia
Big Thunder Mt Railroad
Buzz Lightyear
Grizzly River Run
Mulholland Madness

DONALD'S FAVORITES:
Indiana Jones
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
Space Mt
Splash Mt
California Screamin
Soarin
Tower of Terror

 Ask & you shall receive!!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sweet! If only I had been able to do a GAD! I couldn't find any information here in Red Deer on it.

But now I have a question.

If you see your dates on the HOJO Entertainment Rate site, and then they take them off, do you still get the rate if you've called them to tell them before they've taken the date(s) off?


----------



## kaoden39

DizNee Luver said:


> I do, I do!!!
> 
> 3 from each of the 2 categories listed below:
> (for you & up to 5 more people in your party....all most go with you to get them)
> 
> DAISY'S FAVORITES:
> Autopia
> Big Thunder Mt Railroad
> Buzz Lightyear
> Grizzly River Run
> Mulholland Madness
> 
> DONALD'S FAVORITES:
> Indiana Jones
> Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
> Space Mt
> Splash Mt
> California Screamin
> Soarin
> Tower of Terror
> 
> Ask & you shall receive!!!



Ooh thank you very much!!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sweet! If only I had been able to do a GAD! I couldn't find any information here in Red Deer on it.
> 
> But now I have a question.
> 
> If you see your dates on the HOJO Entertainment Rate site, and then they take them off, do you still get the rate if you've called them to tell them before they've taken the date(s) off?



Oh I have no question.  Are you friends with Hojo Anaheim on facebook?  They will answer your questions there.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

On facebook is it just Howard Johnson in general or the Anaheim specifically?


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> On facebook is it just Howard Johnson in general or the Anaheim specifically?



It's Hojo Anaheim.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hmm, it comes up for Twitter, but not Facebook.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hmm, it comes up for Twitter, but not Facebook.



Try HoJo Anaheim.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Only HoJo Duck comes up when I type it either way. I tried Howard Johnson and it's just a general page about all their hotels.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Only HoJo Duck comes up when I type it either way. I tried Howard Johnson and it's just a general page about all their hotels.



That's odd.  Are we friends on FB?  They are one of my friends.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No we are not, but I can we can add each other if you like...


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> No we are not, but I can we can add each other if you like...my name is Andrea Svenson.



Got it but you may want to change this message.


----------



## kaoden39

Let me send you a pm.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sweet! If only I had been able to do a GAD! I couldn't find any information here in Red Deer on it.
> 
> But now I have a question.
> 
> If you see your dates on the HOJO Entertainment Rate site, and then they take them off, do you still get the rate if you've called them to tell them before they've taken the date(s) off?



I can't remember if you got an answer to this, but so long as you have called and secured the rate, you've got it for good.

 1 day for me has come up in September. I'm just waiting to call until everyone in my house wakes up because I'm a loud talker, lol.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I can't remember if you got an answer to this, but so long as you have called and secured the rate, you've got it for good.
> 
> 1 day for me has come up in September. I'm just waiting to call until everyone in my house wakes up because I'm a loud talker, lol.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yay. Now my $$$ is looking a little more manageable. Gotta cross my fingers for the rest of my dates.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yay. Now my $$$ is looking a little more manageable. Gotta cross my fingers for the rest of my dates.



Boy, I understand that one for sure.  


I am under 20 days now!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm so excited for you!! I love seeing everyone's trips getting closer!! And by the time yours is over I'll be back in the double digits. But lets not think about yours being over just yet!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm so excited for you!! I love seeing everyone's trips getting closer!! And by the time yours is over I'll be back in the double digits. But lets not think about yours being over just yet!!



I am anxious for this whole thing to get going.  Argh!!


----------



## Belle Ella

As long as the anxiety stays behind when you leave  Feel free to frop it at my doorstep!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> As long as the anxiety stays behind when you leave  Feel free to frop it at my doorstep!



Oh I am just anxious at the thought that I will forget something or that 6 days is too long(as if), that someone will get sick before we go, oh I could go on!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Six days is definitely not too long. Is there such thing as too long in Disneyland? 

Just make sure everyone is taking their vitamins so they stay healthy! It's no fun if someone gets sick!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Six days is definitely not too long. Is there such thing as too long in Disneyland?
> 
> Just make sure everyone is taking their vitamins so they stay healthy! It's no fun if someone gets sick!




We went twice in March where someone was sick.  It is no fun, and I am just having my gosh all this bad stuff could happen.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well maybe March was just bad luck for you. Hopefully June will be better! Spring is well over, and all the germs will hopefully be gone. Spring is when everyone gets sick around here, cause of the weather changes. Not sure what it's like down there, when the weather doesn't change as drastically.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well maybe March was just bad luck for you. Hopefully June will be better! Spring is well over, and all the germs will hopefully be gone. Spring is when everyone gets sick around here, cause of the weather changes. Not sure what it's like down there, when the weather doesn't change as drastically.



That is the thing, our weather has been ever changing.  One day it is in the 70's and the next it is cold and raining.  I have visions of colds running rampant through our group.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Lots of Vitamin C is supposed to help keep those cold germs away!! If anyone gets sick, lets hope its now, and it's over before you go!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Lots of Vitamin C is supposed to help keep those cold germs away!! If anyone gets sick, lets hope its now, and it's over before you go!



From your lips to God ears.  I know I am borrowing trouble, but I can't help it.


----------



## Belle Ella

No sickies! Sickies stay away!

OK, so finals are over and I want to get started on a new PTR but I have vowed I will finish this July trip before I start adding anything new in so guess what I'll probably be doing today?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> No sickies! Sickies stay away!
> 
> OK, so finals are over and I want to get started on a new PTR but I have vowed I will finish this July trip before I start adding anything new in so guess what I'll probably be doing today?



Sounds like a great way to spend the day.  And I am doing the no sickies allowed mantra.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Fantasyland*
Part 11




If you couldn't guess this one a mile away, I would seriously have to wonder if there was something wrong with you. Fantasyland, as always, is another of my favorite go-to spots, but back in 2006 I can pretty much count on one hand the number of rides in Fantasyland that I actually went on. These were what I like to call my less-ride more-wandering days and I'm pretty sure it had something to do with all my built up anxiety. What 19 year old is afraid of Peter Pan's Flight?! Well, other than me of course. Have I made everyone question my absolute love for Disneyland yet? 

So let's take a peek around. Something that I really miss about Fantasyland was when they had the Villains stop by for character meet and greets. They had their own little corner of the courtyard right behind the castle and it was perfect. I spent many a day there spying on Cruelle de Ville or the Evil Queen, whoever was out. In fact, the Evil Queen and I became adversaries rather quickly as she saw what I was wearing -- a lanyard full of Snow White pins! Sadly, that little meet & greet spot is no longer used. It's a shame!










i picked up my dad something with the family crest on it















i was actually around to see a couple get engaged right by this fountain one day while i was there. a photopass photographer was amazing with them to get photos afterwards





goodbye once upon a time and hello bibbidi bobbidi boutique




















i spy with my little eye ... an evil queen!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Mickey's Toontown*
Part 12​
The next stop on our whirlwind-photo-tour of Disneyland is none other than Mickey's Toontown! This was my first real time ever exploring Toontown, and as much as I love it and how interesting everything is to look at I have to say I will probably only ever take a looksie if and when I have vouchers for Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness. It's absolute madness in there otherwise in my humble opinion. Luckily enough for me, however, was the fact that *Frick* and *MOF* did have vouchers for MTTMM that they weren't planning on using -- I think it's fair to say that I may have been the only one interested in going in the first place. Toontown is much, much more fun first thing in the morning with limited guests.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Frontierland*
Part 13​
I'm honestly at a loss for words on what to say about Frontierland. Pretty much the only thing that I can remember for sure was eating our delicious lunch at Rancho del Zocalo and hanging out at the River Belle Terrace for breakfast while waiting for Jack Sparrow to make his grand entrance. Yummy. Strangely enough I don't think I ate there during either of my 2009 trips, which is a sad, sad thing. But I was too stuffed on all of our character meals so maybe I will remedy this someday in 2010. At this rate, that to-do list is going to be awfully long. Strange how no matter how many times to go you always find something to do!





































































If you remember my earlier adventure aboard the Columbia, it's worth mentioning that while waiting to board I used my time productively to get photos of the flag plaques that are posted around the waiting dock. Surprising, the bits f history that you can find everywhere.


----------



## Belle Ella

*Tom Sawyer's Island & Adventureland*​
Here's something that I'm glad I got a chance to look around at _before_ it was ever invaded by those filthy pirates! Tom Sawyer's Island. It's not usually on my list of things I must do, but when trying to see and photograph as much as possible I'll usually make my way over. My fear of silly little rafts no withstanding.























































And to finish off our whirlwind-photo-tour we'll swing by Adventureland, home of my favorite-cheese-ball ride, the Jungle Cruise!! It's funny to look back at this trip and remember how 100% terrified I was to go on Indiana Jones when nowadays I would love nothing more than to go again and agan and again non-stop these days if I could (and I can thanks to the handy dandy Single Rider thingamajig).





i feel like something's missing


----------



## kaoden39

Wow someone has been busy putting pictures and trip up today.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Wow someone has been busy putting pictures and trip up today.



What can I say ... I'm true to my word! I think I have 3 posts left and then July 2006 will officially be put to rest!


----------



## Belle Ella

*A Parade of Dreams*
Part 15​
If I've said it once, I've probably only said it once (until now) :rolling One thing that I truly, madly, deeply miss is the Parade of Dreams. It as the absolute tops of the tops as far as parades were concerned and with it gone, late afternoons at Disneyland just aren't the same. Hopefully, someday soon, a worthy successor will be introduced, but until then there is no such thing as too many POD photos!


----------



## kaoden39

Pooh Bear and Mary Poppins interesting pairing.....


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Pooh Bear and Mary Poppins interesting pairing.....



 I know, right?!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Millions of Happy Faces*
Part 16​
Someday I would love to make a mosaic/collage similar to the ones that were up around Disneyland in 2006 (and I believe they were still around during my June 2007 trip as well). Using hundreds and hundred of photos of smiling faces (also known as The Happiest Faces on Earth), these pieces of art were made! Since I would run out of room if I included the description plaques that I photographed as well, I've put the description as well as the number of images used below each photo  At least for the ones that I have.










*Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent) - 1959*
The Sleeping Beauty collage contains 3,606 images, and depicts the evil fairy Maleficent as she summons her dark powers





*Alice in Wonderland - 1951*
Alice finds herself in the midst of a Mad Tea Party, in an Alice in Wonderland collage that contains 3,360 images





*The Little Mermaid - 1989*
Ariel imagines what it's like to be "Part of Your World" in this Little Mermaid collage, which contains 2,678 images





*Pocahontas - 1995*
This collage of Pocahontas, one of Disney's greatest heroines, contains 4,581 images





*Cinderella - 1950*
It's the stroke of midnight ... and Cinderella has left her glass slipper behind in this Cinderella collage, which contains 4,004 images





*Beauty and the Beast - 1991*
Belle and the Beast learn the true meaning of love in this Beauty and the Beast collage, which contains 2,448 images





*Mulan - 1998*
Mulan's greatest wish is to bring honor to her father in this Mulan collage, which contains 2,412 images





*Hercules - 1997*
Hercules finds himself falling under Meg's spell in this Hercules collage, which contains 2,448 images





*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 1937*
Dopey seeks yet another kiss from Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the world's first full length animated feature
Dedicated to the Disney Shareholders, this collage contains 9,696 images










*Mickey's Toontown - 1993*
Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck vie for votes in a wild and wacky election campaign
Each of these collages contains 2, 886 images





*Mickey's Trailer - 1938*
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's vacation doesn't go exactly as planned and Mickey suffers the consequences in this collage, which contains 6,000 images










*The Lion King - 1994*
Future king Simba and his friend, Nala, have the look of mischief in this Lion King collage, which contains 2,398 images





*Jungle Book - 1967*
Mowgli and his friend Baloo enjoy the "Bare Necessities" of life in this animated Disney classic
The Jungle Book collage contains 2,302 images





*Toy Story - 1995*
Sheriff Woody is one of Andy's favorite toys in Toy Story
This collage contains 2,416 images





*Toy Story 2 - 1999*
Jessie was Woody's co-star in the old TV show, Woody's Round Up
This collage of Jessie contains 2,416 images





*Walt & Mickey - 1966*
Walt & Mickey collage contains 5,800 images, including pictures of Walt Disney, photos of Disneyland and early artists' renderings of the Magic Kingdom





*Sleeping Beauty (Aurora and Prince Philip) - 1959*
Aurora is awakened from the spell by the dashing Prince Philip and "true love's first kiss"
The Sleeping Beauty collage contains 1,657 images





*Sleeping Beauty (Dragon) - 1959*
The evil fairy, Maleficent, transforms herself into a hideous dragon in this collage from Walt Disney's animated classic, Sleeping Beauty, which contains 1,657 images


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know, right?!



Well, I am guessing it is that obsession with sweet things.  You know a "spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...." and all that.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Well, I am guessing it is that obsession with sweet things.  You know a "spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...." and all that.



I was totally just saying that to myself a second ago right after I posted that (so maybe a few more than seconds ...). Then I got interrupted by a lady from the Census Bureau. Fun.

So, while typing my last update out, I got distracted by "Bare Necessities" and guess what I decided I must watch!!

Oh, and 1 more July 2006 update to go!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*Character Sightings*
Part 17​
2006 wasn't a year for photos of me, with or without characters, but it doesn't mean that I didn't see my fair share wandering around the Park. This was the summer before Princess Fantasy Faire was introduced to Fantasyland and the Princesses were actually seen wandering around ... where else ... the Castle! It provided a much better backdrop to the silly murals paintings at PFF. Oh, and did I forget to mention that the Princes were usually out with them? And of course I mentioned the Villain's Lair previously, didn't I?

























makes me sad  one reason i loved snow white growing up was because she's _supposed_ to have brown eyes
































































Well, thanks for sticking with air B.E. Things may not always be easy to follow, but at least there are lots and lots of colorful photos! There's nothing in the world that photos (especially of Disneyland) can't make worth your while! As the light dims on another installation of my never-ending trip report, I'll give you a few photos of the Castle at night and the special princess additions of 2006!































so long, everybody!​


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I love the mosaic stuff!!! They are so cool. I love to just sit and look at all the little pictures. I've done a couple Mickey Mouse mosaic puzzles, and I just loved them.

I like the looks of that parade too! I wish it was still around so I could see it! What is that Celebrate parade like?


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I like the looks of that parade too! I wish it was still around so I could see it! What is that Celebrate parade like?



POD was absolutely amazing! You would have loved it  As far as Celebrate is conernced ... I've never actually seen it. I've walked by and done my best to avoid it. I have no interest in it whatsoever. It's too loud, and IMO just geared more towards kids and it's supposed to be like a big dance thing. You can find a whole bunch of videos on it all over. Here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL1QIVVp8Jo

It's probably too much to hope for, but I really am hoping they do something Halloween-ish for us this year.


----------



## Belle Ella

Methinks it's time for another game


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I get why they want to direct the parades towards kids, but usually where there are kids, there are adults too! Or I would hope. So why not keep the parades exciting for both??

Oooh, a game!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

BTW I also love the close-ups of the crownds on the castle. So pretty!


----------



## FlameGirl

Holy smokes!  You've been busy Jazz!


----------



## Belle Ella

I loved those crowns. I wish I had had a tripod at the time so I could get better photos of 'em. But it'll do for now. I did love that camera that I had before I moved on t my DSLR. The photos of the Princesses that I took? I was all the way on the other side of the castle and yet it looks like I was right there! That camera had a freaking amazing zoom on it (like 12x or something).

Yes, yes I have been busy! But bored. This is what happens when school is out. And I'd like to start focusing my attention on my still forever-ways-away trip!

OK -- here's the new game!! We already did an ABC of all things Disney. Now we're going to play ABC's of Disney characters. Okie dokes? I'll go first:

*A*riel


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*B*olt


----------



## Belle Ella

*C*rickee


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*D*umbo


----------



## Belle Ella

*E*eyore


----------



## kaoden39

Figaro


----------



## Belle Ella

*G*rumpy


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *G*rumpy



*H*appy


----------



## Belle Ella

*I*carus


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *I*carus



Argh!!!  I blanked on *J*!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

*J*afar!!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*K*ronk


----------



## kaoden39

*L*ion King


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Mufasa


----------



## Belle Ella

*N*ala


----------



## kaoden39

*O*liver


----------



## Belle Ella

*P*eter Pan (I think I should get double points for that one )


----------



## kaoden39

*Robin Hood*


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*Stitch!*


----------



## Belle Ella

*T*oulouse


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*U*rsula  (I don't know if I spelled that right)


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*U*rsula  - I don't know if I spelled that right, but I am pretty sure it starts with a U


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Oops! Sorry, I posted twice! The first one said there was an error or something! Liars!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Oops! Sorry, I posted twice! The first one said there was an error or something! Liars!


----------



## Belle Ella

We forgive you!


----------



## Belle Ella

*V*ixey


----------



## kaoden39

*W*innie the Pooh


----------



## Belle Ella

HAHA, I finally know an X!!!

*X*erxes


----------



## kaoden39

*Z*azu


----------



## Belle Ella

*cough* Do you know your alphabet?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> *cough* Do you know your alphabet?



Oops.  I was just so excited to have a z word and I was watching the Presidents speech and I was distracted.

Old *Y*eller


----------



## Belle Ella

It's okays, I'll forgive you too. But can you make it stop raining. It's almost June for crying out loud. I want sunshine, not rain!

Hm. This means game is over. Boo.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's okays, I'll forgive you too. But can you make it stop raining. It's almost June for crying out loud. I want sunshine, not rain!
> 
> Hm. This means game is over. Boo.



I did hear earlier on the radio that they think this may be the last rain of the season.  I hope he is right!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Rain??? Pffft! I wish! They are saying we might get snow this weekend!!! We aren't supposed to get snow past April!!! (In my books we shouldn't get snow at all).


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I did hear earlier on the radio that they think this may be the last rain of the season.  I hope he is right!!



Man, oh man, don't I wish!! It's making finding something to do today really lame. Maybe I'll g see S&TC2



DisneyStitch626 said:


> Rain??? Pffft! I wish! They are saying we might get snow this weekend!!! We aren't supposed to get snow past April!!! (In my books we shouldn't get snow at all).



Yeah, it should be summer weather already in my book. And summer weather just does not include rain or snow!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Rain??? Pffft! I wish! They are saying we might get snow this weekend!!! We aren't supposed to get snow past April!!! (In my books we shouldn't get snow at all).



It has been snowing in the Sierra's too.  The campgrounds that normally open for Memorial day weekend aren't going to open because there is so much snow.  We see it here too.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Man, oh man, don't I wish!! It's making finding something to do today really lame. Maybe I'll g see S&TC2
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, it should be summer weather already in my book. And summer weather just does not include rain or snow!



I am going to see it on Friday with my BF.  We made the plans months ago.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am going to see it on Friday with my BF.  We made the plans months ago.



 Have fun! I have to work tomorrow so I'd rather see it matinee today. If only I had remember that it opened today and not tomorrow I would have gone to the first showing for $6.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Have fun! I have to work tomorrow so I'd rather see it matinee today. If only I had remember that it opened today and not tomorrow I would have gone to the first showing for $6.



I have passes in my purse that I pick up at Costco.  I always carry movie passes, you never know when you might want to see a movie.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That's a good idea for movie tickets! I had the chance to go see a screening of that movie last night, but I didn't want to be up that late. I am a wimp these days when it comes to being up late!

Ugh, it's only 3:00!! This afternoon is dragging!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That's a good idea for movie tickets! I had the chance to go see a screening of that movie last night, but I didn't want to be up that late. I am a wimp these days when it comes to being up late!
> 
> Ugh, it's only 3:00!! This afternoon is dragging!



I do it for the kids.  That way if they want to go to the movies I don't have to stress over money.


----------



## Belle Ella

That is a pretty good idea  Especially with the kids. It's usually nt an issue for me if I have my check card. If I've got the money, I've got the money. If I don't, I don't either way. So my sister and I did go see it : We really liked it!

Now mom is guilting my sister into dinner. It's pretty hilarious. Actually, she really just wants to meet her boyfriend. I am a happy observer.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That is a pretty good idea  Especially with the kids. It's usually nt an issue for me if I have my check card. If I've got the money, I've got the money. If I don't, I don't either way. So my sister and I did go see it : We really liked it!
> 
> Now mom is guilting my sister into dinner. It's pretty hilarious. Actually, she really just wants to meet her boyfriend. I am a happy observer.



It's always nice when it's somebody else in the headlights.  Isn't it?

I hope we like it too.


----------



## Belle Ella

That it is. But alas, no boyfriend did appear.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That it is. But alas, no boyfriend did appear.



Oh darn that is no fun!!  It would have been much better had he been the I am sure!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Oh darn that is no fun!!  It would have been much better had he been the I am sure!!



It would have. It'll have to be some other time, lol. Sometime when my mom gives more than 30 minutes notice


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It would have. It'll have to be some other time, lol. Sometime when my mom gives more than 30 minutes notice



Yeah, things like are so much fun when they happen to other people.


----------



## Belle Ella

Yup, yup! It'll be entertaining when it finally happens for the first time. For now, today is my parents' Anniversary and they are going camping.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Hopefully the weather gets better for them then! Nothing sucks more than camping in cold rainy weather.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yup, yup! It'll be entertaining when it finally happens for the first time. For now, today is my parents' Anniversary and they are going camping.



No wonder you were online so early.  I hope they have fun!!




DisneyStitch626 said:


> Hopefully the weather gets better for them then! Nothing sucks more than camping in cold rainy weather.



If the weatherman wasn't wrong yesterday was the last storm of the season.


----------



## Belle Ella

I had work this morning, hence my being up so crazy early. Gotta be if I want to get there by 6. I even won a raffle at work today and got some prizes based off a 'favorites' list I filled out when I first started and subsequently forgot all about. Made me happy.

My poor mommy though. I come home to find her with an ice pack on her head and a golf ball sized bump on her head because something fell on her while packing!! I feel so bad right now!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I had work this morning, hence my being up so crazy early. Gotta be if I want to get there by 6. I even won a raffle at work today and got some prizes based off a 'favorites' list I filled out when I first started and subsequently forgot all about. Made me happy.
> 
> My poor mommy though. I come home to find her with an ice pack on her head and a golf ball sized bump on her head because something fell on her while packing!! I feel so bad right now!!



Oh no your poor mom.  I hope she is okay.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

*Happy Tuesday!!*

It's so quiet over here! It's been quite a few days since I have seen a post! How was your guys' long weekend?  Ours was last weekend.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> *Happy Tuesday!!*
> 
> It's so quiet over here! It's been quite a few days since I have seen a post! How was your guys' long weekend?  Ours was last weekend.



I was thinking earlier that we need to kick this thread back into high gear if we are gonna close it!!

My weekend was spent getting ready!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I was too exhausted to do anything this weekend! I'm *just* now feeling semi-back-to-normal. Horrible, horrible weekend. But a great weekend all at the same time.

I'm off to go buy Alice in Wonderland  TTFN!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I was too exhausted to do anything this weekend! I'm *just* now feeling semi-back-to-normal. Horrible, horrible weekend. But a great weekend all at the same time.
> 
> I'm off to go buy Alice in Wonderland  TTFN!!



Hmm.....ttfn!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I be back now! So where is this chatting to be found?


----------



## Belle Ella

Hmmmph. Where did my ticker go?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I be back now! So where is this chatting to be found?



That's it, I have been flitting everywhere.  Hi there!!



Belle Ella said:


> Hmmmph. Where did my ticker go?




Your ticker was just there.....


----------



## Belle Ella

Well that's just odd. It was missing for a good 10 minutes  I got all confused-like!!

Howdy!! How was your memorial day weekend?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well that's just odd. It was missing for a good 10 minutes  I got all confused-like!!
> 
> Howdy!! How was your memorial day weekend?



Mine disappears all the time.  

It seemed overly long.  Only two more days of school.  Until summer school on July 6.


----------



## Belle Ella

So that's a whole month with no school. I would hate to be in summer school though.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> So that's a whole month with no school. I would hate to be in summer school though.



It is her own fault that she is in summer school.  She is lucky they are having two summer schools.  Because the first one is going on while we are on vacation.  I would have shot her.


----------



## Belle Ella

Ooooh. I can bet. But see, then you could just adopt me for the week  I wouldn't complain.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Ooooh. I can bet. But see, then you could just adopt me for the week  I wouldn't complain.



True, true, but who would stay with Kody?


----------



## Belle Ella

She could be adopted by my mom for the week  Duh

Oh man, speaking of ... my poor mom has 2 black eyes after the packing incident on Friday!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She could be adopted by my mom for the week  Duh
> 
> Oh man, speaking of ... my poor mom has 2 black eyes after the packing incident on Friday!!



Oh no you're kidding.  The poor thing.  Is she okay otherwise?


----------



## Belle Ella

She's fine otherwise, yeah. No vision problems or anything. I got home from work yesterday and they had gotten back from their camping trip. She took of her glasses and ... yeah. It's still l ooking pretty bad but it's clearing up a bit. And she's supposed to get her photo taken for a work thing tomorrow!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She's fine otherwise, yeah. No vision problems or anything. I got home from work yesterday and they had gotten back from their camping trip. She took of her glasses and ... yeah. It's still l ooking pretty bad but it's clearing up a bit. And she's supposed to get her photo taken for a work thing tomorrow!



Oh wow.  She is gonna have to go to that red and khaki wearing store and get some makeup to cover it.

Hey did you see the pictures of my new sunglasses on my tr?


----------



## Belle Ella

She sure will. I tried to get her to go with me when I went to pick up Alice. 

No, I didn't. Did you just post them today or was it sometime over the weekend and I missed it?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> She sure will. I tried to get her to go with me when I went to pick up Alice.
> 
> No, I didn't. Did you just post them today or was it sometime over the weekend and I missed it?



Yeah she sure should have gone with you, it would have saved her a trip.

It was over the weekend.  I got them on Saturday.


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, my poor mom. I can't stop myself from taking a peek at her face whenever she's near. I just can't get over how weird it is. She's the only person I've ever known to actually have a black eye (or two).

And I did see your new sunglasses! Nice aquisition lady!!

HOLY SHEEP! You are getting closer to the single digits!!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ouch! That sounds so painful! Good to hear that she is on the mend now though!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, my poor mom. I can't stop myself from taking a peek at her face whenever she's near. I just can't get over how weird it is. She's the only person I've ever known to actually have a black eye (or two).
> 
> And I did see your new sunglasses! Nice aquisition lady!!
> 
> HOLY SHEEP! You are getting closer to the single digits!!!



Thank you mam!!  And I cannot believe how comfortable they are.


----------



## Belle Ella

Comfortable rocks! I need some sunglasses period. I had a pair that I loved and then they broke. I want them back! And they were awesome, they had a touch of teal 

Wow, is it really Thursday already?!?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Comfortable rocks! I need some sunglasses period. I had a pair that I loved and then they broke. I want them back! And they were awesome, they had a touch of teal
> 
> Wow, is it really Thursday already?!?



Yes, yay for Thursday!!  One thing I like about my sunglasses is that you can change the lenses, there are three different levels of protection from the sun.


----------



## Belle Ella

:

I can't believe you'll be doing the single digit dance tomorrow! It feels like I have so, so, so far to go!! And I'm dying to officially start my PTR, but I'm wondering if I should hold off a little longer. Decisions, decisions! In any case, I think I may be off to pick up my PH today. I want to make sure I get it before they run out of the 5-for-3 hoppers, which I know they did last year (even if it wasn't until September). But I ahve the cash saved up and I need to take my big old change jar in for money right about now.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> :
> 
> I can't believe you'll be doing the single digit dance tomorrow! It feels like I have so, so, so far to go!! And I'm dying to officially start my PTR, but I'm wondering if I should hold off a little longer. Decisions, decisions! In any case, I think I may be off to pick up my PH today. I want to make sure I get it before they run out of the 5-for-3 hoppers, which I know they did last year (even if it wasn't until September). But I ahve the cash saved up and I need to take my big old change jar in for money right about now.



Yes, get that PH!!  I understand the reluctance to start a PTR.  I have been down that road a time or two.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'll go later this afternoon for sure. I was going to wash my car, but it's just not warm enough for me to do that right now. I'm a strange heat-lover 

I know I'll write an official PTR for this trip at some point. I'll write them for any TR I end up doing, it's just a matter of when. I had planned to start either when I reach the double digits officially, or whenever we reached the end of this threads life. But seeing as I've been such a slacker lately ...


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'll go later this afternoon for sure. I was going to wash my car, but it's just not warm enough for me to do that right now. I'm a strange heat-lover
> 
> I know I'll write an official PTR for this trip at some point. I'll write them for any TR I end up doing, it's just a matter of when. I had planned to start either when I reach the double digits officially, or whenever we reached the end of this threads life. But seeing as I've been such a slacker lately ...



Only 61 more pages to go!!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Yeah ... only 61!!

Well, we can do it. What are our chances of getting it done before ya'll leave?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Yeah ... only 61!!
> 
> Well, we can do it. What are our chances of getting it done before ya'll leave?



If


----------



## kaoden39

I


----------



## kaoden39

keep


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well I don't know about THAT soon, but we can get it done quick i'm sure. Just need to think of more games and things to talk about!! I'm sure we could just leave all the talk about Disney and it will still get filled up!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Well I don't know about THAT soon, but we can get it done quick i'm sure. Just need to think of more games and things to talk about!! I'm sure we could just leave all the talk about Disney and it will still get filled up!



Maybe we could stay up all night and post......I don't think so though.


----------



## Belle Ella

I know, right Michele! That would be the fast track, it would.

But all is well. I figure whenever we do fill this thread it will be before I leave, so I guess I can hold off until then to start a PTR that will be oh-so-fun!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I know, right Michele! That would be the fast track, it would.
> 
> But all is well. I figure whenever we do fill this thread it will be before I leave, so I guess I can hold off until then to start a PTR that will be oh-so-fun!



It would be the fast track but it would drive me over the edge.  I do not have the patience to sit and wait the 60 seconds to be able to post the next post.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> It would be the fast track but it would drive me over the edge.  I do not have the patience to sit and wait the 60 seconds to be able to post the next post.



Heck, I don't have the patience to read anything like that. It reminds me of the time my brother and I used to email each other using run-on words _thatjustlookedlikethis_. Don't ask me why, it drove me nuts, and yet we still did it!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Heck, I don't have the patience to read anything like that. It reminds me of the time my brother and I used to email each other using run-on words _thatjustlookedlikethis_. Don't ask me why, it drove me nuts, and yet we still did it!



That drives me nuts too.


----------



## Belle Ella

Makes you wonder why we did it in the first place.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Makes you wonder why we did it in the first place.



you were being sillly


----------



## 6Smiles

Hi Belle Ella,

Just wanted to tell you the kids and I started to read your Trip Reports today and I wanted to thank you for posting so many wonderful pictures.  While my older children are getting more excited my youngest is growing more apprehensive about the trip.  She needs concrete facts and visual pictures to comprehend what people are talking about and even then she interprets things differently so I really can not thank you enough for posting such wonderful pictures that she could recognize!


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I'm participating in the Walk for Hope in San Francisco tomorrow with work.  We had so much fun back in October. And I finally (after 3 years) have a volunteer shirt that fits rather than one I can practically swim in!!



kaoden39 said:


> you were being sillly



That sounds about right!



6Smiles said:


> Hi Belle Ella,
> 
> Just wanted to tell you the kids and I started to read your Trip Reports today and I wanted to thank you for posting so many wonderful pictures.  While my older children are getting more excited my youngest is growing more apprehensive about the trip.  She needs concrete facts and visual pictures to comprehend what people are talking about and even then she interprets things differently so I really can not thank you enough for posting such wonderful pictures that she could recognize!



 Welcome to the photo madness! This is why I love to post as many photos as I can!!


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## Belle Ella

Hiiiiii!

I'm in such a good mood. A friend just put the DLR entry sounds on my phone and I set them up as my alerts for text messages! It's like walking through the turnstile in my own home!! And I have a new ring tone. Shark Bait ooh ha ha!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Hiiiiii!
> 
> I'm in such a good mood. A friend just put the DLR entry sounds on my phone and I set them up as my alerts for text messages! It's like walking through the turnstile in my own home!! And I have a new ring tone. Shark Bait ooh ha ha!!



Sounds wonderful!!


----------



## Belle Ella

It does  It's been a great day. Happy Friday!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It does  It's been a great day. Happy Friday!!



Indeed!!  Happy Friday!!


----------



## Belle Ella

I hope you have a good weekend! I'm getting ready for the Walk for Hope in S.F. right now. Gotta meet up with the work buddies at Bart in another hour or so. It's going to be a fun day, despite working again later tonight!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I hope you have a good weekend! I'm getting ready for the Walk for Hope in S.F. right now. Gotta meet up with the work buddies at Bart in another hour or so. It's going to be a fun day, despite working again later tonight!



I hope you have fun today!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That does sound like a lot of fun!!

I like that you got that text alert sound! That's pretty cool!


----------



## Belle Ella

Aw, today was so awesome!! The walk was a blast and we went out for lunch afterwards. It was hilarious because people were watching us in our Target volunteer shirts wherever we went and this table of kids where we had lunch thought we were the coolest thing ever. It was so hard not to burst out laughing!! And the weather was absolutely perfect. Oh, and we got lots and lots of free goodies  All in the name of a good cause, supporting research for all women's cancers!

Now I have the AIDS walk in July to look forward to.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, today was so awesome!! The walk was a blast and we went out for lunch afterwards. It was hilarious because people were watching us in our Target volunteer shirts wherever we went and this table of kids where we had lunch thought we were the coolest thing ever. It was so hard not to burst out laughing!! And the weather was absolutely perfect. Oh, and we got lots and lots of free goodies  All in the name of a good cause, supporting research for all women's cancers!
> 
> Now I have the AIDS walk in July to look forward to.



That sounds great.  I am glad you had so much fun.


----------



## Belle Ella

Wow, just woke up from a nap to find I got a little more sun on my face than I thought!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Wow, just woke up from a nap to find I got a little more sun on my face than I thought!!



I am sure it looks nice.

Tomorrow is WBG's first race of the year.  There is a big party, potluck type of thing and it is in the sun.  This is a kind of a good thing.  Hopefully this way those of us that sunburn will have already burned before next week.  I hope it works this way.  You probably needed that nap.

I have marinated chicken, and a jello salad.  It should be interesting, of course it is the hottest day of the year.


----------



## Belle Ella

It'll look nice when it's no longer a bright pink! Wearing a red shirt to work tonight is going to make it look even redder  But that nap was great. I slept on an off for about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. I normally get zero sleep on Saturdays so I'm feeling good right now. Mind you, I still don't start work until 10 PM ...

Good luck to WBG tomorrow!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It'll look nice when it's no longer a bright pink! Wearing a red shirt to work tonight is going to make it look even redder  But that nap was great. I slept on an off for about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. I normally get zero sleep on Saturdays so I'm feeling good right now. Mind you, I still don't start work until 10 PM ...
> 
> Good luck to WBG tomorrow!!



Well, once the over cooked look is gone and all that....

Thanks I will tell him.


----------



## Belle Ella

My face is already looking a little less lobster-y!!

Happy Sunday!!


----------



## DizNee Luver

Great job on doing the walk Jessica!!!  Glad for good weather for you....but ouchie....burns are no fun!!  Glad to hear it looks better today!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> My face is already looking a little less lobster-y!!
> 
> Happy Sunday!!



That's because I got custody of the red now!!    I never burn.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Ouch! Burns are never too fun. At least most people have something to show for it once it dies down. Mine just disappears after, so I get nothing! Or it turns into freckles.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Ouch! Burns are never too fun. At least most people have something to show for it once it dies down. Mine just disappears after, so I get nothing! Or it turns into freckles.



I figure I am glad to get my sunburn over with today.  So next Sunday I shouldn't burn.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I figure I am glad to get my sunburn over with today.  So next Sunday I shouldn't burn.



 No burning next week! It's not allowed!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh man, I totally just remembered -- Andrea, did you get the new Twilight book about Bree that came out yesterday?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> No burning next week! It's not allowed!!



That's why I did it today.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No!  I didn't think it came out for another couple of weeks! I guess I wasn't paying attention. I need to go get me a new book!!!

I did however get my tickets to Eclipse!!!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> No!  I didn't think it came out for another couple of weeks! I guess I wasn't paying attention. I need to go get me a new book!!!
> 
> I did however get my tickets to Eclipse!!!



Yeah, it came out yesterday. It's pretty short, easy read, but it's good! Such a great insight. It'll be pretty handy to read before the movie as well since it's pretty much why she wrote it in the first place.

Are you seeing it at midnight?



kaoden39 said:


> That's why I did it today.



Great thinking!


----------



## kaoden39

When does this movie open?


----------



## Belle Ella

June 30th


----------



## DisneyStitch626

No, I wanted to, but the friend I promised I would go with can't go that night, so we are going opening night. It hurts to have to miss the early preview, but oh well, it's one more night! 

I will be getting that book as soon as possible.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> No, I wanted to, but the friend I promised I would go with can't go that night, so we are going opening night. It hurts to have to miss the early preview, but oh well, it's one more night!
> 
> I will be getting that book as soon as possible.



You know, I have done so many midnight shows/events for Twilight by now, I figure that I can miss one (and in doing so miss the annoyance that the midnight crowds usually are) and just go see it first thing in the morning on the 30th. Not to mention it will be cheaper. I would go see it for sure at midnight if TA was doing another release party at the theater they did for New Moon, but they aren't so it's a no-go. They say they might again for Breaking Dawn, however. I still have time to decide though. The small theater near home wont sett tickets until the week before, so I have time to decide!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> June 30th



Wow,  before you know it.



DisneyStitch626 said:


> No, I wanted to, but the friend I promised I would go with can't go that night, so we are going opening night. It hurts to have to miss the early preview, but oh well, it's one more night!
> 
> I will be getting that book as soon as possible.



Maybe it won't be quite as crazy.



Belle Ella said:


> You know, I have done so many midnight shows/events for Twilight by now, I figure that I can miss one (and in doing so miss the annoyance that the midnight crowds usually are) and just go see it first thing in the morning on the 30th. Not to mention it will be cheaper. I would go see it for sure at midnight if TA was doing another release party at the theater they did for New Moon, but they aren't so it's a no-go. They say they might again for Breaking Dawn, however. I still have time to decide though. The small theater near home wont sett tickets until the week before, so I have time to decide!



When I went to see Sex and the City 1 I saw it the day it opened.  Those women were insane to get in and get just the seat they wanted.  They acted worse than little kids or men for that matter.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah, a lot of times adults aren't any better than little kids when it comes to things they are excited about. 

We got lucky when we saw the midnight showing of New Moon. It was sold out and crowded, but we had a pretty tame crowd. There wasn't a lot of teenage screaming and all that like we were expecting. There was noise when Jacob took his shirt off, but I don't think any theatre was silent for that. All six times (yes six) I saw that movie in the theatre, there was some noise at that part, lol. But we were really lucky that first night, I thought.

But we were also in Red Deer that night which is a smaller city, where as this time we are going to be in Calgary, so crowds might be a different story this time. We are going to a really late show, and that might help....if it weren't Canada Day the following day. Everyone is going to be off work, so the late movie isn't going to make a difference to most people I don't think.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah, a lot of times adults aren't any better than little kids when it comes to things they are excited about.
> 
> We got lucky when we saw the midnight showing of New Moon. It was sold out and crowded, but we had a pretty tame crowd. There wasn't a lot of teenage screaming and all that like we were expecting. There was noise when Jacob took his shirt off, but I don't think any theatre was silent for that. All six times (yes six) I saw that movie in the theatre, there was some noise at that part, lol. But we were really lucky that first night, I thought.
> 
> But we were also in Red Deer that night which is a smaller city, where as this time we are going to be in Calgary, so crowds might be a different story this time. We are going to a really late show, and that might help....if it weren't Canada Day the following day. Everyone is going to be off work, so the late movie isn't going to make a difference to most people I don't think.



I bet you are right about that, and I know from experience it doesn't matter what the next day brings if it is a movie like Twilight.  Heck you should see how the bookstore fills up for midnight events.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah you are right. Even if it was the middle of the week on a school night, it probably wouldn't stop many from coming. People would just call in sick, or suck it up and go to work tired, just to see their movie, get their book, go to a concert. Not a lot stops people from that stuff these days.

And people will line up for anything. No matter what night it is or how cold or rainy it was. I was one of the crazy people who waited in line all night for the Wii when it came out. And I wasn't even the one buying one. I was just with a few friends that were buying them. It turned out to be a really fun night, but it being in November, it sure was cold!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Although, if I hadn't have waited all night that night for the Wii, I may not be with Dillon right now. That was when we met. So I am actually glad that I decided to be a little crazy that night!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah you are right. Even if it was the middle of the week on a school night, it probably wouldn't stop many from coming. People would just call in sick, or suck it up and go to work tired, just to see their movie, get their book, go to a concert. Not a lot stops people from that stuff these days.
> 
> And people will line up for anything. No matter what night it is or how cold or rainy it was. I was one of the crazy people who waited in line all night for the Wii when it came out. And I wasn't even the one buying one. I was just with a few friends that were buying them. It turned out to be a really fun night, but it being in November, it sure was cold!



I know.  I was thinking that.  I am not normally one of those people.  The only thing I will willingly wait for is Disneyland, and all that it entails.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Although, if I hadn't have waited all night that night for the Wii, I may not be with Dillon right now. That was when we met. So I am actually glad that I decided to be a little crazy that night!



Then that was a wait that was well worth it!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

If I can get the next morning off, which I usually can cause I work overtime hours that I just build up and take time off every now and then, then I will go to whatever the event is. That's what I did for Nickelback. I left at noon on the Monday and came back at noon on Tuesday. As long as I give my boss enough notice, he is ok with that.

But if I can't get the time off, then I have to really think about whether it's worth it or not. I am getting too old to live off 3 or 4 hours of sleep then head into work!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> If I can get the next morning off, which I usually can cause I work overtime hours that I just build up and take time off every now and then, then I will go to whatever the event is. That's what I did for Nickelback. I left at noon on the Monday and came back at noon on Tuesday. As long as I give my boss enough notice, he is ok with that.
> 
> But if I can't get the time off, then I have to really think about whether it's worth it or not. I am getting too old to live off 3 or 4 hours of sleep then head into work!



You know it's funny but when I was in my twenty's I could stay up all night and then the next day exist but those days are long over.  Not even for Disneyland can I stay up all night.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

5 years ago I was totally fine with staying up all night and going to work or whatever we were doing the next day. Now not so much. I am worried about trying to get straight to Disneyland without stopping. I am sure if I was tired enough, I could sleep in the car. There are 4 of us, there will be a long enough time in between turns to sleep. But I am not sure how well I can sleep in a car. I fall asleep easily enough, but I don't stay asleep for very long. 

I took a bus ride to Vancouver once to see Oasis. I was desperate to see them, and they never came anywhere close to here. So I took myself to them, lol. Anyways, it was an 18 hr trip, and I dosed a little here and there, but I couldn't really sleep. I was exausted by the time we got there. So I am hoping it won't be as bad this time around.


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> 5 years ago I was totally fine with staying up all night and going to work or whatever we were doing the next day. Now not so much. I am worried about trying to get straight to Disneyland without stopping. I am sure if I was tired enough, I could sleep in the car. There are 4 of us, there will be a long enough time in between turns to sleep. But I am not sure how well I can sleep in a car. I fall asleep easily enough, but I don't stay asleep for very long.
> 
> I took a bus ride to Vancouver once to see Oasis. I was desperate to see them, and they never came anywhere close to here. So I took myself to them, lol. Anyways, it was an 18 hr trip, and I dosed a little here and there, but I couldn't really sleep. I was exausted by the time we got there. So I am hoping it won't be as bad this time around.



I think that sometimes a little nap can refresh you.  And you might surprised how much of an energy boost it is to get to Disneyland.  I think you'll be okay.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That is true! I think half the reason I couldn't sleep is because I was excited about seeing the show.

For Disneyland it will probably be even worse for excitement, so you are right, I will be ok for energy. Plus we will have a full night of sleep before we go into the parks, so that will be nice. Don't want to be so tired that everything ends up being a big blur on the first day!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> That is true! I think half the reason I couldn't sleep is because I was excited about seeing the show.
> 
> For Disneyland it will probably be even worse for excitement, so you are right, I will be ok for energy. Plus we will have a full night of sleep before we go into the parks, so that will be nice. Don't want to be so tired that everything ends up being a big blur on the first day!



We tend to drive down at night, and I always have the intention of driving all the way down and sleeping when we get there and invariably we stop and sleep.  This trip we are leaving in the early morning so there won't be the sleep deprivation that there normally is.


----------



## Belle Ella

Look who was getting their chat on! I got called into work today and picked up 2 more shifts this week  I'm so glad to get more hours. It means more $$ in my pocket!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Look who was getting their chat on! I got called into work today and picked up 2 more shifts this week  I'm so glad to get more hours. It means more $$ in my pocket!



Extra money is a good thing.

I was thinking that this has become more like BE's chat thread.


----------



## Belle Ella

I noticed that ages ago. And I'm cool with it. We could have our own little Chatter going on the Community Board if we wanted. But I prefer our spot on the TR board. We can rule the place 

Air B.E. is the best place to chatter!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I noticed that ages ago. And I'm cool with it. We could have our own little Chatter going on the Community Board if we wanted. But I prefer our spot on the TR board. We can rule the place
> 
> Air B.E. is the best place to chatter!



Indeed!!


----------



## Belle Ella

It's just 'cause I'm super cool like that, right??

Hm, to take a moment to keep things OT ... I'm having breakfast with Nameless before heading in to work for a few hours tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep her interested in going and talk her into a definite yes! If I can get her to commit to picking up a PH when I pick up mine on the big double-digit day life will be perfect!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It's just 'cause I'm super cool like that, right??
> 
> Hm, to take a moment to keep things OT ... I'm having breakfast with Nameless before heading in to work for a few hours tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep her interested in going and talk her into a definite yes! If I can get her to commit to picking up a PH when I pick up mine on the big double-digit day life will be perfect!!



Yes, you are!!

Well, if you can get her to buy a PH then I am guessing that will set in concrete her going.  Get her excited and go from there.


----------



## Belle Ella

Exactly! My theory is once the PH is in her hands it'll be too late to turn around. I gotta sell it like there's no tomorrow. Considering how long we have been trying to get a trip just her and me together it's driving me nuts how hard this has been. I *know* she wants to go.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Exactly! My theory is once the PH is in her hands it'll be too late to turn around. I gotta sell it like there's no tomorrow. Considering how long we have been trying to get a trip just her and me together it's driving me nuts how hard this has been. I *know* she wants to go.



I know.  Good luck.  I have to go get WBG from work.  Talk to you later.


----------



## Belle Ella

Buh-bye!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, it's looking as though it will all be last minute stuff if _anyone_ goes with me. My cousin is studying abroad in France until the end of July so she wont know until she gets back if she can (but she really wants to and has a GAD pass she wants to use). My parents wouldn't be able to say yes/no until September, and Nameless probably wont know until August/September. So I shall move forward with planning as if it were a solo trip.


----------



## kaoden39




----------



## DisneyStitch626

Aw I hope someone can tell you sooner than later. It sucks not being able to plan anything.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too! Especially when all I want to do is plan. Aw phooey. Well, on the brightside I am picking up hours like crazy at work so I'll have a little more leeway in the money that I'm saving and it wont be so tight!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well that's a plus. It always feels a little better when you know you've got a little extra. You never know what costs might come up or maybe you might find something you want to buy that was a little more than you planned to spend, but you can't not get it! I have a feeling I will have some of those moments!


----------



## kaoden39

Good Morning!!

Talk about our strange weather.  Wow, last few days it has been hot and then now we have fog and it is chilly.  I am going to go look at the long tern for Disneyland!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

It sounds like the weather is weird everywhere lately. There have been a few people from different areas mentioning weird weather.

We were told that it was going to be a dry-dessert like summer this year. It's been raining for almost 2 weeks straight, with maybe one sunny day. With 3 more days of it in the immediate forecast. Not to mention the mountain of snow we got a couple weeks ago. Just weird. 

Hopefully you have nice weather for your trip!


----------



## kaoden39

DisneyStitch626 said:


> It sounds like the weather is weird everywhere lately. There have been a few people from different areas mentioning weird weather.
> 
> We were told that it was going to be a dry-dessert like summer this year. It's been raining for almost 2 weeks straight, with maybe one sunny day. With 3 more days of it in the immediate forecast. Not to mention the mountain of snow we got a couple weeks ago. Just weird.
> 
> Hopefully you have nice weather for your trip!



Ironically on accuweather.com they said low 80's, and on weather.com they are saying mid to high 70's.  Who knows?


----------



## wvnative

kaoden39 said:


> Ironically on accuweather.com they said low 80's, and on weather.com they're saying mid to high 70's.  Who knows?



At least that not much of a difference lol.

It could be worse. They could have said 100's like we have here now. haha 

Ah Jazz. I hope someone steps up with a definite yes.

Actually I think we may have to cancel plans for any trips in the near future.


----------



## kaoden39

wvnative said:


> At least that not much of a difference lol.
> 
> It could be worse. They could have said 100's like we have here now. haha
> 
> Ah Jazz. I hope someone steps up with a definite yes.
> 
> Actually I think we may have to cancel plans for any trips in the near future.



Hi there stranger!!  We were wondering if you were okay recently.  I am sorry to hear you may have to cancel your trips.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Good Morning!!
> 
> Talk about our strange weather.  Wow, last few days it has been hot and then now we have fog and it is chilly.  I am going to go look at the long tern for Disneyland!!



I am hating today's weather. Like really, really hating it! I miss the sun already.



wvnative said:


> At least that not much of a difference lol.
> 
> It could be worse. They could have said 100's like we have here now. haha
> 
> Ah Jazz. I hope someone steps up with a definite yes.
> 
> Actually I think we may have to cancel plans for any trips in the near future.



 I hope everything's OK on your end. That's a total bummer about possibly having to cancel any plans for a while. I hate that feeling. It's like life isn't right if I'm not planning my next trip. Although I think after this one I'll be putting any other trips on hold until after the DCA expansion is completed unless a perfect opportunity arises. It pains me to say it. I want to take an annual birthday trip!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I am hating today's weather. Like really, really hating it! I miss the sun already.
> 
> 
> 
> I hope everything's OK on your end. That's a total bummer about possibly having to cancel any plans for a while. I hate that feeling. It's like life isn't right if I'm not planning my next trip. Although I think after this one I'll be putting any other trips on hold until after the DCA expansion is completed unless a perfect opportunity arises. It pains me to say it. I want to take an annual birthday trip!



I know that I have that trip after the first of the year with Dina so I am being apathetic this trip.  It's like well, if I don't see WoC this trip I can catch it next time.  Now I think I need to stop that and do everything that I want this trip.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I know that I have that trip after the first of the year with Dina so I am being apathetic this trip.  It's like well, if I don't see WoC this trip I can catch it next time.  Now I think I need to stop that and do everything that I want this trip.



I'm more of a plan each trip to the fullest you can kind of person, so that way if you try to wait out on something for another trip you wont be disappointed if something unexpected pops up and you can't!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm more of a plan each trip to the fullest you can kind of person, so that way if you try to wait out on something for another trip you wont be disappointed if something unexpected pops up and you can't!



I hadn't even thought about that until just recently.  I am going to all balls on this and enjoy myself.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I hadn't even thought about that until just recently.  I am going to all balls on this and enjoy myself.



 That's the spirit!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That's the spirit!!


----------



## Belle Ella

^ creepy dancer dude!​


----------



## DisneyStitch626

He is kinda creepy, now that you mention it. I like these guys:   they are cute.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me and creepy dancer dude have gotten quite close as he is the star of my DLR Halloweentime Information Boogie.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Well you can keep him then. I hope you two have fun!


----------



## Belle Ella

Oh we will. I figure he's creepy enough that he's perfect for the job! But I prefer this little dude ...  He's totally Joe Cool!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

He is nice for when you want to show you are excited but not trying to blow your cool.

 This guy is pretty much blowing your cool, but not in a bad way.

 These guys are starting to push it a little bit.

 This guy is blowing your cool and being creepy. He is the ultimate "cool" wrecker.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> He is nice for when you want to show you are excited but not trying to blow your cool.
> 
> This guy is pretty much blowing your cool, but not in a bad way.
> 
> These guys are starting to push it a little bit.
> 
> This guy is blowing your cool and being creepy. He is the ultimate "cool" wrecker.



 You've got this down to a science!!

How about this guy?  he's my second favorite.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I forgot about him! Well he can go right around the dancing group. He's cute, but lets face it, he has lost his cool a little bit. Now if he had the shades, I might consider pushing him up a little higher.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I have to question these guys though. They got so excited they lost everything but their arms and heads? Have you ever been that excited? I can't say that I have? But maybe cause my head was lost, I don't remember?


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I have to question these guys though. They got so excited they lost everything but their arms and heads? Have you ever been that excited? I can't say that I have? But maybe cause my head was lost, I don't remember?


Alls I know is they can't possibly be comfortable!! If I bounced on my chin like that ... *OUCH*!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yeah I think if you did it more than once, there might be some brain damage!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Yeah I think if you did it more than once, there might be some brain damage!



Maybe that's why they look so dopey?


----------



## Belle Ella

Obviously not to be comfused with my pal, *the*, Dopey.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

That could possible be why. But they look happy. To each their own I guess?


----------



## Belle Ella

Whatever floats your boat!! Man, I need a nap before work. I'ma be there until 10:30 tonight!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Yikes that's kinda late. I am thankful for my 8-5 shift where I am allowed on a computer when times are slow. And there seem to be a lot of slow days, thanks to this recession thing. Even though they say it's over, it's still slow as  H E double hockey sticks!


----------



## Belle Ella

I wish it wasn't busy at our store sometimes  I've been doing Operator/Fitting Room shifts the past 2 days and tonight as well and it is RIDICULOUS how busy it's been in there. All the good weather and bathing suit shopping. Drove me nuts considering it's a position I hadn't done in three years and I was nervous about screwing everything up with the phones (only managed to disconnect 4 people though).


----------



## kaoden39

It looks like I missed all the fun.



I like these guys.


----------



## Belle Ella

What fun? There is no fun to be found without Michele!!

Aw  I just found out my cousin is on her way to Disneyland *right now*!!


----------



## Belle Ella

OK, so am I the only one totally ready to watch the live stream of WOC in a few minutes?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> OK, so am I the only one totally ready to watch the live stream of WOC in a few minutes?



I am waiting right now.....nerdy I know


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am waiting right now.....nerdy I know



We'll be nerdy together!

Almost show time. I love listening to the people chatter. Wish I could pick out actual conversation.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We'll be nerdy together!
> 
> Almost show time. I love listening to the people chatter. Wish I could pick out actual conversation.



I was thinking the same thing.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I was thinking the same thing.



Am I even more nerdy if I cried?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Am I even more nerdy if I cried?



Do I get nerd points for clapping and yelling for  Mickey when he came on stage?  I love the whole animated Mickey.  It works great for this show.  I must tell you when he blinked I was like woah!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was watching and being nerdy too. I loved it. I am going to try my best to see it when I go, that's for sure!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Mickey was great. I loved the animation. I was wondering how his mouth was moving the whole time.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Do I get nerd points for clapping and yelling for  Mickey when he came on stage?  I love the whole animated Mickey.  It works great for this show.  I must tell you when he blinked I was like woah!!



When he came out I was hoping it was the animated Disney someone posted a video of a while back. Looks like he's getting some more attention too so I'm thinking we'll be seeing more  Although that video with the kids kind of gave me the creeps in the beginning!

OK, so I take back anything I may have said about World of Color. That was just crazy. And I'm sure the vide doesn't do it justice. It can't take over my love for Fantasmic! but ...


----------



## kaoden39

I am feeling the reserved viewing with the picnic meal.  With my AP it is $12.99 a person meal and drink included.  I am going to talk to Belen tomorrow.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Leave it to Disney to just leave us almost speechless and in awe! I loved it so much!


----------



## kaoden39

I liked him being animated.  I think it made it more special.  Of course Minnie is gonna be jealous the way he was chatting up the ladies.


----------



## Belle Ella

Mickey's a flirt, what can you do? 

I think it's more just that I would have been terrified of that Mickey as a little kid. But then again, when I was little I was terrified of all characters. And Santa Claus. And the Easter Bunny ...


----------



## kaoden39

Yeah, he is a player.....


----------



## Belle Ella

Somehow it doesn't surprise me


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Somehow it doesn't surprise me



Yeah, he does indeed have that fancy way of dressing.


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, took my last stroll through my old High School today. My cousin graduated  Now we're all done! Too bad I forgot how boring those things can be.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Well, took my last stroll through my old High School today. My cousin graduated  Now we're all done! Too bad I forgot how boring those things can be.



Ah but those were the days.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Ah but those were the days.



Not for me. I hated high school


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Not for me. I hated high school



Me too.


----------



## Belle Ella

Glad I'm not alone then.  What I'm most glad about? No more foghorn/bullhorn whatevers for a very, very long time! I'll be surprised if I can hear anything in the morning.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Glad I'm not alone then.  What I'm most glad about? No more foghorn/bullhorn whatevers for a very, very long time! I'll be surprised if I can hear anything in the morning.



I miss none of it.  The peer pressure, the catty girls.  None of it.


----------



## Belle Ella

Exactly. Then again, there's a lot of that where I work sometimes. Oiy! But at least there are sane people as well to even things out.

I was so excited to see that one of the graduates put Mickey ears on his cap


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Exactly. Then again, there's a lot of that where I work sometimes. Oiy! But at least there are sane people as well to even things out.
> 
> I was so excited to see that one of the graduates put Mickey ears on his cap



I am too old and passed peer pressure.  

That is so cute, mouse ears on his cap.


----------



## Belle Ella

I'm getting closer to the double digits!! Monday will mark the big 100 days to go and I will celebrate by finally picking up my PH from my local Credit Union and kicking off a true PTR -- because this thread is just begging for it!! I keep putting everything off, and my crazy work schedule last week with bonus hours right and left meant I still don't have it.

And I'm having a good old time reading about everyone's experiences with WOC. I'm so glad that I have months to go still so I have plenty of time to figure out my strategy for that, because I don't think I can _not_ see it come the end of September when I'm there!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I'm getting closer to the double digits!! Monday will mark the big 100 days to go and I will celebrate by finally picking up my PH from my local Credit Union and kicking off a true PTR -- because this thread is just begging for it!! I keep putting everything off, and my crazy work schedule last week with bonus hours right and left meant I still don't have it.
> 
> And I'm having a good old time reading about everyone's experiences with WOC. I'm so glad that I have months to go still so I have plenty of time to figure out my strategy for that, because I don't think I can _not_ see it come the end of September when I'm there!



I am going to miss the 100 day celebration.....


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I am going to miss the 100 day celebration.....



 Aw, you are, huh? I would say we could hold off on it until you get back, but I don't think I could last that long!! And I even started to gather supplies for this years countdown!!

It'll be waiting for you when you get home though  Not that you want to think about the end of your trip yet!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, you are, huh? I would say we could hold off on it until you get back, but I don't think I could last that long!! And I even started to gather supplies for this years countdown!!
> 
> It'll be waiting for you when you get home though  Not that you want to think about the end of your trip yet!!



Thanks although it is 7 days from now.....well I will be here for the single digits!!


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> Thanks although it is 7 days from now.....well I will be here for the single digits!!



 Aw, you'll be having too good a time to be sparing a thought for my 100 day announcement!!

You know what I just realized though? I don't have a name for this trip. No more Frick and Frack going on adventures and journeys. Just Frack. So I have no catchy titles. I'm in a brainstorming funk!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Aw, you'll be having too good a time to be sparing a thought for my 100 day announcement!!
> 
> You know what I just realized though? I don't have a name for this trip. No more Frick and Frack going on adventures and journeys. Just Frack. So I have no catchy titles. I'm in a brainstorming funk!



What about something Snow White related?


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> What about something Snow White related?



 I like the way you think! Well, since I am going during Halloween season, how about we go the route of the Snow White ride and call it Frack/Jazz's (which would you use?) Scary Adventure?


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> I like the way you think! Well, since I am going during Halloween season, how about we go the route of the Snow White ride and call it Frack/Jazz's (which would you use?) Scary Adventure?



I would use Jazz's.


----------



## Belle Ella

kaoden39 said:


> I would use Jazz's.



That was my thought. Well, I can't think of anything else, so I believe that "Jazz's Scary Adventure" wins by default!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That was my thought. Well, I can't think of anything else, so I believe that "Jazz's Scary Adventure" wins by default!!



Yay!!  I'm a winner!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Always, Michele, always!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Always, Michele, always!



Why thank you mam!!


----------



## Belle Ella

You know what I just realized? I have a lot of names to respond to here on the DIS. Belle Ella. Jazz. Frack. I think it's funny.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> You know what I just realized? I have a lot of names to respond to here on the DIS. Belle Ella. Jazz. Frack. I think it's funny.



Hmm, I must wonder about this one.....


----------



## Belle Ella

It just makes me all kinds of more special.


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> It just makes me all kinds of more special.



Feeling special is good!!


----------



## Belle Ella

That it sure is.

Happy, happy. Joy, joy! Its Saturday and I get my graveyard shift tonight. I am soooo (not) looking forward to it. I didn't finish prep yesterday so we've got a long night ahead of us. *But* I think I figured out a good plan of attack!!


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> That it sure is.
> 
> Happy, happy. Joy, joy! Its Saturday and I get my graveyard shift tonight. I am soooo (not) looking forward to it. I didn't finish prep yesterday so we've got a long night ahead of us. *But* I think I figured out a good plan of attack!!



A plan of attack sounds like a great idea to me.


----------



## Belle Ella

Me too. I was freaking out about it when I left work yesterday. Feeling much better today. I hate getting stressed out, lol.

Aw, we're gonna miss you while you're gone BTW.

OH! Have to remember to pick up a Princess towel at work before clocking in tonight. They're on sale unil closing and I'm getting one for my co-workers birthday (who is a total Disney Princess nut, like me!!)


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> Me too. I was freaking out about it when I left work yesterday. Feeling much better today. I hate getting stressed out, lol.
> 
> Aw, we're gonna miss you while you're gone BTW.
> 
> OH! Have to remember to pick up a Princess towel at work before clocking in tonight. They're on sale unil closing and I'm getting one for my co-workers birthday (who is a total Disney Princess nut, like me!!)



Well, thank you.  I shall miss you too.  I am going to try and mini post with a picture a day.  We will see how tired I am.  I can at least text a picture to Kelly and have her post them.


----------



## Belle Ella

We'll all live vicariously through you to hold us over until our own turn!!

Well, nighty night DIS. I'm off to work


----------



## kaoden39

Belle Ella said:


> We'll all live vicariously through you to hold us over until our own turn!!
> 
> Well, nighty night DIS. I'm off to work



Have good work!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, as it turns out, one of our stores Execs. is going to be at Disneyland at the end of September and our trips are going to overlap by a day or two. Funny how that works out, huh?


----------



## Belle Ella

I have to admit, I already wrote the majority of the official PTR! I wont be posting it until tomorrow morning, but it makes me so excited!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Sweet! Something to look forward to at work tomorrow! 

Does this thread stop at 200 or 250 pages?

P.S. I got the novella yesterday!!! Gonna start reading it tonight probably. Not sure if it's a good idea, cause I have to work in the morning, but I probably will anyways.


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> Sweet! Something to look forward to at work tomorrow!
> 
> Does this thread stop at 200 or 250 pages?
> 
> P.S. I got the novella yesterday!!! Gonna start reading it tonight probably. Not sure if it's a good idea, cause I have to work in the morning, but I probably will anyways.



I wish it was 200! I could start a new thread tomorrow. But I think it's 250 and I want to officially see this thread *CLOSED*!! Maybe I should PM Sherry and ask her to be sure.

And YAY!!  Well, the good thing is it's a short read, not like 700 crazy pages!! I hope you like it. It made me even more excited for the movie. We're getting so close.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I know! It's only a couple weeks away! I tried to find a small Eclipse countdown to post on my signature, but all the ones I could find were big and bulky. I wish I knew how to make my own so I could "twilight" up my sig a bit!


----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


> I know! It's only a couple weeks away! I tried to find a small Eclipse countdown to post on my signature, but all the ones I could find were big and bulky. I wish I knew how to make my own so I could "twilight" up my sig a bit!



See, I've found a few that I like, but they are all HTML based and not BBCode which the DIS uses. Oh wel. I'll just count down silently. Almost to the 2 week to go mark!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

I was at my friends house today in Calgary before we came back home and she had the tickets hanging on the fridge. It got me pretty excited!!


----------



## Belle Ella

Well, I did some searching (and sent a PM to Sherry) and I'm pretty sure the 'cutoff' is 250 pages. So ... only 50 more to go!!  But maybe it would be a good idea to keep this trip all on one thread and ask her to close this one out and start afresh? What do you think?

Seeing actual tickets has to be awesome!! I'm still tormented between staying up to watch it at midnight or going first thing Wednesday morning. I really, really want to do another midnight thing, but I have nobody to go with anymore so I think it may be better to just go first AM showing. Cheaper too ...


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Cheaper is always good. Could be a little quieter too. Too bad I live 2000 miles away, or i'd go with you!

You could leave this one open just for chit chat, or if you don't mind the chit chat in the other one (since it seems its what we like to do), then you could just close this one. Just make sure to tell Michele about the new one, lol! Or she might be lost when she gets back! 

Lucky her. Walking the grounds of Disney as we speak!


----------



## Belle Ella

I know right!! She's doing what we wish we could be doing right now. Lucky lady!! It's funny how excited I get about _other_ people going.

The quieter thing was also a big sell for me. Just gotta see what my schedule is like for that week I guess. I forgot that I just opened up my availability and told 'em I would love some more hours in other departments so I may just be SOL in that matter, lol.

Hm, I think we can do chit chat tonight and maybe I'll make the new thread with my big post tomorrow. I like that we chit chat through my reports. Maybe we can stop at post 3,000 to make it a nice even #. But I just realized that would only be like 8 more!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626

Haha, yep! Not many at all.

Hopefully you can at least get a few hours to see Eclipse sometime on that day!

I wonder what she is doing now? She must be living off just the excitement energy, since it didn't seem like she slept much last night!


----------



## Belle Ella

The excitement of being there can keep you going for quite some time! I speak from experience, lol. No sleep, leaving at 2 AM, and going non stop from the moment of arrival until evening? Oh yeah. Being there just keeps me going.

 Well, hopefully I'll hear from Sherry before this gets to 3,000 posts and I'll make up my mind accordingly. I'm making a couple LGMH for people right now so I should probably get off. Then afterwards sleep!

Tomorrow is a big day. And a lot of money will be going bye-bye. My car is finally getting the new tires she deserves.


----------



## DisneyStitch626

New tires are a good way of saying bye to money! But they are needed, so I guess it's ok in the end!

I should get going to so I can start my book! Have a good night.


----------



## Belle Ella

They are needed! And I think my mom said Costco was having a sale so that'll save me a little $$. All in all I just don't want to spend more than $400.00 right now.

Enjoy the book and catch you later!!


----------



## Belle Ella

My ticker says 100 days and counting!!


----------



## DisneyStitch626




----------



## Belle Ella

DisneyStitch626 said:


>



 How is it everyone knows this is exactly what I wanted to see this morning!!

OK, so only a couple more posts left before I have to decide if this thread shall live on, or if it's time to begin Vol. 2 -- It is a brand new decade, after all!


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## DisneyStitch626

Cause we know how much you love creepy dancing guy when you are excited! 

It's down to the last couple....what are you gonna do???? tick tock!


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## Belle Ella

Alrighty, I'm doing it! New thread, here we come. *No more posts here!!* I'll make the 3,000th reply (so it looks nice and orderly from the thread list) as soon as I make the new thread so I can link it.


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## Belle Ella

Come join us at our new location (if you haven't done so already): Belle Ella's Never-Ending Trip Report ** Take 2!!

 Take part in the madness ​


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