Hi, I'm here!!
I'm so excited
I have never done a pre-trip report... so if you don't mind... I'll tag along here!!
I will also be along on the AEP. I signed up before Patty, so hopefully since she requested me, they will put us together. I didn't know she was going when I signed up. I had already had my Disney summer vacation planned for August 18th to the 25th at our Home Resort, Saratoga Springs, before the AEP opportunity came up. So the AEP overlaps our family vacation by one day. I will be flying down by myself on August 15th. I got a flight that with tax and fees comes out to $108. BUT to flight a reasonable itinerary, at a decent price, I have to fly out of Baltimore. I'm on Southwest. This is annoying because I live 10 minutes from Washington Dulles Airport. Baltimore is probably about 1 hour and 15 minutes at the time that I have my flight... which is early in the morning... but its a Monday... so I may need to leave an hour and 45 minutes early (that's an hour and 45 minutes before the 2 hour arrival window). So REALLY early. We are not early people! We aspire to be early people... but its never happened. We have closed down parks, but never done a rope drop! I have a one way flight, because my DH
and DD9
will be joining me down as planned on the 18th. They're taking the auto-train. DH is taking his Honda Civic. Its cheaper to take the Civic than our Van or Truck on the auto-train. The Truck (which has take the train) has to have its mirrors folded in to make measurement for the train. But the van and truck require paying more. Anyway, I'll be returning on the 25th with them on the Amtrak Auto-train to Lorton. Lorton is about 45 minutes from our home in Northern Virginia. We are on the western suburban edge of the Washington DC metro area. At least it was the edge or the edges edge when they build the airport (way out here) in 1962.
Now before we leave for Florida. We're taking a trip to visit my in-laws in Texas. That's another challenging place to fly into. My in-laws live near Waco Texas. That means flying into Austin (choice 1) or Dallas (choice 2). I can NEVER find a decent flight into Austin. So DD
and I are flying from Dulles to Dallas on July 13th returning the 20th. I have already bought those tickets on American Airlines. It was a better itinerary non-stop, even with paying for 1 suitcase. Henry isn't sure yet if he can get away from work, so he will let us know and see what kind of flights he can get. His parents really want to see him, so that would be nice. We are going on a RCCL Caribbean cruise with them between Christmas and New Years, but that's a long way away. They haven't visited here since my son's graduation from High School in June 2010. So a year.
Oh yes... throw in a little about me. I have a grown daughter Lily. Lily will be 23 this August. Lily is married to Ron
. Ron WAS in the active duty army and served in Iraq. Now he and Lily are living with us. It is NOT easy!
When he returned from Iraq, he shortly thereafter went reserve. They moved from the area of the base in upstate New York back in with us until either of them can find a job. I'm a waitin'
Prospect just don't pan out. He was an arms person. Not too many civilian jobs for someone whose job experience is assembling and disassembling and tracking and maintaining weapons and heavy machinery.
He's applied to several police academies. So... We have that going on. And my son Max
the Eagle Scout, is home for the summer. He talked us into allowing his girlfriend
to come home with him for the summer so she wouldn't have to go back to rural Kansas. So its a full house and all I seem to do all week is shop and re-shop at Costco! They're eating me out of house and home!! I SOOOO need a vacation. Max and his girlfriend attend Florida Tech in Melbourne Florida, so Max and Casey might be able to come join us after they get back, before classes begin on Monday the 22nd. Their plan is to drive back to Florida in our Truck, pulling her car on a dolly. That's house they got here. Truck down on Auto-train... then drove back with Casey's car on dolly.
So far to get ready for our trip... I've done nothing but plan clothing. Last time we were there in August it was so hot that jeans shorts an other heavy weight shorts were too hot for me. Until then, DD
turns 9 on Friday.... oh yeah... today is Henry's and my 25th wedding anniversary. We have a wedding to go to on Maryland's Eastern Shore on Saturday, we take DD9 to Girl Scout mini-overnight camp (til Wed.) on Sunday and after camp, I have my friend's daughter's bat mitzvah (which I'm helping with) on the 9th, Heidi's 9th birthday party on the 10th (which I have to send out invites to) and then we're leaving on the 13th for Texas, returning the 20th, THEN on the 30th, I'm going to the Outter Banks of NC (Corolla) with DD9 with my sister's family (including her in-laws) for a week, returning the 5th of August (which is Casey's 19th birthday). THEN.... the AEP is just 10 days later. Its gonna be a busy crazy summer... which is why I think I'd better piggy back here!! Hope this post was toooo long... ok it is.... but I'm sso excited.
We're going to have so much fun. I haven't been to Disney with a friend (without family) since 1984.