The ABCs of a New 'Ohana Adventure-G is for: Greetings From Teppan, Good-Byes, and Good News!!! - COMPLETED 1/7

[missjackiemcg]

This was a big step for me. I am a shy person and had not traveled solo to Disney and I was a little nervous My husband bid me farewell and told me to have fun at my bloggers convention

Doesn't it seem crazy that just one year ago many of us had never met?! And now, I consider so many of you my good friends

Bloggers convention LOL And my husband told me to have fun with my "internet friends" I'm not sure he 100% believed me there were going to be other people there besides me and @Pluto0809 Ariana!

My sad thoughts are missing Disney, I would have been in WDW today, this was our makeup trip for March.We would have been staying at POFQ and enjoying the F&G festival. I even snagged M&M railway, SDD, and 7DMT FPs. To top it off, the weather has been beautiful in Orlando this week. Sighs!

So sad We rescheduled our cancelled trip for June. Fingers crossed. I know some part of me will be a little nervous about traveling, but I still really hope we get to go! I was sad we lost our MMRR FP by switching dates And I wasn't able to get another one.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've talked to countless physicians and other healthcare providers who are becoming very worried that something needs to change or we will begin (and some believe we already are) seeing problems of much greater scope than the virus ever was.

I agree that there will be problems of much greater scope than the virus ever was.

Is the state of Oregon planning to open soon?

 

[Steppesister]

OOPS! Duplicate post!​

 

[Steppesister]

U is for: Unbelievably Relaxing Day at UniWorld​

Sandwiched nicely between 2 full and busy park days was a perfectly relaxing, WONDERFUL pool-hopping day at many of the resorts on the Uni property. And why not?! The sky was blue, the breeze was soft and warm, and Uni isn’t persnickety about folks who want to have a full day of dipping in and out of multiple pools while sipping libations of the tropical variety. Unlike another Florida resort I have stayed at. Eh hemmm…..

Packing just my suit and small purse, I hit the dock for that exceptionally convenient boat and headed to The Sapphire Falls Resort. But I didn’t want to start there…. Instead I walked across the street in an illegal fashion over to the Cabana Bay Resort where the tacky, but well-executed 60’s décor would make even the Partridge Family roll their collective eyes. As @Captain_Oblivious, in his recent review of this resort pointed out, it’s well done, but just not my thing either. I will say, even given that, I’d stay there because the price is right. No, it is not one of Uni’s “deluxes”, and you don’t get the Express Pass, but if you are committed to RD perhaps it’s worth the trade-off. On the way in, it was fun to grab a snapshot of one of the several antique cars on display out front. Most, if not all, have been used in movies. I didn’t spend a ton of time in the common spaces, just giving them a cursory walk-through on my way to the pool area, but it seemed clean and well-suited to families with kids.

An extraoridinarily horrible photo of a beachball chandelier.

​

Here is a great website that gives some very good info on the resort. They have a ton of good photos too and a link specifically to the pool area if you are interested.

https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/cabana-bay-beach-resort/​

Now, let’s get to the pool lounging. It’s what a California girl does best. (Did I mention how much I hate Oregon weather yet? #showmethesun) The pool at the Cabana was moderately crowded as was the Lazy River where I started out. This, as far as I understand, is the only lazy river on Uni property except for the Volcano Bay waterpark and I wanted to make a point to enjoy it during my stay. Grabbing a complementary life vest, I sunk my out-of-shape, flabbiness into the water casting not one care in the world as the tidal wave I made splashed the folks over at the Sapphire. (Jeeves, bring me my beverage. Sun, please cast your spell of Melanoma Inflictus.) I made a couple of slow circuits and then emerged refreshed and ready to close my eyes in a chair under the shade of a bright, primary-colored umbrella.

​

At some point, I did walk over to the pool bar and order up a tall, cold tumbler of booze. The lazy, vacation ‘tude washed over me, and we all know how one drink often leads to another. Good thing I’d gotten the refillable booze cup. So, just in case I haven’t ever mentioned this before, Disney serves up drinks an 8-year old could handle and still do pre-algebra. On the other hand, while they charge the same outrageous prices, Uni decidedly does not. They concoct drinks well worth the money and while my choices were very delicious, I’m pretty sure I actually, tossed a bit of the 2nd one so I could still swim in a straight line.

After about an hour or two, who really knows, I wasn’t clock watching whatsoever, I hoisted my slightly inebriated self out of my chair and boldly jaywalked back over to the Sapphire Falls Resort- the 2nd stop in my pool-hopping journey.

https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/loews-sapphire-falls-resort/​

Illegal walking excursion complete, I entered the Sapphire Falls Hotel and fell in love. It is sophisticated, elegant, clean and tasteful. I really liked it! No, I didn’t take many photos but feel free to enjoy those in the link. I don’t remember much about this pool stop. And before you make your “of course not, she’s tipsy” comments, it wasn’t that. It was just, I dunno, kinda a non-descript, pick a chair, sit a bit, go down the slide, sort of stop. Yes, I did go down the slide. But the thing I remember most about the Sapphire Falls pool area was that I used the bathroom located under the Druhm Club Kantina area. See? I didn’t pee in the pool.

​

I also remember having a very lengthy conversation with an "older" couple (who probably weren't much older than me ) about living in Florida and who were "up in Orlando" for a niece's wedding or something. I envied them. You'll notice in the one picture I took up there, that I still had the 2nd drink in my Cabana Bay tumbler that I was still nursing. It's one of those that comes with the reduced price refills for the stay? Day? I'm not sure, but if you bought the cup, you got a discount.

Eventually, I wanted a change of scenery and moved on. Next stop on the agenda was naturally the next one “down” the river back towards the Portofino, which was the Royal Pacific. Now THIS one… THIS one was amazing in every possible way. It’s like the Poly, in theme, not quite as well done, of course, but island-y, lush, exotic and ahhh… sand in my toes while power lounging under palm branches blowing in the breeze over my head. The overall theming leans decidedly more towards the Indian/Thai/Indonesian areas as opposed to the S. Pacific Island locales.

https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/loews-royal-pacific-resort/​

I think if I were do another Uni stay, I’d choose this one. Not only because it’d be a new-to-me resort, but the pool kinda knocked my flip flops off. I closed my eyes on a lounge chair, then dipped my now less-inebriated body into the warm pool water and soaked away every care in the world. Pools have magical properties like that you know.

I loved the flowers here too, apparently.

​

Story time with Steppe: Instead of getting another drink, I heard a call for a poolside game of Bingo. I heard the word “prizes” and my competitive little ‘ol self sidled on up to a table of 5 others- a single guy, a dad and his son, and 2 young teens. The questions started and they were ALL about Uni, the rides in the parks, and their resorts. Good thing I’d done at least a tiny bit of research before I went. I didn’t do too badly, actually. When the points were tallied I had easily smoked the 2 young kids, somewhat beat out the dad and his son, and fell one point short of beating the one single guy who was roped into playing by a hard sell. My standing was enough to allow me to both gloat and wallow in the agony of defeat. As a consolation, the Rec Director gave me a coupon too which was a free ice cream, I think. I didn’t use it though. The moral of the story is: Pool Bingo is only slightly better than Poolside Dance Hour with Bruno Mars.

After coming in 2nd, I moved on to my final swimming destination- my own home resort of the Portofino.

https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/loews-portofino-bay-hotel/​

Here I would enjoy the warm late afternoon sunshine, a small glass of wine, and the clear, less peed-in waters of the Italian-themed “Beach Pool”. (Because this is a more adulty kind of resort.) There are 3 pools at the Portofino, the main “Beach Pool, the “Hillside Pool” and the “Villa Pool”, the latter 2 being quite small, quiet pools. After getting settled with a couple of free towels, one for laying on and one for drying off, I headed to the water once more. Bliss is a great way to describe the situation I found myself in. I decided that every vacation needs a day of rest, pools, no agenda. If you are wondering, yes, I did go down the slides at 3 of the 4 pools I visited. I don’t know why I didn’t try the one out at the Cabana Bay… perhaps the Lazy River was enough excitement for that one. I can say of the 3 I did go on, the Portofino’s was the best. It was fast with a couple of nice turns that tickled my tummy. The poolside servers were very efficient and my glass of red was delivered as ordered. Time to sip, soak, and sigh with delight.

​

By 5:00 it was time to wrap up my day of heavy relaxing and get cleaned up and changed for dinner. With a relatively short walk to my room, even if it was at the very far end of the resort, I was ready to head out to City Walk in a jiffy.

No trip to Uni is complete without a dinner at The Chocolate Emporium. If you know me at all, or have read past TRs, Steampunk theming really draws me. I love the Industrial elements, the movement of gears and pistons and steam, and the sultry vibe of places like The Edison and now this. As a kid I ate up Raold Dahl like Thanksgiving dinner and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a hands down favorite. Add in some Gene Wilder and BAM!!! My heart goes pitter pat. Yes, Depp did well at the character too, but aside from Willy, the whole concept of a magical chocolate shop makes my playful side come alive and my mouth begin to water.

​

I had to wait quite a while for my table to be called which is likely the common ploy to get one to spend inordinate amounts of cash in the enticing, well-stocked gift shop chockful of decadent goodies. The steampunk theming carried well into the entire place including the display racks and merchandise. There were loads of cosplay attire, accessories, and gadgets with every price range you could imagine. The treats counter had all manner of chocolates and sweets to buy and let me assure you, Dear Reader, the masses of tourons were eagerly spending their hard-earned dollars, Euros, and Yen on macarons, turtles, and clusters. Fudge, tarts, and marshmellow yum-yum made their way into baggies to be consumed by the young and the old alike.

​

I passed on a purchase, and soon my table was called. My spot was on the 2nd floor along the balcony overlooking the bottom floor where I could easily watch the goings-on. Soon enough Penelopy Toothsome made an appearance, but sadly, never made her way up to the upper story. Perhaps she was confident her companion Jacques, the robot candy maker, had things under control as I spied him busy in the factory works along the side walls.

​

I cruised the menu and decided on a Reuben sandwich and side salad. Pretty standard fare in general, not amazing, not bad.

​

But people don’t go there for the food really; they go there for the sweet treats dished up all day long. Specifically, most tend to gravitate towards the ridiculously decadent milkshakes. I am one of the most. Most what, I don’t know, but in this case, one of the most that got a milkshake. These aren’t just any milkshakes. Take a peek…

https://www.universalorlando.com/we...y-feast-kitchen/milkshakes-desserts-menu.html


​

In the end I went with the Birthday cake one. It was big. It was delicious. I ate a very small portion and was satisfied. The salad of course cancelled all the calories and helped me feel good about myself after such gross self-indulgence. Sorry, TR fail- no picture, but the birthday cake one is in the middle with all the happy sprinkles!!


The bill was paid, I made a pit stop and apparently I have a thing about photographing public toilets nowadays.

​

Relieved, I waddled back to the boat ramp, walked straight onto a boat, and sang my little contented heart out to the familiar tunes as I glided back to my resort, walked to my room, and said good night to the world.

And that, My Friends ends the little Uni Interlude of this TR. Up next, we'll be getting back to all things Disney. Luckily I have a fair bit to go and since there are no trips for any of us on the horizon, I'll just keep on re-living this one for as along as I can draw it out. I call it Quarantine Therapy.

Now, it's YOUR turn!!

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

I have 2- Raold Dahl as mentioned, and E.B. White who wrote Stewart Little, The Trumpeter Swan and Charlotte's Web. An honorable mention might go to Beatrix Potter.

And now, tomorrow is catch up day with replies from the last update. Sorry, Folks! It's been a very busy week with getting back into working both jobs and transitioning to some form of "normalcy".

 

[franandaj]

Nice of you to let us know about Hagrids.

I'm glad to hear that you are going back to work. Its a tough balance.

 

[Steppesister]

I would (and did) do Hogwarts Express once, especially if you are a Potter fan. But I wouldn’t pay extra for it again.
Whenever I go to Uni again I don’t think I have much reason to get the hopper pass.

That I would agree with. Once was probably enough for several trips and certainly not worth paying for unless staying at a deluxe resort. I think, Jeff, as long as you are willing to make RD a priority, you can hit the popular stuff in HP, trot off to the less popular things and enjoy a good day.

It looks very good. Enough for me to consider going to Universal again after skipping it last time.
My problem is that outside of Potter there’s not much else that draws me there.

I think I could be entertained a full day at each park, but would concentrate mostly in HP and eating well.

Agreed, and dare I say for the Potter rides, the pre-shows are superior.

FOR SURE! The goblin animatronics are AMAZING!

I like a bowl of pea soup on a cold winter’s day. Not sure if I would have it in the Florida heat though.

I need to make some. It's not winter anymore, but I kinda got a hankerin'!

 

[Steppesister]

I know I'm late to the party. Already admitted that.

I don't like it. In my mind, if you want to keep charging the premium (and they do), then make it a premium product. I was VERY upset when they started charging for parking. In my mind, you're already making a fortune, quit gouging us even more under the auspice of "getting in line with other resorts and hotels". To quote Sherman Potter...Horse Pucky!!!!

I think the theming was what made it special for little ones (and big ones). Taking that away dumbs down and lessens the Disney experience in my opinion.

I know you've been busy per your PM. No worries, life is crazy for ALL of us right now, some more than others!

I don't like the nickel and diming shenanigans either. As for dumbing down the experience... yep. My opinion too. I like the overly themed rooms dripping with Hidden Mickey bedspreads.

 

[Steppesister]

For work, what I do is considered essential, soooo...not a big difference initially...was still going into work and just being very careful with hand washing, sanitizing, social distancing. Then they decided it was too difficult to social distance, so allowed many of us to work from home. Not everyone can, but those that can, have been.

Also in the process of buying a new house, so all the paperwork associated with that as well as packing. Also watching TV (sometimes binge watching) or playing a game on my phone/tablet.

And now, trying to catch up on Friend's TRs.

Things are just so weird. I'd venture to guess the productivity factor is WAY down with people working from home. Just a guess. Loads of distractions, interuptions, etc...

Moving and buying a new home is no easy task. Don't envy you.

I must confess...I haven't read the HP books nor seen the movies (except snippets when my daughter was watching one). 99% of that chapter was jibberish to me.

Sorry, not sorry.

And that's okay!! Most of the Star Wars stuff is the same way to me.

Oh, that's one's easy for me.

TELEPORT.

Teleport to work. Teleport to Disney. Teleport to the beach. Teleport to my mom/brother's house. Teleport to friends in Canada, Portland, Deleware, NJ, CA, Chicago, etc. Not sure I can catch everyone, but just some of the places I thought of quickly.

Teleporting would mean I don't have to deal with idio...errm...Orlando traffic. No more waiting at airports for security. No more being on a plane with a screaming infant behind me. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but NOT when they're screaming in my ear and/or kicking the back of my seat. In a situation you don't want to be in...poof.

Love the saving time part of that one. Good call on the teleport spell!! You had me at airport security!

 

[Steppesister]

Best form of locomotion despite what a certain neighbor to the north tries to say.

Maybe that's why HP has no appeal at all to me.

And Star Wars for me.

Yeah. Fun movie as are the sequels. Love the minions.

Gru is my hero.

Kevin?

Knew that.

My car of choice is a ferrari, but would not say no if someone offered me a vette.

Both very nice. And fast.

When Disney opens back up and next time you're in town, plan on giving me a day. I'll get you to be galactic hero on BLY and show you all the tricks on TSMM.

Sounds like a plan. Not a clue when that will happen. At all.

Looked it up real quick and it appears as the train from back to the future (2?)

Yep!!

Dual answer.

I have been to Uni, but it was so many years ago, I don't recall much. I think it was a private event in the evening and was sufficiently packed, nothing stands out as WOW.

So, I'll answer with part 2.
Favorite WDW park. MK. Favorite ride is BLY. Love doing BLY, riding WEDway, lather, rinse, repeat. Favorite area is Pandora at night. Favorite show is FOTLK. Favorite night time show: Fantasmic.

All very nice choices. Pandora at night is certainly something to behold! So many good things to choose from!

What?? What is wrong with you? We can no longer be friends. (Just teasing)

Oopsies!

In one sense, I can understand it...don't want to risk someone to exposure and possible death for something that isn't life threatening, but on the other hand that stinks.

We've got to find a balance, knowing we can't save everyone, just like for any other cause of death, but one that affords the most amount of freedom with the least amount of harm.

 

[Steppesister]

Enjoyed your Hagrid's and Hogwarts update. More reasons for me to make it there someday. So happy you lucked out on getting in line for Hagrid's motorbike ride, sounds like a ride I would really enjoy. Did it effect your neck at all? I know this was before your surgery.

I saw the update about work. I'm happy things will get moving again but hopefully they don't tire you out too bad. Stay safe!

I sure hope you get to!! It's awfully fun in there!

You would totally love it! It's so incredibly fun. It didn't hurt my neck at all!! The track is super smooth and there are no jerky stops. We'll see how it does after although I imagine I'll be at Disney before I'm back at Uni again. I'll give my neck a test run on BTMRR first. Or EE.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks as we iron out our scheduling process things will be smoother and more normal-ish.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Poolside Bingo sounds like fun. I think you did great! Your vacation at the resort pools looks heavenly. I hope we can return to that kind of normalcy soon.

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

I was a voracious reader when I was young. There was a lot less to do back before internet and cable television. My mom was a big reader and she influenced all of us to read. I was addicted to the Nancy Drew mysteries when I was young. The first books in the series were the best ones. I had a lot of other favorites when I was older, especially historical fiction and mysteries.

 

[pkondz]

Sandwiched nicely between 2 full and busy park days was a perfectly relaxing, WONDERFUL pool-hopping day at many of the resorts on the Uni property.

I never do that. Usually my vacations are pretty much GO! GO! GO! ATACK! FULL SPEED AHEAD!

Which also usually results in me desperately needing a vacation when I get back from vacation.

Uni isn’t persnickety about folks who want to have a full day of dipping in and out of multiple pools while sipping libations of the tropical variety. Unlike another Florida resort I have stayed at. Eh hemmm…..

This is true. The Budget Inn management (her name's Dolores) frowns upon guests from the Super 8 pool hop. The cost of dropping that extra chlorine puck in the skimmer really eats into her profit margin.

where the tacky, but well-executed 60’s décor would make even the Partridge Family roll their collective eyes.

And yes, I noticed @Captain_Oblivious had a similar reaction. Wonder if I would, too?

No, it is not one of Uni’s “deluxes”, and you don’t get the Express Pass, but if you are committed to RD perhaps it’s worth the trade-off.

True. Location, location, location.

several antique cars on display out front. Most, if not all, have been used in movies.

Huh. Those actual cars? I noticed the sign you posted a photo of said "this model", not "this car".

Cute shot of you.

An extraoridinarily horrible photo of a beachball chandelier.

Nah. It's a great photo. Makes it look like they're falling.

(Did I mention how much I hate Oregon weather yet? #showmethesun)

Wait. Oregon and California both share the same coast. Ergo, the weather must be exactly the same.

Science.

the Lazy River

Love me a lazy river.

Grabbing a complementary life vest, I sunk my out-of-shape, flabbiness into the water casting not one care in the world as the tidal wave I made splashed the folks over at the Sapphire.

Sorry, but your photo with the car proves this statement a lie.

(Jeeves, bring me my beverage. Sun, please cast your spell of Melanoma Inflictus.)

The lazy, vacation ‘tude washed over me, and we all know how one drink often leads to another. Good thing I’d gotten the refillable booze cup.

Refillable booze cup? Now that's living dangerously!

They concoct drinks well worth the money and while my choices were very delicious, I’m pretty sure I actually, tossed a bit of the 2nd one so I could still swim in a straight line.

Really! You? Tossing booze? After all your comments of super weak drinks at Disney??

Illegal walking excursion complete

You'd think there'd be a way to cross from one to the other? I mean... that's weird.

I entered the Sapphire Falls Hotel and fell in love. It is sophisticated, elegant, clean and tasteful. I really liked it!

So, (reading ahead) where would you put these hotels, in order of where you'd like to stay?
Portofino, Sapphire Falls, Royal Pacific

I don’t remember much about this pool stop. And before you make your “of course not, she’s tipsy” comments, it wasn’t that.

But the thing I remember most about the Sapphire Falls pool area was that I used the bathroom located under the Druhm Club Kantina area. See? I didn’t pee in the pool.

High praise indeed?
"What did you love most about the resort? The pool? The amenities? The menu? The service? The décor?"

"I peed there."

You'll notice in the one picture I took up there, that I still had the 2nd drink in my Cabana Bay tumbler that I was still nursing.

Just before you tossed the lot. Got it.

Next stop on the agenda was naturally the next one “down” the river back towards the Portofino, which was the Royal Pacific. Now THIS one… THIS one was amazing in every possible way.

So.... you liked it?

The overall theming leans decidedly more towards the Indian/Thai/Indonesian areas as opposed to the S. Pacific Island locales.

Now I find that fascinating. I've stayed there and taken advantage of the pool as well. That went right over my head. You having been to those places puts you at a distinct advantage!

I think if I were do another Uni stay, I’d choose this one. Not only because it’d be a new-to-me resort, but the pool kinda knocked my flip flops off.

Well, that answers that question.
Guess we'll know where to find you on your next trip!

When the points were tallied I had easily smoked the 2 young kids, somewhat beat out the dad and his son, and fell one point short of beating the one single guy who was roped into playing by a hard sell.

That guy's a jerk. Did you kick him in the ankle and steal his prize? (Do you know what he got for winning?)

As a consolation, the Rec Director gave me a coupon too which was a free ice cream, I think. I didn’t use it though. The moral of the story is: Pool Bingo is only slightly better than Poolside Dance Hour with Bruno Mars.

You... didn't get free ice cream???

During the McCarthyism era (I watched a fascinating documentary about that recently) you'd be labeled a communist for that.

Here I would enjoy the warm late afternoon sunshine, a small glass of wine, and the clear, less peed-in waters of the Italian-themed “Beach Pool”. (Because this is a more adulty kind of resort.)

Well, that's a vote in its favour!

Bliss is a great way to describe the situation I found myself in. I decided that every vacation needs a day of rest, pools, no agenda.

Niiiiice. Ahhhhhh….

I can say of the 3 I did go on, the Portofino’s was the best. It was fast with a couple of nice turns that tickled my tummy.

wheee!!!

No trip to Uni is complete without a dinner at The Chocolate Emporium.

L and I missed that when we went.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a hands down favorite.

I don't think of that movie as steampunk. Huh. Maybe I need to watch it again.

Add in some Gene Wilder and BAM!!! My heart goes pitter pat.

Make your heart skip a beat?
Got a thing for guys with wild hair, huh?

Great shot! Love the goggles.
See you still have your MB on. Did you get beat up at Uni for wearing it?

I had to wait quite a while for my table to be called which is likely the common ploy to get one to spend inordinate amounts of cash in the enticing, well-stocked gift shop chockful of decadent goodies.

Lord... I'd be lost there. I wouldn't have room to eat a meal after all of that!!

The steampunk theming carried well into the entire place including the display racks and merchandise.

Merch? Hello?

let me assure you, Dear Reader, the masses of tourons were eagerly spending their hard-earned dollars, Euros, and Yen

Yeah... that'd be me. So...

I passed on a purchase,

…why didn't you buy something.
I mean... those goggles were you!

Soon enough Penelopy Toothsome made an appearance, but sadly, never made her way up to the upper story.

That's too bad.
So did you regret your spot, or did you prefer it for the vantage point?

I cruised the menu and decided on a Reuben sandwich and side salad. Pretty standard fare in general, not amazing, not bad.

Bread looks really good, though.
Personally not a fan of Reubens.

Specifically, most tend to gravitate towards the ridiculously decadent milkshakes. I am one of the most. Most what, I don’t know, but in this case, one of the most that got a milkshake

I don't think I could resist ordering one, either.

These aren’t just any milkshakes. Take a peek…

Holy smokes...

In the end I went with the Birthday cake one. It was big. It was delicious. I ate a very small portion and was satisfied. The salad of course cancelled all the calories and helped me feel good about myself after such gross self-indulgence.

Oh, absolutely. It totally cancels it out. You probably walked out of there hungry.

apparently I have a thing about photographing public toilets nowadays.

Until someone yells at you, at least.

Relieved,

I see what you did there.

walked straight onto a boat, and sang my little contented heart out to the familiar tunes as I glided back to my resort,

Awww... you sure sound happy.

I'll just keep on re-living this one for as along as I can draw it out. I call it Quarantine Therapy.

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

hmmm... 3-7ish?
I had four faves during that period. Gr4 was Creature From Under the Sea.
Not what you think. It was science fiction about a long lost technologically advanced race that lived under the ocean floor.
Gr5 it was either Follow My Leader (about a young boy who lost his sight and learned to cope with the help of his guide dog, Leader) or Have Spacesuit, Will Travel (a Heinlein kid's novel).
Shortly after that (Gr7ish) was Ringworld (by Larry Niven)

I have 2- Raold Dahl as mentioned, and E.B. White who wrote Stewart Little, The Trumpeter Swan and Charlotte's Web. An honorable mention might go to Beatrix Potter.

Of those, I only read Charlotte's Web.

 

[docsoliday1]

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

The most notable for me is J.R.R. Tolkien. Read the Hobbit when I was in 7th grade and couldn't read all the others fast enough. There are still certain songs that trigger remembrances of particular parts of the books when I hear them.

When I was younger, the author would be Donald J Sobol.

Who might that be you might ask? You might not, but I'm going to tell you so you don't have to look it up.

Encyclopedia Brown series. I've always been a puzzle fan and solving problems. I'm not sure if it was from those books or if it pre-dated those books.

 

[missjackiemcg]

The sky was blue, the breeze was soft and warm, and Uni isn’t persnickety about folks who want to have a full day of dipping in and out of multiple pools while sipping libations of the tropical variety. Unlike another Florida resort I have stayed at. Eh hemmm…..

I did not realize this about Uni resorts! Definitely good information. While Disney will always have my heart, our two Universal trips have actually left me wanting to head back and do more discovering. We've stayed at Cabana Bay both times, but I'd like to explore another of their resorts, especially if it includes the Express pass

I hit the dock for that exceptionally convenient boat and headed to The Sapphire Falls Resort. But I didn’t want to start there…. Instead I walked across the street in an illegal fashion over to the Cabana Bay Resort

Oh, yes, most definitely illegal, and a bit dangerous...but also most definitely the direct way between the two!!! When we've stayed at Cabana Bay, we've done the same, in order to take advantage of Sapphire Falls's boat launch!

See? I didn’t pee in the pool.

Good work. Gold star for you

As a kid I ate up Raold Dahl like Thanksgiving dinner and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a hands down favorite.

Roald Dahl was one of my favorites, too!! I remember reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but my favorite was always Matilda. Little bookworm that I was, I saw myself in her.

Add in some Gene Wilder and BAM!!! My heart goes pitter pat. Yes, Depp did well at the character too, but aside from Willy, the whole concept of a magical chocolate shop makes my playful side come alive and my mouth begin to water.

Ah, yes. Love both versions of the movie. I know people think the Depp version is odd or sort of creepy, but that one is so much more in line with the book character that I loved it anyway!

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

My most favorite, like I said was Matilda by Roald Dahl. I really loved the Babysitter's Club series and Sweet Valley High, so cliche! But, I really loved anything by R.L. Stine at the same time!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Finally caught up.
I'm so sorry I got so far behind.
This virus crap is crazy. I'm barely working and Joe was furloughed from all his MRI jobs. It really sucks.
I really hope things get back to normal soon...

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Sandwiched nicely between 2 full and busy park days was a perfectly relaxing, WONDERFUL pool-hopping day at many of the resorts on the Uni property. And why not?! The sky was blue, the breeze was soft and warm, and Uni isn’t persnickety about folks who want to have a full day of dipping in and out of multiple pools while sipping libations of the tropical variety. Unlike another Florida resort I have stayed at. Eh hemmm…..

This sounds like a great day. I have become a believer in a rest day, or at least partial days (my last August trip in the summer heat we took multiple afternoon breaks at the resort instead of one full day).
I am really thinking the next time I go to Florida, I need to return to Uni (haven't been since 2014) and I am thinking about trying one of their resorts for a night or two. Not sure which one. I would like Portafino Bay or Royal Pacific, just not sure about the $$$$.

No trip to Uni is complete without a dinner at The Chocolate Emporium.

That is another "new" place since I have been to Uni. I would really like to try it. Of course mostly for the treats. But I have heard the food is pretty good too.

What was your favorite book or author when you were young... say from grades 3-Jr High or so?

I have to admit that I'm not much of a reader.
I didn't read a lot when I was that age, but I do remember getting into the Hardy Boys novels one summer when I was around 11. I also enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia. My early interest in fantasy novels would lead to the only time in my life I did much reading, in high school when I started with Lord of the Rings, then went onto some of the books in the Dragonlance, Shannara, and Discworld series. I read Harry Potter as an adult and occasionally read a fantasy novel these days, but much less now that I don't travel for work.

 

[Steppesister]

Doesn't it seem crazy that just one year ago many of us had never met?! And now, I consider so many of you my good friends

It seems like just yesterday and on the other hand, so long ago. Life is so different now, with no end in sight to even a little bit of the normalcy we all need. Hang in there... there will be another EPIC trip for sure!! Who knows when, but we'll all make it happen!

Bloggers convention LOL And my husband told me to have fun with my "internet friends" I'm not sure he 100% believed me there were going to be other people there besides me and @Pluto0809 Ariana!

LOL!! That was so funny! I think a lot of the folks watching in were skeptical. Too bad they missed out on loads of fun!!

So sad We rescheduled our cancelled trip for June. Fingers crossed. I know some part of me will be a little nervous about traveling, but I still really hope we get to go! I was sad we lost our MMRR FP by switching dates And I wasn't able to get another one.

I was sad about re-scheduling a couple of trips I had planned and now who knows when I can go. Next up is Italy and after that, not sure. Nothing on the horizon yet. But to lose some GREAT FiPs! Ugh! That is rough.

 

[Steppesister]

Wow! You sure have been working some insane hours. I've done my share of those, so know how rough that can be.
Glad that you're going to be getting back to more normal/sane hours soon.
Happy to hear that you're still planning your Italy trip; I think most people (myself included) are not planning trips right now, so it's refreshing to see.

They have been insane, not so much that there were a LOT of them, just that they were all mixed up between days/nights/call shifts. Too much back and forth!!


Tomorrow is the beginning of some normalcy. I have NO idea just how many hours I'll be getting yet, and we won't know our hours for each day until literallly the night before, but I'll take day hours at my regular, FT job over bouncing back and forth any time!

I've been having a blast planning for Italy, tbh. I've learned so much about the places I'll be seeing how to best get there, shopping for backpacks, mapping out walking tour itineraries, booking tours.... EEK! So much planning! I have NO idea right now when I'll be able to get back to Disney, but I am sort of hoping it's not too long after that Italy trip. There will be so much new there for me.

 

[Steppesister]

Wow, that is a lot. Long hours, weird hours...I understand how that can wear you down.

It's encouraging to hear that the hospitals are not overwhelmed in your area. I really hope we can get back to normal life sometime soon. Our state has seen its worst days yet this week, so it's probably not happening for a while here.

Jealous of the Italy planning! Hopefully they will be back to normal too. It's always nice to have something to look forward to.

I've been doing a ton of non-stop planning while I'm paid to sit on my rearend for call shifts. I actually did have a call back this morning for a foot vs. Skilsawi repair. ProTip: Those don't generally mix well. The bed here at the hospital isn't very comfortable but I make the best of it while here. I mean, I can think of worse things than getting paid to plan a trip to Italy.

They are so empty many of facing the very real threat of folding. Layoffs are even happening up in Portland where most of our cases are. Which are very few. Who'd have ever thought that nurses would be some of those to be put on the chopping block. I'd imagine, then in your state you're going to start seeing the decline as its course has a 2 week cycle. It'll be interesting to see in the coming days what it does.

I've heard they are starting to open now and that's encouraging! I know Kari's flight and those of many others on our cruise have been getting flight change notifications into Rome which tells us that airlines are starting to make tweaks to their schedules in prep to ramp up. We'll see... Meantime, my own spreadsheet is looking rather boss.