All You Need is Love: an offsite, non-Disney PTR (counting down to May 2018)

@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina I've got a couple for ya....
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Gina I am so sorry about the condo falling through. I hope you feel better soon and I know you will find something to make you guys happy. :hug:
I totally understand changing the cabana package to the drink package. Sounds really good and we love Sangria also.

I am just catching up on with everyone posting here. I will agree I love the support and friendship on this thread. You guys rock!:disrocks:

I hope everyone having a tough time with stress now can find some quiet and peaceful time to relax. Good vibes to everyone:goodvibes

I had a crazy week and half myself. My DD (who is a junior) was very sick with a gland infection and missed a week and a half of school. They couldn't figure it out at first but once she started on antibiotics she is doing better. I feel so bad for her because her SAT's are coming up and she is trying to study. Our school system uses the power school and there are pros and cons. She has some teachers who put everything in right away and others who wait till the end. Our biggest problem is some of the teachers are putting in F's for missed assignments instead of just leaving them off. She has so much make up work to hand in but it is stressing her out. She never has lower than a 4.5 GPA. She is catching up and ready to go back next week after break. :cool1:

The only thing that was nice was that she was home for my 50th birthday this week and I got to spend the day with her. It was a nice treat to go to lunch and walk at the mall. We are very close and there was nobody I would rather spend it with.:D

The one thing keeping me excited is the big trip to Universal and Florida in June. I am looking forward to the road trip and visiting some places. Then we had out to Cedar Point in Ohio in August. :banana:

We are in the northeast so it has been cold and now more snow for tonight:sad2:.. I hate snow and cold!

I really enjoyed catching up and sharing on the thread. I hope everyone has a nice weekend:thumbsup2
 
So sorry about your condo! House Hunting is so tough! Right now the market is so hot. I am so tempted to sell my house and downsize as the boys are getting older and starting to move away.

The problem is buying one after I sell mine.

I so understand how fast they sell. My neighborhood, some houses sell as little as two days!

There is a reason why you did not get the condo. Since it is a flip, so you say, you do have to be careful. My husband says, yes, it looks beautiful, but did they really fix the issues or just cover it up.

Good Luck on your search - you will find the right one soon.
 
@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina I've got a couple for ya....
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:worship::rotfl2::rotfl2:
Omg I love this thread. Dancin you have so much on your plate, but still have humor.

Ugh Gina. So sorry. I hope things ease up soon. You have definitely earned the may trip.

We are officially booked on a cruise! And it's snowing....again.

I hate typing on the kindle so that is all. Enjoy the weekend everyone
 


Boo! I had really hoped things would turn out differently on the condo for you. I'm sure the right place will come along. We've lived in the same house our entire married life, and I can't imagine how frustrating house hunting must be. We'll all join you in a collective pout!:grouphug:

Aw, thanks. I know it will all work out too, I'm just woefully impatient. And I tend to fret about things until they're settled. Once again, I think God is just trying to teach me patience!! (I'm a bit of a difficult student in that regard :rolleyes1)

Oh Gina - I'm so sorry the house didn't work out. I'm sure it'll all turn out to be part of a bigger and better plan for you but that doesn't make it any more pleasant in the meantime.

On a brighter note that pouting cat photo is quite possibly the best picture I've seen all year! :lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc

Wasn't that picture just unbelievably cute? It was also such a perfect representation of my mood, I couldn't help myself. It had to be posted! Glad it brought you a smile.....it did for me, too.

@Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina I've got a couple for ya....
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:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

So perfectly fitting. Especially #1!!

Gina I am so sorry about the condo falling through. I hope you feel better soon and I know you will find something to make you guys happy. :hug:
I totally understand changing the cabana package to the drink package. Sounds really good and we love Sangria also.

I am just catching up on with everyone posting here. I will agree I love the support and friendship on this thread. You guys rock!:disrocks:

I hope everyone having a tough time with stress now can find some quiet and peaceful time to relax. Good vibes to everyone:goodvibes

I had a crazy week and half myself. My DD (who is a junior) was very sick with a gland infection and missed a week and a half of school. They couldn't figure it out at first but once she started on antibiotics she is doing better. I feel so bad for her because her SAT's are coming up and she is trying to study. Our school system uses the power school and there are pros and cons. She has some teachers who put everything in right away and others who wait till the end. Our biggest problem is some of the teachers are putting in F's for missed assignments instead of just leaving them off. She has so much make up work to hand in but it is stressing her out. She never has lower than a 4.5 GPA. She is catching up and ready to go back next week after break. :cool1:

The only thing that was nice was that she was home for my 50th birthday this week and I got to spend the day with her. It was a nice treat to go to lunch and walk at the mall. We are very close and there was nobody I would rather spend it with.:D

The one thing keeping me excited is the big trip to Universal and Florida in June. I am looking forward to the road trip and visiting some places. Then we had out to Cedar Point in Ohio in August. :banana:

We are in the northeast so it has been cold and now more snow for tonight:sad2:.. I hate snow and cold!

I really enjoyed catching up and sharing on the thread. I hope everyone has a nice weekend:thumbsup2

I am so sorry to hear your daughter has been under the weather this week :(. Sending good vibes your way that she is on the mend and back at school soon. What a rotten time to be sick when her SAT's are racing up.

Also, a belated :bday: to you!! A whole half century, what a great milestone!! That deserves a cat post!

birthday-smiles-cat-kitten-550x320.jpg


I hope the celebrations are continuing right into the weekend :). Fingers crossed the weather improves for you: we are getting cold and dreary here in SE MI, but the weatherman says up to 60 :eek: by Tuesday!

We didn't make it to Cedar Point last year as we had hoped, so its on my must-do list for this summer, too. I'm not a coaster girl at all (or any extreme rides for that matter) but it still looks like an awesome park!

So sorry about your condo! House Hunting is so tough! Right now the market is so hot. I am so tempted to sell my house and downsize as the boys are getting older and starting to move away.

The problem is buying one after I sell mine.

I so understand how fast they sell. My neighborhood, some houses sell as little as two days!

There is a reason why you did not get the condo. Since it is a flip, so you say, you do have to be careful. My husband says, yes, it looks beautiful, but did they really fix the issues or just cover it up.

Good Luck on your search - you will find the right one soon.

Thank you :goodvibes.

I am trying to be positive, and patient. Honest, I am!! :blush: It's just sooooooo hard :sad2:.

Speaking of which :rolleyes2......

Pj0x1e0KoWk5XwUNJwWFKK4FHzofZAxUrghgkNS-lXyZNpUZKgO23ILekSzllPUJwsOD_a2uAJESoLwUQTSPiJZxv6sibWKIAcAHFoAMqNaT4CLqUlZDHRweFA=s0-d


(Just had to throw that out there LOL)

:worship::rotfl2::rotfl2:
Omg I love this thread. Dancin you have so much on your plate, but still have humor.

Ugh Gina. So sorry. I hope things ease up soon. You have definitely earned the may trip.

We are officially booked on a cruise! And it's snowing....again.

I hate typing on the kindle so that is all. Enjoy the weekend everyone

Wahoo for a new trip in the works!! :woohoo: Glad to hear you were able to nail your DH down on some dates. When you have time to respond from your computer, we need details!! ::yes:: When, which cruise line, how long, and where are ya sailing to? :boat: Regardless, let the planning begin! :banana:
 
I'm just checking back in after a busy weekend and just hearing about the condo situation. I am praying for you! I'm sorry about all the snags and difficulties. Glad you have a realtor who can fight for you.

She has been a real gem, and so unbelievably patient. I'm going to owe her a nice dinner out when this whole process finally culminates. Or maybe a bottle of vodka :scratchin. On second thought, perhaps the vodka will be needed long before we ever find a house!! :rotfl:
Definitely sending prayers, :goodvibes pixiedust: and crossed fingers your way!

Thank you :goodvibes. Now that the condo deal has been killed, keep those fingers crossed that we are lead to the "right" perfect house. I know its out there, so now I just need to find it!

Sending positive vibes that everything works out with the appraisal!
I hate house hunting and moving - so I hope you're able to close that door and focus on enjoying that cute little Disney-like condo!

As for sex in a pan, it does have cream cheese and it's delish!

DDS - I'm wasting too much time on here looking up packages to Xcaret now! Quit making us jealous with those pics!

You probably read that the appraisal went poorly, and our request for reconsideration was denied. So, the hunt continues. Sigh.

I wonder if there's anything that can be substituted for cream cheese in dessert recipes? The balance of the Sex in a Pan ingredients sound heavenly, its just that dastardly cream cheese :sick: that completely turns me off.

Hi Gina! I've enjoyed your reports in the past. Glad to see your staring another TR! Your tips have helped my planning before. We're going in May too so I can't wait!!!! I'm in. :)

How awesome! What are your dates.....maybe we overlap?
And a big :welcome: to the thread! So glad to have you joining in!

I am really tempted to post pictures of where I live. Living on a tropical island does come with beauty, but it is NOT the same as being on vacation.

Hmmmm, I dunno :scratchin. I think I'd like to switch places and see for myself ;). I'm pretty certain that a winter without snow would definitely feel like a permanent vacation to me!!

LOL...that particular waiter took great care of us that day we didn't tip him that much. I think only every second round and at the AI's $1 is an acceptable tip. This guy spent a lot of time chatting with us about all sorts of things. When we get that friendly with staff at a resort we always make a point of asking about their spouse/ kids etc. So we did that with this guy. The following day we were back at the pool in the exact same chairs as the day before....and same waiter. So I decide that instead of fishing money out all day long I would just tip him $10 first round and be done with it. This is something we have very successfully done on every trip (we find a good bartender/waiter, make friends and then give one larger tip)....well, this time EPIC fail! He got the $10 and then never came back. Later in the day I saw him, spoke to him, and he acted like he didn't know me. So lesson learned for me. I wasn't upset about it though....he told us he had a young baby at home and if we had another nice day with him I probably would have given him something more for the baby.

We got back home Sunday and I found out that I'm off work yet again. Another outbreak....uggg. So work will be hectic again but at least when I get back there is no deadline to get caught up. Last round I just couldn't leave any extra work on the table for my staff. The other piece of the hectic-ness is the on going drama with nephew. The long and short of it he is a drug addict and he's only 19. Things have gotten so bad for him that I'm now the end of the line. He legally can have no contact with his parents(if he does he goes to jail for 2 years) so my brother asked me if I could take care of him. It's a big ask for sure but my brother and I would do anything for each other. So now I'm dealing with this kid that just doesn't care about anything....well, he cares about being high. He's now on probation and I'm sure that he won't be able to comply with the terms for very long. The only hope for this kid is that I'm not his parents and will not tolerate the BS. I won't hold his hand and do things for him....I'm not the one on probation. My oldest DD took over while we were away last week and he drove her nuts. He tried playing his games with her but he didn't know that she wouldn't make a move with out speaking to either myself or his dad first.

I am so sorry that you return to reality has been such a tough one :(. Bad enough that you are still dealing with work issues, but the concerns with your nephew are simply heartbreaking :sad1:. I truly wish there was some tangible way to reach out and give you some kind of a hand. If distance wasn't an issue, rest assured I'd help out in a heartbeat.....even if it was just to show up with a cold bottle of wine and a shoulder to cry on.

they learn the art of manipulation well. And even when they clean up (my sister is also recovering addict who spent jail time for being stupid!) they are still manipulative even when they show some signs of growing up. It is tough. Some will make it through though-the dad of 2 of my nieces (with my sister) hit rock bottom, lost his first wife and contact with first daughter for years-completely cleaned up after 2nd child born (my niece) and now is a successful business owner, the girls are doing fantastic (A's in school) and too smart to be manipulated by their mom(my sister). He is the first one in his family to buy his own real home as well. He has side effects from all the drug years (alopecia) but he has come through. Hopefully your nephew will be able to as well.

Glad you were able to relax on vacay! Gonna have to look into that next year!

Hope Gina is getting stuff straightened out with condo!
Hugs to you too, my friend :grouphug: .... sounds like your plate has been awfully full at times, too. What a good reminder to be kind to everyone you meet. We all really have no idea what burdens people are carrying.

@dancin Disney style, you are a gem for trying to help your nephew! Sending prayers your way as I know it won't be an easy road ahead! Just know your DIS extended family is here to support you!:grouphug:

+1 :thumbsup2

Prayers for ya Gina. If it's meant to be, it will be. Odd, that such a low value was arrived at.

Very nice of you Dancin to take care of nephew. I hope he beats that addiction soon. Terrible what drugs do to families.

May will be here soon enough.

Mother Nature is such a tease. 65 today, 20 Saturday morning, and more snow. Then 70 on this coming Tuesday. And you wonder why so much sick around.

Still nothing on the vacation radar yet. May not even do my October vacation. Kids want a cruise, but since the last time we did, the prices are just scary. But, 4 day week-end coming up. If my little one tells me one more time others are going on vacation for the week-end. Um, not us. But, if the snow isn't too bad, we're going to teach parallel parking. It's a requirement of getting license, but little one has been harder to teach than my older one. Sigh. And I thought my car insurance bill was high enough when I added a teenage boy 2 years ago. Kids, the money just seems to fly out the door.

Hope all is getting better for you Gina.

Cats.
Yeah, internet for fun.

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Oh, Lynne....how did you know I have a soft spot for orange kittens??? I have always, always wanted an orange cat.....they are just so adorable. Violet and Dash seem to subscribe to the "3's a crowd" philosophy, though, so I'm not sure that they'd be as excited about a new member of the family as I would be :rolleyes1.

No October vacation?!?! Say it isn't so! That's been "your" time for so long, it would seem strange for you not to go this fall. Hopefully you'll be able to throw something together once spring arrives and things settle down a bit. We haven't booked our autumn trip yet either, though I will actively get working on that once our May vacation is over. One thing at a time, right?

I don't miss the days of teaching a young person to drive. And OMG, I hear ya on the car insurance!! Of course, we thought Ontario rates were high until we moved here to MI....and then we REALLY got an eye opening. I guess we can just be grateful we have no teens to insure, as two adults with good driving records is scary enough on its own. Hope the parallel parking training goes well for all! I never did perfect that skill :rotfl2:.

I feel your pain! Two boys on car insurance here:scared1:- the monthly bill is like a mortgage payment!

I just love all the cat pictures you guys find- obviously, I'm a crazy cat lady!

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I'll definitely be sending prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust your way regarding the house!

Thanks Joanna. I appreciated every one of them!!

Sending good thoughts your way Gina. It sounds like this appraiser didn’t do their research properly. Hopefully he/she will reconsider.

Sadly, nope. Really burned my britches that we paid $525 for his sloppy job, with no recourse (though Steve did file a complaint with the agency that issues the licenses to appraisers here in our state...nothing will come of it, of course, but at least we felt as if we had our say).

Wonder how that appraiser can keep the job? Ugh that's frustrating. Pixie and mummy dust your way that it goes through!

There doesn't seem to be any governing body that actually monitors cases to ensure they are done properly. Once you get your license, apparently you can be inept and nothing ever comes of it. It's a stinky system, for sure.

It does sound like your appraiser was rather lazy - I'll pray that they're humble enough to consiider the evidence provided by your realtor.

I think I'd rather have an extra hour on arrival day even though it does mean losing one on departure day - the last day's always just a sad countdown to going home for me no matter how fun we try to make it. Hopefully you'll be able to get a good car rental deal with the changed times.

I wholeheartedly agree on the departure day being crappy. Honestly, its better for my emotions to get up and get going home, rather than killing time and attempting to be merry while watching the clock and being preoccupied with knowing we have to leave for the airport at "X" time. Also, by the time the last day rolls around, I'm missing my babies something fierce, so at least we'll be home in time to get in lots of cuddles (and apologies LOL) before bedtime.

Whaaaat? You haven't had "it" yet? I strongly suggest this for your next fruity concoction at the Tacky Tiki. Just so I can imagine you keeping a straight face while ordering.

There are a few recipes out there. This is closest one to how I would make it back in my bartending days, although I would up the vodka, and less schnapps:

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/151656/sex-on-the-beach


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Cat wants in...

What? You think I can't order Sex on the Beach at the bar without blushing?

You're totally right :rotfl2:. I can't!! :rotfl: Thank God that I have Steve to order for me :teeth:.
 


So I just realized.....over the course of this discouraging and depressing week, our vacation countdown crossed into

the70s_mainbanner.jpg


Far out, man!! :p

To be more specific, we are sitting at a crazy 76 days. 76 days!! :scared: So crazy. Weren't we just at 120?

That also means that spring, in all of its awesomeness, is not that far off :worship:. That, all on its own, makes me deliriously happy. I'm tired of winter and the doldrums that come with it.

Not much happening here this weekend: we're just laying low and taking it easy. A little shopping, some catching up on a few lingering items on the to-do list, and perhaps a movie tomorrow (trying to decide between the 15:17 to Paris, The Post, and The Greatest Showman). I was hoping maybe we could get outside and go for a walk around the zoo, but I don't think its going to be quite warm enough for us two wimps to be outdoors for an extended period. Hearty Canadians, we are most definitely NOT.

I hope you all have a low key and rejuvenating Saturday and Sunday planned. Sounds like most of us have had "one of those weeks", and we all very deserving of a restful break. If anyone needs any inspiration, I will leave you with this:

3f630cbe584311465f25f643b1acd004--funny-animals-adorable-animals.jpg


Kind of reminds me of my Dash :love:.

Happy "Caturday" to all!
 
Finally catching back up after my accidental extended vacation, and returning to the real world. How terrible about the condo. Makes me nervous when I soon venture to purchase here. Hopefully V and Dash are keeping you company. Glad you got to stop home and visit Jake as well. This weather needs to warm up. I need sunshine back in my life with warm weather to boot!
 
With all the cat pictures being posted, how are your 2 kitties doing Gina?
 
:worship::rotfl2::rotfl2:
Omg I love this thread. Dancin you have so much on your plate, but still have humor.
The humour gets me in trouble often.... I make jokes when I really shouldn't. It's not a good day without a bad joke right???

:rotfl2::rotfl::lmao:

So perfectly fitting. Especially #1!!

I had a cat once and the little fart would always vomit on the freshly cleaned carpet. My dog, I swear, is part cat. He used to climb up on the dining table if a chair was left out even an inch(he's too old to do it now) and still to this day he leaves his liquid accidents on the tiny little bit of carpet that I have. Could he not leave it on the hardwood that covers 80% of my house???

Be honest though....you know that #2 is somehow related to me.

I am so sorry that you return to reality has been such a tough one :(. Bad enough that you are still dealing with work issues, but the concerns with your nephew are simply heartbreaking :sad1:. I truly wish there was some tangible way to reach out and give you some kind of a hand. If distance wasn't an issue, rest assured I'd help out in a heartbeat.....even if it was just to show up with a cold bottle of wine and a shoulder to cry on.
Thanks...I know you would! At this point I've got to find a way to tighten the screws.
Work.....LOL...as this goes into week 2 now(week 6 for the year with no money coming in) I've just sent off my preliminary tax numbers. My accountant called and told me what I would be paying approximately. I think I now need a sedative.
 
The humour gets me in trouble often.... I make jokes when I really shouldn't. It's not a good day without a bad joke right???
Amen to that!!!!



I had a cat once and the little fart would always vomit on the freshly cleaned carpet.
Ugh, I had a barfer once. The place I lived in at the time has this fabulous 70s room with paneling and orange, green, and white shag carpet. That darn cat would unload a pile of unchewed cat food in the shag.... ahhh, stepping in warm vomit with your own hangover (granted this was wayy back in my early 20s) was not cool. Cleaning said vomit out of shag also not cool.

Work.....LOL...as this goes into week 2 now(week 6 for the year with no money coming in) I've just sent off my preliminary tax numbers. My accountant called and told me what I would be paying approximately. I think I now need a sedative.
you mentioned being closed because of illness? is the flu that bad north of the border? or I may have read something incorrectly

Yes we are booked on a DCL three night for Oct. I didn't even figure out the countdown because it is so high right now. My DD7 saw a cable special on DCL over Christmas and has it memorized right now so since she is so into it and we really had no other plans, I convinced DH to do it. I know three nights is really short but we were on a 7 night cruise from hades once on Carnival so this is us safely trying something out. Plus my inner ear hates me alot more now then 12 years ago so I am slightly nervous on that front. We had an amazing trip to WDW this past fall, but for some reason I feel ready for a break. I think knowing there is so much more coming to the parks has me wanting to hold off. Plus us going away for a full 8 days is hard the schedule. This smaller trip has me thinking a driving long weekend of some sort in late spring, maybe DC or NYC.

We do have the day we get off the boat to figure out though. I am thinking maybe Kennedy Space Center, but all of Gina's love stories of SeaWorld and Gatorland has me tempted too. I could easily make this 6 day trip 8 days...... I am determined work at least one of these restaurants that everyone talks about into either arrival day or the day we get off the boat (we have days before and after the cruise so as to not fly crazy hours or have to freak about being on time).

Gina I am glad Steve filed a complaint. I did not realize they operated so unrestricted. You would think there was some sort of appeals process that required someone else to look at it. Again chin up, warm weather this week and hopefully some sunshine (plus you vacation is quickly approaching) should get your mood boosted.
 
Amen to that!!!!



Ugh, I had a barfer once. The place I lived in at the time has this fabulous 70s room with paneling and orange, green, and white shag carpet. That darn cat would unload a pile of unchewed cat food in the shag.... ahhh, stepping in warm vomit with your own hangover (granted this was wayy back in my early 20s) was not cool. Cleaning said vomit out of shag also not cool.

you mentioned being closed because of illness? is the flu that bad north of the border? or I may have read something incorrectly
My dad was a master carpenter so when I was a kid he converted the garage into a family room... like around '74. The entire room was covered in red shag carpet. It was the high end stuff that was really deep and you had to rake it. It even went half way up the walls.....who thought that was a god idea? Funny story that happened in said family room.....one night when our parents were out my brother and I were jumping from chair to chair to chair around the room. One of the chairs was a rocker and when I jumped on it it flipped over. I hit my head on the wall and split it open requiring 5 stitches. I think that explains a whole lot.

Flu here is bad this year. I don't watch the news a whole lot but I know that there have been many stories about deaths in the US from the flu. Not sure that the media here has been reporting as many stories. Normally the reports that come in to work are only about a half page long until after Christmas but in early December the report was 3 pages long. These reports are on flu activity in the community. They are generated from positive swabs tests at all health facilities. Right now both A and B stains are running wild. The B strain is causing some unusual things....people are passing out and acquiring secondary infections. It's been many years since they locked us out at work. The funny (frustrating) thing is that the line they fed me was that they where shutting us down in order to stop the spread. They still allow staff to move about from floor to floor in the building....so of course the flu is spreading from floor to floor.

I know flu shots are available to Americans but do you have to pay for them? Here every Canadian can have one under our health care plan with no out of pocket cost. Lots of people get them.
 
My dad was a master carpenter so when I was a kid he converted the garage into a family room... like around '74. The entire room was covered in red shag carpet. It was the high end stuff that was really deep and you had to rake it. It even went half way up the walls.....who thought that was a god idea? Funny story that happened in said family room.....one night when our parents were out my brother and I were jumping from chair to chair to chair around the room. One of the chairs was a rocker and when I jumped on it it flipped over. I hit my head on the wall and split it open requiring 5 stitches. I think that explains a whole lot.

Flu here is bad this year. I don't watch the news a whole lot but I know that there have been many stories about deaths in the US from the flu. Not sure that the media here has been reporting as many stories. Normally the reports that come in to work are only about a half page long until after Christmas but in early December the report was 3 pages long. These reports are on flu activity in the community. They are generated from positive swabs tests at all health facilities. Right now both A and B stains are running wild. The B strain is causing some unusual things....people are passing out and acquiring secondary infections. It's been many years since they locked us out at work. The funny (frustrating) thing is that the line they fed me was that they where shutting us down in order to stop the spread. They still allow staff to move about from floor to floor in the building....so of course the flu is spreading from floor to floor.

I know flu shots are available to Americans but do you have to pay for them? Here every Canadian can have one under our health care plan with no out of pocket cost. Lots of people get them.

I got my shot at my local pharmacy and my health insurance covered all of it. Sometimes in the past is was $10.

Wow, I hope you stay well.
 
We're back from our Disney trip! Sorry to hear about the condo. Hopefully you'll find something you like just as much!

Orlando weather was amazing and we entirely missed the massive amount of snow (which is now melting because of rain) we got. Kids are a bit bummed to miss it but can't say that I am. ;) Crowds were insane but we had a good time anyway.

I can now heartily recommend the Wonderland Cookie Dough Co. It was delicious! A lady came in after us to get a pint. She said she likes to have it on hand, lol. There is also a nice bakery right across the street that also sells deli sandwiches and we tried the pizza place a couple doors down. It's a very nice area to hand out for a while.

We are thinking about adding more days onto our May trip. Have to look into the cost of doing that this week. 1 week isn't enough for a Disney trip if you also want time to relax.
 
We are back! Beautiful weather but wow Disney was busy! We did bring back nicer temperatures, so I hope e Rey one is thanking me!
Interesting how US and Canada deal differently with mortgages. In Canada, the bank arranges the appraisal and if the companies aren't up to snuff, they are taken off the list. We've had to go back to appraisers and if there is a valid reason why it is incorrect, the bank sends out a new appraiser.
 
Finally catching back up after my accidental extended vacation, and returning to the real world. How terrible about the condo. Makes me nervous when I soon venture to purchase here. Hopefully V and Dash are keeping you company. Glad you got to stop home and visit Jake as well. This weather needs to warm up. I need sunshine back in my life with warm weather to boot!

Welcome back!! While I know being "stranded" in Orlando wasn't exactly in your plans, at least you were stuck enjoying the warmth and sunshine rather than marooned here in the snow and cold. If you're going to get delayed, being delayed in Florida is definitely the best place to be ::yes::.

Violet and Dash definitely could sense that momma and daddy were sad about the condo.....cats are so intuitive to moods. They've been extra, extra snuggly lately and I'm certainly not going to deter them from doling out the lovin'. I currently have one stretched out on my lap while Steve has #2 snuggled up on him.

catttt.jpg


With all the cat pictures being posted, how are your 2 kitties doing Gina?

They are awesome!! (thank you for asking!! :goodvibes) I swear they grow more loveable and snuggable every single day.

I can't remember if I have shared these pics or not, but here's a few more recent ones of them:

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Violet:

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Dash:

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The humour gets me in trouble often.... I make jokes when I really shouldn't. It's not a good day without a bad joke right???

I had a cat once and the little fart would always vomit on the freshly cleaned carpet. My dog, I swear, is part cat. He used to climb up on the dining table if a chair was left out even an inch(he's too old to do it now) and still to this day he leaves his liquid accidents on the tiny little bit of carpet that I have. Could he not leave it on the hardwood that covers 80% of my house???

Be honest though....you know that #2 is somehow related to me.

Thanks...I know you would! At this point I've got to find a way to tighten the screws.
Work.....LOL...as this goes into week 2 now(week 6 for the year with no money coming in) I've just sent off my preliminary tax numbers. My accountant called and told me what I would be paying approximately. I think I now need a sedative.

Ugh, don't even get me started on taxes :sad2: ..... this season drives me to drink. We are currently waiting to hear our fate from our accountant at PWC, and I'm dreading the outcome. If I think about it too much, it makes me want to either throw up or cry.

Oddly enough, my cats are not pukers :confused3. In the year and half we've had them, I cleaned up cat vomit a grand total of twice.....not bad, really, considering there's a pair of them. They apparently have stomachs of iron, and I'm A-OK with that :p.


According to this, I'm just one cat away.....

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Amen to that!!!!

Ugh, I had a barfer once. The place I lived in at the time has this fabulous 70s room with paneling and orange, green, and white shag carpet. That darn cat would unload a pile of unchewed cat food in the shag.... ahhh, stepping in warm vomit with your own hangover (granted this was wayy back in my early 20s) was not cool. Cleaning said vomit out of shag also not cool.

you mentioned being closed because of illness? is the flu that bad north of the border? or I may have read something incorrectly

Yes we are booked on a DCL three night for Oct. I didn't even figure out the countdown because it is so high right now. My DD7 saw a cable special on DCL over Christmas and has it memorized right now so since she is so into it and we really had no other plans, I convinced DH to do it. I know three nights is really short but we were on a 7 night cruise from hades once on Carnival so this is us safely trying something out. Plus my inner ear hates me alot more now then 12 years ago so I am slightly nervous on that front. We had an amazing trip to WDW this past fall, but for some reason I feel ready for a break. I think knowing there is so much more coming to the parks has me wanting to hold off. Plus us going away for a full 8 days is hard the schedule. This smaller trip has me thinking a driving long weekend of some sort in late spring, maybe DC or NYC.

We do have the day we get off the boat to figure out though. I am thinking maybe Kennedy Space Center, but all of Gina's love stories of SeaWorld and Gatorland has me tempted too. I could easily make this 6 day trip 8 days...... I am determined work at least one of these restaurants that everyone talks about into either arrival day or the day we get off the boat (we have days before and after the cruise so as to not fly crazy hours or have to freak about being on time).

Gina I am glad Steve filed a complaint. I did not realize they operated so unrestricted. You would think there was some sort of appeals process that required someone else to look at it. Again chin up, warm weather this week and hopefully some sunshine (plus you vacation is quickly approaching) should get your mood boosted.

I love that you have some fun options to pick from for your October trip! Three nights for the cruise plus some time in Orlando makes for a really lovely balance. And you know, that countdown will go quicker than you realize.....I find autumn trips seem to come faster than any other time of year. Spring and summer pass by so unbelievably quickly that all of a sudden, its Labor Day and your trip is barely a month away. Definitely give a day at SeaWorld some serious consideration.....it's such a lovely park. It affords you a nice pace, too: it's got all the fun of a theme park without being as crazy crowded and hectic as Disney or Universal. It would be a nice way to end off.

Which restaurants, specifically, have piqued your interest? Inquiring minds want to know!

My dad was a master carpenter so when I was a kid he converted the garage into a family room... like around '74. The entire room was covered in red shag carpet. It was the high end stuff that was really deep and you had to rake it. It even went half way up the walls.....who thought that was a god idea? Funny story that happened in said family room.....one night when our parents were out my brother and I were jumping from chair to chair to chair around the room. One of the chairs was a rocker and when I jumped on it it flipped over. I hit my head on the wall and split it open requiring 5 stitches. I think that explains a whole lot.

Flu here is bad this year. I don't watch the news a whole lot but I know that there have been many stories about deaths in the US from the flu. Not sure that the media here has been reporting as many stories. Normally the reports that come in to work are only about a half page long until after Christmas but in early December the report was 3 pages long. These reports are on flu activity in the community. They are generated from positive swabs tests at all health facilities. Right now both A and B stains are running wild. The B strain is causing some unusual things....people are passing out and acquiring secondary infections. It's been many years since they locked us out at work. The funny (frustrating) thing is that the line they fed me was that they where shutting us down in order to stop the spread. They still allow staff to move about from floor to floor in the building....so of course the flu is spreading from floor to floor.

I know flu shots are available to Americans but do you have to pay for them? Here every Canadian can have one under our health care plan with no out of pocket cost. Lots of people get them.

Flu shots seem to be easier to get here across the border. Every single pharmacy offers them, and there's a CVS or Walgreens on every corner. It appears that pretty much every health insurance plans covers the full cost, but for those paying out of pocket, the fee is minimal. Most reports indicate that the flu shot this year is pretty ineffective, though. It's been a rough winter all around, and the harsh conditions haven't helped (though we're enjoying a balmy 60 degrees here today.....monsoon rains too, but heck, I'll take rain over snow).

We're back from our Disney trip! Sorry to hear about the condo. Hopefully you'll find something you like just as much!

Orlando weather was amazing and we entirely missed the massive amount of snow (which is now melting because of rain) we got. Kids are a bit bummed to miss it but can't say that I am. ;) Crowds were insane but we had a good time anyway.

I can now heartily recommend the Wonderland Cookie Dough Co. It was delicious! A lady came in after us to get a pint. She said she likes to have it on hand, lol. There is also a nice bakery right across the street that also sells deli sandwiches and we tried the pizza place a couple doors down. It's a very nice area to hand out for a while.

We are thinking about adding more days onto our May trip. Have to look into the cost of doing that this week. 1 week isn't enough for a Disney trip if you also want time to relax.

Welcome back!! I loved keeping up on your travels on Facebook .... looks like everyone had a marvelous time. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that you made it to Wonderland for some cookie dough!!! Was it very far from the Disney area?

Our dates don't overlap in May at all, do they? Would have been fun to have you all over to the Vistana for a night. The kids could have enjoyed the pools while we enjoyed a beverage or two at the Tacky Tiki Bar :).
 
Ugh, don't even get me started on taxes :sad2: ..... this season drives me to drink. We are currently waiting to hear our fate from our accountant at PWC, and I'm dreading the outcome. If I think about it too much, it makes me want to either throw up or cry.

Oddly enough, my cats are not pukers :confused3. In the year and half we've had them, I cleaned up cat vomit a grand total of twice.....not bad, really, considering there's a pair of them. They apparently have stomachs of iron, and I'm A-OK with that :p.





Flu shots seem to be easier to get here across the border. Every single pharmacy offers them, and there's a CVS or Walgreens on every corner. It appears that pretty much every health insurance plans covers the full cost, but for those paying out of pocket, the fee is minimal. Most reports indicate that the flu shot this year is pretty ineffective, though. It's been a rough winter all around, and the harsh conditions haven't helped (though we're enjoying a balmy 60 degrees here today.....monsoon rains too, but heck, I'll take rain over snow).
As a 1)self employed and 2)business owner I have to pay the entire year all in one go in April. I budget for it all year long but it hurts to take thousands out of your bank account and not get anything for it.

Do your cats not even puke up hair balls? Cuz those are just as gross.

So I'll give you all a little insider info on the flu shot. It's less than 30% effective and even less so in people with compromised health.....and that's in a good year where the vaccine covers the strain that hits.

It's been very mild here as well but it's been dark and grey for the last two days....a tad depressing. It has rained non stop since Monday afternoon. If it doesn't stop soon I Noah guy with an arc.
 

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