tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75492980719790292212024-01-17T08:02:22.249-05:00Just My 2 CentsLike the title says, just my 2 cents about the things I see and do.Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-89886822600149259432016-03-01T01:03:00.000-05:002016-03-01T01:16:40.884-05:00MY Top Ten Tips for your Disney Vacation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherSXfeX2sDwOSltJhiGjgTiDbLYqR0eFhXlBYKwrCjD8CODX2U00mmElUUURZ9lNFC2imWYsncaZqUTmOi5WAnSZJEPNimhmeEeSY0-07zOXy9mVVQ30bxVeseV82pZ6feuvkmpUvkWk/s1600/mickey+travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherSXfeX2sDwOSltJhiGjgTiDbLYqR0eFhXlBYKwrCjD8CODX2U00mmElUUURZ9lNFC2imWYsncaZqUTmOi5WAnSZJEPNimhmeEeSY0-07zOXy9mVVQ30bxVeseV82pZ6feuvkmpUvkWk/s1600/mickey+travel.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After I got back from my first Disney World trip in 20+ years, I started reading all these Pinterest “Tips & Tricks” about going to Disney. And yes,I realize I did that backwards – you don’t have to point it out to me! The thing I learned is that I missed SO much! And now I feel I have to go back again. However, there were lots of things that I learned from my trip that weren’t really addressed in most people’s lists of things not to miss. So for your reading and Disney planning pleasure, I submit to you my “Top Eight Things To Know Before Going To Disney World”. (Sorry, I couldn't actually come up with another two things!).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>PLAN PLAN PLAN</b>. Now, I know that nearly every article tells you this, but don’t do what I did and leave it up to someone else to plan, figuring you’ll just go with the flow. My friend Barb planned everything (Yeah Barb!) and only afterwards did I realize that some of the things I wanted to do weren’t on her list of priorities. Mind you, before we went, I didn’t know I wanted to do these things, only AFTER, when I – you know – read the brochures on the plane ride home! So take the time to visit all the tips and tricks sites BEFORE you go. Decide what’s most important to you and try to work it in. At first I thought that trying to plan our days down to the minute was going to be stifling, but really, it makes the difference between standing in the middle of a parade route (been there, done that) wondering what to do next and snagging the best place in line for Thunder Mountain. Vacationing is serious business!</span></span></span><br />
<ol>
</ol>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>GETTING OUT & ABOU</b>T. If you’re staying “on property”, meaning in a Disney Resort, you really don’t need a rental car. I was worried because I have never been on vacation when I didn’t have a car at my disposal but the Disney bus system is so efficiently run, you’ll be glad you skipped the price of a rental. HOWEVER… if you are using the <u>Disney Magical Express</u> service – here’s a few things to know.</span></span></span><br />
<ol>
<ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> DO NOT FORGET to attach the tags they send you in the mail to your luggage. These are very important. And if your travel agent tells you that Disney didn’t send tags for each person but you can just tell the ticket agent at the airport…(not mentioning any names-ahem- AAA Travel), INSIST that this is NOT acceptable and tell them you DEMAND to have the luggage tags you need, even if someone needs to overnight them to you in the mail! Trust me on this – you don’t want to be at your resort while your luggage is circling ‘round and ‘round on the carousel back at MCO! I speak from experience.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> If you are landing in Orlando at night, be prepared to NOT receive your luggage until the morning. I don’t remember seeing this in any of the paperwork I read beforehand ( I DID read some!), but you will not get your luggage from the Magical Express people for THREE HOURS or more after you land. So better pack some PJs and underwear in your carry on.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The Magical Express is not Magical for everyone. I use a mobility scooter, or as Disney calls them ECVs. The giant Magical Express bus, and it IS giant, does have a lift for people using ECVs but it’s narrow and the turning radius at the top is quite a small area. They did give me the choice of loading the ECV while I took the stairs onto the bus, but there was no way I would have been able to make those 2 foot high stairs! (I exaggerate slightly!).They ended up calling a special van for me and my entourage and on the way home, there was chaos trying to get our party back to the airport. So if you’re using the Magical Express and you use an ECV, make sure you’re ready for any little “problems” that pop up. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bus system within the resort is great. I was worried about waiting long lengths of time because each bus can only take two ECVs, but I never had to skip a bus and wait for the next one. When you’re in your ECV, there is a special place to wait, rather than trying to master the cattle lines. In some cases, when the bus pulled up, no matter where the rest of your party was in line, the “gatekeeper” would put you on first and call your party out of the line and everyone got to board first. Other times, you waited til your party was at the front of the line and then they boarded you. But honestly, the first example happened more often. </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CRASH TEST DUMMIES.</b> Speaking of ECVs... As I said, that’s what Disney calls them – Electric Conveyance Vehicles. Personally, I think it stands for Every Customer [had better]Vamoose – because the people using these things are reckless! Seriously folks, Disney World is NOT the place to learn how to use an ECV/scooter! It’s way too crowded and congested for scooter newbies and really, you’re gonna end up hurting someone. I’ve been using ECVs for years, so I can stop on a dime and make a 20 point turn in under ten seconds but some of the people I saw using these machines needed their licenses revoked. There was one group of about 12 people – I kid you not – who had Granny and Grampy with them, each on their own ECV. There was NO WAY either of them should have been on scooters. I watched as they BOTH plowed into a crowd of people while waiting for the Muppet Vision 3D attraction. Then, as a man from their group tried to “help” them, he was running over his own feet, then ran Grampy into a wall. These poor elderly people had no idea what they were doing. Once inside the theatre, they tried parking their ECVs against a back wall and walking to the seating area, when they could have stayed on the ECV. BOTH of them crashed into the wall. Now really, they had about 12 people with them, they could have easily rented wheelchairs instead of scooters for Nana and Papa. So do us all a favor, unless you KNOW what you’re doing or want to take the time to go to an open area in the parking lot somewhere to practice – stay off the scooters cause you’re going to hurt someone!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>QUICK SERVICE MEAL PLAN</b>. DO IT! I was worried that our group of “healthy eaters” wouldn’t have enough to eat all week but we had plenty and then some. Just learn to take advantage of the plan the best way it fits you. Everywhere I read, it said it consisted of Breakfast, 2 Snacks and Dinner. But really, the meals are interchangeable and so flexible that you’re never hungry. I don’t eat breakfast usually so I would grab a bagel or muffin in the morning and that counted as a snack. I refilled my refillable Disney cup (which can be refilled nearly everywhere with soda or water) and off I went. Lunch and Dinner consists of your meal, a drink, separate from your refillable cup, and dessert. And you STILL have a snack credit for the day. At the end of our trip, our group of seven had over 30 snack credits left, which we promptly spent at the gift shop on cookies, popcorn and candy for souvenirs and plane ride snacks! And here’s a HINT! At Port Orleans French Quarter, one of the desserts/snacks you can get is an Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s two giant chocolate chip cookies with about three scoops of ice cream in between. Easily enough for two people. However, if you just want a cookie, you only get ONE as a dessert or snack… so… I put two cookies in the same Styrofoam container that the ice cream sandwich comes in and told them it was an ice cream sandwich without the ice cream! I ate one cookie and brought the other back to my room for later! How smart am I?? LOL!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>MAGICAL PHOTOS</b>. The Magic Photo Express thing - skip it. It’s a lot of money to have your picture taken when you can actually ask that same photographer to take a picture with your own camera. We did get some nice shots where they added some characters into the picture with you and yes, there were some shots of us on rides, but really, IMO, not worth the extra money.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>PARADES & FIREWORKS.</b> Okay, not really a tip, but a complaint. Disney is really no place for kids. We were there to do some serious vacationing and there were all these little kids everywhere! LOL! And what’s wrong with little kids? Well, for one thing, they’re scared of fireworks so there’s lots of screaming and crying. If they aren’t scared, they insist on being held high to see and Mom and Dad are all too willing to sling junior up onto their shoulders to get a closer look. But really people? I can’t fit on anyone’s shoulders so you just blocked my good view without even a glance back. So can I ask you, if you’re tall or insist on putting little Suzy on your back, would you mind stepping to the side and letting the short people see from the middle? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>STROLLERS.</b> Just about every ride that I saw had a stroller parking area and all of them were jam packed. Outside the Carousel ride, there had to be 100 or more strollers lined up row to row. And in these “empty” strollers were clothes, diaper bags, cameras, packages and even handbags. Yes, this is Disney, the most magical place on earth. But criminals go on vacation too. I’m not a thief but if I were, I could have made a killing. I know it might be a pain to empty the stroller every time you go on a ride, but unless you have someone watching out for your stuff, don’t be surprised if something is missing when you come back (it wasn’t me!).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>GROUPS.</b> Don’t do it! There were 7 of us and we spent so much time trying to keep track of everyone and who wanted to do what, when, and where, it was exhausting. Of course, if you’re bringing kids under 12, they shouldn’t be given choices of what to do or where to go anyway – be the boss! But when it comes to traveling with other adults – leave them at home! Just take your best friend and have a blast! </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can read the "play by play" on my Disney Vacation at mishes2cents.blogspot.com - just scroll down to start at part one!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<ol><ol>
</ol>
</ol>
Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-88008805377739977862016-02-26T16:24:00.001-05:002016-02-26T16:24:58.459-05:00The Final Chapter On Our Disney World Adventure<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bgu5W1V2NUGCKobRRkk2wk_K_NqoqqWyYKkPoHdtem2YRpJ18qNDg-dRedV9KvvhazqYR6qoqQlJakYyaaDUenO7IscpVI_FG65qG36hxPmPwtX5C__Et3txz3TugaUxHjGldmlaA8M/s1600/IMG_6028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bgu5W1V2NUGCKobRRkk2wk_K_NqoqqWyYKkPoHdtem2YRpJ18qNDg-dRedV9KvvhazqYR6qoqQlJakYyaaDUenO7IscpVI_FG65qG36hxPmPwtX5C__Et3txz3TugaUxHjGldmlaA8M/s200/IMG_6028.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ride to our resort isn’t a long one and we shortly find
ourselves driving into Port Orleans French Quarter. It’s now about 11pm and the
main entrance is lit up with little lights off the trellis’s (sp!?). You can
see inside to the lobby where there are several beautifully decorated Christmas
trees, garland and swag. It was all very pretty.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We pile out of the van and enter the lobby. It seems as
though all of us are enchanted by our surroundings – but enough of that – I
want to get checked in, go to the bathroom and flop on a bed! So Barb and I
head over to check in.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When we made our trip reservations with Eliza at AAA, it was
easiest for her to put Barb and her three kids on one reservation (all with the
same last name) and for me, the fiancé and the girlfriend on the other
reservation. (two rooms/two reservations). But just because we were booked that
way, didn’t mean that was how we needed to stay in the rooms. And that didn’t
matter anyway, because long ago when we made these reservations, we made it
clear we needed connecting or adjoining or adjacent rooms – so we’d be just
sort of coming and going in our two rooms – like a suite or something!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So we get checked in we’re given directions on how to get to
our rooms but you know how when you’re already tired and cranky you only listen
with half an ear and you’re so anxious to get moving that you barely look at
what you’ve got in your hands and you wish the person would just stop talking
so you could go? Yeah, that was us. So we finally wander off in the direction she
pointed us in, figuring how hard could it be to follow numbers and find our
rooms, right? Ha ha ha – silly us!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0W4902y8UEpxDrhXEaxzKRkQBlMzThMU3f5APnliRijSW86Xto8iF7vZN8nFd7TlKq9t7r5zZJXZfZjp-hdLG0_cfcidf2QSMnmh4Gf7kUWmIgXqw0INHEe7qS9DMSdV7eHiVmzeKi4/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0W4902y8UEpxDrhXEaxzKRkQBlMzThMU3f5APnliRijSW86Xto8iF7vZN8nFd7TlKq9t7r5zZJXZfZjp-hdLG0_cfcidf2QSMnmh4Gf7kUWmIgXqw0INHEe7qS9DMSdV7eHiVmzeKi4/s200/IMG_5866.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKFO-HHLB_8jGk6roEmUWdtZYr0j8Qxh6GwyoLD3v3F1wpaNYh1OQKpHcO1KVMJfstEyDJ0Ib2dyKzF-u2ZiQkYwzmtzmRpm5uMOw1D45Upkg_8LftApILK095EITuN-_X0xlYWK9cwY/s1600/IMG_5868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKFO-HHLB_8jGk6roEmUWdtZYr0j8Qxh6GwyoLD3v3F1wpaNYh1OQKpHcO1KVMJfstEyDJ0Ib2dyKzF-u2ZiQkYwzmtzmRpm5uMOw1D45Upkg_8LftApILK095EITuN-_X0xlYWK9cwY/s200/IMG_5868.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We exit the through the door she pointed to and find
ourselves back outside. We’re in a little courtyard that leads out into these
mini brick streets with old fashioned street lamps. The pool area is in the
middle and the buildings of rooms are around it, with rooms on either side of
the building. So some have pool views and some have garden views. It was really
very quaint. But hard to appreciate when you have to pee so c’mon gang, let’s
find our rooms.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, one of us should have been listening to the check
in lady. We had no idea where we were going. We’re trying to be somewhat quiet
because it’s so late but the group has, for some reason, split up while
following room number signs on the buildings and we’re sort of “whisper
yelling” to each other. But suddenly group #1 finds our rooms and we all gather
over there. But something is wrong. The magic bands, which act as keys to your
room, are opening one door but not the room right next to it. We go into the
open room and see the connecting door and try to open that, but it’s locked
from the other side. Now we’re really starting to get frustrated. Then one of
use gets the bright idea to look at the paperwork more carefully. This is when
we realize that the room numbers aren’t even close to each other. One is 5230
and the other is 5923 (or whatever the numbers were, I can’t remember!). Brody
seems to be the only one with any energy left so we send him in search of the
other room.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadlLe9-3Ov1pkp3yOqIVqQdju4t-D3vgU2kSy8KcRje1XVxX97O94xJzZRn3crH0SR0PmTSabE9xbNKrkY94zrclVztIZkHwg0E5xrLSaibJx3VmaLlSaBCFkr5G5HcDupRGCf-u6Sqk/s1600/IMG_5750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">He comes back in minutes saying he found the room but can’t
get in. He has the wrong magic band. I give him my band and off he goes again.
I think at this point he shouts that he found it. So not only is our room NOT
connected. Not only is our room NOT adjoining or adjacent. It isn’t even in the
same building!!! So now we face a dilemma. Do we traipse back to check in and
get this resolved or do we leave it as is for the night and try to fix the
issue in the morning? Guess which one my bladder chose? </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsHw6dcPl8FZh-PriEUCDXmYPJcImgBgQKrGSyO5766QUs98S_CVrRwCsyIYt32_SrV7tDwwA2RG7Dz5nV02_QcKesvl7TJr_IOzYn0kbMBSEhvF8p0K2qInfeXaeQHn5Wmfv57U6Tdc/s1600/IMG_5751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsHw6dcPl8FZh-PriEUCDXmYPJcImgBgQKrGSyO5766QUs98S_CVrRwCsyIYt32_SrV7tDwwA2RG7Dz5nV02_QcKesvl7TJr_IOzYn0kbMBSEhvF8p0K2qInfeXaeQHn5Wmfv57U6Tdc/s200/IMG_5751.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We split up now and get into our rooms. But heyyyy… where’s
our luggage?<span> </span>Barb calls the front desk
to find out what the delay is because you know, we’re part of the magical
express thing and so far, we have experienced very little magic! Well, come to
find out, when you use the Disney Magical Express, your luggage doesn’t get to
your room for a full three hours or so after you do! This is neither magical
nor express to me. It’s after midnight, we’re all exhausted and now we have no
luggage/clothes til three in the morning or so. Needless to say, the
frustration level is high. We’re given the choice to be woken at 3am when the
luggage comes or we can call when we wake up and they will bring it to our
room. We choose to call in the morning and just wing it for now.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just before we nod off to sleep, Barb announces she plans on
getting to the Magic Kingdom in time for opening ceremonies so we’d better all
be ready to take the bus over there<span>
</span>around 8am. I think I was still laughing as I fell into sleep.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh56867pu9-GYeCVs_e02YQG8Kf4hxw-qDHX28bZrYYyHO-fuK1RqrsjUSgNv6nFk0ZtXLdFCPg6YaTXDROZdIL0TLLg_6cgEgyk0Ikex6lTpc99CnA8FzSSdLcytcowuoGeRxMNAG4U/s1600/IMG_5975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh56867pu9-GYeCVs_e02YQG8Kf4hxw-qDHX28bZrYYyHO-fuK1RqrsjUSgNv6nFk0ZtXLdFCPg6YaTXDROZdIL0TLLg_6cgEgyk0Ikex6lTpc99CnA8FzSSdLcytcowuoGeRxMNAG4U/s200/IMG_5975.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast on the Quick Meal Plan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I woke up our luggage had already arrived and everyone
was heading to breakfast. Unfortunately, they were never going to make the park
opening. And I was never going to make it to breakfast. Before we even started
this adventure, Barb and I discussed how I needed to move at my own pace and it
was understood that they should just go as planned and when I was ready, I
would text or call to find out where they were and I’d meet up with them.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, and I’m way
too lazy to go back to parts one and two to look, so…<span> </span>When we booked the vacation, we also signed
up for the Disney Quick Meal Plan. The way it is written or described is that
it includes Breakfast, dinner and a snack at quick service locations throughout
the resorts and parks. After looking at what would be available, like slices of
pizza and boxes of popcorn etc., we decided that our group of big eaters may
not be satisfied and buying food at the parks is just crazy expensive! So I
went ahead and ordered a giant box of food from Amazon Pantry to be delivered
to the hotel the day we arrived. When we checked in, I asked about the box but
they said they had no delivery waiting for us. Since it was so late and so much
was going on, I figured I’d deal with it the following day.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So here we are, the following day. I’m finally ready to face
the world. The weather is beautiful. It’s sunny and cool, perfect sunburn
weather for me – ugh! I scoot over to the concierge to talk to them about the
room assignments and pick up the box.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, once again I’m stuck with waiting for the first free
concierge and just by making eye contact, I already know the one I DON’T want.
He just <i>looks</i> like he’s gonna be
snarky, you know? And guess who I get??? Yup, Mr. Snark! I wheel up to his area
and he gives me the fakest smile and with an equally fake drawl he wants to
know how he can help me. I already hate him. I explain to him that we booked
adjoining or adjacent rooms but come to find out, we’re in different buildings.
We’re traveling with kids and this is just not acceptable. (Now, at this point,
we’ve pretty much settled in anyway and I think if they had offered us two new
rooms, I would have declined anyway.. but…). Mr. Snark replies with the “It’s
only a request and we cannot accommodate all requests.” This pisses me off, so
I tell him again that we have kids (ok, they’re older kids but they’re still
kids, right?!) in separate buildings and that just isn’t appropriate. Again he
gives me the party line. I was fuming by now. Really, all I needed him to say
was “Gee, I’m sorry that happened. We’re fully booked right now but if
something comes up where we can change the rooms, I will certainly let you
know”. That’s it, that’s all I needed, but he wasn’t giving an inch. I was
livid… and he was still snarky. So now I ask about the box from Amazon. I had
received an email from them saying the box was scheduled for arrival on Monday
and since it was already just about noon on Monday, I figured that it would
have been delivered with the morning mail/deliveries. Snark-boy checks the
computer and tells me there’s no package for us. I don’t trust him but I’m
frustrated so I decide to let it rest and hit the park.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now this is my first outing into Disney in over 20 years and
I’m all alone. I have to figure out where I catch the bus then find the group
once I get there. At this point my anxiety level is pretty high. But I don’t
know if it’s from being alone and having to do something very much out of my
element (boarding a bus and getting into the park) or if it’s just because I
wanted to slap the shit out of the concierge and I couldn’t!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finding the little bus station was easy. They had these
covered areas with benches and soda machines and signs for which parks the
busses that stopped there would be going to. Each little station had a
rectangle painted on the ground with a big handicap/wheelchair painted on it. I
was the only person there in a scooter so I parked myself in the rectangle and
waited for the bus that said “Disney World”. <span> </span>After reading several people’s blogs about
Disney, I was a little worried about my wait time because each bus has a
limited amount (turns out to be 2) of wheelchairs/scooters they can take at one
time. But the first bus that pulls up is empty so I’m in luck. But wait – it’s
time to be embarrassed again!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Apparently, there is some unwritten rule that says if you
see this woman (meaning me), please be sure to somehow make sure she feels as
uncomfortable as possible. Once the bus stops, all the people waiting in line
by the door do that little “move forward” thing. You know, almost like a crowd
surge but not quite…? So yeah, they do that but guess what? The bus driver
tells them all to step back and wait because he has to load me into the bus
first. Break out the dagger eyes again!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So he presses the magic button and the bus lowers and a ramp
folds down. Pretty cool, except everyone is watching me, pissed off that they
have to wait to board the bus. I ride the scooter onto the ramp and up into the
bus but now I’m not sure where to put the scooter. I see an area with no seats
but it’s directly in front of me and if I pull straight in, it blocks the
aisle. The bus driver now starts touching the controls of my scooter, trying to
parallel park me. But I don’t know this at the time so I’m not able to help.
Had he just said – I need you to parallel park right here, I could have done it
but instead, he’s moving me back and forth, bumping me into poles and seats,
and really not going anywhere and all I can think of is that the people waiting
to get on are gonna be pissed!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I finally get situated and the other passengers get on, sure
enough, giving me dirty looks. I try smiling at some of them but my charms weren’t
working on them. How dare I delay their trip to the Magical Kingdom where
everyone is happy all the time, right?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting into the park was uneventful but I had been told to
go to the “Town Hall” to get some sort of sticker or pass that says I’m
disabled so that I wouldn’t have to navigate the long roped-in lines. But the
front of the Town Hall isn’t handicap accessible and I have to go around to the
side to get in. But the problem is the line for people to be served is through
the building and out the front door, so I really can’t “get in line”. I see
that part of the counter is low, to serve people in wheelchairs and there is a
woman in a scooter being helped, so I get in line behind her. But guess what?
Mr. Snarks brother works here! He looks up and says “Do you mind getting in
line please and you’ll be helped in order”.. Umm.. ok but how do I get in line
if it’s down the stairs? Sometimes I just hate people. So I drive my scooter
over and get in line beside the line going out the door. I inch forward as each
person is helped and soon enough I find myself at the front of the line but
beside other people that were in the long line. The advantage here though, is
that when it’s Mr Snarks brother’s turn to call someone forward, I can defer to
the people in the original line! I end up getting helped by a very nice man at
the other end of the counter. And of course, he tells me there is no such
sticker or pass and I’m good to go. Shaking my head, I head off to Tomorrowland
to meet the group.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I get to them in time for them to decide they are done there
and heading over to their fast pass at the Haunted Mansion. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdoGzRkuL2s9o0ZV1uA9eW28a-HztAxMPMzFwBWLgweL8goKBK8SzkMJfnm6nc6XJRIQI0yeZsIZMuuA_QsZG72uj3LRQeX3IYyc8Y3H4B-tFUvvYV73cNdLHqfOB701YYhbn8gWUj6E/s1600/IMG_5792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdoGzRkuL2s9o0ZV1uA9eW28a-HztAxMPMzFwBWLgweL8goKBK8SzkMJfnm6nc6XJRIQI0yeZsIZMuuA_QsZG72uj3LRQeX3IYyc8Y3H4B-tFUvvYV73cNdLHqfOB701YYhbn8gWUj6E/s200/IMG_5792.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQTvO_mMLvUBPVcyZLPY2xv37npYACuM4QWZmC-ThkiLSeiQinuWVZS5LLc7rB4DcueX7fy2KCsJ20SH-BzbFV8xi58InMsPY7YV94k9LL6qEgQd27W64q0eFoq5NGCsWox1hVUAP7s8/s1600/IMG_5795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQTvO_mMLvUBPVcyZLPY2xv37npYACuM4QWZmC-ThkiLSeiQinuWVZS5LLc7rB4DcueX7fy2KCsJ20SH-BzbFV8xi58InMsPY7YV94k9LL6qEgQd27W64q0eFoq5NGCsWox1hVUAP7s8/s200/IMG_5795.JPG" width="133" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m jealous that I
can’t go through the ride, but to make the best of it, I leave them in line and
head down the road to find out where there are more of those machines that
squish your pennies. Now, whoever said that the first week of December was a
“low crowd” time has obviously never been there during the first week of
December. If this was <i>not crowded </i>I
can’t imagine what crowded looks like. And people get stupid when they see the
scooter. They suddenly don’t know to move to the right or they just stand there
not knowing what to do at all. It makes me want to scream but really I just say
“Excuse me”, “excuse me” 42 times until they move. So I’m going along and I
round the bend and suddenly there is no crowd but there *is* a rope across the
path. I see it and start to turn around but a “cast member” unhooks the rope
for me. I’m slightly puzzled but I move through the rope and guess what? I’m in
the fat lady parade again! </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ByI4jf1Rm5MC3Gz3sLWi84vUZrVmGXegzXWLu5FIlgLCb12dgwkurP-dKtTchLg4JLIqjshKSd2bIO3VKu52ryL3f9zQP4pAvP5z0cYuWcBb87GTok34tEKkotq2ljlxHWJIx6c1LG4/s1600/From+camera+12-30-15+522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ByI4jf1Rm5MC3Gz3sLWi84vUZrVmGXegzXWLu5FIlgLCb12dgwkurP-dKtTchLg4JLIqjshKSd2bIO3VKu52ryL3f9zQP4pAvP5z0cYuWcBb87GTok34tEKkotq2ljlxHWJIx6c1LG4/s200/From+camera+12-30-15+522.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Apparently, it was blocked off for the 2 o’clock parade but
for some reason, he let me go past the rope and now I am driving down the
completely empty main thoroughfare while hundreds, maybe thousands of people
watch me go by. I didn’t know if I should start waving or start crying of
embarrassment. I could hear circus music in my head as I scooted down the road
looking for escape… dun dun dudda da da dun dun da da… I finally found an
opening to a sidewalk and got out of there. I watched most of the parade from a
sidewalk I wasn’t supposed to be blocking but hey, as the star of the
pre-parade, I guess I got a perk. But so did the many tall people that stood in
front of me, not a care in the world for who might be behind them. Have I
mentioned I hate people?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the parade and the Haunted Mansion, we decide to go
back to the hotel and rest so we can come back tonight for the fireworks. When
we go back, I go to the concierge area to check on my delivery and I see Mr.
Snark is still there. I see him see me, but he doesn’t know that I see him
seeing me. Then I see him turn and go into a back room and I’m thinking – good,
because I don’t want to deal with your snarky ass either! So I go to a nice
lady and ask about my package. She says it’s not here. I tell her I got an
email that says it arrived at 2pm and suddenly, out of nowhere – perhaps Disney
Magic? – Snarkman pops up and says “All deliveries go to a central location
then they are delivered to the resorts from there” It was like he couldn’t wait
to give me that bit of news – the bastard. Ok, fine, it’s only around 4pm, so
they’ll probably have it ready later on… oh, silly me!!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We rest then it’s back to park for fireworks. I stop at the
desk again, but still no package. We get to the Magic Kingdom and apparently
everyone else had the same idea because it was mobbed. Trying to stake out a
spot on Main Street so you could see the castle and the fireworks was crazy.
Our group of seven gave up on trying to stay together so it was just Barb,
Brody and me. We tried to get closer and closer but so did everyone else. We
finally thought we were in a great spot and could see everything pretty well
and just as the little program and fireworks were about to start, some 6’9” guy
decides to put his kid up on his shoulders. Now really, is this necessary? The
kid is now 9 feet in the air and several people, me being one of them, can’t
see because he wants his 5 year old to get the best view in the house. C’mon
mister – if you’re going to do that, stand to the side and she’ll still be able
to see. Besides she’s young and has a lot more chances to come back to Disney
and see this while I may never get a chance to come back before I pop off! But
it was no use, he wasn’t moving and the show starts. All my fireworks pics have
the 9 foot baby in them. I hate people. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9I20oieVHAnQtNgE8WfyWe4OFWwGPRpKZddLyyse4jEfYRS0vRP-GdXxi59iEXTBAbucqnz25G63Pm1UY2YLOheCfxpXosFe7q0QhQGLBw_6ofq8bkUNpUIZ6JuRr36huZ831sC2lQM/s1600/IMG_5854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9I20oieVHAnQtNgE8WfyWe4OFWwGPRpKZddLyyse4jEfYRS0vRP-GdXxi59iEXTBAbucqnz25G63Pm1UY2YLOheCfxpXosFe7q0QhQGLBw_6ofq8bkUNpUIZ6JuRr36huZ831sC2lQM/s200/IMG_5854.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the fireworks, we made the ridiculous mistake of
trying to move forward against the tide. I felt like I was an ocean liner
moving through a sea of little ice burgs. People were banging into me and
walking to within an inch of the scooter before bearing right or left to go
around. I was Moses parting the sea. We may have made it 20 feet forward before
we decided to just stop where we were and wait for the crowd to thin. While
waiting, we must have seen ten different people trip or stumble on the rails
that are on the ground for the trolley. Strollers and wheelchairs were getting
stuck in the grooves. I can’t believe Walt hasn’t been sued yet. Once the crown
dissipates, we learn that the other half of our group has already left the park
and is on the way back to the hotel. Thanks for waiting guys…</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The box ended up arriving on Tuesday afternoon. Most of the
items I bought got repacked in our luggage and taken home though. Once we
learned how to use the Quick service meal plan to our advantage, it was plenty
of food. You see, you don’t *have* to have breakfast as one of your meals – it can
be lunch and dinner. So I chose to just get a bagel in the morning, which only
counted as a snack. I refilled my free refillable mug and off I went for the
day. Lunch always included what you ordered, a drink – not your refillable free
one, but another full drink, and a dessert. Then dinner was the same, your
meal, dessert and another drink and now you still had a snack to use. So the
food plan was perfect for us and in fact, when we left, we each had 18 snack
credits left on our account so we went to the gift shop and loaded up on snacks
for the plane right and for home.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had the three day park hopper pass so we spent the first
day at the Magic Kingdom, the next day at Hollywood Studios, the next day we
went to Disney Springs and shopped til we dropped then had our first/only real
sit down, be </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMdiGmtQeQzi02hOwWchGks8aiAiWVuCVwGYgyCUq9YzsNvZ7UQ7aRsh8OlWbZPlWOpE6BAIExQdziv8gwa7OIBGNf36eQHxOKY12gTpG1bmXhzrFHwqflnoitRZXGziZ9Aw7FfXc6hA/s1600/IMG_6018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMdiGmtQeQzi02hOwWchGks8aiAiWVuCVwGYgyCUq9YzsNvZ7UQ7aRsh8OlWbZPlWOpE6BAIExQdziv8gwa7OIBGNf36eQHxOKY12gTpG1bmXhzrFHwqflnoitRZXGziZ9Aw7FfXc6hA/s200/IMG_6018.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">waited on dinner at the Hard Rock Café, and on our last full day
we went to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At Hollywood studios, I only experienced one burning, embarrassing
situation. We had a fast pass for a ride that indicated you had to get off your
scooter and onto the ride, but I must have been looking at the wrong thing
because I thought it was some type of movie or “show”. So Brody and I wait in
the longest fast pass line of the trip, with all the other mobility impaired
people – a special place for us (hearing old lady/Lawrence Welk music). When we
finally get inside, I see that I will have to get off the scooter and into this
big contraption. The walk isn’t far, the cars look pretty big, Brody is tall
and lean and I have my cane, so I think I’ll give it a try. WHY? Why do I do
this to myself??</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When it’s my turn, I get off the scooter, hobble over to the
car and then realize that my leg will not fit in the opening to get *into* the
car. I try twice and it’s no use. I turn around to go back to my scooter and
see all the people seeing me. Once again, I’m so embarrassed. Brody goes on the
ride alone and I wait by the exit. And just to raise the embarrassment level a
little higher, two of the ride operators come over to me and ask if I want to
try again and they can help me (I say no thanks) and then the supervisor comes
over to talk to me and apologize and then he gets *his* supervisor to come over
and I want to scream – LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE! – but this is Disney and you
can’t do that! But the manager was nice and gave me two more fast passes to be
used at any Hollywood Studios ride, which actually did me no good since we were
now done at that park, it was closing and we weren’t scheduled to come back. (I
ended up giving them to a mom and her son on the morning that we left).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While at Disney Springs, I discovered the world of Disney
Pin </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzpphINOXsuyCWj2iR4YXz4s_NOLGtbxzFK8_dvIY_yUlM0WIymcsHI38ibJ5yGliE9IcX_mI0skfgsY25b6BOcWOPzFY7KWKyW_Zr3tFwD71S3EmtBZFM88Wl0S13OE0ppjHIWOeKi4/s1600/Dug+Spinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzpphINOXsuyCWj2iR4YXz4s_NOLGtbxzFK8_dvIY_yUlM0WIymcsHI38ibJ5yGliE9IcX_mI0skfgsY25b6BOcWOPzFY7KWKyW_Zr3tFwD71S3EmtBZFM88Wl0S13OE0ppjHIWOeKi4/s200/Dug+Spinner.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">collecting. I swear, I need a keeper. People can’t be showing me these
types of things. I’m just too susceptible. I purchased 12 pins at the parks but
thanks to a trade site and eBay, I now own about 70. It’s a sickness I blame my
mother for – she collected a lot of junk too!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dinner at the Hard Rock was fun and I got my drink on. I
rarely drink but got daring and told the bartender to make me something sweet
where I couldn’t taste the alcohol. I don’t know what it was called but it was
good. I drank most of it and although I certainly wasn’t loopy after that, I
know I was a bit louder and sillier.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Animal Kingdom was ok, but I didn’t get to see many animals
because I wasn’t able to go on the safari ride. And by this time, after 4 days
in constant company of each other and for the rest of my tribe – walking a
million miles so far – we were getting tired and cranky. We were all looking
forward to our fast pass to see the Lion King show though. We lined up in the
handicap section and soon the doors were open. This was the only time I
experienced the actual cast members being slightly rude. They were rushing
people and directing people where to sit but not doing it nicely. And in this
setting, they had the people in scooters and wheelchairs in the front on the
floor while their parties were to sit on bleachers directly behind them. But by
the time everyone followed the directions of the screaming people - “PLEASE
MOVE DOWN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN”, your friends and family were 20 feet away behind
you!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But everyone gets settled and then they come out to warm up the
crowd. They have us sing and holler and then the lights dim and the show
starts. Out comes one float with dancers and singing and drums. I take a few
pics and so far, I’m </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVSiCBLyGHR3u4Crp9Dl8JnDLnTGJT4hyjXUdXF9ynmfMtFQBBJUG8rcf2dWne8uczX7XzncWUVabQuSIx-3f18tL3-uiAelnPLwMxiJr_q0JXVsJzRedurI8fRfT8zrL9WmK6sNgSNE/s1600/IMG_6270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVSiCBLyGHR3u4Crp9Dl8JnDLnTGJT4hyjXUdXF9ynmfMtFQBBJUG8rcf2dWne8uczX7XzncWUVabQuSIx-3f18tL3-uiAelnPLwMxiJr_q0JXVsJzRedurI8fRfT8zrL9WmK6sNgSNE/s200/IMG_6270.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">enjoying the show. As the first float exits and the next
one is due to come out, the house lights come on and the announcer says
something like “Ladies and Gentlemen, GET OUT!” Ok, maybe not, but that’s what
I heard! Suddenly, we’re all being herded like cattle out the doors we just
came in. They announce “technical difficulties” or some such bullshit but I’m
pretty sure a monkey got loose and threw poop in a dancer’s face or something
equally ridiculous. They said we could get back in line outside and see if they
would be able to do another show in 2 hours. Umm, no thanks, I’m not standing
in line for two hours to *maybe* see a show. At this point, stick a fork in us,
we were D U N. Back to Port Orleans French Quarter for dinner and rest and to
start packing. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, despite the many times I found myself the center of
unwanted attention, the star of the show, so to speak, I had a good time.
There’s a lot I didn’t get to do and a lot I learned about once we got home
that I want to do, so we’re planning another trip but this time, without the
“kids” – just us. Cuz really, Disney is serious business and no place for kids!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But wait! One more story! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Knowing what I knew, I called the Magical Express hotline
the night before we were leaving to make sure we were all set with the “special
van” for me to use. The woman I spoke with must have been related to that woman
who took care of us at the airport. She was clueless. Eventually, she
transferred me to someone who also knew nothing about what I was talking about.
She transferred me to the next clueless person but then finally I got to
someone who knew what I was talking about and told me I was all set.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wanna play the guessing game? Who can guess what happens
next?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Magical Express is supposed to pick us up at 4pm for our
7pm flight. So out we go, dragging our luggage and being a generally crabby
motley crew. Eventually the giant Magical Express bus pulls up and the driver
gets out and talks to the guy that I guess is in charge of getting people on
the right bus or something. They start looking over my way and I’m no dummy. It
doesn’t take me long to figure out their talking about me! Lol! Sure enough,
the driver comes over and tells me to wait there and he goes back to the bus
and lowers the small ramp into the bus.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, I’ve already been through this 5 days ago. I KNOW I won’t
fit on the ramp on the scooter and up into the bus. Just looking at the width
of the door opening, I know I won’t fit. <span> </span>I explain to “the guy” that I am supposed to
have a special van for my party that will fit me on my scooter. Guess who has
no idea what I am talking about? I tell the bus driver the same thing and all I
get back is a blank stare. They each start making phone calls but no one has
any idea what I am talking about. Meanwhile, the clock tick tick ticks for
everyone waiting to get on the bus. Yay! Yet another chance to piss people off!
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not long after this, but still before people have boarded
the bus, a small SUV type vehicle pulls up to us but right away, both the driver
and I know he can’t accommodate me.<span> </span>He
gets out, talks to the other two, then drives off. I’m told another van is
coming. Once again, I am angry and frustrated. I called ahead of time to set
this up. I advocated for myself and yet, nothing goes they way it’s supposed
to.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another mini-van /SUV pulls up but this time, it’s a car
with a secret – you know, like the sofas with a secret? It’s a transformer van!
He opens the back door and a ramp unfolds and I am able to ride right into the
back area of the van! Yay! The bad part? Only two others can come with me. The
others could have taken the Magical Express bus but it left already. So they
have to call yet another mini-van/SUV for the other 4 of us.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Barb, Brody and I head off to the airport with the other van
trailing after us. We hit some traffic but make it to the airport in plenty of
time. But wait, what’s this? Yet ANOTHER issue? The driver of the other van is
insisting that the kids pay $75 for the ride. By the time I go over there to
release my fury though, Brian has already paid the guy with a credit card and
the transaction can’t be cancelled. Again, the Magical Express Experience was
not so Magical.<span> </span>But I still can’t wait
to go back! After all, I need more pins! </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRR2jONITCYbVqhmpLKZoxsBw0r5P7gisnEKtC25uUQTpXHqGHGvfPJwyGjkalSe44yYI2idYpQ-_CuNuq0iBQ8igFhn4_nDKHtsBVD1mf9d_gfpIYqaSEnsroQ534HU3jWNFcUSZRzBI/s1600/IMG_5911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRR2jONITCYbVqhmpLKZoxsBw0r5P7gisnEKtC25uUQTpXHqGHGvfPJwyGjkalSe44yYI2idYpQ-_CuNuq0iBQ8igFhn4_nDKHtsBVD1mf9d_gfpIYqaSEnsroQ534HU3jWNFcUSZRzBI/s200/IMG_5911.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk07LiuQHL3n-PLa1nsassc8e8ngpWMJXfmTmoY8EvlkqlgkGIDhVy8KSImxvaBygptjHbd-qFhyfH7gDtQpRnT6DxMIzFhOo1Hzhl5lDM-IgYfo-v3F5hTfF0MhABPK_2UjSlZN9L-ao/s1600/IMG_6010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk07LiuQHL3n-PLa1nsassc8e8ngpWMJXfmTmoY8EvlkqlgkGIDhVy8KSImxvaBygptjHbd-qFhyfH7gDtQpRnT6DxMIzFhOo1Hzhl5lDM-IgYfo-v3F5hTfF0MhABPK_2UjSlZN9L-ao/s200/IMG_6010.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-66284847096093280632016-01-07T15:10:00.000-05:002016-01-07T15:13:06.632-05:00The Happiest Place on Earth - Part 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> So now we’re all aboard the plane and we’re ready to go. I’m
sitting in the front with Brody. It’s his first time flying and when I ask him
if he’s excited, he gives me one of those 14 year old shrugs. But he can’t fool
me! His eyes are wide open and I can see the smile on his face when he thinks
I’m not looking. As the plane pulls away from the jet way thingy, he leans
forward and looks out the window. And yup, his eyes are
full of wonder and excitement.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was a little disappointed that when they did the safety
thing about where the exits are, don’t form a line for the restroom at the
front of the plane and how to blow up your life vest, they didn’t sing it or
rhyme it. I thought that was one of the benefits of flying Southwest. Sort of
like a traveling air show. But the waitresses in the sky DID pass out peanuts,
to which Brody replied “They really DO pass out peanuts! I thought it was just
like a.. stereotype”. It was cute, he had no idea that peanuts are the main source
of protein on flights these days. I insisted he make a trip to the restroom
because everyone should pee in a plane at least once. I was sorry Barb wasn’t
sitting with us to experience all his firsts.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So after the uneventful flight to Baltimore (no screaming
babies… or adults, no highjacking, no one with a shoe bomb [Thank goodness they
check all the shoes, huh?] and no plane crash, we land safely. I already know that I will get off the plane last but they come to
tell me to wait to deplane so everyone else can get out .And of course get
another chance to throw daggers at me.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I wait and the plane empties out except for me and Brody.
At least FIVE different airline people, including the pilot, come over to tell
me my scooter will be here in just a minute. I’m perfectly patient, knowing
what a pain in the ass it must be for them to have to bring it up. After a few
minutes, the sky waitresses for the next flight come on board as does the pilot
and co-pilot. Now I’m starting to get nervous. I don’t know where this plane is
headed but I don’t want to go there! Finally, fifty-three people tell me the
scooter has arrived! Have you ever had SO MUCH customer service that you just
want to scream at them? Maybe it’s just Massachusetts people but I have no
patience for that. For three and four and five people coming over and being
sickly sweet and telling me the same thing. Yes, yes, I know the scooter is
here – do you see me trying to get up? Sigh. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I get onto the scooter and scoot up the ramp… only to be
met by 100+ people who have been standing in line waiting to board the plane
but couldn’t because once again, the fat lady in the scooter needed to perform
her one lady parade. Again, I’ve caused a plane full of people to hate me.
Lovely, just lovely. Can anyone guess what happens next? Yep… We get to our
gate for the connecting flight to Orlando and guess who they’re waiting for to
board the plane? And guess who’s got to scoot by the angry huddled masses? This
parade I’ve got going on is getting ridiculous. Maybe I should be throwing
beads to people or something. At this point, I just want to crawl under a rock…</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I scoot down the runway and hobble onto the plane, Brody
beside me every step of the way, being my +1. But wait, what’s this? The front
bulkhead seats are taken! People are already on the plane, in MY seats! But
there’s no assigned seating on Southwest, which makes it a free for all.
Apparently these people were on the previous flight and are continuing on to
Orlando. So I end up walking down to the fourth or fifth row. I ask Brody if he
wants the window seat, but if he does, he’s not getting out during the flight
because once I sit down, I’m not going anywhere. He decides to let me have the
window and I sit. And then I scoot over…wait… no, I don’t scoot over. I CAN’T
scoot over! I’m stuck!! My left foot (not the movie) can’t get past the metal
part of the row in front of me, and because I can’t lean forward due to the
seats in front of me beingthisclose, I have no leverage to free
the foot. And because I can’t scoot, Brody is standing in the aisle and holding
up the passengers again! Executive decision time! Brody, you need to crawl over
the seat and sit by the window because I can’t move. He goes to the empty row
behind me and manages to jump over into his seat without kicking me in the
head, so I guess that’s one for the plus column, right?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I’m stuck in the aisle seat for the whole flight, which
is fine. The plane lands and yes, you know the drill… wait til everyone
deplanes then my scooter will come. This time though, the waiting is a Godsend.
Why? Because guess who is stuck and can’t get up?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yes ladies and gents, I am full fledged stuck in aisle five,
seat C. In a matter of three seconds, I’m already imagining the chaos I’m about
to face. I’m already thinking about how they’re going to try to get me out and
how none of their attempts will work. And sure enough, once they realize I’m
not getting up but everyone is off the plane already, the line of Helpful
Harrys starts. One by each, the flight attendants, the pilot (I’m not even
kidding), the co-pilot, the guy who brought my scooter up… they come to ask me
how they can help. But they can’t. Short of bringing in maintenance and
removing the row of seats in front of me, there’s nothing they can do. Brody
jumps the seats again and tries to help but I’m the only one who can unstick
me. And after several attempts and physics experiments, I manage to squeeze
myself up, out, and into the aisle. Whew! I thought I was going to be a
permanent airplane fixture!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For once, I’m not greeted by angry villagers because it’s
nearly 10pm and I think the airport is shutting down. The gate area is
practically a ghost town. So off we go, 7 stranded castaways… oh wait, wrong
story… 7 tired vacationers in search of the Magical Express.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Have you ever been to Orlando airport? It’s one of those
places where you take the walking sidewalk to the monorail shuttle to the
concourse to the gateway to the indoor hotel in the middle of the airport to
the long hallway to the short hallway to the.. well, you get my point, right?
We’re following the signs to Disney’s Magical Express and finally we see the
check in area. I immediately get that feeling. You know the one… where you’re
waiting in line at the bank and you see that one teller… the one that takes
forever. She counts out your one dollar bills as if they were hundreds, holding
them to the light, then makes a mistake anyway? You know - her? And as you’re in
line, you’re trying to figure out if she’s going to be the one to say “Next
please” when it’s your turn? Yeah, that’s the feeling I got. As we approach I’m
doing the math and it’s not working out in my favor (remember I said that math
isn’t my strong suit). Sure enough, we get that agent.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Barb breaks out the “Disney Wristbands”, we put them on and touch
the Mickey insignia to the Mickey orb on the desk. And we’re checked in. OMG,
is it possible that we’ve successfully completed a task with no issue? Hahahaha…
of course not!! </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now think back to part one - during check in, just before Barb
had to make a mad dash home for the carry on. Remember? I was supposed to tell
the Southwest ticket agent that we didn’t have the special yellow stickers that
indicated we were Magical Express people. But I forgot. Sigh!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The whole thing with the Magical Express is that they take
care of picking up your luggage and bringing it to your room – so you don’t
have to deal with baggage claim or schlepping luggage to a taxi or shuttle. You
get to bypass that and just board the huge motor coach that is emblazoned with ‘Disney
Magical Express” on it. It then drops everyone off at their resorts where their
luggage is waiting for them (uh huh, yeah, right…). But our luggage is naked! No yellow tags! So
we tell this to Henrietta, or whatever her name was, and you could almost see
her brain come to a complete stop. “No yellow stickers… this does not compute…
danger, danger Will Robinson”… A five minute discussion ensues ending with her
walking away to check with someone else. I KNEW we should have waited for the
other teller! She comes back with news that if she can just have our baggage
claim tickets, we’ll be fine and we can finally go forward to the magical area
to catch the magical bus.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Off we go, through the cattle ropes, even though the place
was nearly empty. When we got up closer, they sectioned us off into the
handicapped area because of the scooter. Now let me say this… I’m a seasoned
traveler, though as I said, it’s been awhile. But if I’ve learned anything by
living life in this body, it’s to be my own advocate and to be prepared. Prior
to starting this trip, I checked over and over with the travel agent and Disney
guides online about the transportation. I was assured there would be no
problems. Hahahaha!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Smiling person #1 comes to tell us that it will be just a
moment. Smiling person #2 comes to tell us that it’ll be just another few
minutes. Smiling person #1 comes back and asks “Are you able to get off the
scooter?”. By this time, I tired and cranky and I want to respond with “No, I
never get off the scooter. I sleep on it, shower on it, in fact, I’m fused to
it!” But I don’t say that. But I DO say no, because I realize that they want me
to get off the scooter and enter the bus through the regular door. However, I’m
no regular person! There is NO WAY I would be able to get up those bus steps.
They’re like 3 feet high I think, right?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Along comes smiling person #3 and says that the bus cannot
accommodate me on the scooter, but not to worry, they’ve called in the cavalry!
They have a solution, so if we could just hold on… like we’re going to go
anywhere? Finally a passenger van that can carry me on my scooter and my 6
companions shows up and off we go to Disney World. And with the exception of
the Disney Wristband, none of this vacation has been “Magical” yet!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stay tuned! More to come – hotel fun and park madness!</span></span></span></div>
Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-33695980201953573792015-12-23T00:36:00.001-05:002015-12-23T00:36:48.123-05:00The Happiest Place on Earth! Part 1<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">After not having a real fly somewhere, stay at a hotel and go sightseeing vacation in 7 years (Mall of America for my sister's 50th! And yes, we went to the SPAM museum and it was awesome! lol) I decided I wanted, no <b>needed</b>, to go somewhere. I knew my BFF Barb was hoping to take her youngest boy to Disney before he was too old to appreciate it so I suggested to her that we go. She jumped right on board and soon the trip included me, Barb, her daughter Cassidy and her fiance Phil, her son Brian and his girlfriend Melissa and Barbs' youngest, Brody. Seven of us were off the the Happiest Place on Earth - Disney World Florida! </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2VwmZux8pGGBKkNI5bpG8esNHlGmrBsq2eneiPnJZMW8UayWQEMgADQ7PZNwCEOxlpDiyYL-eB9ruGAfYZzKFgif_FYPJZHGJfGnDeNCqle-njKbA8zuNNLLrZEltciEUJu47UONE8E/s1600/mickey+travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2VwmZux8pGGBKkNI5bpG8esNHlGmrBsq2eneiPnJZMW8UayWQEMgADQ7PZNwCEOxlpDiyYL-eB9ruGAfYZzKFgif_FYPJZHGJfGnDeNCqle-njKbA8zuNNLLrZEltciEUJu47UONE8E/s200/mickey+travel.jpg" width="192" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I jumped into the planning with gusto. How hard could it be, right? Airfare, hotel, rental car, bing bang boom. Yeah... not so much. Booking a Disney vacation is like giving a 16 year old an old paper map and having them use it to get somewhere. Talk about confusing! We wanted to stay at the Animal Kingdom Resort but the prices I saw were astronomical. Upwards of $300 a night. We needed 2 rooms for five nights. That's $3000 just for the hotel (Right? Math is NOT my strong suit, but even if I'm wrong, it's still expensive!) The flights seem to be running about $250 per person out of Boston/Manchester NH area - $500 for me because I need two seats. And then the rental car... it needed to be big enough for 7 people AND my scooter. We're suddenly in 18 wheeler territory! THEN... we had to figure in park passes and food. This is where I gave up because we were looking at a vacation that was going to cost about $12000!!! It was time to call in the professionals. Hello, AAA?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So Barb came up and we went to the AAA office and told the agent, Eliza, what we wanted. Hotel, Flight, Rental car, park passes etc... Her first suggestion was that if we were staying "on property" and not planning to go anywhere other than different Disney parks, we should scrap the rental car. I have NEVER been on a vacation without having a vehicle at my disposal and the thought of this made me nervous. What if there was an emergency? What if I needed a midnight run to CVS for peanut butter M&Ms? I gulped and agreed - no rental car. Instead we would sign up for Disney's Magical Express. Yup... uh huh... it was Magical alright... more to come on THAT!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Next, we had to forget about the cool rooms at the animal place where giraffes come right up to your balcony. It just wasn't in our price range. We had to face the fact that we were not Animal Kingdom people... we were Little Mermaid people - over in the low rent district. We finally settled on two rooms in one of the lesser resorts, a 3 day park hopper pass and the quick meal service plan. Eliza told me that I should book the airfare myself since I can get the same "deals" she can get and AAA charges an extra $50 fee for booking airfare - why?, I don't know. Seems to me if you're a member, which I am, and you're using them to plan a vacation, they should be able to do that, right? But ok, whatever. We put down a small deposit and off we went with whatever brochures she could give us. Of course, as soon as we got back to my house, we jumped online to look at what we just agreed to!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Everything was fine but I was having a hard time with the welfare resort we were booked in. I was looking forward to a nice relaxing vacation and I just wasn't getting that type of vibe from the "Cars" building or the "Little Mermaid" place. They seemed to be just concrete buildings with brightly </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">painted </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">characters all over them. The rooms opened to the outside concrete courtyards with concrete play areas. It just wasn't speaking to me. Of course, you may be wondering why in the world I was going to Disney if I was looking for a "relaxing" vacation, right? The only answer I have is that I'm my own worst enemy! Anyway, I finally decided I would spend a little more and upgrade to what they call a "Moderate Resort". We ended up at the Port Orleans French Quarter and if I do say so myself, what a smarty pants I was on that! More to come about the resort itself but I don't want to skip ahead!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you've ever traveled anywhere with me, you know there is always some type of adventure or international incident and this trip was no exception. We started off the week with a doozy. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We arrived at the airport about 2.5 hours before our 4:30pm flight. I wanted to get there a little earlier than the usual 2 hours because I had never flown with Southwest before, was on my new scooter, needed to make sure I was assured pre-boarding and that they knew we were transferring in Baltimore and I would need the scooter there too. The AAA office screwed up and only gave half our party the bright yellow luggage stickers that signified "Disney Express", so they (AAA) told us we would have to check in and tell the agent and <i>they</i> would put stickers on the luggage.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So the seven of us descend upon the Southwest ticket counter, bags, carry-ons, jackets in hand. The reservations were under my name so I was the mouthpiece. I was also the problem. In times past, when booking an extra seat for myself, I put that seat under the name "ExtraSeat Jascowski" and the airline figured it out. I guess Southwest wants you to just... oh hell, I have no idea what I was supposed to do! So the agent had to clickety clack away on her computer trying to fix it. So we waited.... and waited... and... you know... waited. Finally, after calling in reinforcements, she gets it all straightened out and we check our luggage through.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We were headed up to the security area when I ask who was carrying my carry-on (I'm on my scooter and my purse is in my basket so I couldn't carry it myself). Everyone stops and looks at each other. NO ONE was carrying my carry-on. OMG, we left it in the car! But Barb says no, she didn't see anything left in the car. My carry-on has my Cpap machine, my medications and most importantly, my Kindle in it! I refuse to go on vacation without my Kindle... and those other important things too. So Barb grabs my keys and runs all the way back to the Long Term Parking area to find my carry-on. Who can guess what happens next?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So the remaining six of us wait for her to come back with the bag. And we wait. And we wait. We try texting and calling her but there's no answer. By now we've figured out the worst. The bag never made it into the car and she's had to race from Manchester NH back to Methuen to find the bag. It is now about 3:00pm, an hour and a half before our flight leaves. We have to get through security and to the gate but because she was just going to the car, Barb didn't have her purse. She had no way to pay for the half hour she was parked and she doesn't have her boarding pass or her ID to get through security. I go over and talk to the Southwest people and the one lady agrees to just print up another boarding pass for her and we could leave her ID with them so she would be all set. But we can't find her ID and we assume she must have had it on her. (You KNOW what they say about assuming, right?). So we all head up to the TSA at the top of the escalator.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Luckily the lines weren't that bad and the other five people in my party went right through. But of course, I'm on my scooter and can't fit through the scanning machines. So they open the little gate and talk with me and I agree to the manual pat down. Let me tell you, if you haven't been "gettin' any" for awhile, go through an airport security check and ask for pat down. You'll need a cigarette afterwards! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So after I got felt up by security, we make a pitstop at the ladies room. We're taking our time, la la la... and when we exit the restroom, my phone rings, it's Barb. We start to talk but suddenly some official looking woman rushes towards me and asks "Are you Michelle?". Why yes, yes I am! "We've been waiting for you" she says... "We've held up boarding the plane so you can pre-board!" And with that, I look up to see gate number whatever it was FILLED with people standing in the boarding lines... all looking right back at me. I hand the phone to Cassidy and I scoot towards the gate. A plane-full of people giving me the hairy eyeball.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now, I'm the type of person that DESPISES (hate isn't a strong enough word) being the center of attention. It's not that I'm shy, I just like to blend in. And I do realize how ridiculous that sounds. As I type it, I hear Marisa Tomei sarcastically telling Joe Pesci (Uncle Vinny) "Yeah, you blend"... But I guess that's why I try to make as little a commotion with myself as possible - because - to quote my friend Deidra - I'm already a train wreck that people can't stop looking at.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I pass through the hoards of angry villagers, I almost feel like giving them the beauty queen wave. That's what it felt like, that I was the only float in a fat lady parade gone wrong. But I get on the plane with Brody and I choose the comfortable front row. It never occurs to me that I am now on display for every angry passenger to once again shoot daggers at me as they pass by. I know for sure that if there's a plane crash, not one of them will help me down the blow up slide!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But wait! We forgot about Barb, right? She finally made it back to the airport, luckily didn't get stopped by any troopers while she was racing back and forth, and she's got her new boarding pass. BUT... it turns out that Cassidy DID have her ID and now she can't get through security. So Cas has to hand off the ID to a TSA agent who agrees to hand it off to the harried looking woman on the other side of the ropes. At this point, nearly everyone in the area is aware that the plane is now being held for BARB! She gets through security and they shove her shoes into her arms and tell her to run!! With seconds to spare she does her best O.J. Simpson impression (the old one - where he runs through the airport, jumping over seats and luggage, not the newer one where he kills his ex-wife and her friend) and she gets onto the plane in her stocking feet carrying her shoes and my carry-on bag! Whew, crisis averted.... for now! </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Watch for part 2 - coming soon! And we're not even off the ground yet! LOL!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-18068753125149917692014-09-03T18:10:00.001-04:002014-09-03T18:25:55.539-04:00What now?<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am officially on the dole. Yep, that's right, a card carrying member of the "stay home and get paid" citizens of Massachusetts. Sigh. After 4 months of waiting, I was finally approved for full disability. The money I will get monthly, starting in October is about $750 <b>less</b> than what my monthly take home pay was when working</span></span></span> <span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and that's without taxes being considered. That's a lot of Benjamins I'm going to have to learn to live without.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When working, people always dream of not having to work. What they wouldn't do to be home and doing "x". But you know what? It's not like that. I'm home because I'm disabled. My mobility has become bad enough that I can't continue to work on a regular basis. The pain I am in is constant. It hurts to do most everyday chores. So being home is no picnic.</span></span> <span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And if it was a picnic, I wouldn't be able to carry everything because I'm walking with a walker now. It pains me to say it, but I wish I were back at work!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So what do I do now? Well, I've created a little "business" - an Etsy store (Twistd Designs by Mishe) to sell my Zentangle Inspired Art on greeting cards and other items (soon to be revealed!)and right now I am selling clothes directly from my own closet. These two things are keeping me busy, but they are, for the most part, keeping me busy on the couch! I need to get up and move, even if I don't want to because it hurts. Moving is the only way I can KEEP moving. Maybe I need to hire someone to take me for walks like they did to Arthur on King of Queens. Oh wait- no money to do that.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've considered swimming, but in order to do that, I need to find somewhere with an indoor pool and I need to to be able to pay for it as well. Not to mention finding someone to go with me cuz I don't want to go alone. And I need help with the scooter. I know it sounds like I have a million excuses, but they're valid excuses! Sigh.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And as for the eating... I do maintain that I ate more at work than I do here at home. But I'm still not eating well. TOday I went to the Weight Watchers site - a big step for me because I hate WW. But I thought maybe I could try it out. It says Join Free, so why not.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But the free wasn't so free after all. The sign on bonus is free only if you buy a 3 month package which will automatically renew for you every three months. Goes to show - nothing is free in America. ANd then, I was fully reminded why I hate WW - I saw a comment on one of the discussion boards that said "High Five to all you losers out there." And that's where my problem is with WW.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I used to go to WW with my Dad when I was a kid. And ever since then, I've despised WW., even though I think it sounds like they have the best/healthiest weight loss program. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The fact they they cheer for their "losers" but use pity to try to motivate the non-losers with phrases like "There's always next week" and "you'll just have to make better choices next week", "We know you can do it" etc. So now not only am I a non-loser and don't get a high five, The additional pressure is there that I had better be "better" for next weeks weigh in.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I'm stuck here on the couch for now, not sure what to do next. Or how to do it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anyway, I apologize to everyone whose tax money I'll be using.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-22592396832904084752014-07-20T19:08:00.000-04:002014-07-20T19:14:28.392-04:0024 HOURS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: purple;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ok, before you read this, you’re gonna wanna take a nice
slow deep breath. You certainly should be sitting down and for your own safety,
don’t be eating or drinking anything as you scroll. Ready?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right now, this very second, as I type this… I have no
internet. That’s right. NO INTERNET ACCESS. And not for just right now, but for
the next 24 HOURS!! How!? How I ask you, in this day and age, does one go
without the internet for a full day?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The trouble started when I woke up from my 2pm nap. It
was about 5PM and a nice time to play some games on my Kindle Fire before I
actually got out of bed, I thought. I rolled over and there she was. Lying on
the bed, looking all black and sleek-y and giving me that “come hither” look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can I say, my Kindle Fire’s a whore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She needs no warming up, so I just turn her on
and she comes to life. I swipe right by the opening ad and go right to my
favorite word game, Ruzzle. I watch as the little arrow goes round and round…
and round… and round… and suddenly I’m back to the carousel where you choose
what you want to do. I select Ruzzle again, thinking it’s just being sensitive,
but no, it doesn’t open. Then I look to the top of the screen and there it is.
The three concave lines with a red “X” through it. No internet signal!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t panic, I think. It could just be the Kindle needing
to be reset. So I open up the “Wireless” tab and there’s my Wi-Fi connection
listed first, in range. I click connect and wait. I see “Authorizing…” come up
and I’m relieved, it WAS just my whore of a Kindle playing a joke on me. But
then, the dreaded “Authorization failed” comes up. And I know I’m in trouble.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I get out of bed finally and go to the room where the
modem is. All the lights are on, but apparently the internet is not home. I go
right for the jugular on this ‘cause I’m not messing around. I unplug
everything from everything and I wait 2 full minutes. I hear the Jeopardy music
in the background. I reconnect everything, making sure connections are tight,
right and outtasight. One by one, the lights on the box light up. Plink! Plink!
Plink! But the internet light gets skipped. It doesn’t light up. This is no
good. I do it all once more but I admit to myself I have to call in
reinforcements. Hello, Comcast?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It doesn’t take long at all to be connected to a real
live person. However, although he says his name is “John”, I can clearly tell
he’s in a call center deep in the heart of Bombay! But hey, I’m not judging, if
he can get my internet back up and running, he can be in a jail cell somewhere
for all I care. (Though I supposed it would not make much sense to be giving a
convicted criminal my personal information, huh?). So “John” and I go through
all the options, We unhook and hook back up, we remove the battery, we reset
again. He sends several refresh signals. But it’s no good. The same thing
happens every time. All the lights come on except the “online” light. A panic
starts to come over me, first churling in my stomach, then slowly making it’s
way through my bloodstream and into my heart and then my throat and I want to
scream as I hear “John” telling me that the next technician opening is between
the hours of 6 and 7PM tomorrow. TOMORROW!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next thing I say is not like me at all, but we’re
talking about the internet here. So I say to “John”… “Yeah, that’s not
acceptable”. But really, who am I kidding? We all know that my friend “John”
here has the upper hand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As unacceptable
as it might be to me, he’s just going to continue reading off his script,
pausing when he needs to personalize, and he’s not going to tell me anything
different.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so here I am as hour number TWO starts to pass. I’m
getting a little restless. My mind is starting to wander. It seems as though my
brain can no longer function unless distracted by a constant barrage of
information via the internet. This MSOffice program has no ads on the side bars.
There are no scrolling news headlines under my toolbar. In fact, it’s all just
black and white. Words on a screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
clasped my hands together between writing sentences, pretending to myself that
I’m cracking my knuckles, but really, I’m praying for a miracle.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I need a miracle that will suddenly get my internet
connection running. Doesn’t God know that there are very important things
happening around the globe and I’m completely out of the loop? What if some
celebrity couple leaks news of a marriage or divorce? What if some athlete is
arrested for murder (Oh Aaron, how could you?)? And what about all the cats
that are doing funny, un-catlike things? And dogs doing stupid dog things? I
mean, there could actually be footage playing RIGHT NOW of a kitten snuggling
with a giant dog AND I’M MISSING IT! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">OMG! I just realized I haven’t even thought of “social
media” yet! What about all my friends posting about what they did today? How
can I “Like” a picture of my friends’ grandkids playing in the pool without the
internet? What if I miss out on re-posting a diatribe against animal cruelty to
prove that I too, am against it? It doesn’t matter if these posts make no sense
because really, are there people out there that are “for” animal cruelty and if
there are, will my friends think I’m one of them because I didn’t repost? And
what about… OH. MY. GOD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How am I going
to find out where Kathy and family are having dinner??? And what if she posts a
pic of the meal? How can I “like”? How can I comment?? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, God? Why did you take away my
internet?????</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As hour three approaches, and I read back over this, I’m
hit with a fresh burst of sadness because I realize I’ve written it in present
tense… but I won’t be able to post it for another 21 hours!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life’s a living hell, I tell ya.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0United States41.508577297439352 -70.312515.986542797439352 -111.621094 67.030611797439349 -29.003906tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-20980605762728552062013-10-27T22:27:00.001-04:002013-10-27T22:29:11.123-04:00The 2 1/2 Hour 30 Minute Meal.<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love food. I'll try almost anything, though I'm not as adventurous as Andrew Zimmerman - no monkey brains or sauteed dog for me! I subscribe to the Food Network magazine, Taste of Home and Rachel Ray's magazine. I watch Top Chef, Chopped and Diners Drive-ins and Dives. Yes, I love food. I'm a foodee. What I am <b>not</b> is a cook.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yes, I get all these magazines and watch all these shows, but I don't really cook. My repertoire consists mainly of American Chop Suey (aka by some as goulash), rice with canned soup or canned chili on it, nuked baked potatoes and On-Cor chicken cutlets, meatloaf and of course, my favorite weekend morning breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles! I can cook a few other things, but these are the staples, so to speak.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the reasons I don't cook is because I have very little room in my kitchen. I measured it and I have about 2 sq feet of counter space in a pantry that's about 4.5 sq feet. Also, my knees are shot so standing for any length of time either at the stove or to prep is difficult, so I usually do what little prepping that's needed, sitting down on a bench. Also, I HATE cleaning up after cooking. But I love food! So what's a foodee to do?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, this week, I decided that I was going to try a recipe from Rachel Ray's Magazine. From the 30 minute meal section - called "Pancetta wrapped chicken thighs with potatoes". That doesn't so bad, right? Sounds pretty easy and not too many ingredients. So I make my shopping list to pick up what I don't already have: Chicken thighs, Pancetta, Lemon, fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, white wine, and potatoes. I already had chicken stock and salt and pepper! It was decided that I would cook dinner for me and my sister on Saturday instead of our usual pizza, and we'd watch a movie. She would arrive at my place at 5PM.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So about 4PM, I decide to start getting things together, read the recipe again, get the pans out - that kind of thing. Because it's a 30 minute meal, right? So if I start a little early, it will be ready when sis gets here. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step one: put the potatoes in a covered pot with water and boil. But wait - they're supposed to be peeled and sliced in 1/4" discs first. Dammit! So now I rummage through my utensil and gadget drawers - all three of them - for my potato peeler. Find it and start peeling. Then I wash the taters and start slicing them with my Martha Stewart color coded knife and cutting mat. Slice, slice, slice, cut, chop, dice... ok, all done with that. As I carry the pot to the stove, 15 minutes has passed!! What the...? I better get moving!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step two: Season the chicken with rosemary, garlic and lemon zest. Ummm... I guess I need to prepare those things too. I zest the lemon first, using my friend Lianne's grater thingy. Do you know how sharp those things are!? Then I strip the rosemary thingies off the stem (I learned that on TV!) and I peel three cloves of garlic from the giant bulb. I start chopping it all up and mixing it. Chop chop chop mix mix mix. I now have about a cup of this seasoning mix which is supposed to be enough for 8 chicken thighs. But at this point, I don't care, I'll stretch it if I have too.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step three: Rub the seasoning over the chicken then wrap each thigh in 2 slices of the Pancetta. But wait Rachel, I haven't washed the chicken yet. And you HAVE TO wash the chicken, right? By this time, 45 minutes have gone by and the only thing cooking is the potatoes. And shit! They're boiling over. I move my bench and rush to the stove to take the cover off. The water has boiled over but the potatoes still need to cook until tender, but not soft. So I turn the heat completely off, knowing how far behind I am. I'll turn them on again in a little bit.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I start washing the chicken but I have nowhere to put it. I decide to fill a big Tupperware bowl with paper towels and throw the clean chicken in there, placing the bowl on top of stuff in the utensil drawer. Space is so limited, I have to be creative! It's getting very crowded in my little area here. While washing the chicken and noticing it is now an hour and 10 minutes after I started, I realize I have more than the 8 pieces of chicken the recipe calls for. But I wash it anyway because what am I gonna do? Just put it back in the frig uncooked and unwashed? So all the poultry gets washed and I'm ready to coat each piece with seasoning and wrap them up.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Out comes thigh number one. I start to rub the rosemarygarliczestylemon mixture on the chicken but it's not really rubbing on, it's sort of rolling around with my fingers. I try again, and still, it's not "rubbing" on. I look at the bowl of thighs and then the cup of rosemarygarliczestylemon and think - what the hell. I dump all of the seasoning into the bowl and toss and turn the chicken so that it's all covered. Take that, Rachel Ray!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I open the Pancetta package and carefully peel off a slice of... wait.. I carefully lift... what the???... I cannot get up a piece of pancetta without it tearing. It's so thin that all I'm getting is a strip that curls around. The whole middle is still stuck to the piece underneath it. I glance at the clock. My sister is fashionably late because it is now almost 5:40PM. I try again and again with the pancetta but all I'm doing is pissing myself off and mangling the pancetta. After several attempts, I manage to use up all the pancetta on all the chicken but it looks like a 3 year old did it - nothing like the picture in the magazine.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step four: Heat the oil in the pan and place chicken in, cooking til crisp on each side - about three minutes. Luckily, my sister walks in at this point because I hand her the chicken and the tongs and tell her "Here, put these in the pan. They have to crisp on each side before we add the wine and stock".</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, my sisters chosen profession is... a cook. Granted it's institutional cooking, but still.. it's cooking, right? So she puts the chicken in the pan and turns down the heat. I watch her do this and I see the flames getting higher. Ummm...Jeannie? You wanna turn that back down so it doesn't burn? Then she gets an attitude with ME! It's not MY fault that she is a cook and has this same oven in her own kitchen and she doesn't know how to turn the heat down! So while we're arguing back and forth, of course, the clock is tick tick ticking and the chicken is doing nothing because we're playing with the heat. We finally get it where it needs to be and she starts flipping it over already because it's been more than three minutes on that side. But it's not really crispy, I say to her and she tells me to fuck off and it'll be fine.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I measure out the 1/2 cup of white wine and the cup of broth, managing to spill only one of them on myself. I read sis the next direction.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step five: Once chicken is browned nicely on both sides, add the wine and broth and reduce heat to simmer til chicken is cooked through. But wait - Julia Childs over there already turned the heat down. I go look at the chicken and IMO, there isn't one thigh that is 'nicely browned" - but if I say something to her, she's gonna get pissed again. Rather than face her wrath, I just hand her the wine and stock and she pours it all over the chicken, nicely rinsing off any of the seasoning that may have been loose on top. Sigh... So now we wait for the chicken to cook. Shit! The potatoes! I turn the heat back on high to get these cooking because after the chicken is done, you're supposed to fry the disks in the pan with the sauce.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have now been working on this meal for TWO HOURS. According to sis, the chicken is done. I give her a paper plate to put one on so I can cut it in half to see. When she hands me the plate, I laugh. It's the sorriest looking piece of chicken with pancetta pieces hanging off of it that I have ever seen. I slice into it and yes, it's cooked through. We move the chicken to my Le Creuset roasting pan and it's time to cook the potatoes. Out comes the colander and she drains the potatoes. But instead of "placing" them gently into the pan to fry them on both sides til crisped, she dumps the whole pot into the pan and starts mixing them. I tell her what we're supposed to be doing and she says this is good enough. And I figure at this point, she's right. The potatoes cook for about 5 minutes til she tells me if they cook any longer they are going to be mashed potatoes.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And finally, we're plating our dishes. If we were on Iron Chef, we'd get negative points in the plating category for sure! It is now 2.5 hours later and we're finally going to eat.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How in the WORLD this is supposed to be a 30 minute meal, I will never know. I don't think ANY of the fancypants chef's on TV could do this in 30 minutes unless..... wait a minute.... I know... they have MINIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxsbM-CiBNzXXbN00Qy_2C_aR489srwb4LU8ELG-N-JDRzw313CWsMNwTVkxbo17-pYo1LtykJVWFIytYN1Mqabc2UHaCkHx-EE81TCuIS9bAdq_hUW58_gyF_U_CjFwucLyJm2DuzQY/s1600/cooking+minion+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxsbM-CiBNzXXbN00Qy_2C_aR489srwb4LU8ELG-N-JDRzw313CWsMNwTVkxbo17-pYo1LtykJVWFIytYN1Mqabc2UHaCkHx-EE81TCuIS9bAdq_hUW58_gyF_U_CjFwucLyJm2DuzQY/s200/cooking+minion+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The minions have everything ready to go for them. Their chicken is rinsed, the potatoes are peeled, their lemon is zested, the rosemary is plucked and chopped, the pancetta is probably thicker and all laid out! No wonder dear Rachel always has a smile on her face - she's got minions! And probably doesn't have a sister like mine! (God bless her! LOL).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-51146842955472894672013-09-01T21:11:00.002-04:002013-09-01T21:15:13.563-04:00How to give a cat medicineThe real title should be <b><u><span style="color: purple;">"How to Give a 5 Pound Emaciated Cat .5 ml of Liquid Medicine"</span></u>.</b><br />
<br />
If you know me, you know I love animals. I have four cats, two of which are not my fault (thanks a lot Rick!). One of the older ones is Pieces. Yes, a strange name unless you mention his sister, Bitz. Get it? Huh? Bitz & Pieces?.. I know - corny - but it fits them.<br />
<br />
Anyway, for a few years now, Pieces has been sickly and looks like he suffers from anorexia, but he eats like a horse and is crazy for people food. I took him to the vets last week because he just looked like such a sorry sight and he seemed to be having a lot of... well.. let's say bowel troubles.<br />
<br />
He was diagnosed with IBS and the Vet gave me a liquid medicine to give him. I will now give step by step instructions on how to administer such medication:<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 1</b>:<br />
Approach your cat in a friendly, non-aggressive manor. Pick him up while murmuring sweet nothings into his ear, all the while petting him gently. Keep him as calm as possible. Bring him into the kitchen (assuming you are giving him his medication and food there) and set him down. Go to the refrigerator and get the medicine. Shake it well and return to the cat.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 2</b>:<br />
Find the cat again. Realize now that Step 1 should have been to prepare the medicine first. Do that, then look for the cat in all his favorite hiding and sleeping spaces. Call him, cajole him, shake a treat box or run the can opener - this is no time to be proud, you've got to find him and give him his medicine. After looking everywhere, return to the kitchen only to find him sitting on the counter wondering where you've been.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 3</b>:<br />
Calm the cat again. Pet him, whisper to him and "give him lovins" til his eyes are barely open and his purring is loud enough to wake the baby, if you had one.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 4</b>:<br />
While holding the cat, gently turn him over in your arms so that you are holding him like the sweet 'lil baby that he is. As you cradle him to your chest, slowly reach for the syringe of medication and bring it to your cats mouth.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 5</b>:<br />
Grab the white vinegar because that blood is gonna stain. Here are some tips: <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Dried-Blood-Stains-from-Fabric">Blood Removal</a> <br />
<br />
<b>STEP 6</b>:<br />
Repeat Steps 2 and 3.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 7</b>:<br />
Realize your cat is no longer a sweet lil baby but has transformed into a ferociously wild 5 pound Siberian Tiger and it's time to get serious. Grab the little bastard and flip him upside down. Squish all his legs together between your chest and arm and again approach him with the syringe.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 8</b>:<br />
Don't worry, facial scars are "in". As you dab up the blood, consider sending your cat away to the circus as a contortionist because there is no way a cat is supposed to be able to move like that.<br />
<br />
<b>STEP 9</b>:<br />
Screw steps 1 through 4. Hunt the little devil down, bring him to the kitchen counter and wrap him entirely in a towel. Let him squiggle out that cute little pink nose and aim somewhere below that with the syringe. Plunge the medicine into his general mouth-ital region and hope for the best. <br />
<br />
<b>STEP 10</b>:<br />
Release the now howling beast and have a drink cuz you're gonna need it. The medicine needs to be given twice a day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfipFj_uNJAQkD9CDXP5qNyFMBtYk4-_FV2YWrJvigGEaS1YAMywBdWRy52FEjeaeCD7ZNq10n_nDPlP86OcKnu5qadD_Rv-kM2YdT9RcFy8C6O8LKPf39ODcqlTl38Sx2PBUaSpl9Mg/s1600/temp+8-9-13+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfipFj_uNJAQkD9CDXP5qNyFMBtYk4-_FV2YWrJvigGEaS1YAMywBdWRy52FEjeaeCD7ZNq10n_nDPlP86OcKnu5qadD_Rv-kM2YdT9RcFy8C6O8LKPf39ODcqlTl38Sx2PBUaSpl9Mg/s320/temp+8-9-13+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-66188736192892107182013-06-30T19:56:00.000-04:002013-06-30T20:40:32.639-04:00As if I needed another hole in my head!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/10222157/2/stock-illustration-10222157-man-blowing-his-nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/10222157/2/stock-illustration-10222157-man-blowing-his-nose.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, about two weeks before vacation, I broke a tooth. I wasn't too worried because it was one my dentist told me needed to be pulled. I tried to be careful, chew on the other side and "pamper" the rotten bastid until it could be pulled. That had happened already because I had been on a blood thinner and I sorta didn't want to bleed to death from a pulled tooth! A week later, the inevitable happened. I broke more of the tooth - so much that you could actually see and poke into the middle of it. And I broke it on a pecan - something healthy, right!?! (Never mind it was covered in chocolate and buried in some Ben & Jerry's ice cream!). I called the dentist and they fit me in for the Thursday before vacation started.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep, it had to be pulled. I really hoped we could wait til after vacation because I could just see getting a dry socket or an infection while trying to enjoy myself in "my country"! He had a hard time getting the tooth out because it was such a large molar, but he managed to yank it without having to call in re-enforcements. However, because NOTHING in my life ever seems to be simple, when the Doc looks up into the socket, he sees something odd.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, have you ever been to the dentist and you're sitting in the chair, mouth wide open, face immobilized from Novacaine and you see the dentist look into your mouth and make a funny, raised eyebrow face? Then he looks back to the x-ray, back to your mouth, back to the x-ray and back to your mouth again? No? Well, let me tell you, when that happens, you just know the next thing he says or does is NOT going to be good!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He reached out and held my nose closed and told me to blow out my nose. My first thought was "Umm... you're holding it closed, how can I do that"? But I try to do it and sure enough - the air I blow comes out of the tooth socket! WTF?!? Apparently, I have a hole from the sinus cavity to the socket. On x-ray it's barely there, though now that he can see it IRL, he can make it out on x-ray taken prior to the pulling. He says it's not a common occurrence, but not really rare, either. Though he's never seen a hole on the side of the root cavity like this, they're usually just at the top.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the Doc puts some special secret Dentist stuff up there and stitches it closed. He tells me that he wants to see me Monday to check it out and make sure the hole closes over because if it doesn't, it's off to the surgeon with me. Also, he tells me I am on <i>Sinus Precautions</i>. No sneezing, no blowing my nose and don't use my Cpap machine til he sees me on Monday. Do you know how hard it is NOT to sneeze or blow your nose when someone tells you not to? HARD!</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never realized what a nose blower I was! And no Cpap machine? I can't sleep normally without it. I've used it faithfully for about 13 years now. Oh, and one more thing... I need to be on 500mg of amoxicillin 3x a day for 10 days. This means I have to immediately stop an RA drug I take which may (or may not</span>) <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">effect my next lab results. He also gave me orders for "Soft Solid" foods. Nothing hard or crunchy etc.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday comes and after no sneezing, not ONE nose blow and avoiding my Cpap like the plague, I go back to see the dentist and surprise, the hole isn't closed over and I've got a bit of a dry socket. Dry sockets are usually very painful, but luckily, I haven't had much pain other than just a soreness. So now he's more vigorous and vigilant about it. He gives me about a gallon of novacaine and starts pulling bone and tissue out of the socket. Then he takes some bone from somewhere - I was afraid to ask - and some tissue (as in skin tissue/ oral lining) and tries to make a covering that will hopefully attach and mesh itself across the hole. Oh, and the Sinus Precautions are still in effect. What a wonderful way to start vacation, no?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday (Happy Birthday to me), my sister and I head up north to Canada. The whole drive I spend time with my tongue going to the stitched up socket. Each time I do, the stitches seem to be coming undone. I want sooooo badly to get to a lighted magnifying mirror and some sharp implements and go to town on this sucker! But I don't. I still haven't sneezed, still haven't blown my nose and still haven't used my Cpap, which is really affecting me. I'm exhausted.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We get back from Canada on Thursday night and I have another follow up with the dentist at noon on Friday. I get there and they take me right away. I'm almost sure he's going to tell me I need to make an appointment with the surgeon. Surprisingly though, he tells me that the innermost, or outermost - depending on which way you're going! - is about 90% closed over and if we can just get that last bit closed up, we'll be good to go. Still no sneezing, blowing or Cpap. I tell him it's been NINE nights without the Cpap and it's killing me. He says give it ONE MORE night, and I agree. He puts more collagen up into the socket and sends me on my way, wanting to see me next week.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So last night, after giving him the 10th night without Cpap, I'm exhausted and need to get some real sleep. I have to go back to work on Monday and NEED to get some rest. So as I lay in bed, I get my recently neglected nasal mask, put it to my nose, make sure there's a tight seal, and turn the machine on. It's now blowing 15 cm of pressurized air into my nose in order to keep my airway open when I sleep. One breath. Two breaths. Anyone wanna guess what happens next? Yep - I now have two breaths of air in my mouth. I expel the air, try again and realize I'm done with the Cpap until I get this damn hole fixed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll call the dentist in the morning, let him know what happens and go from there. But seriously, can anything EVER be easy for me? But I guess if it was, I wouldn't have good stories to tell!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-42524310940365819962012-12-19T06:13:00.004-05:002012-12-19T06:14:46.872-05:00BEEP BEEP BEEP<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was written in early November but I forgot to post it!!</span></span> <br />
<br />
Beep... Beep... Beep... .... Annoying, isn't it? That's what I thought before I went to bed last night. I knew what it was - a smoke detector, but I didn't know <i>where</i> it was. I stood in the middle of the house, waiting for the next beep so I'd be able o locate it and hopefully take out the battery. Of course, it stopped beeping. I get into bed, get settled and ...beep. Bastard! But I was tired and I figured it would stop eventually. Guess what... it didn't.<br />
<br />
4:15am: I hear the constant beep beep beeping of the alarm. It won't stop. Well, at least I'll be able to find it I think. I get up, four cats, thinking it's breakfast time, surround me. As soon as I step into the living room, I realize the beeping is coming from the front hall. I grab my rayovac LED flashlight that's been sitting on the couch since Hurricane Sandy threatened me last week. I head into the hall and the beeping is SO LOUD! You see, my front hall is huge. It's "open" all the way to the attic, three floors up. So the beeping is echoing, at least that's what I think.<br />
<br />
I make my way through the hall and I find the culprit, it's stupid green eye blinking at me. The problem is, the ceilings are so high, there's no way I can reach this thing. Luckily, I have my cane with me. Steadying the flashlight in one hand and the cane in the other, I raise the cane high over my head and I can just reach the detector. I'm able to "smash" it just right to release the cover, but no matter how hard I try, I can't dislodge the battery. On the fourth try, I hear something else. Another beep beep beeping from higher up. The attic I think.<br />
<br />
Well, now I'm a little worried. It's one thing to have one smoke detector go off because of a weak battery, but two? At the same time? A little too much of a coincidence for me. So I do the first thing any logical, rational person would do. I go to the bathroom. My thought process is that if I call 911 and they make me evacuate, I'll have to go SO bad that I'll be really uncomfortable while the house burns down, ya know? So yeah, I decided to "evacuate" on my own first.<br />
<br />
That done, I do the next most important thing - I text my sister. No response. Why the hell isn't SHE up at 4:45 in the morning?! Sheesh! So now I wait, debating on what to do. If I call 911 and there's nothing wrong not only will I feel stupid, but I wonder if they send you a bill? "One trip to determine batteries in detector are old = $4500". ! So I wait... beep... and wait... beep... and I think I pass out on the couch a little but then ...beepbeepbeep... and then my sister calls me back. I tell her what's going on and she asks if I want her to come over. I tell her I'd be glad if she were here but she doesn't have to come. That was the honest answer. I agree to call 911 then call her back when it's all over.<br />
<br />
"Thisis911stateemergencythiscallisbeingrecordedwhatisyouremergency?" I explain the situation, that it may not be an emergency but I hear not one but two smoke alarms going off, though I smell no smoke (only cigarette smoke from some of the people that were in the hall/on the porch this afternoon, but I don't say that). I tell her that I'm not able to reach the alarm here or go up the stairs to look at the other one. She transfers me to my towns emergency system. "Thisis911emergencythiscallisbeingrecordedwhatisyouremergency?" And I tell this guy the same thing. So he transfers me to the town fire department. "FireDepartmentemergencythiscallisbeingrecordedwhatisyouremergency?" And for the third time I explain. The woman says they'll send an engine out.<br />
<br />
By now it's about 5:15 and I'm exhausted, but I go back into the ...beepbeepbeep... hall, open the front door to the porch and wait for the engine. While I'm standing there waiting, I see a small car across the street - actually I hear it first. It's filled with 3 or 4 young guys, talking "shit". I can hear them "Y0-Yo-Yoing", cursing and laughing. And all I can think is, wtf are they doing up so early?.. or so late? Then I see blue flashing lights at the top of my street. And so do they. And the car that was rocking with noise 5 seconds ago is now completely still. Guilty conscience much? Ha!<br />
<br />
So the police officer arrives first, comes up onto the porch and asks me what the problem is. Ummmm... can you not hear the ...BeepBeepBeep? You're standing right under it! Is what I think but I don't say that. Contrary to popular belief, I do sometimes have a filter! I explain what's going on and he climbs a few stairs to reach the smoke alarm. As he's doing this, I see my sisters car pull up out front. God love her. She's always there for me.<br />
<br />
Right behind her is the ladder engine and the fire chiefs car. I can hear the boys in the car talking now but with a lot less spirit and bravado. I want to point them out to the police officer just in case they were up to no good, but I figure that might be some kind "profiling" - you know - picking on young loud boys in cars or something - so I don't say anything. But I do explain to the new arrivals about the alarms going off simultaneously and this time, I DO mention that people were smoking in the hallway the afternoon before. Just in case there's a smoldering ash somewhere.<br />
<br />
So all the guys (no women on the early morning shift I guess!) head upstairs to the attic, or so I think. With my sister being there, I take the opportunity to retreat back into the warmth of my living room and sit my ass down on the couch, as I'm about ready to keel over from standing too long. I hear the men doing their manly thing, talking their official jargon, using their walkies to report their position to the station etc.<br />
<br />
The original policeman comes to the house door now and says that the smoke detector in the hall and the one in the second floor apartment were both going off but it's just the batteries. You know - those stupid 9 volts whose only use as far as I know is those damned detectors. Why don't they run on double A's like everything else, anyway?... He says he can smell paint in the apartment and maybe the fumes set it off, but most likely the batteries need to be replaced. I ask him if he doesn't think it's strange that the batteries would "expire" at the same time. I know you're supposed to replace them every time it's daylight savings but to have them both beep at the same time? Coincidence? You be the judge!<br />
<br />
So everyone leaves and I finally have some peace and quiet. Even the guys in the car are gone. My bed is calling me so I shut the lights off and crawl under the covers to try and get a few hours sleep. I get comfortable, All the cats take their positions and we settle in. Ahhh... bed.... BEEPBEEPBEEP!!! WTF?!?!?!?!? THEY DIDN'T TAKE THE BATTERY OUT OF THE ALARM IN THE HALLWAY!!!??? Are you kidding me?!?! And that's my last thought as I pass out from exhaustion. When I wake up... beepbeepbeep... I text my sister and tell her and she laughs. So I take back the nice things I just said about her. I text Shelley, the woman moving in upstairs and she says she will take care of it. And she does. And now I can relax. I sit on the couch and I hear BEEPBEEPBEEP from the back hall. A concerted effort by the smoke alarms to drive me into insanity. But HA! I showed them! It's still beeping, so there!<br />
<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-3863571845440366272012-11-04T18:18:00.001-05:002012-11-04T18:18:49.083-05:00A Little Deathly Humor - part 2My brother was admitted to the TCU (Transitional Care Unit [aka a rehab unit]) at Academy Manor on or around June 20th. He was put into a room right near the nurses station and we went about the business of getting him settled in. No easy task with Rick.<br />
<br />
In his mind, he was there to get stronger and go home. So he refused when they asked if he wanted the television or the newspaper. After all, why pay for those things if he was going to be going home. Now really, can you imagine sitting or lying in bed with nothing to read and nothing to watch? Nothing to distract you from the monotony of your illness? But nope. He was adamant. We were frustrated. I don't know if he thought he'd be in the rehab gym for hours on end and then be napping or what, but he wanted no part of any "entertainment". All he wanted was a phone in case he needed to make a call. Of course, the phone in that room wasn't set up. Now, you may be saying to yourself, "Well, that's ok, he can just use his cell, right"? Ha! joke's on you! He doesn't HAVE a cell phone. For years, my sister and I had been bugging him to get one but he resisted every step of the way. He didn't need one. He had no reason for one. He couldn't use it at work anyway. Well, he needed one now, didn't he?!<br />
<br />
The next day, he had some requests for us. He needed some things from home; socks and important paperwork so he could go over it with me. He needed Jeannie to go buy him some new tshirts in size 3x. He was NOT a size 3x, but his midsection was so swollen and tender from his liver that he didn't want anything, clothes included, to touch him. We also brought him his clock radio (yes, I did say clock radio - hello 1978), and we bought him a cell phone and 120 minutes for it.<br />
<br />
When we brought all the stuff in, he was pleased but you could tell he was tired. I don't mean tired like "I need a nap"... I mean tired like "I can't take this much longer". His eyes had a bit of a "wild" look to them and he was saying that there was "something going on at this place" but he wouldn't elaborate. I showed him how to use the phone but he was having a really hard time focusing/concentrating. He couldn't really master the whole green button, dial, send thing. Then he asked me how to call 911, just in case. I told him not to call 911 but call for the nurse in an emergency. He looked at me like I had 2 heads. Apparently, it was <i>because</i> of the nurses that he felt he might have to call 911! As best we could figure out, because he was so close to the nurses station, he could hear a lot of what was going on. Add in the fact that he had nothing to distract him (ahem.. tv? Newspaper?), he might nod off. So he might have been hearing things out of context and getting worried. He was really concerned that something "not right" was going on. After some discussion with the powers that be, we had his room moved and calling 911 wasn't mentioned again.<br />
<br />
By about day 4 or 5 of his stay, he was refusing rehab. They were coming in and asking him to participate but he was just too tired. And frustrated. When he saw me that afternoon, he said "Do me a favor? Tell them I don't want anything. I don't want them to come in here to exercise, and don't come in to ask me to come play bingo. I just want to be left alone". Now, some of you may be reading this and thinking how sad this is, but with my brother, it's exactly the way he was. He would NEVER be interested in any group activities like bingo or a birthday party and if he told the guy from rehab no once, he would expect the guy not to come back, not realizing it's their job to keep trying. So off I went again to explain to the nurses that he didn't want rehab anymore and to pass the word to activities not to even ask. But although this was very much in character for him, we knew, and I think he knew, time was winding down. He even told me to tell them that he was ready and whatever they could do to speed up the process was fine with him! And I'm thinking, "What, Rick? You want them to come in with a nice big pillow for you?" lol. So yeah, we all knew what was coming.<br />
<br />
Having been through this with our mother, we knew that it could take a long time for my brother to die. He was in a LOT of pain and after a particularly scary night where he finally admitted his pain was at it's highest ever, we got the morphine on board to try to control it. But we were starting from behind it because he was so damn stubborn. We tried to explain to him how important it was to stay ahead of the pain. There was no prize at the end for who tolerated the pain the most. SAY something! If you're pain is a 9, don't say it's a 6 (on that 1-10 scale). I can hear him now saying "It's about a 6, but it's ok" when really it was at least an 8. But at least with the morphine, comfort started to ease in.<br />
<br />
The Dr came to see him and we were all there. Rick was sleeping a lot at this point and I guess you could say that Jeannie and I had officially started "the death watch". He briefly examined my brother and I asked the Dr about increasing the morphine. Rick lay there, eyes closed, listening but not 100% aware of what was happening I think.<br />
<br />
Now, you should know that after watching my Dad suffer with his diseases and have both legs amputated, only to die 6 days after coming home from rehab; then watching my Mom deteriorate fast but hang on for days until "waiting" to pass on Christmas day (as did her own father) I had no qualms talking to the Dr about increasing the drug that would eventually make him comfortable enough to pass away. Neither Jeannie nor I had any desire to sit and watch him get weaker and weaker, slipping into unconsciousness, and taking days and days to die. And Rick himself, throughout the past three years, expressed his desire to not lay in bed and take forever to die.<br />
<br />
So the Dr explains to me that if he increased the morphine there would be side effects. And I'm thinking "What, like dizziness? Upset stomach?" HELLO?? He's DYING! Who cares about the side effects!!??" But I didn't say that.. I said "Like what?" and he answered, "well... he would become more drowsy (Um, doc? He's already sleeping 23 hours a day, thinking there's not much room for drowsiness) and his respirations would become slower (not a bad thing Doc cuz I see where you're going with this) and eventually, he would stop breathing. And without warning, my brother raises his hand and says "That one. That's the one I want." I laughed and said to him, "He's not offering that as an option Rick" and my brother replied "But that's what I want". This is the point where I would challenge anyone, friend or foe, to say that euthanasia is wrong.<br />
<br />
The Dr conferred with the nurses and I believe the morphine was increased a small amount. And we sat. We watched. My brother stopped waking up and only slept but I guess it was actually unconsciousness. By early evening, my sister, my friend Lianne, who happens to be a nurse on another unit at the Manor, and I sat in the room and talked, just passing time. Mary, Rick's nurse, came in to check on him often, giving him pain medicine when his breathing turned to slight moaning. A few of my co-workers and my bosses stopped by to check in, see how we and he were doing. Although it was a sad time, it was peaceful in the room. Not like I imagine it would be in a hospital, with noises and beeping machines and strangers in and out.<br />
<br />
Around 6pm, my sisters boss and a co-worker stopped by. I was introduced to them and they chatted with my sister. These women had never met my brother. I was surprised that both had french (Canadian) accents. My sister never mentioned it. My brother had embraced the french side of our heritage and I think if he had been able to work it out, he would have moved to Montreal in a heartbeat. Anyway, these women seemed pleasant and I thought it was nice of them to stop by. Oh, and when they came into the room, I looked up and saw the cutest little brown bunny in the grass outside my brothers window. I watched it eat a few blades of grass, then hop off out of sight.<br />
<br />
After chatting with Jeannie for awhile, Lianne sitting quietly holding my brothers hand and me sitting deep in thought, they asked my sister if they might say the rosary for my brother. Jeannie looked at me as if to ask if that was okay and as I shrug yes, I'm thinking - if they want to go to church this weekend and say the rosary for him, go for it. Ha! They meant here and now! They take out their rosary beads, stand on either side of him and start praying. Do you have ANY idea how LONG the rosary is? Being the lapsed Catholic that I am, I was thinking they'd say an Our father, a Hail Mary and give it an Amen and that was that. But Noooo... not only did they say, out loud, together, EVERY hail Mary and Our Father, they stopped and read each station of the cross. (I think that's what they were - Sister Pauline forgive me!).<br />
<br />
Now this struck me as very funny. These women saying the rosary over my brother. Maybe not the actual act of it, but the length of it. I kept catching my sisters eye and rolling mine, smirking to stifle a laugh. I certainly wasn't laughing at them or the earnestness in their voices, but more about how they sort of took over the darkening room with their prayers and we had no idea when it would end. I swear it was the longest rosary in the history of the world! When they were done, we all "Amened" and I thought, ok, that's over with - whew! But then one of them asked if she could sing a little song. Ok really?! You've just spent about five days saying the rosary and now you want to sing? My sister says oh yes, that would be nice. I try to stop them but my eyes roll anyway (I should get that looked at). My brother is breathing/moaning, we think somewhat uncomfortably so Lianne gets Mary to come in with a little more pain med. Then Jeanette, the singer and Pat move closer to my brother and Jeanette starts to sing. She has a lovely soothing voice and when she starts over in french I know my brother would like it. When she's done singing, we all remain quiet, letting the last notes of the song settle into the room.<br />
<br />
After a few minutes, Pat asks my sister if my brother speaks or understands french. We both say that he understands it pretty well, yes. She asks if we mind if she speaks to him in french. Of course, we say no, we don't mind. But at this point, I'm thinking, don't you guys have anything better to do on a Tuesday night than hang around in a dying man's room? The whole thing was just really strange. Not in a bad way, but just...odd. So Pat goes over and sits on Ricks right and holds his hand. My sister now moves to his left side and holds his hand. I've moved over to the other bed in the room and Lianne is sitting in one of the chairs at the end of the bed.<br />
<br />
Ricks breathing has gotten noisy again and my sister looks at me with a face that tells me she's about to lose it and sure enough... she suddenly bursts into tears and starts... well, the only word that describes it is wailing... she starts wailing "It's ok Rick, you can go. We're going to be alright. Go. You can go. GO! GO!!" Of course, I start quietly laughing. Not at Jeannie for crying or being emotional but because she's trying to yell him to death. You can't yell at someone and make them pass away. That's not how it works! If it did, imagine how many people would be in jail for murder?! Her outburst only lasts half a minute, then she's quiet again. I give her tissues and a smile and she smiles back and laughs a little too.<br />
<br />
And then Pat starts talking to Rick. In French. I understand a few words here and there but mostly I understand what she's doing. She's trying to calm him. She's rubbing his hand as she talks, her voice lilting but steady. Sometimes she gets louder, sometimes she talks softly, and as she does this for about five minutes, something strange happens. Ricks breathing starts to soften. The moaning has stopped. I notice that as Pat continues to talk, his breathing gets slower and slower. Then suddenly, without warning, she looks up to Lianne and says "I think we need a nurse here". Pat moves so Lianne can go to where she was sitting. Lianne takes my brothers hand and ever so slightly, I see her feel for a pulse. She nods to Pat, then me, and says "I'll go get Mary". In less than a minute, Mary comes in, brings her stethoscope to my brothers chest, feels his wrist for a pulse. Everything is silent in the room. Like we're all holding our breath. Mary looks over at Lianne and nods. I look at Lianne and she nods to me and I'm thinking "What? That's it? Yes he's gone or yes he's still hanging on"? My sister lets out a big sob and I look up... and I see the bunny outside the window again. He's there just long enough for me to see him and say, "Look, the bunny." And we all watch him hop off into the woods.<br />
<br />
Then it's a tear fest. Tears of sadness, relief and shock for what just happened. My sister works with the French Angels of Death! They came, they saw, they prayed, sang and talked my brother into dying. It was awesome! He could have gone on for another few days like that but no, the FAoD brought their magic rabbit with them and took my brother out! If he were here watching, he would have really gotten a kick out of all this!<br />
<br />
So we sit around sniffing and crying a little, talking about Rick. Pat says she just told him that Jeannie and I would be okay. that it was time for him to go. That my parents were waiting for him and that his guardian angel was here waiting for him to go. As I write this, JUST NOW, it occurs to me that the RABBIT was maybe an incarnation of his guardian angel! Duh! Well, if you believe that kind of thing... which I'm not sure I do - I'll have to think on that awhile.<br />
<br />
The priest shows up to administer last rites. We figured it couldn't hurt, right? He's having a hard time reading from his book because it's dark though, so as Lianne reaches to turn the overhead light on, I have to bite my lip to keep from gasping "That's not my brother" when the room lights up. Gallows humor, you know?...<br />
<br />
It's been four months now and I miss my brother. My sister still cries sometimes - I tell her it's because she knew him longer and she swears at me. It's just me and her now in a race to the finish. Neither one of us wants to be the 'last man standing". Maybe some day we'll Thelma & Louise ourselves... me, her, 7 cats and a dog - how funny would THAT be?! lol<br />
<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-56776658394827427332012-10-27T17:46:00.001-04:002012-11-04T18:22:23.248-05:00A Little Deathly Humor - Part 1I come from a family of wiseasses. My Dad was a real ballbuster. My Mom, the quiet one, played Dad's straight man but her own sense of humor, if you listened carefully, was witty and wise. My brother took after my father, but with a little more finesse. Dad was the loud, animated "look at me" type, whereas my brother was exactly the opposite, blending in, being quiet and making others laugh with words that cut like a knife. My sister is the comeback kid. She's got a mouth like a truck driver and a look that could knock you into next week. But she can also be silly and kid-like. You never know what she's going to do next, like try to order pancakes at McDonald's at 2pm in silly voice just to amuse the kid in the backseat or blow mini-marshmallows out her nose. Me? Well, maybe I'm a little bit of all of them, I don't know.... But the point is, there was always laughter in the house growing up and I don't remember ANYTHING that was off limits, including death. In fact, one of my moms favorite jokes went something like this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
An elderly woman answers the door and a man tells her she has a telegram. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Is it a singing telegram?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No Ma'am</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ohhh... I've never had a singing telegram</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sorry Ma'am, if you could just sign here</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Can't you please sing it to me?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'd rather not Ma'am</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oh please? Please make it a singing telegram???</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Are you sure Ma'am?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yes! I'd love it!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He open the telegram, clears his voice and starts to sing...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Your sister Rose is dead... She died in her bed... she was 98 and feeling great...." </div>
<br />
So you see, death can be funny...<br />
<br />
Back in the fall 2009, my brother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. From the beginning, he knew his chances of a full recovery were slim. It had already spread to his liver and there was a suspicious spot on his lung. When he came downstairs to tell me about his diagnosis, he sat across from me and said "I got the results back from my colonoscopy and I have cancer". My first words were "Welcome to the club!" (I had cancer a long time ago). I didn't cry and neither did he. We talked about the plan, which was surgery then chemo. We talked about time lines and work schedules. All very matter of fact. I teared up a few times, but didn't.<br />
<br />
Over the next two and a half years, my brother battled cancer. To look at him, you never would have known. He continued to be his usual self. He NEVER complained. He NEVER missed a day of work by calling in sick, having arranged his schedule so that he would be off on his chemo days. In the spring of this year though, it caught up to him. The chemo stopped working, so they stopped giving it to him. He was a great candidate for some trials out of Dana-Farber but they couldn't seem to get his side effects and trial start dates in sync. A few months went by and he missed a few opportunities for different studies. Eventually, he was no longer a candidate as he passed that "invisible" marker where you're too sick to be a guinea pig.<br />
<br />
From the beginning, my brother was clear that he wanted no life saving measures. He drew up a health care proxy, a living will, a regular will (Dead will?). He wanted NO heroics and he said that when the time came, he was ready to die. He was so adamant about it, I offered to kill him right there and then! He laughed and said no, thanks anyway.<br />
<br />
So the beginning of June 2012 he was feeling pretty bad and per his usual self, called a cab for a ride to the hospital. That in itself is funny to me. He had 2 sisters that drive and would have been more than willing to drop everything and bring him, friends that repeatedly told him to call, and even neighbors that would have brought him. And of course, this thing called 911. But no, not Rick, "It was faster this way" he said. He was admitted and diagnosed with ascities or something like that and we all pretty much saw the writing on the wall at this point. He thought that he'd still be able to go home and spend his last days there though, and we went along with that, encouraging him to think positively, but with the shape he was in, pain wise, we didn't truly believe it.<br />
<br />
Eventually, there was nothing the hospital could do and it was suggested he be admitted to a rehab facility to try to regain enough strength to go home. Now his only experience with "rehab" was from going there to exercise and regain the use of his hands after a particularly bad chemo reaction. So he thinks they are going to send him to Northeast Rehab to exercise and he can't even walk. He called me in a panic, the first time I really heard "weakness" in his voice and I was so glad I was able to talk him down and explain about the different kinds of rehab. I told him that Academy Manor, where I work, has a rehab unit and if he were admitted there, they would work with him just to increase his strength, not to make him run a marathon. And with the help of my awesome co-workers, we got him admitted to the Manor in just a few days.<br />
<br />
Up next, the humor of my brothers death...<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-81042064327457728752011-08-11T23:01:00.001-04:002011-08-11T23:01:47.504-04:00Cats, Bats and A Hero SisterFor as long as I can remember, I've been "afraid" of fluttery things. Flying bugs, moths, bees, birds and even butterflies. My mom was never fond of birds so maybe I picked it up from her. I'm also deathly allergic to bees, so maybe it comes from that too. All I know is that when I come home at night, in the dark, and there are moths and those flying beetle things on the screen door and near the porch light, I have to take a deep breath, hunch my shoulders and open the door as fast as I can to escape into the hallway. I always do a quick shake and brush over my head and hair as well, just in case one of them jumped on for a ride... shiver... just thinking about it gives me the willies!
<br />
<br />Living in an old house, there are tons of nooks and crannies. So my apartment is far from bug proof. I often have spiders, centipedes and even a few carpenter ants hanging around. I'm not crazy about them, but they don't freak my out like their flying cousins do. My cats, the brother/sister tag team of Bitz and Pieces, usually take care of the creepy crawlers and if a fly or a moth dare get in, Bitz the wonder girl takes off like a shot, leaving a disaster in her wake, but usually takes down the fluttery beast! Pieces' specialty is more the spiders in the tub. He's too laid back for the whole "look at me - look at how high I can jump, mama!" thing.
<br />
<br />A few days ago, Bitz was acting particularly restless. She'd leave the room and I would hear her jumping around after something. I'd call her but she'd ignore me. Those of you owning cats understand this. Eventually she'd come into the living room, up onto the couch and paw at me but now it was MY turn to ignore her! Those of you owning cats will understand this. But last night, as she was jumping around after something I actually heard a noise I'd never heard before. Sort of like a hissing, but not a cat hissing and sorta like a squealing but not a pig squealing (besides, I don't have any pigs). From my usual spot on the couch, I peer into the dining room where my Bitty Bitz is and out of the corner of my eye, I see something "fly" in the air. But it's dark in that room, so I'm not sure what I've actually seen. I decide to ignore it, dismiss it as my tired eyes just playing tricks on me. but really, who am I fooling, right?
<br />
<br />An hour later, Bitz is back in the dining room and as I look in there again, I see it silhouetted against the light of the next room (the kitchen). The full swoop of a black bird. And again, who am I fooling? It's a bat!!
<br />
<br />Now, this house is no stranger to bats, unfortunately. I remember my little cousin Sean asking my mom when we got a bird. Turns out he spotted a bat sitting on the top of the living room curtains. Me, mom, Sean and the dog hid in the bathroom while my grandfather and brother took brooms into battle. And there's a small BB gun hole in the hallway from the time my brother pretended to be a bat sharpshooter. (Not really sure if he actually shot it!). So I can't say I'm surprised that there's a bat in the house, but I CAN say that I am now totally freaked out. My brother, who is my landlord and lives in the apartment upstairs, is in the hospital. My sister lives across town and I know she's exhausted. It's 9:30 at night, what do I do?
<br />
<br />I call my sister and tell her there's a bat in the house. Her answer? So kill it! OMG - I can't even move off the couch and she wants me to hunt this thing down and somehow kill it? Is she crazy?! I tell her this and she asks me if I want her to come over. I meekly say yes. 30 minutes later she walks into the house as I see the squeaky sucker swoop through the air again. As she comes into the living room, I do what any other rational adult would do. I burst into tears. She does what any other rational adult would do when faced with someone bursting into tears. She laughs. But off she goes, with Bitz in tow, into the dining room and adjoining craft room in search of the bat. I remain perched on the edge of the couch, still teary, in case I need to make a fast get away. (Which of course is ridiculous because I couldn't move "fast" if you paid me!)
<br />
<br />She's banging around out there, trying to rouse the beast, but it's hiding. Bitz gets bored and comes back to the couch with me. After lots more banging, moving, flash-lighting and waiting, the bat does not appear and I can tell she's starting to doubt me. Starting to think that I've been seeing things. I swear to her that I know what I saw.
<br />
<br />It's almost 11pm now, so she takes an old sheet and covers the doorway to the craft room, hoping that if it's in there, it'll stay there. I also have a blanket covering the doorway between the living room and dining room for when the AC is on. (Damn old house with no doors!). So being in the living room or bedroom, I feel I'll be relatively safe for the night, and I was, except for the dreams. I slept about four hours and dreamed of cats and bats coming through holes in the walls. I dreamed of hospitals and running or escaping and I dreamed of saving lives. I was exhausted when I woke up and ended up staying home from work. There were no bat sightings all day. But I KNOW there's still a bat in the house!
<br />
<br />My sister Jeannie arrives at 8pm with a huge butterfly net. No seriously, this giant net on a long faux bamboo stick. Where she got this, I have no idea but I'm glad she has it! Off she goes in search of the bat for a second night. At first, the same results - nothing. But then... Bitz to the rescue. Suddenly I hear the hissy/squealy thing again and Jeannie rushes to where my fighting feline is. The cat is staring at a picture on the wall in the craft room. Jeannie starts banging on the wall, and I hear the noise the bat is making. I yell into the other room "Do you hear it? Do you hear it?" And suddenly there's a crash, a swear and a squeal and then "Bitz, no!". She's got the damn bat in the net and Bitz is trying to get it! I call for the cat and guess what? She ignores me. But I'm not moving! It may be in a net but I know if I even get a glimpse of the thing in the light, I can just forget about sleeping tonight.
<br />
<br />But now Jeannie is stuck, She has the bat pressed against the floor in the net and Bitz keeps trying to go after it. She needs my help. Son of a biotch! I get off the couch, squinch my eyes and go into the dining room. The bat was the size of an eagle!!!! Ok, I exaggerate slightly... maybe it was more the size of a pigeon. Umm.. a sparrow? Ok, it was normal bat size - but don't get me started on its 25 foot wing span!
<br />
<br />I manage to get the cats into the bathroom and close the door. I open the kitchen door and the outside door as my sister drags the squealing fidgeting bat across the floor to the doorway. But now there's a problem. The threshold in multilevel and if she tries to "roll" the bat over it, it could escape again. I can't get any closer to it without starting to cry because my heart is already in my throat. Then I notice the neighbors across the driveway are out on their deck. I call to them and ask for help with a bat. English not being their first language, they think I need help with a RAT! No, a Bat I say, pointing to the sky. They get up and come around the fence to help. Anna, the leader of the brood over there, sees the bat in the net and simply reaches down with a paper towel she had in her hand and gathers the bat in the netting and tells my sister "Ok, you go". Meaning it was ok to lift the net up. (I was hiding in the hallway behind the screen door at the time). Quickly, Jeannie lifts the net up, rushes outside onto the porch and frees the bat into the night sky. My sister - My hero!!!
<br />
<br />Thank you Jeannie - I love you!!!
<br />(And now I'm praying that however it got it, it doesn't come back!)
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-2854960042262132552011-05-29T19:49:00.000-04:002011-05-29T21:16:08.858-04:00A Night Out<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">After sitting around the house all last weekend, I decided </span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">that this weekend, I really needed to give the couch a break. It being Memorial Day Weekend, <a href="http://superbbw.com/">Heavenly Bodies</a> was having their annual bash. I wasn't going to be able to attend the entire thing, but decided that the Saturday night dance would be enough to get me out of the house, see some friends and generally have a nice time.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">I used to go to the BBW dances semi-regularly. Not a die-hard attendee like some, but maybe once a month or once every 6 weeks. The thing is, the dances aren't really my thing. The music is too loud, the crowd is too young and the drama is everywhere. It's a great venue for people watching, that's for sure. And let me tell you, Stacey and whats-his-name from What Not To Wear would have a friggin' FIELD DAY at one of these events. Ladies, please, adopt this mantra = <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">Just Because You CAN Doesn't Mean You SHOULD</span>. I'm all about having the right to wear what you want. No one should be able to tell you that you can't wear horizontal stripes or bright colors because you're fat. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise a little restraint. You don't need to have your boobs or ass hanging out to be sexy. It's more about your attitude than the fact that your double D's are out there for everyone to see. (stepping off soapbox now - LOL)<br /><br />But anyway... I decided to go and for once, I didn't agonize about what to wear. I usually stress about it but this time I just decided to go casual with my jeans and a new scoop neck black shirt I just got in the mail. Every time I <span style="font-weight: bold;">do</span> agonize over the nights wardrobe, once I get there a</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">nd see some of the outfits, I think - what in the world was I worried about??? LOL!<br /><br />I got there at 10:15pm, paid my $20 and saw a few friends sitting at one of the first tables. I went over and sat down and almost immediately wanted to leave. LOL - I can't help it - I'm a homebody! :-) I went to the bar, paid $2 for a diet coke that was less than half a can in a little plastic cup and nearly got knocked over by some woman literally pulling a guy off his chair </span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">to the dance floor.<br /><br />Back at my table, I realized that I forgot to wash the sign off my forehead that says "Please stand closely in front of me and talk to someone, blocking my view of everything except your ass". This happens to me EVERY time I go to a dance and no matter where I sit. Sometimes it's people I know, sometimes not. It bugs the crap out of me! LOL. If I know the person, I'll sometimes tell/ask them to back off, bu</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">t I don't want to be rude to someone I don't know, so I guess I just prefer to bitch about it here! LOL! So yeah, sitting at the table, trying to look around or through people, I'm keeping my eye on the door for my friend Cindy</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">.<br /><br />In the mean time, a cute guy came in alone and went off in search of the bar. Fresh Meat! LOL! But in minutes, a thin woman had him by the hand and dragged him into what looked like a utility closet behind the table I was sitting at. My friend Lorenzee and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was a total "I know what you're doing in there" kind of moment. I never saw them come out! Cindy arrived and I moved over to a table with her and another friend, Pam. Some time w</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">ent by and I noticed that Fresh Meat was sitting alone at a table nearby, texting. I caught his eye and smiled and he smiled back. Hmmm.. promising... a few minutes later, our eyes met again and I mouthed "Hi" and he did the same. Now, I am SO not the person that approaches men. I'm not shy once you know me, in fact, just the opposite sometimes. But meeting new people or going up and introducing myself to someone is something I find VERY difficult to do. But in this case, I thought I had the perfect "opening line". I told Cindy that I needed to be dared to go talk to this guy and like the good friend she is, she immediately dared me. Please Note: Unless I WANT to do something, no amount of "dare" or catcalls of "chicken" will make me do it. LOL!<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">I took a deep breath, approached his table, pulled out a chair, plopped myself down and said "Hi... so... I see you came out of the closet"? In my head, it was a much wittier remark! We started talking and I found out his name was Steve, he was from NY, he was there alone, the woman who pulled him into the "closet" was actually a hotel employee bringing him the back way through to the front desk to fix a problem with his room, and he took a cab to the dance from Brockton at a cost of $90. We chit chatted easily, bantering back and forth. I had no expectations at all, was just enjoying my bravery and the attention of a cute guy.<br /><br />After maybe 15 or 20 minutes (less? more? no idea!) he said "Let me tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to go get you a drink, but you've got to give me some idea about what you like". (I was drinking soda - not a big alcohol person). I told him a girly drink and to surprise me. He got up, told me to watch his chair and he'd be right back. As I sat there "watching" his chair, I looked over to Cindy and she gave me the thumbs up and I smiled. Toe tapping and shoulder dancing as I waited, (my how things have changed from when I first came in, huh? LOL), it suddenly occurred to me that it might not be too smart to accept an open drink from a guy I don't even know. Visions of myself all loopy and out of it crossed my min</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">d. But in the end, I had nothing to worry about. "Steve" ditched me! He never came back! The bastard! LOL!<br /><br />I had no thoughts of marrying the man or anything, but really?? Really? Was I giving off some vibe that made him run for the hills? Had I scared him off with my wit? My sarcasm? My je ne sais quoi? LOL! I mean, wtf?? Cindy joined me at the little table a bit later and we laughed about it. But what I can't "get past" is this - WHY didn't "Steve" just say "Look, it's been nice to meet you but I've got to go..." or "I've got to meet someone" or whatever... Did he think I'd start crying? Fall off my chair and have a fit on the floor? LOL... sigh... men!<br /><br />I left the dance at just after 1am. I'm glad I went, got to see Cindy, and had the guts to approach a guy. But I'm still pissed about being ditched!!!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Cindy and me - before the ditching!</span></span><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p290W2WRXhSbrG2sALLibyT27oF9UldsLdW2ClvHdtQLJLnU1E9VH2m6RUATSywMLrbKhhErJYc_ZJvJMWrT7qE5bReRzilX4xJv6KckSL30hf2k5msgG4TD9h875BblX6bppwKRhzE/s1600/Me+%2526+Cin+Mem+Day+2011.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p290W2WRXhSbrG2sALLibyT27oF9UldsLdW2ClvHdtQLJLnU1E9VH2m6RUATSywMLrbKhhErJYc_ZJvJMWrT7qE5bReRzilX4xJv6KckSL30hf2k5msgG4TD9h875BblX6bppwKRhzE/s320/Me+%2526+Cin+Mem+Day+2011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612310845932769186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span>Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-84546451675142497772010-07-04T21:43:00.000-04:002010-07-04T21:53:06.156-04:00We'll SeeI've always hated the response "We'll see." because it ALWAYS meant NO! Growing up, anytime I asked my mother if I could do something or have something, the answer was either a direct "No" or a "We'll see" which was almost worse because I'd get my hopes up and sure enough, eventually, the answer turned out to be NO anyway.<br /><br />And now my sister has adopted this habit of being non-committal. It drives me crazy! I said to her on Friday - "Next Sunday (meaning a week and 2 days from now) can you come to my house and help me with my closet (this is her birthday gift to me - helping me clean my closet). Her response - "We'll see". I'm thinking - what, do you want to see if a better offer comes along? Now obviously there are a LOT of better things to do than clean a closet out on a Sunday in July, but she uses the "we'll see" for other things too. Had I said "Next Sunday do you want to go to the movies?" the response would have been "We'll see". Just say yes or no, dammit! I've asked her why she doesn't give a definitive answer and she says because she doesn't know what might be going on then. Well duh - if there's some valid reason you can't do something we planned, we just cancel - no big deal. But nope - it's always gotta be "We'll see".<br /><br />So... will she help me clean out the closet on the 11th?? We'll see!!Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-46080732024023287712010-05-03T21:33:00.000-04:002010-05-03T21:46:26.346-04:00Faux FiletMOG is it muggy out!! Everyone was miserable at work today. The heat and muggies just came on too fast - ugh! And to make it worse, I had to cook when I got home! I went food shopping on Friday and there was a sale on Black Angus ground beef for $2.79 a pound. I bought two single pound packages and froze one but the other went into the frig. Well, of course I didn't cook it over the weekend because I was scrapping all day Saturday and lazy all day Sunday! If I didn't cook today, I would have had to toss it out.<br /><br />So I sucked it up and actually turned on the oven when I got home. I made something called "Faux Filets". They are fake filet mignons made with ground beef. Actually very similar to little mini meatloafs wrapped in bacon. You bake them then broil them. They were quite tasty, even if my kitchen ended up being about a zillion degrees! You can find the recipe at one of my favorite recipe sites - www.allrecipes.comMishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-4143540186968822832010-05-02T16:08:00.000-04:002010-05-02T16:53:43.361-04:00My Cell PhoneI need a new cell phone. Ok, maybe NEED is too strong a word. The cell I have now works but it's two years old and let's face it, in the world of electronics, that's like.. umm.. well, I can't do the math but - it's old! It's a Blackberry Pearl. I got it two years ago when I was on vacation at the Mall of America. It was everythign I wanted and needed at the time but with all the bells and whistles out there now - well... I NEED a new phone - see what I mean?!<br /><br />I'm texting a lot more now and this "Crackberry" doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard. What a Pain In The Ass! It's supposed to have an auto-correct, where it "intelligently guesses" the word you're trying to text, you know - to speed up the process. Yeahh.. not so much. <br /><br />I press g o o d and it gives me "hoof". I ask - which word is more common and makes more sense, good or hoof? I press h e y and it says "get". I can never type "I" - it always comes out at a "U". I'd love to know what the hell language the creator of this auto-correct dictionary speaks cuz it sure as hell ain't English!<br /><br />I want to stay with T-Mobile because I like my phone number and it's a hassle to change it. I'd have to contact all the guys that never call me anyway and give them my new number in case they decided they want to call me - you know - ust to be safe. <br /><br />So finding a T-Mobile phone with all the bells and whistles hasn't been easy. The ones I see in Target or Walmart are boring. They don't have any flash or panache to them. I'm not opposed to going to an actual T-Mobile store but I'm not crazy about the locations they're in. I could buy something online but you know how that goes. You're never sure what you're going to get. I'd prefer to have the phone in my hot little hands so I can play with the buttons and stand in the aisle of the store holding the phone to my head pretending like I'm making a call so I can measure how cool I feel with my new phone, you know? lol!<br /><br />And btw, I'm always accepting donations for things like new phones!! LOL!Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-13298854287695038802010-04-27T21:47:00.001-04:002010-04-27T22:11:38.510-04:00Dumb Again!Apparently, I should have named this blog "How dumb am I?" or something equivalent!<br /><br />So... I like eggs. Yesterday I wanted egg salad with my Dunkin Donuts Cheddar Cheese Bagel Twist (YUMMM!!) I saved from the morning. I remembered reading in the Food Network Magazine that the best way to boil the perfect egg was to put the eggs into boiling water, remove them from the heat and let them sit for 8 minutes. Or something like that. So I decide I'm going to try this "fool proof" method. Apparently, it is NOT fool proof!<br /><br />First of all, I wasn't thinking about how the water would be BOILING hot so when I put the eggs into the water I wasn't able to "gently lower" them without burning my fingers so I sorta "dropped" them and two of four of them cracked enough for egg white to bubble out of the egg but then because of the boiling water, the white congealed to the egg itself. Kinda gross and cool at the same time! But still - cracked eggs!<br /><br />Also, I'm not one of these people that happens to keep eggs at room temperature. I don't think I know anyone that does. But recipes often call for room temp eggs - hmm...? With the water at a rolling boil I put my VERY cold eggs in - which of course took the water temp down too far. Duh!<br /><br />I let my four eggs sit in the water for about 20 minutes, not caring if they were overcooked since I was gonna mash them to smithereens in my egg salad anyway. And here's the big surprise - they were barely soft boiled!!! :-( <br /><br />No egg salad for me... Yeah - I'm kinda dumb... LOL! But the cats enjoyed their runny egg! LOL!Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-91620975698385019862010-04-25T20:42:00.000-04:002010-04-25T20:46:18.207-04:00A poopy thanksDid you ever think that someone would wave a bag of poop at you and you'd simply nod back instead of being pissed off?? LOL!<br /><br />The other day a woman was walking her dog and I stopped to let her cross the street in front of me. She lifted her arm/hand to give the recognized "Thank You wave" and I realized she was holding a bag of poop in that hand!! LOL! What is this world coming to? That some woman THANKS me by waving poop in my face and I actually SMILE at her and nod... We're a very weird people...Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7549298071979029221.post-40629813412106835822010-04-25T20:04:00.001-04:002010-04-25T20:19:02.396-04:00How Dumb Am I?<span style="font-family:georgia;">Pretty dumb, actually.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I have a website that I pay a monthly fee for yet I create a blog here on a free site because I can't figure out how to fix my damn site! It was hijacked by some nasty bastids but I'm clueless about anything to do with fixing it. (I think I just repeated myself - but whatever! lol).</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">So here I am, adding my 2 cents to the web.</span><br /><br />I just watched several episodes of "Pawn Stars" and I really liked it - yeah yeah, I know - I'm late to the party on this one but what can I say? My TV schedule is very busy.<br /><br />So this "Pawn Stars" show is like a "modern day" Antiques Roadshow. It's so interesting to see people bring in these items, learn about them and see what they'll get for them. One particular thing pissed me off though was that they paid this one guy $100 for an old Coke case and it turned out to be worth TONS more than that! Poor bastid - he shoulda kept it... Another guy had a really old underwater helmet thingy (I'm so technical!) and the specialist they called in to authenticate and value it said it was worth about $15k. They only gave the guy 8k for it though - not right, I tell ya... just not right.<br /><br />Time for the Amazing Race!Mishehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14242105481061823430noreply@blogger.com0