Saturday, August 7, 2010

Let's Get This Show on the Road...DISNEY WORLD OR BUST!!

by: NicoleMarie

If you're like me and you can't remember what you had for lunch yesterday, much less where I left off in this trip report, let me get you back up to speed. It's the beginning of December 2009. We have just come back from our first DVC Disney vacation: Thanksgiving at Bay Lake Tower. We've booked a Kidani Village 2BR and a BLT 1 BR for our summer 2010 Disney vacation, and I'm excited that we'll finally spend the 4th of July at WDW.

Continue.

Time moved really fast, but at the same time really slow for the next seven months. We celebrated Christmas, enjoyed the kids’ basketball seasons, tolerated the arrival of mine and DH’s 40th birthday, took a Spring Break trip to Lake Tahoe, celebrated the boy’s birthday, the girl’s Baptism, and finally wound down the school year with parties, 5th grade graduation (sniff…) and more baseball than you can shake a stick at.

All of a sudden June was here, and it was Disney month.

School was out, and all the busy-but-lazy summer fun was upon us. Friends in and out swimming, more baseball, VBS, yada yada yada. It was among all of the summer hoopla that I checked my email one day and realized it had come.

The email.

With an Excel attachment.

I opened the attachment, and lo and behold, a bright light came down from Heaven and illuminated my computer screen with a golden glow as I heard angels singing in the background.


DH had sent me the pre-trip checklist in all of its columned glory. It was a masterpiece of pre-Disney organizational delight.

There was a column for each of our four family members, and rows and rows and rows of things to organize, take care of before leaving, shop for and ultimately pack. It was go time.

I pulled the suitcases up from the basement and got jiggy with the packing. We had everything from clothes and shoes, to Frogg Toggs in four different colors, to medicine for any ailment that might strike one or all of us, to matching American flag shirts to wear on the 4th, to every small electronic in our home – along with its charger, case and accessories packed in the bags. And finally, after a week of taking care of pre-trip errands, shopping and packing, it was TIME TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD!!!


So with the car packed full of everything we’d need for the next 11 days, and me looking at my watch and realizing that if we left RIGHT THAT MINUTE we could get to Orlando by 7 pm, DH called everyone into the kitchen. He sat the family down and pulled out a devotional.

God love him. People, I was ready to get on the road. And my man was bringin’ the sermon.

However, knowing that a vacation would not start off well if lightening struck the car and it erupted into flames as we pulled out of the driveway, I did not shun - nor even comment on - the timing of the family devotion time, but sat down with the three people I love most in this world and we talked about and prayed over our trip. Despite my initial internal hesitation, it was a great way to start the vacation.

Even if it DID shave 20 minutes off of The Time. (Hat tip, Mr. LaLa.)

Soon enough we were squealing out of the driveway on two wheels and blaring the Illuminations soundtrack as loud as we could get it. We didn’t have a hotel reservation for the evening, because until the moment we pulled out of the driveway, we weren’t sure when we’d leave and how far we’d go. In fact, we STILL weren’t sure. But if everything went according to plan, we would be in Orlando by 8 pm.

Knowing that night’s hotel reservation wasn’t secured was actually a fun feeling. We’d known for seven months that we’d stay at Kidani Village and Bay Lake Tower. And we (read: I) had done insane amounts of research on both places. But throwing in a one-nighter at somewhere random, and – yep - possibly off-property, was kinda exciting. On the way down to Orlando, as we basked in the “our vacation has started” glow, we had the additional fun of deciding where to spend our first night of vacation. We considered the Poly. We love it there, and with DVC, probably won’t stay there much anymore. We considered our favorite off-site resort, Grande Lakes. That place is sublime. But we really had a hankerin’ to try something new. With an 8 pm arrival and an 8 am departure tomorrow morning, there wasn’t much to lose if we didn’t like our new find. That’s when I remembered Frick had stayed a couple of weeks earlier at the new Hilton at Bonnet Creek. Like us, it was a pre-Disney one nighter, and they had loved it. Frick sealed the deal by sending some pics of the Hilton pool to my cell, and we called and booked our non-refundable room for the evening.

And so it was. The Hilton at Bonnet Creek.

Frick made a good call. The Hilton was an AWESOME first night resort. The pool is fantastic with its lazy river, zero entry and slide. There was a “Dive In Movie” offered that night at dark, and we literally spent every minute from the time we arrived, until we showered for bed, at the pool that night. My son even ate two full buckets of popcorn as he sat in the zero-entry area watching a movie and making sure his popcorn didn’t get wet. The place was a HUGE hit for the little NMs, And Mama and Daddy NM loved it, too. It was a great way to get the vacation vibe rolling.



But as fantastic as that night was, I was REALLY looking forward to the next morning. Because it was then that I was FINALLY going to meet up with LaLa and her family. So I went to bed that night happy in every way. I had driven my car under The Arches to arrive at the hotel I was sleeping in. My family was healthy and happy and sleeping soundly beside me. We had ten full Disney days ahead of us. And the sweet friend that I had met in the most unusual way I’ve ever formed a friendship, was about to make the switch from a voice I’d heard on the phone, and a two dimensional image I’d seen on a computer screen, to a real person I could give a big hug to and share a meal with. I fell asleep exhausted and happy.

I woke up the next morning, and surprisingly wasn’t a bit nervous about meeting LaLa and her family. We’ve been “friends” for about four years now, and I didn’t expect anything about her to be an uncomfortable surprise. I knew she and her husband were funny and fun, and that our families were the same in most every way – and ALL of the important ways.

So it was with great happiness that we checked out of the Hilton at Bonnet Creek (which my son, while admitting it was a great hotel, said it didn’t feel Disney-ish.)

The plan was to meet the LaLas at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. The LaLas were going home that day, and they had one more CS credit to burn. They had spent the morning floating for the last time in SAB, and walked over to meet at our designated time.

We were waiting in the gift shop (trying to get as much cool air as possible) when I saw the LaLas come walking through the turnstiles. I poked my head out of the door and flagged them down before I rounded up the NMs and we all met outside. Many of you have already heard the deets of this meet, so I won’t spend too much time on it now. But I will say that it was exactly like I expected it to be. Just like meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen in forever. LaLa and I shared a hug, noticed that we were dressed almost exactly alike, and chatted like best girlfriends as we walked over to Sunshine Seasons to have lunch. Our kids hit it off right away, and our husbands are eerily similar. Mr. LaLa is easy on the eyes, and his bride is a beautiful Southern Belle. The two little LaLas look just like their parents. We enjoyed a meal, and lingered talking and laughing as their trip came to an end and ours was kicking off. Despite the relaxed pace of our time together, the LaLas had many hours of travel ahead of them that day, and they needed to get on the road. Parting hugs were exchanged and off they went.

After they were gone, my husband asked me if LaLa was like I expected her to be. I said she was. She was EXACTLY like I KNEW she would be. Funny, sweet, beautiful, an awesome mom, and – last but not least, and what brought us to that same message board at that same time in our lives – a full on Disney Geek. Which is the icing on the cake.

When we first walked into Epcot that late morning, my husband had immediately bolted across the park and secured some FPs for Soarin’. Our hope was that the FP window would come up right after lunch since we’d be right there in The Land. The timing worked out just as we hoped, and as the LaLas headed up the escalator, we walked over to the Soarin’ FP entrance, flashed the four golden tickets, and made our way down the long queue.


The Soarin’ music is almost at the top of my list of favorite park music, and it was a great soundtrack to the elation I was feeling at that moment. I had just had lunch with one of my first “Disney” friends, my family was hopping on our first ride of our Disney vacation, and we had 10 full days of fun waiting for us once we walked off the ride. There are a lot of things in life that make me happy.

But my friends, I was beyond happy. I was full on giddy.

Soarin’ to Tower: we are ready for take-off…

27 comments:

  1. Hi Nicole Marie!

    I am the Public Relations director for Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. I just wanted to thank you for the kind things you said about our new hotel. I'm glad you had such a nice stay at the resort, even if it was only one night! Please, come see us again!

    Keith Salwoski

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  2. Great post! I didn't realize you had gotten to meet up with the LaLa's; very cool! Sounds like your vacation is off to a great start! --praisehisname

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  3. Woo Hoo! I came here first thing looking for NM's next chapter and was so happy to see this here!

    Is Keith Salwoski for real? I am DED, and also impressed, in a weird kind of way.

    I am, however DEDDER than DED at the picture of the Bonnet Creek room with the disappearing peeps. That is full on funny. And, again, a lil bit impressive. I can still tell who's who, BTW. ; )

    LOVED hearing about your giddiness and shared it as I read. And, of course, it was great to hear the story of the LaLa/NM meet again, albeit in an abbreviated version. You two and your families are certainly a perfect match and I am beyond thrilled that you got to spend some time together face to face, even if it was a lil sweaty and a bit too short! My only question is....who had the bigger earrings?! I know LaLa will be on that question like a chicken bone (NONMs). Heh Heh. I kill me.

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  4. LOL, I loved that you erased yourselves from the pics!! Love me some Photoshopping, yep ;-)

    So great to take that time before leaving to pray and appreciate!! We have the driveway prayer every time, at the least. Car is not to move unless!

    I think this goes back to a trip I remember once that my Mom tried to take with us girls. We started and stopped, and went back, several times. One calamity upon another befell that trip. Grandma would always say, "You better stop, sit down, and count to 10 before you leave again." Well, fast forward a few decades and I carry that on, substituting prayer for the counting.

    Then I always say a prayer for each of our flights and everyone aboard. Can never take any of it for granted.

    Can't wait to hear more!

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  5. NM I am so happy for the update because I knew I would have a brief role in it! heh heh Glad y'all like the HBC (Hi Keith Salwoski! I've told all of my friends about your lil place there and if you ever give away free nights, buzz me!)
    NM did you see the granite countertop at the check-in desk? I was in awe. I don't know if they had the cinnamon/sugar popcorn while you were there, but T ate so much of it that I thought for sure he would barf. He wants to stay there again for the all you can eat buckets of popcorn.

    Again, I will tell you I was so happy for your time with LaLa! It's good to know they gag you and tie you up in the corner so they could swipe those FP's for one more ride.

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  6. Reason for Edit: That last line should have said they "didn't gag you and tie you up". Like Ash said, I kill me.

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  7. Hey Keith! Thanks for stopping by! Y'all have done a GREAT job with the Bonnet Creek Hilton. It's top notch, for sure. We had a good experience from check-in to check-out.

    Denise, yes, I finally got to meet LaLa! It was one of the highlights of my trip, and I hope it wasn't our first and last get-together! Thanks for reading and posting.

    Susan, I ain't afraid to sport some larger-than-large earrings. Go big or GO HOME! Heh heh. But that was just one more thing La and I had in common. And yes, the ghostly NMs look a little odd in my pics, don't they? But I didn't think to clear the room for the purposes of my TR, so you gotta do whatcha gotta do. ;)

    Steph, you are so right. More and more and more, I'm being reminded that we can't take a single moment for granted. It's hard to live that way, and I wish I did a better job of it. We do like to pray before heading out on an adventure, though. It's good to remind ourselves how much we have to be thankful for, and thank God out loud for it. We try and make a point to do that a couple of times a day during our vacation as well. It really ups the joy factor, and makes us less likely to get steamed over the insignificant details that don't go like we planned. I like your counting to ten thing, too! I could use that on school mornings!

    Hey Frick! Yep, you hooked us up with the skinny on Bonnet Creek. It was all that and a bag of chips. Or in my boy's case, two buckets of popcorn. And Frick, I was thisclose to giving the LaLas our Soarin' FPs. But I knew Mr. LaLa was already calculating the time home in his head. And we all know that if there's any ride where your FP doesn't seem all that fast, it's Soarin'. So then Mr. LaLa would have had to be the bad guy by telling his family that they couldn't use our FPs, and I would have been his new enemy for even bringing it up.

    So we bolted to the FP line really quickly to assuage my guilt. :)

    Thanks y'all, for the comments. I really do appreciate the encouragement as I tell our tale.

    Take care!

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  8. Well, this post just made my night.

    I'm sure DH will say the same, once he's read it. Especially once he's read the 'easy on the eyes part'. The man loves him some flattery. Almost as much as he loves deer huntin' and making good time.

    We LOVED hooking up with yall, NM. Loved every long OVERDUE (note to NM: OVERDUE AND OVERPACKED is already taken!!!!) minute of it. Especially the part where we watched yall tear that chicken up one side and down the other. Now THAT was a highlight to remember.

    Heh Heh.

    Ash, I gotchu!

    NM my girl, you and your whole crew were sweet, handsome, beautiful and funny as can be (and you have AWESOME taste in earrings, I might add) and like you, I really hope that's not the last we'll be seeing of yall. Because even though we 'met' in an unconventional way, I feel like we've been friends forever. And we love us some sweet NMs. But one thing I can't get past: the fact that those Soarin FPs were ALMOST OURS!!! I should've pinched the girl harder and made her cry more on the way out. Dangit. I'll have to remember that next time around.

    Glad to see you've FINALLY made it to the World. Obsessive spreadsheets and all. In the words of Kip, "JEEZ!!" That's a lotta list makin'!! Makes you wonder how someone forgets anything, let alone something as vital as a pair of tennis shoes. Which forces them to have to buy a pair of bright red and black Mickey Crocs.

    In a size 11.

    Mens.

    Yes, I'm looking at you, Roger.

    Speaking of Roger. One thing you might get a kick out of: earlier today I was talking to the girl and we were looking at some Disney pics. She mentioned that she knows several "other Daddies" who look like Roger (?) and that all of those other Daddies are all funny too. Just like Roger.

    So apparently, if you're a Daddy and you look like Roger (read: male, with the same color hair), that automatically makes you funny in her mind now.

    Thought yall would get a kick out of that.

    NM: I loved this installment and can't wait to hear the rest of the story, girl. As far as the "Soarin to Tower: we're ready for takeoff" thing goes, I can hear it in my head right now (along with the score that immediately follows it) and I'm loving every second of it. Thanks for taking me there. But I remain slightly disturbed by the ghosts in the bedroom. That's just creepy.

    Creepy Dee, even.

    Hi Mel!

    You must've been using an inferior lens with a jacked up F-stop for that shot.

    Keep bringin' it NM. Just leave out the freakishly blurry pictures next time. Or else they'll start calling you me.

    La2

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  9. Hey NM!

    Lovin' the report.

    Those spreadsheets made my head spin! Major organization.

    I loved your little report on the Hilton Bonnet Creek. Who knew there were ghosties there??

    As you know we stayed at the "other" hotel, the Waldorf. We did walk over to the Hilton to check it out and we will definately stay there the next time. Mr. YAK had the pleasure last Feb, but I'm sure he didn't have popcorn in the zero entry pool, so we'll have to check that out!

    I loved your La encounter. Brought me right back to a July gone past at a Sonny's in the South! ;)

    What a wonderful way to start a Disney vacation!

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  10. Great installment NM! Your spreadsheets were awesome! First Lady Biscuit would be in heaven. Oh, and nifty MAC BTW. I love the pre-trip devotionals. That’s just the perfect way to start the vacation. The H@BC looks like an awesome place. I’ve never watched a movie in a pool before but it looks like it was hoot. Plus you can’t go wrong with a lazy river.

    The photos were cracking me up. It was like looking through the eyes of Zzub as he’s slipping into a cake induced sugar coma.

    I’m glad to hear that you had a great meeting with the Lala’s. You are both good peeps.

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  11. “And so it was. The Hilton at Bonnet Creek.

    Frick made a good call. The Hilton was an AWESOME first night resort.”

    Yay!!! I tried it out this past May and we loved it too! But…

    “Hilton at Bonnet Creek (which my son, while admitting it was a great hotel, said it didn’t feel Disney-ish.)”

    I completely agree with your son. We'll go back, especially if they keep offering fantastic FL resident rates, but it won't completely replace the Resorts o' Mouse, either.

    “I woke up the next morning, and surprisingly wasn’t a bit nervous about meeting LaLa and her family.”

    Oh wow, this was the first time you guys met in person? How exciting!

    “But I will say that it was exactly like I expected it to be. Just like meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen in forever.”

    Isn’t it an amazing feeling?! Truly, some of the friendships forged with folks I’ve met on the DIS are among the closest and most cherished in my life.

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  12. Who wrote this, NM or La2? Those two are becoming fungible. Like cans of green beans. Which actually AREN'T fungible. Sometimes they come with potatoes.

    Who buys potatoes in a can? Why would you do that?

    I read a fascinating thread on the Disboards about the Hilton Bonnet Creek and the adjacent Waldorf Astoria. (Hi Keith Salwoski). It was enough to make me give serious consideration to staying at one of those properties. But NM's post about the place makes me SO GLAD we chose not to! Evidently if you stay there, you turn into a ghastly ghostly figure. Creepy D. As the kids used to say.

    I used the phrase, "I died a little bit," the other day in real life. It made everyone laugh very hard. Which made me die a little bit more inside. Because I missed our old hootenannies.

    I never have a hootenanny anymore.

    But I still have trouble with said/sad.

    And also digesting ginger. The spice. Not the ale. I don't understand ginger ale. We were at a party last weekend. They had wine, beer, booze, coke, sprite and ginger ale. No diet coke. When I asked for diet coke, I was met with confusion. As if I'd just asked Mrs. Obama whether she'd like domestic caviar instead of Beluga. Who's ever heard of such a thing?! So you have to ask yourself, what kind of person throws a party and thinks, "we need to have ginger ale for people." But not, "let's make sure we also have a diet option."

    The word you're searching for is idiots.

    I drank a root beer by the way. Evidently that was one of the choices.

    NM: as usual, I've enjoyed reading your TR. Even if I had the inescapable sensation I'd read it all before.

    Kidding!

    Or am I?

    I love that y'all are so crazy go nuts for Soarin. It's a family favorite too. We can't wait for Li'l ZZUB to be big enough to ride with us.

    And finally, I have to correct yet another one of Ashclan's mistakes. Crackpots don't celebrate Big Block of Cheese Day. They partake of it.

    And don't be hating on Big Block of Cheese Day. Pluie's life may depend on it.

    Z

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  13. LA!!! I'm DED that you're bringin' the Mickey Crocs. Double dawg DED, even. Please be reminded that it was I who forgot to pack my running shoes, and therefore I who had to buy Mickey crocs at Disney World. My carrying on about the comfort of the Mickey crocs, plus my son's BEGGING his Daddy to buy Crocs just like his, is how Roger ended up with a pair that he HATED and that gave him blisters. I'm laughing out loud at the memory. Plus, that was around 6 trips ago, and pre "Excel packing spreadsheet." We ain't forgot nothin' since. ;)

    Where HAS Roger been these days? Working or something? Doesn't everybody surf the net for Disney blogs during the day?

    YAK, I do remember y'all loved the Hilton/Waldorf. I would have loved to try out the Waldorf myself as I love a fancy hotel. But Roger decided that if the goal for the stay was a fun pool, the Waldorf didn't meet the criteria. But like I said, we loved the Hilton. And I remember that June at Sonny's! That seems like so long ago...good times. :)

    GB, tell First Lady Biscuit that I will be HAPPY to forward her the Excel SS that she can revise to include all the Biscuit Family necessities. Although I'm pretty sure our list covers everything one could need at Disney World. Unless you're going when it's cold, and then you'll need to revise. Are you SURE La and I are good peeps? We may just have you all fooled.

    Hello V!!! The other day I heard some statistics about the number of relationships a person has that are formed on the internet. It was surprisingly high, and while I wouldn't have expected it, it was sure true for me. I have so many close friends that I literally talk to in some way EVERY SINGLE DAY - all that I "met" on the internet. It's a bizarre phenomenon that used to creep me out just a tad. But it's really a blessing. I'm glad you've shared it, too. Thanks for reading and commenting, girl!

    Z, are you sure you're ever going to Disney World? I mean, the summer is O-V-E-R here in the South, and it's time to buckle back down and hit the books. (Unless you're 40 and finished school almost 20 years ago. In that case, it's time to stock the fridge with decent breakfast foods, refresh yourself on how to use your kitchen to cook dinner, and cease taking naps on a float in the pool...big sigh.)

    In the event you are actually taking a trip to Disney any time soon, and you didn't just bait us all so we'd start hanging out at your blog and killing time until the Battle XX comes out next year, remember to be careful in the heat. It's like nothing I've ever seen this summer. And I'm acclimated.

    But thanks everyone for stopping by and writing your comments. They are encouraging and fun to read. I'm like Z, I miss a good hootenanny.

    Y'all have a good one!

    NM

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  14. Z sad:

    I read a fascinating thread on the Disboards about the Hilton Bonnet Creek and the adjacent Waldorf Astoria. (Hi Keith Salwoski). It was enough to make me give serious consideration to staying at one of those properties. But NM's post about the place makes me SO GLAD we chose not to! Evidently if you stay there, you turn into a ghastly ghostly figure.

    Maybe, but it looks like all the beds come with an extra set of legs. Which would come in handy, considering all the walking you'll be doing.

    On the downside, you'd have to buy TWO pair of Disney Crocs if you forgot your shoes at home.

    So there's that.

    I stand corrected on the Disney Croc issue, NM. But I'm still DED that he wore them in the first place. That's a good Daddy right there.

    I haven't hootenannied in so long I forgot what it feels like.

    La2

    PS. I'm DED over NM's heat advisory. Dude. So fungible!

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  15. That heat advisory aint no joke. They acutally modified the high school football practice schedule. In Texas. Which means it's either 4 degrees shy of solar or the rapture is taking place.

    If you do wind up going on this imaginary trip sometime in the next, I don't know 2 months or so, make sure you keep hydrated. In other words back off of the ginger bro. And drink water. (The clear kind served cold.) And don't take pictures of the sweat murals that appear on your shirt. 'Cause that just aint right.

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  16. GB sad: "Which means it's either 4 degrees shy of solar or the rapture is taking place."

    DED-er than DED!! SO true!

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  17. Is it weird to comment on a trip report I did not write but lived thru? I mean, I was there so it’s almost as if I am required to comment for validation or repudiation.

    La2-how were those words? Cause in DawgNation we would have used something “more gooder” or not “more gooder” when describing if something is true or not.

    Either way, I feel compelled to make a couple of comments:

    First – the spreadsheet. It’s as if two NM’s live in our house. The NM I married almost 19 years ago absolutely hates spreadsheets and time lines. In fact, the only reason I had to prepare the spreadsheet in the 1st place is because it goes against her very nature to even log into Excel. That is the NM I married and the one who mysteriously still puts up with me today. Ask her about our first fight at the end of our honeymoon to get an idea of what I am talking about. If she used the spreadsheets back then, she would have seen how right I was. Anyway…. The other NM comes out about a week or two before our trip and she LIVES by the spreadsheet – I will admit I do love it. Coming home to not only see the spreadsheet properly checked off but even using the available space to make comments where needed. Ahhh, I go to a peaceful place just thinking about all that organization.

    Second – meeting the LaLa’s. I have to give a shout out to them cause here in DawgNation we would say “the LaLa’s are good folks”. All the NM’s admired LaLa when she said she could play pool one-handed while still eating a sackful of Krystals. Kidding-which is what I loved about them. There was just enuff kidding and sarcasm to make me feel like we were back home with old friends. In fact, I even called off the sniper team from the rooftops only 15 minutes after meeting up with them. Kidding again (or am I?). I would love to hang with you guys anytime in the WORLD and trust me – I don’t say that to too many folks, including even kinfolks of mine.

    La-I meant to tell you this when we ate lunch. I was “introduced” to you several years ago when we packed up for a trip to WDW at Thanksgiving. Niki handed me about 25 pages of a trip report from someone named LaLa to for car reading on the trip. I clearly don’t know you or even deets about your family like NM does, but I can see you “got it going on with them”. Tell Mr. LaLa I said hello and tell the little LaLa’s we look forward to riding Soarin and screaming on RnR one day soon. Of course, if during football season, Mr. LaLa and I may have to “run a few errands” for a couple of hours.

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  18. Hey Roger! Glad you had the snipers stand down. Great update as always. I always knew LaLa was a closet Krystals fan.

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  19. "Roger said: In fact, I even called off the sniper team from the rooftops only 15 minutes after meeting up with them."

    roflmbo, that was great!!! --praisehisname

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  20. Roger sad "It’s as if two NM’s live in our house. The NM I married almost 19 years ago absolutely hates spreadsheets and time lines."

    I think I've met her. Is this the same NM that left the sweet tea and wine for her guests in the car and she didn't realize it until the next day when we were loading the trunk? tee hee

    Roger, I thought of you last night when I watched an old favorite... Airplane! "Roger, Roger"

    Last week I finally tore into my bag of Disney Kettle Corn that I scooped up at Pop Century as a parting gift for myself. Gosh is it ever good! I'm so said that it is gone though. sigh.

    So Zzub, when are you leaving? Where are you staying? What is your flight number? Where are you eating? How long will you be there? What type of tickets did you buy? What's your jersey number? When will you be back? Will you send me some Kettle Corn? What are you packing? Do you have a spread sheet (NOR)? Did you remember your lime green ribbon? Have you made door decorations? Do you have matching shirts (NONM)? Do you have red Mickey Crocs (NONM&R)? What are you going to put in the snack drawer this time? Did you remember to pack your teeth (NOLL)? Have your written down the dessert must haves that we told you about?

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  21. Frick, I am DED. You are a funny funny girl! So I guess you could say I kill me, but you kill me more.

    How did I not even KNOW about the sweet tea and wine in NMs trunk? I know she had the Twinings EB Tea in the kitchen for me....that's all I cared about ; )

    Roger, women are enigmas. You are just witnessing it first hand. Unlike NM, I live with spreadsheets everyday (though most not as fun as Disney spreadsheets) and I love 'em. Nice job!! I may be calling on you to get me a copy of that sucker one of these days. If I can ever manage to get a trip of a decent duration (i.e., more than 4 nights) on the calendar.

    Z, I do not drink diet soda. Hate it, in fact. Same goes for my entire household. However, we always have a case or two of Diet Coke in the basement for guests. Not that I want you to visit me or anything. Just pointing out that I sometimes (rarely) agree with you.

    How much of that cheese is left, btw?

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  22. Doesn't everyone have a Disney spreadsheet?

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  23. Roger- those words were JUST FINE. In fact, they made both me and Mr. LaLa smile huge, and then laugh out loud. As we two fisted a sackful of Krystals and played backgammon.

    In all seriousness, even though Excel spreadsheets were obviously involved SOMEHOW in your honeymoon (whassup widdat?), we think the NMs are good folks too and we're really glad we got the chance to hang out with yall for a little while. Wish it could've been longer, but you know how it goes. Yall are definitely our kind of people and we'll have to do it again at some point.

    And next time we might not even bring the pepper spray.

    Unless it's listed on the spreadsheet. In which case, there's nothing I can do about it.

    Mr. LaLa liked the idea of getting lost during football season, so something tells me he'd hold you to that one. And I DO remember NM saying yall printed out a copy of one of our TRs and read it on the day down to your Disney Thanksgiving soiree one year. It was at THAT point that I realized I loved me some NMs.

    Heh Heh.

    Frick, I am DED over the Spanish Inquisition!! You ain't right, girl. And I'm calling you butter. Isn't that how that one goes?

    I'm saving my last bag of Chip and Dale snack mix for a rainy day. I want to eat it but I can't bear to part with it yet. How sick and twisted is that?

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  24. That should've been "WAY down...to your Disney Thanksgiving soiree..."

    That's what I get for makin' fun of Roger's words.

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  25. Well, well, well. I check out for a couple of days to get the little NMs back in the school routine, and in my absence, Roger and Frick decide to pick on my "creative" organization skills. Whatevah...

    In defense of myself regarding the beverages left in my car over that weekend last December, I chalk it up to the fact that I had just had my hair done. So I was at the pinnacle of my blondness. And since the NMs don't drink wine, (and obviously neither do the house guests for whom I was trying to be a good hostess), I forgot that the stuff was in my car.

    But there's absolutely NO EXCUSE for forgetting the sweet tea. Wasting THAT is a full on abomination. WE DO drink us some sweet tea.

    And we like Krystals, too. Don't front, Roger.

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  26. AnnaNicoleMarie sad: "I chalk it up to the fact that I had just had my hair done. So I was at the pinnacle of my blondness."

    ded! I just went to the salon Wednesday so that explains why I left the chicken out that night and why I don't know what fungible means. Apparently La knows what it is because she cleverly used it in a sentence. I think she's had it between her toes before. That's what happens when you go to the Krystal barefoot.

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  27. Seems like a whole lotta borgness going on here and I'm not sure it has to do with blondness.

    I left a whole bag of frozens in my trunk the other day and found them in an ugly (Hi Zzub) unfrozen state TWO days later.

    My Roger said upon hearing of the melty burgers and fries in my car, "shirley you gest"

    I, of course replied, "no, and stop calling me Shirley"

    Bahahahahahaha.

    Frick you are too funny girlfriend!

    Check the trunks of your cars - you never know what you'll find!

    Oh ya, NM - we've been 'Soarin’ to Tower: we are ready for take-off' for a longish time now. Weather delays down there??

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