The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

MySmallWorldof4

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
Gabe1 said:
Well you can join our "Golden Girl" condo clan if you would like. ;)

My Sis made it to the Key's today with her family and our Mom.
The Mom...its too hot. On Saturday she was complaining it was too cold to go out, she lives up here in N. IL as do I.
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Well you know when she gets back home she is going to say it is too cold because she got acclimated to the nice weather.
 
MySmallWorldof4

MySmallWorldof4

Well-Known Member
donaldtoo said:
Thanks, Figgy. We're fine, and trying to remain alert and safe. Also, the authorities are now saying the incident this evening was an incendiary device and not a bomb, and appears not to be related to the package bombings. Either way, whether it was a copycat or not someone was still injured, but, thankfully has since been released from the hospital.
Besides the package that exploded at the FedEx facility down near San Antonio, another package containing an explosive device that did not go off was also found this morning at a South Austin FedEx facility. Just insanity.

And, in light of this present situation, we finally did it...tonight we installed a security camera on our front porch. As our ex-military neighbors that used to live across the street from us used to say... "It's not paranoia, it's heightened awareness".
We've actually talked about doing it many times before, but, our neighborhood has always been so safe and all our big pups have always been good potential alarms.
But, it's happening in so many different parts of the city, it's a whole different ball game.
Sickening.

Edit...
The authorities are now saying the incident this evening that happened at a Goodwill location was some sort of memento military artillery piece/pieces. They think they just dropped them off thinking they were duds and was some passed family members collectible that whoever dropped it off didn't want. Apparently, the one worker opened it, realized it was an item/items they don't accept, handed it off to a coworker to go dispose of, and when the guy turned the corner, it/they went off.

Woof.
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We installed the Ring doorbell and we also have a camera on our back deck where we have our catio. The doorbell is great because I can turn it on from my phone whenever I want and just look around the front of the house or I can watch the cats when they are in the catio. It was great when we went away. It announced when my neighbor's, who were watching our cats when we went away came in the house.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Gabe1 said:
And in fairness I can remember what my earnings were in 1983 and what I paid for my house in 1983 along with groceries and a car cost back then.

I agree the last decade Disney has gone whacko with their rise in pricing, no argument but it is also difficult to go back to the dawning of Epcot and a long time off from the Studios and Animal Kingdom existing. Those prices were the very first years of a hopper 'cause Epcot just opened, prior to that there was nowhere to hop to from the Magic Kingdom.
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All things are relative. If you look at those prices now measured against current wages it is like a gift from heaven, however, take it back to 1983 and it is as hard to come by for a family as it is now. I was a manager at a printing/publishing company back then and the hoops we had to jump through to make that road trip to Florida was amazing. You didn't feed a family, provide housing, food, clothing and other necessities on the salaries at the time and have a very big amount left over for luxuries. (At least in New England at the time) What made it worse was the only time we had that we felt was worth going there was in the winter and add to that the cost of heating and you were usually running a deficit. We had to save for months. Figure out how we were going to do this as inexpensively as we could. Want to know another part of it? I had done an advertising trade out with a travel agency and got free admission tickets and it still was a chore to make the ends meet. There were restaurants that promoted kids free with adult meal purchases and we went to those. We stayed at Econo-Lodges even though, if I recall, the Contemporary was only about $40.00 per night. It was still to much.

We tend to forget those things when we wax nostalgic about how cheap things were in the past. Pound for pound it was actually worse in my memory. As the admission prices increase, wages increased enough so subsequent years were easier then the originals to accomplish. The overused thought about how Disney has exceeded the cost of living index is true but not relevant. Other things managed to stay below our salary levels and we had more spendable income that could be used for frills. WDW remained something that we wanted to do, but, never was something that we had to do. It was a luxury and easily scratched off the "to do list" if other things more necessary got in the way.

What would be great is if Disney decided to have a "back to '83 day" just for those that went in 1983. I could get on board with that. Imagine all the kids that went back then that could now bring their own children and even grandchildren for a day. I'm betting that the place would really be packed. Of course, it would be restricted to just MK and Epcot, but, I can live with that. (Excuse the little amount of selfish daydreaming there.)
 
DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
All things are relative. If you look at those prices now measured against current wages it is like a gift from heaven, however, take it back to 1983 and it is as hard to come by for a family as it is now. I was a manager at a printing/publishing company back then and the hoops we had to jump through to make that road trip to Florida was amazing. You didn't feed a family, provide housing, food, clothing and other necessities on the salaries at the time and have a very big amount left over for luxuries. (At least in New England at the time) What made it worse was the only time we had that we felt was worth going there was in the winter and add to that the cost of heating and you were usually running a deficit. We had to save for months. Figure out how we were going to do this as inexpensively as we could. Want to know another part of it? I had done an advertising trade out with a travel agency and got free admission tickets and it still was a chore to make the ends meet. There were restaurants that promoted kids free with adult meal purchases and we went to those. We stayed at Econo-Lodges even though, if I recall, the Contemporary was only about $40.00 per night. It was still to much.

We tend to forget those things when we wax nostalgic about how cheap things were in the past. Pound for pound it was actually worse in my memory. As the admission prices increase, wages increased enough so subsequent years were easier then the originals to accomplish. The overused thought about how Disney has exceeded the cost of living index is true but not relevant. Other things managed to stay below our salary levels and we had more spendable income that could be used for frills. WDW remained something that we wanted to do, but, never was something that we had to do. It was a luxury and easily scratched off the "to do list" if other things more necessary got in the way.

What would be great is if Disney decided to have a "back to '83 day" just for those that went in 1983. I could get on board with that. Imagine all the kids that went back then that could now bring their own children and even grandchildren for a day. I'm betting that the place would really be packed. Of course, it would be restricted to just MK and Epcot, but, I can live with that. (Excuse the little amount of selfish daydreaming there.)
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I appreciate your perspective, but I think there may be some generational bias. Sure, things are easier for you when you plan a trip out now, because you're further on in your career so your salary is higher, most of your debt is gone (presumably), and you do have more expendable income. If you compare it with someone who is the same age as you were when it was difficult for you to get to the parks, I'd imagine you'd see much more of a correlating struggle.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
dryerlintfan said:
I appreciate your perspective, but I think there may be some generational bias. Sure, things are easier for you when you plan a trip out now, because you're further on in your career so your salary is higher, most of your debt is gone (presumably), and you do have more expendable income. If you compare it with someone who is the same age as you were when it was difficult for you to get to the parks, I'd imagine you'd see much more of a correlating struggle.
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Actually, no! I am talking about the years working up until now. Those years when many of us lived paycheck to paycheck and did everything we could to keep our heads above water. Of course it is generational, it's generational because I lived it in my generation. Now, since retirement, I have no increasing income and the only money that I have that can be even closely considered to be used for luxuries, is the money that I put away or invested for just these years. I have to dip into that money every single month just to cover necessities in the modest, but, comfortable, lifestyle that I want to have. Believe me, there is no huge stockpile of money available for me to now spend on a frivolous thing like Disney. What money is there has to last me through the rest of my life. That is based on if I live to be 85 which is highly doubtful, but, I could and even beyond. I do not relish living in a refrigerator crate under an interstate bridge when I'm in my 90's, so I cannot spend that much to go to Disney anymore. We all start out in diapers and unless we are lucky enough to take the dirt nap early we go out in them too.

By the time I went to Disney I was 35 years old, I was not just starting out. I had been married for 11 years, had two children (6 & 9). I was even in a management position. My story isn't unique. It is the reality of the times just like today is the reality of the time. It is less hard to get to Disney now then back then. No, not for those that insist on immediate gratification and think that they should be at the top of the heap immediately out of college. Unless born rich, we all start someplace. That place doesn't really figure on bright lights and parties. It takes time and during that time they will get to the place I got to when I was 35 and by careful planning be able to go always mindful that they are working, collecting a paycheck and have a steady income. It is more a cycle then a generation thing. We all live within our own generation and from what I can tell, it is no tougher now then it was back then, all the numbers are just bigger, the in's and the out's.
 
DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Actually, no! I am talking about the years working up until now. Those years when many of us lived paycheck to paycheck and did everything we could to keep our heads above water. Of course it is generational, it's generational because I lived it in my generation. Now, since retirement, I have no increasing income and the only money that I have that can be even closely considered to be used for luxuries, is the money that I put away or invested for just these years. I have to dip into that money every single month just to cover necessities in the modest, but, comfortable, lifestyle that I want to have. Believe me, there is no huge stockpile of money available for me to now spend on a frivolous thing like Disney. What money is there has to last me through the rest of my life. That is based on if I live to be 85 which is highly doubtful, but, I could and even beyond. I do not relish living in a refrigerator crate under an interstate bridge when I'm in my 90's, so I cannot spend that much to go to Disney anymore. We all start out in diapers and unless we are lucky enough to take the dirt nap early we go out in them too.

By the time I went to Disney I was 35 years old, I was not just starting out. I had been married for 11 years, had two children (6 & 9). I was even in a management position. My story isn't unique. It is the reality of the times just like today is the reality of the time. It is less hard to get to Disney now then back then. No, not for those that insist on immediate gratification and think that they should be at the top of the heap immediately out of college. Unless born rich, we all start someplace. That place doesn't really figure on bright lights and parties. It takes time and during that time they will get to the place I got to when I was 35 and by careful planning be able to go always mindful that they are working, collecting a paycheck and have a steady income. It is more a cycle then a generation thing. We all live within our own generation and from what I can tell, it is no tougher now then it was back then, all the numbers are just bigger, the in's and the out's.
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I was 35 the first time I went to Disney, too!
 

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