The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[MinnieM123]

No backpack can outdo my LLBean.

It went all the way through college with me, on every vacation since 2014, around WDW in 2014, and it's still going strong.

We used to go through a backpack a year before I noticed my best friend in elementary school never replaced her LLBean. We wised up. My brother's been carrying the same backpack since middle school, and he's now a junior.

Bean's is the best -- all their merchandise is quality. Been a Bean's customer for many years. You get what you pay for with them.

 

[MinnieM123]

@Mr Ferret 88 , is there any time change over in Guernsey, or does the island maintain one time (no daylight savings time, etc.)?

 

[Rista1313]

Understatement. But Ohare is a Hub for United and tends to be more reliable but I am a short woman and it is tight. Due to flight schedules if we fly into Ohare we tend to fly American. Their seats are larger as is the under seat area but at MCO they outsource their baggage checking and also have obnoxious outside company stalking passengers loading the plane and harassing them. A businessman loading the flight in front of us was stopped and told he'd have to choose and check one of his bag as he was only allowed 1 carry on and one personal smaller item. She told him he had three and pointed to a small grocery bag holding only a sub sandwich. He loudly retorted OK check this. The AA gate agent put an end to it with the Bag Lady. She has harassed my DD twice now, same lady telling her that her carry on was too large and she had to check it. DD stood firm knowing it was correct...we all bought new carry ons when the dimensions changed. Then she told her she had to zip the extenders. DD said no, it complies. She yanked the bag away from her and DROPPED it into the the metal rack and it easily fit and flings it back at her pointing to the jet way. I really wish some of these executives would see what is representing them and how they antagonize the customers just cause they can.

We do better overall with Midway and SouthWest most of the time. It is a rougher neighborhood especially landing around midnight so we tend to avoid it coming back from Disney.

The rougher neighborhood comment made me giggle... do you get off the plane and walk around cicero?? Midway airport blows my mind... when I worked for Midway 1 (here in GR) when I would go to MDW, the poor airport was so old! When I worked there (for Midway Airlines 2) it looked only a little different with Southwest taking over some of the Midway gates.... Now I don't even recognize it... they sure have spiffed it up!

 

[King Racoon 77]

@Mr Ferret 88 , is there any time change over in Guernsey, or does the island maintain one time (no daylight savings time, etc.)?

Clocks go forward on 31st March. And back in October.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

July 20th- August...3rd? 4th? I know we check in on the 20th and we are there for 2 weeks. It was pretty busy when we went in 2016...that was around the same time. I think then it was July 25th for 10 days. I remember that towards the end, it had slowed down a LOT, because the kids went back to school.

The time period we went was around July 15- July 20 or 21. It was for my oldest dd birthday both times. I actually remember Epcot being empty around the UK. It was an earlier hour like around 11 or so. Sure WS just opens at 11 but the UK and Canada areas are not closed off. I remarked that it was quieter than when we go in May. It was busier later, but I just remember being amazed at how empty it was at first. Schools don't go back in until August. Our area goes back close to the third week of August. That is about when Florida schools go back in session as well. Some other states start back up a little earlier in August, but unless a school is year round kids are off school through the month of July.

 

[Rista1313]

The time period we went was around July 15- July 20 or 21. It was for my oldest dd birthday both times. I actually remember Epcot being empty around the UK. It was an earlier hour like around 11 or so. Sure WS just opens at 11 but the UK and Canada areas are not closed off. I remarked that it was quieter than when we go in May. It was busier later, but I just remember being amazed at how empty it was at first. Schools don't go back in until August. Our area goes back close to the third week of August. That is about when Florida schools go back in session as well. Some other states start back up a little earlier in August, but unless a school is year round kids are off school through the month of July.

I think Michigan is slowly changing to an august start... we've always been a state that started after Labor day, but I think that's finally changing... and I don't know how I feel about it.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

So my weekend was very nice. We saw Annie Jr. which was what my oldest was in on Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a busy day with losing an hour of sleep. I did have some classes to teach early and was done by 8:30 am. Then there was cooking to do. Dh went grocery shopping and then he had to go back to Walmart an hour later because it was a superhero themed practice day at youngest's gym. We of course have nothing superheroish and I didn't want her to get a full costume she would never wear again. The picked out a girl power tee and for less than $4 that was quite acceptable. Then after the gym we had to get ready to go to the cast party for Annie Jr. which was in the evening. The kids all had fun. We were home just before 9. There was a livestream of WDW so we put that on and ended our day with Happily Ever After.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I think Michigan is slowly changing to an august start... we've always been a state that started after Labor day, but I think that's finally changing... and I don't know how I feel about it.

Let me just say that it is a terrible idea, especially when you live in a colder state. The kids don't get to enjoy the warmer weather long enough. They should start right after Labor Day. Our kids in public school get out the end of May or first week of June. The problem is is that the weather is still cool. The pools around here that offer swim lessons are not even heated. Sorry but my kids are not going to jump in a pool in the morning when the temperature is still in the 60's and the pool water is in the 50's. I am wondering if the push to start earlier is a way to start year round schooling. That may be something @ajrwdwgirl may have a clue about.

 

[Rista1313]

Let me just say that it is a terrible idea, especially when you live in a colder state. The kids don't get to enjoy the warmer weather long enough. They should start right after Labor Day. Our kids in public school get out the end of May or first week of June. The problem is is that the weather is still cool. The pools around here that offer swim lessons are not even heated. Sorry but my kids are not going to jump in a pool in the morning when the temperature is still in the 60's and the pool water is in the 50's. I am wondering if the push to start earlier is a way to start year round schooling. That may be something @ajrwdwgirl may have a clue about.

I do agree with that... plus with the way the seasons have shifted about a month (Summer use to be June, July, August. Now it seems to be July, August, September) It doesn't get hot until July, then you put the kids back in School in August when it's a bajillion degrees and expect them to pay attention!

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I'm exhausted....I should be sleeping. We went to this GeoFort thing today...it's an educational "theme park". It's all science-based stuff....there's an interactive sandbox where you can create different topography and push a button to change from volcanos to rivers, etc. They had a mine craft scavenger hunt. They had some mazes that you had to answer questions about weather, land, etc to get the code to get out. There were computers where you simulate air jobs like...finding illegal plants, or logging improvements made to buildings for zoning. There was a station where you could build a tower and every minute or so it would simulate an earthquake and you could see how well your tower withstood it. Lot's of stuff to do. So then we go to dinner at this all you can eat place with different stations. We were around an hour into it I get back to the table and DH is grey and shaking and says he's in a lot of pain and he's calling urgent care because he thinks he might have appendicitis. We rushed out of the restaurant and to the hospital urgent care place. Fortunately, it was a quick diagnosis, and NOT appendicitis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ITjqLSAZY

So he's fine, but it was draining. The restaurant was so nice...we had told them why we were leaving early, and they let us come back to finish our meal. So we're back home now, DH feels fine, and he got some strong pain meds in case it flares up again. He has to go to our doctor on Monday morning to check up, see how it's going. Poor DS had a really hard time. He LOVES sheep, and one of the things at GeoFort was the minecraft thing, and they had a stuffed sheep from Minecraft, and we let him get it. His name is Notch. So throughout the whole thing, DS is talking to Notch like "Are you scared, Notch?" or "Notch wants to know what appendicitis is?" And then when we found out it was kidney stones, he says "Do you feel better, Notch?" and then he talks as Notch "Yes, but I'm still scared daddy might need surgery," so we had to talk about how that's rare, kidney stones aren't usually dangerous, etc. It was just sad. He was trying so hard not to cry and he was SO happy when DH came back out and said he was fine.

So that was my day. Anyone else have an "adventure"?

The like is for dh being better. My dh had kidney stones twice. The first time since he didn't know what it was, he was in a lot of pain. The second time he said it wasn't as bad because he knew what to expect. Hoping there isn't a third time. His just passed, no surgery needed. Your weekend sounded fun otherwise.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I do agree with that... plus with the way the seasons have shifted about a month (Summer use to be June, July, August. Now it seems to be July, August, September) It doesn't get hot until July, then you put the kids back in School in August when it's a bajillion degrees and expect them to pay attention!

Ha! I thought it was me that only noticed that about the seasons. Last summer was the worst. Not only was it cooler, but it practically rained every other day. I felt that PA had become the new Pacific Northwest.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Let me just say that it is a terrible idea, especially when you live in a colder state. The kids don't get to enjoy the warmer weather long enough. They should start right after Labor Day. Our kids in public school get out the end of May or first week of June. The problem is is that the weather is still cool. The pools around here that offer swim lessons are not even heated. Sorry but my kids are not going to jump in a pool in the morning when the temperature is still in the 60's and the pool water is in the 50's. I am wondering if the push to start earlier is a way to start year round schooling. That may be something @ajrwdwgirl may have a clue about.

I don’t think the year round or August start would fly in my state because the tourism industry lobbied hard for the after Labor Day. They rely on a lot of teens to fill positions.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Spring forward they said...it'll be lighter at night they said... well I prefer for it to be light in the morning!

Got Beef Barley soup in the crockpot for later today and laundry is going.

I love daylight savings because the family can take a walk when dh gets home at 6. He can also enjoy outdoor time more after work, so he is less grumpy. When we go to Disney we can enjoy more of it longer because it isn't dark at like 5. When it gets dark, I want to go to sleep. That's just me though. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

It hit 60 here and I had on my wool maxi length London Fog. I took the gloves off when it hit 50ish

It was supposed to get to 64 here yesterday. Never made it past 50 and it finally hit that at about 7 pm!

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Finally received a volleyball email!

Here’s T’s sports schedule tomorrow-

5pm-6:30 Goalkeeper Training (last session).

6-7:30pm Volleyball (first practice).

6:15-8:30 Baseball ( 1st outdoor practice)





I have no idea what to do. Each one is 20-30 minutes drive time from the other.

I don't think any of that is possible, unless you have a time turner. (Harry Potter reference.)

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I don't deserve your admiration. The stuffed shells are in a bag. I take sauce and layer the glass baking dish....put the stuffed shells on that....then put more sauce on as a top layer. Next just stick it in the oven and wait until it's done

Ah, but you did take the effort to do it.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I made this mistake. It's out of the wash for the zillionth time and needs a steam View attachment 355801

Are you talking about a stain that I see? My dd11 spilled tomato sauce on a light pink dress. I had it scrubbed with detergent within an hour. I had it sit for a day. Washed it and you can still see some remnant of a stain. I have it scrubbed again and sitting again. I hate tomato stains and chocolate stains. I use ALL as well, and it usually works better than it did.

 

[Rista1313]

Ha! I thought it was me that only noticed that about the seasons. Last summer was the worst. Not only was it cooler, but it practically rained every other day. I felt that PA had become the new Pacific Northwest.

It was SO muggy last summer in Michigan... we usually sit outside every night on the patio... but we could not do that last year... too hot!

 

[Rista1313]

I don’t think the year round or August start would fly in my state because the tourism industry lobbied hard for the after Labor Day. They rely on a lot of teens to fill positions.

I never thought I would see the day here in Michigan either... but some schools started it two years ago. (not all schools, which I find odd)

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

That brand and flavor is the only one I buy. They can't keep it on the shelves. Goes out as fast as they get it in.

When I buy jarred, I like Newman's Marinara. Almost tastes like mine. So, if you buy it and use it, you can imagine yourself eating your pasta in my house.