The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Songbird76]

I love hearing, seeing and smelling the ocean but hate the beach or going for a swim in the ocean. I'm also not a lounge by the pool person but I do like the heat. This holiday in Bali we had to do things a bit different because of my mum and the kids so more pool time and relaxing and hardly any sight seeing. It's nice because we are together but I would never do this on a solo trip.
I've been lucky and have seen all those places in Italy you are talking about and I have visited Greece several times as well. They are certainly worth exploring, not to mention the wonderful food and coffee in Italy.

Well I don't drink coffee (or tea) so that's not a draw for me, but the food definitely is! But mostly I just want to see everything. It's like a history lesson. (Yes, I'm a nerd.)

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Starting with a Manhattan at the airport. Only 2.5 hours til boarding!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

So today was possibly/probably the last time I'll see my Grandma. She's much worse than the last time I saw her; she can barely put words together. It was like listening to a baby try to talk for the first time.

I'm very grateful to be well into my 40's and she's still here. She was still completely instrumental in my life until a few years ago. (When Grandpa died, she went downhill.) She has been literally *the* most important and consistent person in my life from day one.

But after a few minutes, she did recognize me. She was able to give me a kiss before I left. I said, "I love you" and she said, "awww" and smiled and nodded.

That's enough.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

So I'm trying to figure out where to go on our next trip after Disney... You would think an ex airline employee and ex travel agent would have a list... but I'm not sure. Have passport... can go almost anywhere! But where?

Hawaii.

You're welcome.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

New York/connecticut/Philadelphia for genealogy and revolutionary war history
Washington DC to see the Smithsonian since we didn't have time when we were there

Smithsonian is the best part of DC. Though honestly, I've never understood why people who aren't from here are so infatuated with DC. Out of the cities that I've been to, it has the least amount of character. The history and the architecture are neat, but you don't need to spend more than a few days there. I personally like Philly much more, and I'd love to do NYC.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Freeloaders in my Manhattan!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

So today was possibly/probably the last time I'll see my Grandma. She's much worse than the last time I saw her; she can barely put words together. It was like listening to a baby try to talk for the first time.

I'm very grateful to be well into my 40's and she's still here. She was still completely instrumental in my life until a few years ago. (When Grandpa died, she went downhill.) She has been literally *the* most important and consistent person in my life from day one.

But after a few minutes, she did recognize me. She was able to give me a kiss before I left. I said, "I love you" and she said, "awww" and smiled and nodded.

That's enough.

I’m sorry to hear that. I’m glad though that you had a chance to express your love towards her though.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

When I was a kid, we never had air conditioning in our homes or our cars.

It was very similar for me. My parents did not get central air before 1988. 1988 also was the warmest summer on record before 2012. The home depended on fans. The nature of my parents house is the front room up stairs does not have central air or heating, but rest of the rooms up stair do.

My mom had a 1983 van at the time, but it did not have air conditioning. My parents brought it brand new, but was more of a do it your self van. I forget the exact term my parents used about the van, but it had a lot of space between my parents seats to where my younger brother sat in the back. My dad added stuff to the van including 2 small fans with them close to the area where my younger brother and I seat. My dad wired the fans with my dad hook them in a way they are connect from the top inside part of the fan.

The 2 fans is the closest thing to air conditioning my mom's van had.

The nature of the van was one that it was made to be a do it your self by the amount of empty space made for the owner to add stuff like fans, table were my younger and I saw, lights were my younger brother and I sat.

I did not remember my dad' having cars with air conditioning when I was growing up. We got air by cranking the windows.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Well, I guess that many of us are watching our 4th of July festivities on TV this year! And the good thing about being inside, is that you'll be away from the mosquitoes!

What I know is tonight could be very bad for watching the lakefront fireworks including on tv. Fog is supposed to come in before fireworks start.

I don't expect the lakefront fireworks to be delayed to tomorrow night. The last time their was fog before the lakefront fireworks started, fireworks were shot in the fog.

While the tv station had fireworks coverage during the fog, you could not see the fireworks at all. The thing that made me shake my head more is one person made the comment they had no problems seeing the fireworks at all.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Boarded.

**whirlwind tour**

Better seat this time: row 15 window. (And I didn’t pay!)

Home by 10.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The only reason some southern parts of the country are so populated is because of lovely ac.

Yes, there was a whole TV show on it a while ago, but, even before that there were an awful lot of people down here, but, no real industry around the area until after AC came into usable existence. Just the layers of clothes that people wore during and before the turn of the century makes me wonder how the population grew at all. It was well before the invention of running water, daily baths and deodorant. Talk about air pollution. Think about how today's population reacts to a person on the Monorail in Disney that was lacking in probably one days worth of deodorant. It must have been awful back then, but, everyone was in the same situation so they likely didn't notice it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Spent a little quality time with three of my four grandkids today. We try and play golf together at least once a year. It is fun and the older they get the more fun it is. I'm the one that is the second from the right. I know it is hard to know the difference in ages of all of us. One 17, one 18 and one 19 and me, of course, just a little over 21. BTW, hottest day of the summer today, and yet I survived.

 

[Rista1313]

Hawaii.

You're welcome.

Yeah....besides aulani, I'd have to do some research on the best places to stay

 

[Rista1313]

Smithsonian is the best part of DC. Though honestly, I've never understood why people who aren't from here are so infatuated with DC. Out of the cities that I've been to, it has the least amount of character. The history and the architecture are neat, but you don't need to spend more than a few days there. I personally like Philly much more, and I'd love to do NYC.

I was in DC when I was 17... that was enough for me... but I don't think hubby has been there... however... New Orleans this year was for him... next will have to be somewhere for both of us.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Yeah....besides aulani, I'd have to do some research on the best places to stay

We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu a few times. On Maui we rented a condo which was great. On Kauai we stayed at a Hilton and on the Big Island we stayed at a little house in Volcano for a couple nights and then at the Hilton Waikaloa Village (huge, but nice. It has a "monorail"). I would stay at any of those places again and from what I remember would be go for people with disabilities.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Guess who has a problem with the ac in their house? Our unit for the downstairs is not working right. We have central air. We have a home warranty with American Home Shield. I called in for a service call yesterday. Still waiting.

I hope your AC gets fixed soon.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Yeah, the disability is tough. I have problems with my hip, so I do try to be careful with not doing too many stairs, which can be a problem because DS is terrified of Elevators. Most places now are required to have access for disabled people, but not all the historic places can do that. With Neuschwanstein, there's a steep hike up the side of the mountain....45 minutes, but they DO offer carriage rides, and I'm sure they have an option for disabled people, but I remember there were also a number of stairs in the castle itself, so I don't know how they handle that aspect of the tours.
And I bet it depends on the country. Most of Europe is pretty good about that, but I don't know about some of those countries in Asia, or Africa, where it's not as developed. My best friend is in Thailand right now, and heading to Malaysia in a few days, and she's been to Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. I'll have to ask her what accessibility is like.

They are all terrible for people with mobility issues.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Smithsonian is the best part of DC. Though honestly, I've never understood why people who aren't from here are so infatuated with DC. Out of the cities that I've been to, it has the least amount of character. The history and the architecture are neat, but you don't need to spend more than a few days there. I personally like Philly much more, and I'd love to do NYC.

I visited the White House gardens in DC and they were the highlight of that trip. Second would be the pandas in the (free) zoo.
NYC does offer more and has more variation.
I loved Maui, very relaxing and beautiful. However @Rista1313 won't need to use her passport for any of these destinations...

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Boarded.

**whirlwind tour**

Better seat this time: row 15 window. (And I didn’t pay!)

Home by 10.

I hope you got home safe.
I'm glad you got to spent some time with your grandma and she remembered you plus you got to tell her you love her in person.

 

[Rista1313]

Good Grief it sounds like the world is ending in a firework frenzy outside tonight. Wonder what tomorrow will be like? Right now they are forecasting rain, so maybe everyone will get it done tonight!