The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[networkpro]

Woot! Good for you!

I walk deliberately about 5 miles a day. I average about 15,000 steps a day on my fitbit. GABE does not run.

I'm with you. I stopped running the day I retired from the Army, but I still walk a bunch every day.

 

[MinnieM123]

Got to say though on Disney Property daily there are enough accidents. Just too many people who are not familiar with their surroundings and distracted.

This is just a heads up to everyone -- I could not believe the amount of road work going on in and around the roads of WDW and beyond. Never seen anything like this before. Giant trucks moving mountains of dirt, pavers, and those orange and white cones blocking off lanes, etc. Thank God I take Disney buses and/or taxis, etc.

If you drive down there, be prepared for some quick changes in the road reconfigurations. It's a mess.

 

[Songbird76]

Those cupcakes look really good. So nice of that lady to make them, although it was money in her pocket. Your daughter looks so happy, hope she had a good birthday.



I've only driven out there once and we did stop at the Corn Palace, and I agree it is one and done. Hubby has driven out there quite a few times on Youth Mission trips to the Reservation and the kids always want to stop at the Corn Palace and Wall Drug. When hubby and I drove out there I wanted to see the Jolly Green Giant, but he didn't want to take the time, I agreed to not see it but next time we drive out that way I'm going to see it!

DD's birthday is actually Monday, but she has school and it's their school trip to the zoo. So we celebrated with the in-laws today and we are having her 2 best friends over for a netflix day tomorrow. And yes, the cupcakes ARE money in her pocket...very expensive, but they are DELICIOUS and I was quite surprised she would take an order so late. Being quite fond of baking myself, I know how much work goes into these. No way could she have gone to the store by that time to get the ingredients...she'd have to do it in the morning, and I'm sure it was inconvenient. So it was still really nice of her to do it on such short notice. I'm really glad she did though. And now we have some cupcakes for the "not party" tomorrow, too!

 

[MinnieM123]

Can I ask you something? You said you've been going for years...did you ever do Shark Reef and did you have to pay extra for it?

Believe it or not, I never went to Shark Reef. As I recall there was a separate fee for that (at Typhoon Lagoon), but I think now they have removed Shark Reef, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[MinnieM123]

We celebrated DD's birthday with my in-laws today and I had planned to take her shopping in Arnhem and stop in at this cupcake shop we love, but I went to look up the hours last night and discovered it is permanently closed. So I went looking to find out what happened and if it was truly closed or just moved, and discovered the lady still takes orders and bakes from her home. She was very accommodating and even though it was almost 10 pm, she took my order and made us delicious caramel popcorn cupcakes.
View attachment 206203

DD was soooo happy!

View attachment 206204

You daughter is so cute and looks so happy with her cupcake! Sweet!

 

[Gabe1]

Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon was always included with admission, unless maybe you wanted to scuba instead of just the free snorkel. It closed in late 2016, I think park of the new family raft ride is now using some of that area or maybe not but I know that they permanently closed shark reef.

I saw on another site on Grand Opening Day for the new Family Raft ride that Shark Reef was still intact behind the construction walls. Fish gone. Water Gone, at that time everything else was in place in the photos. And they got some good ones. Thought to oneself Its River Country all over again.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Ok, thanks...that's what I thought, but we were all excited to do that last Summer and then we got there and they were charging $20 per person to do it, so we ended up not doing it. I couldn't find ANYTHING in the books or website information indicating there was an upcharge for it and I was sure I read somewhere that it was included, so I was very disappointed to find out otherwise. But when I asked a CM, she said they'd always charged, but it really didn't sound like she was telling the truth. I'm wondering if they are instructed to fib on stuff like that so people don't get mad when they get charged extra. "uh...no ma'am, it's always been that way."

I guess I only did it once and that was when I was still in high school, so the mid-90's. It was free then, so maybe they did switch to a charge. I didn't have a good experience, I didn't know how to snorkel and I kept swallowing water and I felt ill for hours after. So I never looked into doing it again. I actually have never even tried snorkeling with any of my trips to places that are known for excellent snorkeling and reefs.

 

[Gabe1]

I like your response--especially the part about putting characters on lockers. That's about my speed. As an adult, I wish they'd make Garanimals clothing for us. I could create lovely outfits by matching my orangutans with orangutans, and gorillas with gorillas!!

From now on, I'll heed your other advice about just using a very common code. Again,I think it was just more that I wasn't aware of the locker payment changes, and it sort of threw me off.

Thanks for the helpful tips!

I'm like you, getting caught off guard makes my brain go squish.
It is like opening a new bank account etc and on the spot they want
a user name and password and then they keep saying: Sorry that is taken, try another. Then I best text it to my DD or I will likely forget it by the time I need to use it.

 

[Gabe1]

That's a good system for carrying the numbers in his wallet. However, in a water park, it wasn't like I could carry my wallet with me. That was the issue--I had to memorize the locker number and my pass code, which I had to make up on the spot. (P.S.: Numbers are not my thing!! I know that's hard for a good mathematics teacher like you to understand! )

For lockers and things like that-that are very short term and anonymous to those around you try the last numbers of your home or cell phone number.

 

[donaldtoo]

I did! The very first thing we did was get milkshakes and then go to Perkins in honor of my dad, since that was one of his favorites. I made sure to get most of my favorites in, but a lot of things have changed...like...no chicken broccoli alfredo at Applebees anymore. And I got some things and mailed a box home to myself last week. I managed to get girl scout cookies, too!

We helped both of our DD's sell Girl Scout Cookies over an overlapping decade. Man, they sold a lot of those things. One year, oldest DD sold over 1500 boxes.
It was a good learning experience for them, and I don't remember us ever having to pay for summer camp.
They used to sell them out in front of Walmart, Shoe Carnival, Blockbuster, etc.
As parents, we were not allowed to "sell" them at the booths...the girls had to do all the sale talking.
We talk about it often...good memories...!!!
Glad you were able to snag some while you were here...sooo many of the old ones still around and sooo delicious...!!!

 

[Songbird76]

I guess I only did it once and that was when I was still in high school, so the mid-90's. It was free then, so maybe they did switch to a charge. I didn't have a good experience, I didn't know how to snorkel and I kept swallowing water and I felt ill for hours after. So I never looked into doing it again. I actually have never even tried snorkeling with any of my trips to places that are known for excellent snorkeling and reefs.

I saw they had removed it now and thought, darn...wish we had paid the extra to do it while we had the chance. It just seemed like a ridiculous extra price when you've already paid so much just to get into the park. We didn't stay long at TL.

 

[donaldtoo]

Happy Monday, best day of the week

OK, now you're the one that needs help...!!!

 

[Songbird76]

We helped both of our DD's sell Girl Scout Cookies over an overlapping decade. Man, they sold a lot of those things. One year, oldest DD sold over 1500 boxes.
It was a good learning experience for them, and I don't remember us ever having to pay for summer camp.
They used to sell them out in front of Walmart, Shoe Carnival, Blockbuster, etc.
As parents, we were not allowed to "sell" them at the booths...the girls had to do all the sale talking.
We talk about it often...good memories...!!!
Glad you were able to snag some while you were here...sooo many of the old ones still around and sooo delicious...!!!

Oh man, I sold my share of them back in the day. Our town had fewer than 1500 people and I still managed to sell close to 500 boxes every year. I was always top seller, though and no one ever came anywhere close to that many. It was always me at 450 or so and the next person MIGHT have 50-75. I loved selling them back then. My poor mom had to drive me all over town. Granted, town was only 1 square mile or so, but still...the time involved. Yikes. I wouldn't do that today.

 

[donaldtoo]

Oh man, I sold my share of them back in the day. Our town had fewer than 1500 people and I still managed to sell close to 500 boxes every year. I was always top seller, though and no one ever came anywhere close to that many. It was always me at 450 or so and the next person MIGHT have 50-75. I loved selling them back then. My poor mom had to drive me all over town. Granted, town was only 1 square mile or so, but still...the time involved. Yikes. I wouldn't do that today.

Yep, during the overlap time, DWifey and myself were usually at different booths with both DD's at the same time.
Although they were up there as top sellers in the Service Unit and got awards for such several times at Council eremonies, they were never the top sellers in the Council, overall. I remember at least one year where the top seller in the Council sold over 5000 boxes... !!!
I think I remember the next closest that year being at a respectable 2700-ish...!

And yes, there was a lot of time involved, but, we all enjoyed it, and they learned so much...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

Lifeguards out at Volcano Bay. Test Runs again. I am so excited (that should surprise nobody) for a new waterpark. Waterpark attractions have a life expectancy of about 20 years, their infrastructure goes more quickly than the things we visually see. We've seen over the last years how many issues both Typhoon (27) and Blizzard (22) are having. So I'm doing a happy dance, want to do Volcano on our next visit.

Note: @bioreconstruct out on the web has some awesome air shots of the park.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

 

[donaldtoo]

Best day of the week?!?! I think not, that is Saturday.

Yep, even though Half-day Fridays are pretty cool, nothin' beats a Saturday...!!!

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Hey! Just checking in. We had an awesome dinner at Art Smith's restaurant. The food lived up to the hype. Dh said it was the best meal he had eaten in years. Asked me to book it again for the next trip.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Do you remember

When there was green and purple ketchup?

or remember playing with the parachute in PE Class or when it was called gym class?

or do you remember wondering what Wilson looked like?

Or do you remember Mood Rings?

Or do you remember scented magic markers, yes we were taught to stick a marker to our nose and inhale.

or do you remember these Mickey Mouse watches?

I remember all that. They use the parachute where my kids do gymnastics/cheer. They use it for the little kids warm up games sometimes. I could never eat the different colored ketchups. I knew it tasted the same, the color was just off-putting.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

The Green was even worse. I bought them for my kids when they were little.
A 90's thing.

I wanted to say that too, that we finally did have a Wilson reveal in the end.
Not really remembering. I loved that show but it stayed on a little past its prime, turned into a drama more than a sitcom in the end.

Which is why I stopped watching it.