The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[ajrwdwgirl]

Well, I went to work because we had a long meeting today from 12-5. Now I'm completely exhausted. There was a dinner afterward, but I told them I needed to get some rest. Belle is now on my lap. I'm honestly ready to get some sleep now.

I have an appointment with my allergist tomorrow to make sure he's okay with my change in meds and to see how long he thinks I should stay on the antibiotic and steroids. I'm debating just working from home tomorrow after the appointment. Work is fine with it, and considering how wiped I am...yeah.

I hope your appointment goes okay tomorrow. Rest is a good thing, you are lucky to have a job that will let you work from home if needed.

 

[LAKid53]

Yes, exactly! It's got a fridge and sink and a lot of storage and two good sized beds. More bed than we need right now, but eventually she's going to want to invite a friend out with us.

It will help us combat weather too. We live in Ohio, so when it rains here in the spring and summer, it monsoons. We've tried setting up a tent in that, but it's been impossible even when my husband is with me. Easy peasy with this setup, as the walls pop up quickly, all our supplies are already in it, dry.

Me from five years ago would be absolutely appalled. We were avid backpackers before having a baby. Car camping is bad enough but I never would have dreamed I would be sitting here obsessing over an actual camper

So it has a kitchenette. That's amazing. I didn't realize pop ups could contain more than beds. And certainly better than a tent with a little one. Plus more secure, I'd think. I can understand you wanting one. You can go anywhere and I'm sure if properly taken care of, it will last for years, unlike a tent.

I've often thought how cool it would be to have a tiny house to use as a camper. I've seen people towing theirs on the interstate driving down to Disney. I'm sure you can hook up just like an RV.

 

[donaldtoo]

That seems pretty standard.

With your Birth certificate, you get your passport. Which is technically the Worldwide standard of identification (other countries use IDs like voting cards, but passports are pretty much standard).

And depending on the line, you could use your Cruise line card for identification inside the ship and on areas managed by the cruise company (since they pretty much have all your info, including photo, on it).

The photo thing as well, since they need to account that everyone is onboard on depart.

As for problems going OUT of the ship could be an issue related to the country she was trying to get off. An outstanding warrant or criminal offense might have triggered the country's own immigration groups.

And they could have banned her from entering (or was simply incorrectly flagged).. or tried to get off with something that was illegal to said country but legal on ship.

Yea, I talked to DS, and he remembers the Customs Agent mentioning something about her having a foreign passport, so that was probably a big part, if not all, of it.

 

[DryerLintFan]

So it has a kitchenette. That's amazing. I didn't realize pop ups could contain more than beds. And certainly better than a tent with a little one. Plus more secure, I'd think. I can understand you wanting one. You can go anywhere and I'm sure if properly taken care of, it will last for years, unlike a tent.

I've often thought how cool it would be to have a tiny house to use as a camper. I've seen people towing theirs on the interstate driving down to Disney. I'm sure you can hook up just like an RV.

A lot of pop ups have a stove, as well, and a portable toilet (you pop it into the outside and surround it with a curtain) but those models go for much higher prices and weigh too much to be pulled in our CR-V.

I grew up in a school bus which is not unlike what you're describing. It did have a lot of flexibility for travel. You just secured and latched everything and hit the road. No packing or shopping or anything. We traveled a lot when I was a child, even though we were dirt poor, because we could just move the house.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I went outside to do a quick shovel at 3pm. I came back in at 4:10! At that point we had about 8 inches and it was (and still is) snowing. At one point it was coming down at about an inch per hour. The snow is really wet and heavy and the plow had come by once, which is why I went out to shovel, so the bottom of our driveway was at least double the depth of the rest of the driveway. I should probably go out and shovel one more time before bed but my body is aching and I'm using the excuse that my coat and gloves are still soaked. I guess I will just wake up early tomorrow and do some shoveling.

I only have to work tomorrow morning until 11:30 then I'm taking hubs to the dr. for an x-ray and hopefully an all clear to start walking without the boot. So I can do any clean up shoveling after that. Ugh, why do I live here again. Anyone want to come and help shovel? It is fun....

 

[DryerLintFan]

I went outside to do a quick shovel at 3pm. I came back in at 4:10! At that point we had about 8 inches and it was (and still is) snowing. At one point it was coming down at about an inch per hour. The snow is really wet and heavy and the plow had come by once, which is why I went out to shovel, so the bottom of our driveway was at least double the depth of the rest of the driveway. I should probably go out and shovel one more time before bed but my body is aching and I'm using the excuse that my coat and gloves are still soaked. I guess I will just wake up early tomorrow and do some shoveling.

I only have to work tomorrow morning until 11:30 then I'm taking hubs to the dr. for an x-ray and hopefully an all clear to start walking without the boot. So I can do any clean up shoveling after that. Ugh, why do I live here again. Anyone want to come and help shovel? It is fun....

I would!! Sympathy like. Can you work from home in the morning instead?

 

[LAKid53]

A lot of pop ups have a stove, as well, and a portable toilet (you pop it into the outside and surround it with a curtain) but those models go for much higher prices and weigh too much to be pulled in our CR-V.

I grew up in a school bus which is not unlike what you're describing. It did have a lot of flexibility for travel. You just secured and latched everything and hit the road. No packing or shopping or anything. We traveled a lot when I was a child, even though we were dirt poor, because we could just move the house.

Some of my generation lived in school buses. It always sounded so idyllic. Get tired of where you are or need to relocate for a job? Just pack up, secure, gas up and go. What freedom.

 

[MinnieM123]

I went outside to do a quick shovel at 3pm. I came back in at 4:10! At that point we had about 8 inches and it was (and still is) snowing. At one point it was coming down at about an inch per hour. The snow is really wet and heavy and the plow had come by once, which is why I went out to shovel, so the bottom of our driveway was at least double the depth of the rest of the driveway. I should probably go out and shovel one more time before bed but my body is aching and I'm using the excuse that my coat and gloves are still soaked. I guess I will just wake up early tomorrow and do some shoveling.

I only have to work tomorrow morning until 11:30 then I'm taking hubs to the dr. for an x-ray and hopefully an all clear to start walking without the boot. So I can do any clean up shoveling after that. Ugh, why do I live here again. Anyone want to come and help shovel? It is fun....

If I lived near you, I would help you out gladly.

 

[donaldtoo]

See my edit above. You might not be able to get off the ship at foreign ports of call without a passport. Frankly, Carnival is doing a disservice to its passengers telling them you don't need a passport for their cruises. DCL pretty much stresses passports for their cruises.

No wonder Carnival doesn't have a good reputation.

Whatever Carnival's reputation is, our cruise was awesome!!! Everything from the ship itself, to the staff, to the food, to the entertainment, etc.
We priced out a DCL cruise, and it was more than 3 times what we paid with Carnival.
We had aft cabins with verandas. We had 2 cabins for 6 of us for a week. We paid about $4,800 including gratuity. DCL wanted almost $16,000...not including gratuity...!!!!!
I definitely don't see us doing a DCL cruise anytime soon.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I would!! Sympathy like. Can you work from home in the morning instead?

I wish I could work from home, but I'm a teacher so that isn't an option.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

If I lived near you, I would help you out gladly.

I know you would. It is a good workout and it was the first really heavy snow of the season. The other snow falls have been fluffy. I'm just glad I went out before the wind really picked up. About 20 minutes after I came in it looked like a full on blizzard outside, and not good blizzard from the Dairy Queen either!

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Yes, looking at an A frame pop up. My husband travels a lot at the last minute and last year all of my camping plans were ruined by this. We only made it to the woods once. It's too difficult for me to set up camp alone with such a young child, and she'll be too young to help really for a few more years. This camper would be a game changer for me. Which is good because I really really missed camping last year.



Disneyfied guilty!

You can always rent a camper and stay at Ft. Wilderness. The campers are delivered with everything hooked up when you get there.

 

[LAKid53]

Whatever Carnival's reputation is, our cruise was awesome!!! Everything from the ship itself, to the staff, to the food, to the entertainment, etc.
We priced out a DCL cruise, and it was more than 3 times what we paid with Carnival.
We had aft cabins with verandas. We had 2 cabins for 6 of us for a week. We paid about $4,800 including gratuity. DCL wanted almost $16,000...!!!!!
I definitely don't see us doing a DCL cruise anytime soon.

That's good to hear. When I decided to take my first cruise, I asked some experienced cruisers about the several cruise lines. They all said to avoid Carnaval. One told me her husband, after taking Disney, told her if she wanted him to go with her, they'd have to do DCL. And they do at least 2 cruises a year. Yes, they are more expensive, but I'm willing to pay extra for a larger stateroom, a split bathroom and all the amenities on a DCL ship. Plus, Castaway Cay is amazing. We've got 2 booked for this year already.

 

[LAKid53]

You can always rent a camper and stay at Ft. Wilderness. The campers are delivered with everything hooked up when you get there.

Really. Did not know that.

 

[donaldtoo]

Looking at campers to make life easier getting out into the woods when it's just the kid and I. The one I'm eyeballing is $10k

That's 3-4 Disney trips. It's funny that I found myself calculating worth in this way

Oooo...!!! Camper talk...!!!
For many years back in the day my mom and pop had a cabover camper on a pickup.
It slept our folks, myself, and my 2 younger bros just fine. Shortly after our lil' sis came along, my folks bought a small, used, pop up. 2 mattresses and some storage. Myself and my bros sleeping quarters...!

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Whatever Carnival's reputation is, our cruise was awesome!!! Everything from the ship itself, to the staff, to the food, to the entertainment, etc.
We priced out a DCL cruise, and it was more than 3 times what we paid with Carnival.
We had aft cabins with verandas. We had 2 cabins for 6 of us for a week. We paid about $4,800 including gratuity. DCL wanted almost $16,000...not including gratuity...!!!!!
I definitely don't see us doing a DCL cruise anytime soon.

For us an 8 night cruise and a 9 night cruise both with rooms on Lido Deck level and add in two nights of staying in Miami was cheaper than one DCL cruise. I like Disney but I enjoyed 9 different ports of call better. See more of the world instead of see more of the World.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

Really. Did not know that.

You can rent everything from a pop-up to a glorified RV. There are some companies that that their main business is renting to Ft. Wilderness guests.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I wish I could work from home, but I'm a teacher so that isn't an option.

I'll call you off. She's sick.....of this cold weather!

 

[LAKid53]

You can rent everything from a pop-up to a glorified RV. There are some companies that that their main business is renting to Ft. Wilderness guests.

And it's delivered and waiting for you. Dang, that's sweet.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Some of my generation lived in school buses. It always sounded so idyllic. Get tired of where you are or need to relocate for a job? Just pack up, secure, gas up and go. What freedom.

It's romantic to think about. And likely romantic if it's just two adults. But IMO it's so selfish to raise kids this way. I loved the travel, but living in a bus made almost every other aspect of life as a child difficult and sometimes downright terrible.