Hump Day

ei34

It is Wednesday, right?  Yesterday and today have had the strongest Thursday vibes.  Baby niece has a small procedure today because she's tongue tied, hoping it goes well.  Otherwise pretty SSDD. Wishing everyone a good day!

mrsconn23

I hope the procedure goes smoothly for your niece.  I know it's routine, but when it's a baby related to you (or your baby) it's a little nerve-wracking. 

The kiddo had some tough years in HS. We got to know his team principal...well, heh. His team principal took a job as a Jr High principal after the kiddo graduated and now he's going to be DefConn's principal next year.  The 5th grade had a meeting with the principal and counselors yesterday and DefConn introduced himself.  He also told him, "I'm not as bad as my brother."  LOL  I can't even with him sometimes.  

SSDD around here otherwise. 

VarunaTT

I thought today was Tuesday.  Now, I'm sitting here like....which day did I forget?  I'm ready for this covid brain thing to be finished.  It's really messing with me.  Or maybe I'm just getting old? IDK, but I don't like!!!

Just vibing at work.  I'm doing well with waking up at 5 am, not so well with the getting out of bed.  Which is fine, the goal I set for this week was waking up at 5 am...I didn't state I had to get out of bed.  Oops.    Apparently, that'll have to be next week's addition.

Trying to get the next few weeks figured out money management wise.  I'm once again, fairly disappointed in my employer and their insurance choices, as my STD only covered 3 days, which once again was not what we were told.  **sigh**  Oh well, at least it's 3 days and I can make it work, just have to tighten the budget up again for awhile.

Otherwise, SSDD.

banana468

Good luck to your niece @ei34!  I hope the procedure goes well and the results work for the little one and your sister!

@mrsconn23 I want to cheat on DH and watch that last episode of Ozark now.  It was SO GOOD!

SSDD here.  

mrsconn23

@banana468 I finished Ozark last night.  I am on pins and needles for the last batch of episodes.  The last two of this season (both directed by Robin Wright, who I've determined should direct all the things) were just so intense and full of crazy plot points.  How it will all unravel is going to be interesting to watch. 

VarunaTT

ETA: For your amusement.  I truly am not upset by this, it fits in with the pattern and just more validation that I have made the correct decisions, and I've healed from the trauma bond.

I now know of four friends that K has tried to reach out to and hook up with post breakup.  Now, it'd be one thing if it was casual acquaintances.  But K is going after my "ride-or-die" peeps...all people who have known me 10+ years and stuck by me through my divorce and major friendship history.  All four told me well after the fact, in other conversations where it came up organically.  One friend put it rather succinctly, "My take is that their particular brand of codependency meant that they had to try and control your access to fulfillment in order to justify their presence in your life."  Which is pretty close to some thoughts I've been having about the entire thing lately.  But whew, get thee into therapy, K!!!!

banana468

mrsconn23 said:

@banana468 I finished Ozark last night.  I am on pins and needles for the last batch of episodes.  The last two of this season (both directed by Robin Wright, who I've determined should direct all the things) were just so intense and full of crazy plot points.  How it will all unravel is going to be interesting to watch. 

I am really intrigued.  I'm reminded a lot of my HS Shakespeare teacher after reading a ton of the tragedies with the comment 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' and am waiting to see if there's a take-down in those who are growing more and more with power. 

I also desperately want to see Darlene taken down and I think all of the viewers do - so the question is going to be how is that going to happen?

mrsconn23

banana468 said:

mrsconn23 said:

@banana468 I finished Ozark last night.  I am on pins and needles for the last batch of episodes.  The last two of this season (both directed by Robin Wright, who I've determined should direct all the things) were just so intense and full of crazy plot points.  How it will all unravel is going to be interesting to watch. 

I am really intrigued.  I'm reminded a lot of my HS Shakespeare teacher after reading a ton of the tragedies with the comment 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' and am waiting to see if there's a take-down in those who are growing more and more with power. 

I also desperately want to see Darlene taken down and I think all of the viewers do - so the question is going to be how is that going to happen?

OMG, cheat on your H already so we can discuss.    LMAO 

ei34

Jeez K...what a mess @VarunaTT I'm glad that you are (mostly) out of that.
Omg defconn is too much @mrsconn23       @banana468 any insights on booking dining at Disney?  I know you guys were just there...my 60 day mark is next week and I only really want two big meals (a Mickey character breakfast at one of the 3 restaurants that offer and CRT for the castle experience)...what worked for you?

Thank you all for the well wishes!

Casadena

mrsconn23 said:

@banana468 I finished Ozark last night.  I am on pins and needles for the last batch of episodes.  The last two of this season (both directed by Robin Wright, who I've determined should direct all the things) were just so intense and full of crazy plot points.  How it will all unravel is going to be interesting to watch. 

We finished too!! It was so good that we splurged and watched 2 episodes, lol.  SO excited to watch the 2nd half

banana468

@ei34 are you booking yourself or are you working with an agent? When the booking window opens I HIGHLY recommend that if you're not working with an agent who will make the reservations for you that you get on the hot ticket reservations you want like CRT and the character breakfast.

-If you have any dining restrictions the nicer restaurants for table service are GREAT to work with.  
-I just wrote my SIL an email about a month ago with my dining recs so here's a lot of it as a C&P:

We ate at the following in park:

-MK: Jungle Skipper Canteen

-HS: 50's Primetime Cafe (Fun place - diner quality food); Hollywood Brown Derby - nicer place that's more expensive (Signature Dining) and has the old Hollywood feel.  Harder for pickier eaters and IMO - is one to skip BUT the lounge does not require reservations

-AK: Tusker House - This is the family-style dining with one choice only but it's a ton of food with African inspired flavors (spices, curries) along with mac and cheese and the characters come around

-Epcot: Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar: Table service off the Tutto Italia menu that doesn't take reservations.  It was so cold and dark in there that was PERFECT on a 90+ degree day

We also ate ate Topolino's Terrace (top of Riviera) and California Grille (top of Contemporary) for two evening meals.  They are signature dining and you have to kick up the attire a bit.  Shorts are fine for guys but you can't go w/ really casual park attire like cutoff shorts, bathing suits, etc.  I wore a dress to both places and was not out of place.  They are expensive but IMO well worth it. 

CRT has a rep for the interior but the food is so-so.  Manage expectations.

-If you have dietary restrictions put them in your reservations.  The quick service places are ones where you have fewer options to modify your choices.  At the table service places, especially the nicer ones you can likely put in your restrictions and the wait staff will talk with you.  They may even send the chef out if there are major concerns

-Places that are table service and well-rated:

Garden Grille in Epcot: family-style dining in the Land Pavilion and Chip and Dale come around.  I think it's a turkey dinner

Liberty Tree Tavern in MK - The prix fixe is a Thanksgiving Dinner/Pot Roast and looks like an old New England inn.

-Places that I have heard are not good but did not go:

Tony's Town Square in Magic Kingdom - Italian food that is not good.

Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios - this is also character dining but the food quality is known for being bad and it's nicknamed Hollywood and Slime

San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot - The reviews of the quick service places in Mexico just outside are better

It wasn't opened when we went in the summer but Columbia Harbor House was a great quick service option for the grown ups.

If you are going from one park to another give yourself the time recommended.  Epcot and HS are close but it's still at least 30+ minutes to leave the gate and get to Epcot.  If you're going from somewhere like AK to MK that's well in the 90 min range. 

MissKittyDanger

BK was heavy into costumes the other day.

Katie on Instagram: “It's a look.”

She did this 90% solo and had to "go show daddy" {who was in the shower, and not safe because she can open doors lol}

Tomorrow and Monday are "colours of love" and although we have some tops for BK to wear, I may swing by a store to see what else.

I was home yesterday {sinus pressure} but after some extra sleep and sinus meds I was fine.
I ended up sorting through BK's clothes because I had to put her laundry away and took 2T stuff out. Some may have still mostly fit but who knows how long. So it just went.

I think we're purchasing BK's bed frame soon. M has to finish a few things before we can though - last bits of her zoo {things had to get changed} and build at least 1 of the 2 side tables. I'll be glad when we can adjust everything and not have so much clutter.
I managed to get some of our bedroom decluttered also!

levioosa

I woke up thinking today was Thursday and I was very disappointed when I realized it was Wednesday. SSDD. I’m pretty tired. I have not been sleeping well and last night I took a little melatonin which did help with the quality of sleep, however now I can’t tell if the sleepiness is a melatonin hangover or if it’s just the compounded lack of sleep. 

ILoveBeachMusic

@ei34 one of the twin grandsons (can't remember which one) had to have his tongue clipped. It was minimal crying. He nursed right away and that seemed to have helped. Didn't seem to bother him the rest of day. Hope your niece has a similar experience.

Not much going on except grandparenting. The twins are at nature school this morning so I worked out while baby is sleeping. Yesterday I didn't even get a shower LOL - shades of days past as a young mother. I made the boys their baked oatmeal this morning - Nana's Baked Oatmeal is requested every time we are together. Tonight DD is making meatloaf and I am making Nana's mac-mac, another frequently requested dish.

ei34

@banana468 wow, thank you so much!  I’m reserving myself (no TA).  Fingers crossed. Going for both the character breakfast and CRT towards the end of the trip. I’m ordering groceries to our rooms to try and cut down on breakfast/lunch expenses but would like to sit down to dinner each evening. Will check your recs out, thank you!

charlotte989875

Baby M had his youngest tie clipped @ei34 (we did it two weeks later) and H had to be in the room with him because I couldn’t stop crying. The nurses at the office were so sweet telling me he couldn’t feel it and talking to me to make me feel better. But it was SUCH a huge help in breastfeeding (if that’s what your sister is hoping to do). 

CharmedPam

i want some of nana’s mac mac @ILoveBeachMusic.  Yummy! I don’t care how it’s made, just that it’s made is good enough for me
lol at defconn, @mrsconn23.  My bro was such a troublemaker that if he was older than me (he’s not) I could see myself warning my teachers too. “Don’t judge me on my last name”.
@ei34 fx for a smooth procedure.

last night, someone in another department sent me a list that I had worked on. Apparently she spent hours re-doing it for no reason.  I was waiting on the customer for an accurate list but she went ahead and spent hours filling in info that didn’t help me at all.  She complains daily how overworked she is.
when she left, I went to her boss.  He 100% sided with me, and had no idea why she took it upon herself to find all this info that we were waiting on the customer for (which, btw, came in TODAY). So I told him it was hard to feel sorry for her for “working 80 hours a week” when she clearly makes work for herself.  🙄 It was nice to have him on my side.

trivia was fun last night. That girl did remember me from my no show on the dinner price! Oops.  We got past it.  She was a bit “out there” and really over the top.  Trivia was fun… but I’m not sure I can handle her for another night again!

banana468

ei34 said:

@banana468 wow, thank you so much!  I’m reserving myself (no TA).  Fingers crossed. Going for both the character breakfast and CRT towards the end of the trip. I’m ordering groceries to our rooms to try and cut down on breakfast/lunch expenses but would like to sit down to dinner each evening. Will check your recs out, thank you!

YW!  Feel free to PM me for more questions.  

If you haven't watched the YouTube channel Dis Unplugged I highly recommend.  Also check out their website WDWINFO.com.  In it they have reviews of restaurants that are up to date (Be Our Guest opened to rave reviews and now it's in the overrated category) so it was a big help.    I also hear great things now about Steakhouse 71 in the Contemporary: advantage of that hotel is that you can walk to it from MK so while you're leaving the park it's not really that far.  We had our last dinner there and walked over in the rain.  


I'm currently on a different board debating with a local mom about mask wearing.   The mom is taking the approach that they've been telling their kids that the masks don't work and their kids hate them but there's nothing they can do so they spoke at the BOE meeting last night to talk about the need to take them off.  

I tried as nicely to tell her that we do the OPPOSITE with our kids and for some reason, they're not flipping out to take them off.  

ei34

@banana468 it is peculiar that the kids whose parents don’t trash talk them are the kids who don’t mind wearing them 🤔 ugh…there is talk of them coming off in our schools too. I don’t know if I’m ready (me or my kids) to unmask yet.  And re Disney we’re staying at the Contemporary, I’m exited for the MK proximity.  I do want to try and watch some YouTube videos at some point, STXH isn’t coming and is obviously being rotten about it, so it’d hard to get into the proper Disney spirit the way I’d like to. The kids don’t even know yet.

banana468

ei34 said:

@banana468 it is peculiar that the kids whose parents don’t trash talk them are the kids who don’t mind wearing them 🤔 ugh…there is talk of them coming off in our schools too. I don’t know if I’m ready (me or my kids) to unmask yet.  And re Disney we’re staying at the Contemporary, I’m exited for the MK proximity.  I do want to try and watch some YouTube videos at some point, STXH isn’t coming and is obviously being rotten about it, so it’d hard to get into the proper Disney spirit the way I’d like to. The kids don’t even know yet.

OMG!  

If you're into good dining you NEED to go to the California Grille.  You can see the fireworks from right outside the dining area:

Cute story - I stayed at the Contemporary when I went to Disney w/ my parents in 1991.  We ate dinner there our last night.  The waiter came to us and asked where we were staying (Caribbean Beach) and I told him that it wasn't in that hotel but I remembered watching the fireworks with my parents 30 years ago.  He ran away and came back w/ two glasses of champagne (no charge) and said, "Here's to your memory of when you were 11!"  

You'll have a big advantage for the walk if you can dine at Chef Mickey's for breakfast which I think is character dining.  It's not "great" but the characters make it fun.

If you're into funky food I loved Tusker House which was also character dining and African-inspired flavors.  Delicious!

ILoveBeachMusic

banana468 said:

ei34 said:

@banana468 wow, thank you so much!  I’m reserving myself (no TA).  Fingers crossed. Going for both the character breakfast and CRT towards the end of the trip. I’m ordering groceries to our rooms to try and cut down on breakfast/lunch expenses but would like to sit down to dinner each evening. Will check your recs out, thank you!

YW!  Feel free to PM me for more questions.  

If you haven't watched the YouTube channel Dis Unplugged I highly recommend.  Also check out their website WDWINFO.com.  In it they have reviews of restaurants that are up to date (Be Our Guest opened to rave reviews and now it's in the overrated category) so it was a big help.    I also hear great things now about Steakhouse 71 in the Contemporary: advantage of that hotel is that you can walk to it from MK so while you're leaving the park it's not really that far.  We had our last dinner there and walked over in the rain.  


I'm currently on a different board debating with a local mom about mask wearing.   The mom is taking the approach that they've been telling their kids that the masks don't work and their kids hate them but there's nothing they can do so they spoke at the BOE meeting last night to talk about the need to take them off.  

I tried as nicely to tell her that we do the OPPOSITE with our kids and for some reason, they're not flipping out to take them off.  

I've said all along when parents say their children won't wear masks, that the example starts at home - like with a lot of things in general. DD and H have worn masks since the beginning. The twins started wearing them at 2 yo. They have no issue with them. They have to wear them at pre-school - granted that isn't a full day. Children parrot what they hear and do what they see. So no surprise that mom's kids hate them.

Jen4948

My cousin's son Grayson, whom I have posted about before, sadly is back in the hospital.  We all hope that one day he will be out for good and can finally live a relatively normal life.

Beyond that, I'm balancing several part-time accounting and tax jobs and seeing a guy friend whose wife abandoned him with their autistic twins. We dated a bit before he was married. I told him, and he accepts, that I'm friend zoning him because he has so much baggage to unpack. He's got a ways to go, but we have good conversations about lots of things, not just his family life.

I'm starting to wonder if I myself am commitment-phobic to some degree. I came close to getting engaged about 8 years ago when I lived in NYC but when I moved to Houston, my ex and I broke up. I haven't really been in any relationships since then, but I haven't wanted to be. Part of me isn't sure about not being single anymore after being single for so long!

banana468

ILoveBeachMusic said:

banana468 said:

ei34 said:

@banana468 wow, thank you so much!  I’m reserving myself (no TA).  Fingers crossed. Going for both the character breakfast and CRT towards the end of the trip. I’m ordering groceries to our rooms to try and cut down on breakfast/lunch expenses but would like to sit down to dinner each evening. Will check your recs out, thank you!

YW!  Feel free to PM me for more questions.  

If you haven't watched the YouTube channel Dis Unplugged I highly recommend.  Also check out their website WDWINFO.com.  In it they have reviews of restaurants that are up to date (Be Our Guest opened to rave reviews and now it's in the overrated category) so it was a big help.    I also hear great things now about Steakhouse 71 in the Contemporary: advantage of that hotel is that you can walk to it from MK so while you're leaving the park it's not really that far.  We had our last dinner there and walked over in the rain.  


I'm currently on a different board debating with a local mom about mask wearing.   The mom is taking the approach that they've been telling their kids that the masks don't work and their kids hate them but there's nothing they can do so they spoke at the BOE meeting last night to talk about the need to take them off.  

I tried as nicely to tell her that we do the OPPOSITE with our kids and for some reason, they're not flipping out to take them off.  

I've said all along when parents say their children won't wear masks, that the example starts at home - like with a lot of things in general. DD and H have worn masks since the beginning. The twins started wearing them at 2 yo. They have no issue with them. They have to wear them at pre-school - granted that isn't a full day. Children parrot what they hear and do what they see. So no surprise that mom's kids hate them.

That's basically what I've witnessed on my local board.

I get it.  We're going to need to unmask and have a plan to do so but:
-Right now they are still required per federal law on busses.
-It's winter and the height of cold and flu season and hospitals are still seeing a lot of patients.  Is there a reason that it needs to be right this minute and not say, for the return from April vacation which is around the 20th?  

CharmedPam

Jen4948 said:

My cousin's son Grayson, whom I have posted about before, sadly is back in the hospital.  We all hope that one day he will be out for good and can finally live a relatively normal life.

Beyond that, I'm balancing several part-time accounting and tax jobs and seeing a guy friend whose wife abandoned him with their autistic twins. We dated a bit before he was married. I told him, and he accepts, that I'm friend zoning him because he has so much baggage to unpack. He's got a ways to go, but we have good conversations about lots of things, not just his family life.

I'm starting to wonder if I myself am commitment-phobic to some degree. I came close to getting engaged about 8 years ago when I lived in NYC but when I moved to Houston, my ex and I broke up. I haven't really been in any relationships since then, but I haven't wanted to be. Part of me isn't sure about not being single anymore after being single for so long!

That’s awesome that your friends though.  Having someone to talk to and hang out with. I didn’t read any of that as “commitment phobe”.  Just cautious, and nothing wrong with that!

CharmedPam

banana468 said:

That's basically what I've witnessed on my local board.

I get it.  We're going to need to unmask and have a plan to do so but:
-Right now they are still required per federal law on busses.
-It's winter and the height of cold and flu season and hospitals are still seeing a lot of patients.  Is there a reason that it needs to be right this minute and not say, for the return from April vacation which is around the 20th?  

I’m seeing deja vu from last spring when it was immediate masks off

banana468

CharmedPam said:

banana468 said:

That's basically what I've witnessed on my local board.

I get it.  We're going to need to unmask and have a plan to do so but:
-Right now they are still required per federal law on busses.
-It's winter and the height of cold and flu season and hospitals are still seeing a lot of patients.  Is there a reason that it needs to be right this minute and not say, for the return from April vacation which is around the 20th?  

I’m seeing deja vu from last spring when it was immediate masks off

We never had them off in the classrooms.  Kids weren't able to be vaccinated until November 2021 and teachers were only able to start their vaccines in March.   

The current status in my town is that masks are recommended in public buildings for the vaccinated and required for the unvaccinated.   The town will not be checking  for your status.  It is about the dumbest rule in the world.  Why not say, "This is the line for people who watch porn and the other line is for the people who don't."