Fish and Chips

A short boat ride away from Old Key West Resort is Downtown Disney. Maybe Thursday night we will make a late dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub. An Irish band and step dancers make this a lively atmosphere. I'm looking forward to some good beer also.

Wow

until now I didn't realize how huge Disney World is.
But by now I am starting to see that a full week will be easy to fill with all kinds of experiences. I know, until now you only talked about food, but for just that you can already choose from so many different places that I am no longer worried we might get bored.

Have some good news, Wednesday we can pick up my sons passport.
Over here we are in luck, it takes only a week. Another good thing about this is that my son is finally starting to realize that this whole trip is for real.
Not something that won't go at the last moment, just too many things have to be arranged for that.

And yes, slowly things are getting done here.
Passports are done, travel insurance is taken care of and it looks like the doggies are taken care of also, which is a huge relief to me.

Only 6 more weeks

Get Your Camera Out Petra

We both thought that eating at "Boma" at the Animal Kingdom Lodge would be fun. Foods from the continent of Africa. From Morocco to South Africa and spices that we never see here. It will be an experience.

Another reason we felt it would be a good place to go is that there is a viewing area at the lodge that you can watch the animals. I think Petra may have a few pictures in mind when she gets there. That's great because I really like watching her click away and then seeing the results.

Tuesday Oct. 16

LOL Petra. I have the feeling they will be picking on me a lot at the 50's Prime Time Cafe. I seem to always end up with my elbows on the table. And as far as wondering what I would look like doing the Polka? Maybe you should join me on the dance floor and see for yourself. LOL

Tuesday should be a pretty exciting day for us. Besides spending the day at one of the parks, we have tickets that night for the Cirque Du Soliel. One of the restaurants that looks neat that is walking distance to the Cirque theatre is the Rainforest Cafe. I think we will have fun eating there before the performance and then walking through the area they call Downtown Disney to the show at 9 pm. One shop along the way that I think we will all want to spend some time is the Lego Store. Who doesn't like Lego's? I hear there are several life size displays made from legos that will be fun to see.

Dinnerplans

Oh boy, wonder what you come up with next.
Wouldn't be surprised if we find out that at some point we will have to dress up in a hula skirt...

That 50's cafe sounds like the ultimate test on how we were raised and how my son does.
LOL, at his age he doesn't want to be noticed, best way to make sure you aren't, is behaving very, very good.

It sounds like it is going to be fun though.
Wonder if I should buy an extra card for my camera.

50's Prime Time Cafe

Our next stop on Monday night will probably be the 50's Prime Time Cafe. From what I have read, it is unlike any eating experience you will have ever had before. They tell you to bring along your sense of humour when you come.

It is designed to look like a home from the 50's that you would see on some of the old TV shows of that period like "I Love Lucy". You are part of the family and Mom is in the kitchen cooking and has rules that you have to follow or you will hear about it. Don't wear a hat to the dinner table and don't put your elbows on the table. If you don't eat all of your vegetables then Mom will come out from the kitchen and play the childs game of open up the hatch ( mouth) while she pretends to be an airplane and feeds the remaining beans to you. Otherwise you get no dessert. LOL

I know. This sounds really corny but I guess they make it very funny and those who are a little shy about playing along can just watch the others acting like children. We'll see when we get there. I think if we go there to laugh as well as have a good meal then it should be great fun.

Full moon

~sigh~ Just made this picture. Full moon, perfect time to get romantic.
If only...

Eeks!!!

Next time I would love a warning Jack!
Not knowing who Jimmy Buffet was, I did a search on You Tube...
Will you never, ever do that again?


I am willing to listen to guys in lederhosen for one night, try a margarita and even wear a swimming suit...
But listening to that is where I draw the line, ok?

Petra who is still wondering how you would look doing a Polka.

Margarita Anyone?

We will be staying at the Old Key West Resort on the grounds of Disney. I think I should probably take some Jimmy Buffett cd's with me so we can get into the island mood while we sip on some Rum drinks. Or we can play on the water slide at the pool.

From what I have read though, this spot will offer us lots of quiet peace away from the hustle and bustle of the parks if we need some down time. I was also told that there is an abundance of wildlife on the grounds to enjoy while we sing along with the island beat.

The Biergarten

The first full day we are there I think we will ease into it by eating at the Biergarten at the Germany section of Epcot. After all it will be October and what better way to start it off than with traditional German food and beer?

This will be a treat for me but I'm sure not so unusual for Petra. Over here there are very few authentic German restaurants and the idea of sitting down to eat at long tables with people you don't know would scare the pants off of most americans. I hope we are seated next to people that are not too up tight about sharing space with strangers.

Anyway, besides the traditional food and drink there is an oom-pah-pah band and alpen horn and even polka dancing. Petra, where I grew up I had lots of neighbors from Poland and I did learn how to Polka. Beware! LOL

Too Much Fun

I am probably having way too much fun at my age planning our trip to Disney World but then again, no one has ever accused me of acting my age. LOL So I guess the kid in me is coming out in full force.
One great thing about Disney is that they go out of their way to make the entire experience unique and one of a kind. From the attractions and shows at the four theme parks to where you stay and even where you eat, they try and make it unlike anything you may have experienced before.

I am having a great time planning where we will eat each night at the moment. There are plenty of quiet romantic and family stye restaurants to choose from but there are also several "one of a kind" places that not only serve great food but make it an event at the same time. At these restaurants there is a "theme" and the employees are not only waiters and waitresses but actors and actresses as well and play a role keeping with the theme.

I guess I must be losing it to get so excited about food. If I haven't bored everyone away from our blog I will show some of the choices we have talked about. They look like they should be lots of fun.

Passport perils

This afternoon my son and I spent at the photographers shop, trying to get a good picture for his passport. Recently the rules on these pictures changed and got very strict and it is hard to get a really good one.
What made things worse was the fact that I had been pestering my son with taking pictures of him for a few days now, so he already was totally fed up with it.

I feared the worst after seeing his face when I told him we were going this afternoon.
It only took 3 tries before the photographer decided there had to be a good one between them. The promise of getting an ice cream at the Italian if he didn't whine, helped.

While we were there I got a filter for my camera, shopping in a place like that is much more fun than going for clothes or shoes.

And than it was of to city hall to find out if there was a good picture amongst them.
When I told my son he already started sighing, expecting to return for more picture taking. But after much deliberation behind the counter, they decided one of the pictures was OK.
So now we have to return with my sons father for the actual apply for his passport.

All the water and carrots are starting to work, slowly my clothes are starting to feel more lose around my waist.
Looks like I am going to need to lose that weight since Jack keeps coming up with food that we have to try.

Thank You

Petra for that Monday morning present. It was beautiful.

I have been practicing my romantic Italian love songs so I can sing them to you in Florida but please don't be disappointed if they sound a little bit different. LOL I have the feeling that if I opened my mouth to try something like that I would have a set of Mickey Mouse ears stuffed in my mouth to shut me up.

Petra and I talked on the phone over the weekend and I was telling her that, like me in the Netherlands, they will be exposed to some new foods that are purely american. I am curious to see if any of them taste good to you. One local southern food that I told her about is the "corn dog". LOL Definitely not considered healthy food but worth trying.

a monday morning present

for Jack.

Found this while browsing the net.


Andrea Bocelli and Zucchero, such a treat...sigh

~sigh~

More to do

Well, my sister did it. Again she handed me 3 books that I can't put aside, so I can add those to the 'to do' list.
At this moment I am totally lost in the world in which Septimus Heap lives.
I know, they are simple, easy to read, but sometimes that is all you need.
Anyway, I have a feeling I can cross them off my list pretty soon.

Now, as for those 'do it yourself handbags', do you really think we can see some?
And how close can I get to make a really good picture without being eaten?

Oh No...The "To Do" List.

Yes, I have one also. I think mine is a little shorter but they still need to be taken care of. I think you are ahead of me Petra in taking care of the dogs. I have no idea yet who will be watching mine and I need to start looking for someone very soon. I have been told of a couple possibilities so I better pick up the phone and check.

My biggest personal goal is to get out every good day between now and then and exercise. Either long hard walks or on the bike. I want to lose a few pounds as well. We will do it. I think the idea of walking around in a bathing suit will motivate me to get it done.

Oh, by the way Petra. I didn't tell you that we have to walk across a piece of the property to get to the pool. It should be an interesting walk. LOL

To do list

before taking of to Florida there are a few things that need to be done overhere and a few things I like to have done.
If I am thinking about it, October still sounds so far away, but if you put it into days...
60 days isn't much to lose a few pounds (which is still on my to do list)
Than there is this other important matter to take care of, the dogs.
With a 14 year old dog a kennel is no option so they are going to a friend. But we found out that we have a 2 day gap before she can take the two eldest dogs, so for that I still need to find someone.
Let me see, than there is the bathingsuit thing, I am afraid I tend to procrastinate on shopping for things like that, so I will need at least 55 days to gather my courage to go shopping for one.
A passport for my son is also on the list, just like a pair of shorts and shoes for him.12 year olds tend to have grown out of all their clothes if you look away for more than 5 minutes.

And I have 2 other projects, one is finding a job, second is my front garden.
Both need a lot of attention the next few weeks.

Hmm, looks like I will be busy enough the next weeks.
How about you Jack?

Yuck!!

Petra is right. It was a lousy weekend. Being bit several times was no fun at all but losing my pc was even worse. LOL I hope I can get it fixed in a hurry.

I think the solution to the ground nest of hornets that I ran into is for me to stop mowing the grass. LOL That would suit me fine but I suppose I would hear from the neighbors after a couple of weeks.

Anyway, I new week has started and I can communicate with Petra from my pc at work and continue to play around on the Disney World sites so we can plan our vacation. 61 days left until we can meet at the Orlando airport and be together once again. Can't wait.

A weekend to forget

Talked to Jack yesterday only by phone. He wasn't too happy for two reasons.
His pc is acting up, so we have not as much time to talk as we are used to in the weekends and what scared me even more was that he got stung by hornets.
While he was mowing he disturbed a nest and they came after him.
A link to Hornets
Overhere they aren't common, although we seem to have our own European hornet, well, I don't like wasps as we know them, don't need a bigger version.

Jack, hope you feel better soon, being stung 5 times isn't fun.

Just A Big Kid Here

Yes we have been busy behind the scenes. I feel like a big kid here planning a trip to Disney World and it may turn out that the youngest of us all will end up being the calmest of us all. LOL.

There is so much to see and do there and actually having an entire week will be good so we can take our time and have enough time to see more of what everyone feels is their favorite parts. One thing we have booked tickets for in addition to the parks is a perfomance of the Cirque Du Soleil. I knew nothing about what it was but Petra is familiar with it and pointed it out. It looks amazing and I am sure we will really enjoy it.

Another thing that will be interesting I think in addition to the whole Disney experience is having both of them seeing some of the USA for the first time and it will be in a tropical setting. Lots of palm trees and cactus and other tropical vegetation. It really is a beautiful sight and certainly different than the Netherlands. Since we are staying at a Disney property the landscaping is meticulously maintained.

Petra........I wish I could tell you that you won't hear "It's a Small World" many times and not see "Mouse Ears" until you go nuts but I am afraid you will get a fair amount of all that. LOL Somehow though it all seems to work and it truly is a "magical" place.

The fun continues for all of us.

Our next trip

It may look like it is a little quiet on this blog, but behind the scenes a lot of talking, arranging and thinking is done.
Purpose of the next trip is making this a once in a lifetime vacation, mainly for the youngster of us three.
And with Disneyworld as destination,that should work.
I have to say, at first I had my doubts, was scared that seeing Mickey Mouse and his friends all day would make me go crazy, had this visions of hearing "It's a small world" for several days and there would be no where to hide.
But Jack managed to reassure me very fast that that would not be the case and right now I am looking forward to a lot of fun and new experiences for us.

And than Cape May, the first time Jack showed me those pictures my lower jaw dropped to the floor. Overhere we may have a lot of old buildings and great architecture, Cape May looks like something from an old US movie to me, but freshly painted.
Looking at that second picture I can imagine that house, in a dark night, full moon, on a hill and a crazy killer walking around.
But for the rest, I think that the Laaf, coming from a fairy tale park, fits perfectly overthere.

Origin of the Laafs

click, it is safe!

More Cape May

Being in Europe with Petra and seing the beautiful architecture and gardens was a real treat for me. I love history and I love archetecture. That is the one thing that is lacking over here. While you can find plenty of "old" things over here to look at, it doesn't date back centuries as so much does over there.

Oh well, I do think that Petra will like walking around in Cape May though for a little taste of our old stuff. LOL

The entire town is full of these "Victorian" aged homes and the detail and restoration of them is really quite good. In fact, the entire town of Cape May has been designated as a "National Historic Landmark" since there are so many of these period buildings there.

Another nice part that goes along with these homes are the effort some people put in to keeping nice flower gardens. To my surprise, one of the figures that was watching over a flower garden Petra told me is completely a Dutch figure....a "Laaf", I believe? LOL. That was funny to find that out.

Yes, we are busy planning new and exciting visits and it will involve getting into a bathing suit. I need to get busy with my excercise program or when we are there I may become a new attraction for the tourists......the Whale Watch. LOL

Counting down again

With Jacks first visit still fresh in my mind, I am already counting down to the next time we meet. In only 10 weeks I am going to get on a plane to cross that big pond.
Eeks!!!
Not on my own, I will have my son to accompany me. LOL, which will help, since I will be forced to act like an adult and not show my nerves about this adventure.
One of the things we plan to do this visit is swimming. This means that, no matter how comfortable we are between the two of us, I need to start losing the weight that I gained after we stopped smoking.
That is right, I said 'we'.
When I decided last October that I had totally had it, I had just started running and my longs hurt terrible every time I went out for a run, I stopped. After a few weeks of thinking about it I was ready for it.
Much to my surprise, the next day, Jack also quit. Totally unprepared.
And thanks to the fact that we can admit to each other that we have our bad days, our moments that we fool ourselves and think it still smells good, thanks to the fact that we can really support each other in this, we didn't fall back to the habit.
But, we both gained weight.

And now this vacation is coming up and with it the need to get into a swimsuit.
I mean, I can't let the boys have all the fun by themselves, can I?
In this I have two choices, get a new suit, knowing that I hate shopping for that kind of stuff, or lose enough weight to get into the one I still have.
(Who am I fooling, I will need one either way)

So, I am running again, building it up slowly to prevent the pain on my shin returning and no more snacks and lots of water.
We'll see if I can keep it up. Jack promised to start also.

Btw, I keep returning to the pictures from your visit Jack and I just love this one.
So many things in there that I love...