moinab

^Interesting article. I've read similar articles in various main stream mags. Dubai creeps me out.

I'm going to a diabetes conference, today. Somehow, I don't think there will be any rides or churros involved. Thanks for the great report!

Yes, the trains used to empty in one area, amd then returned, empty, to the loading area. We'll be there the day after Thanksgiving. Hoping to get Christian and Rhiannon on for their first ever rides on Space Mountain!

I'm such a sap! I got tears in my eyes, watching KT sing and dance along! (I did the same thing with Charlotte, at Playhouse Disney Live! )

Driving in to work, tonight, I was following a car with a vanity plate that read "SMLY FRT."

Teared up about 5 times. I love Kurt! Sick to DEATH of Rachel and Finn getting all the leads. I really like seeing the other characters getting solos!

I had to google the book covers. You did an AMAZING job!!!!!! mmmmmmmm.....cake....*drool*

^^We haven't been there in 6 years, but as I recall, Sea World allowed only baby food/bottles and snacks for young children. I think Disney World is an exception. Here is their official word, from their website. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/helpFAQ?id=HelpFAQDiningPage&bhcp=1 Q. Can food be brought into Walt Disney World® Resort and Theme Parks? A. Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Resort. If you have items that need to be refrigerated, please ask the front desk Cast Member to have a refrigerator placed in your room. Please check with the front desk to see if there is a charge for use of the refrigerator. Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Theme Park.Just inform a Security Cast Member.

You can bring food into any of the Walt Disney World theme parks, including the water parks. We do it all the time. They do search bags, but they are looking for weapons, not food. You can't bring in hard sided coolers, though. We usually pack sandwiches, chips, water bottles, and snacks into a backpack.

I usually just wing it, when I'm making chili, but when I made up this version, my husband made me write it down, so I could make it again. It's our favorite, now. Halloween Chili 1 pound black beans, cooked (I like to cook dried beans in a slow cooker, but you could use canned, too) 1 lb ground turkey, beef, or 1 cup TVP (add 1 cup water) for vegan version 1 large onion, diced 2 large cloves garlic, diced 3 large carrots, diced 1 1/2 cups green pepper, diced (I like to use chopped frozen pepper, to save time) 1 Tbs vegetable, canola, or olive oil 1 large can crushed tomato 2 cans diced tomato with jalapeno 1 can diced tomato with chiles 3 Tbs chili powder salt and pepper to taste Soak and cook black beans, if using dried beans. Brown turkey or beef. Saute onion, garlic, carrots, and green pepper in oil, until softened. Combine all ingredients and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Or simmer in a slow cooker for several hours.)

Elissa - what form of garlic do you use? (fresh, dried, etc.)

Microwave Black Pepper Parmesan Popcorn 1/4 cup unpopped popcorn 1/2 tsp vegetable oil 1 Tbs butter, melted salt, coarse ground black pepper, and fresh grated parmesan, to taste Mix popcorn and oil in a paper lunch bag. Fold the top of the bag over, several times. Microwave approximately 2-3 minutes (time will vary - listen for popping to slow down.) Add melted butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan, to taste. I could eat buckets of this!!!!!!

Y'all piqued my curiosity. I've always loved Jane Lynch, in the Chris Guest movies, so I checked out Glee on hulu. I'm hooked!

That reminds me - I'm still waiting on a bag-o-crap from the last chat! I totally forgot about it - now I have something to look forward to!

Great report! It's interesting to hear the comparisons between the US and Australia. Looking forward to the next installment!

Thanks! Your cruise trip reports had a big influence on our decision to try RCCL. I also have several good friends who are cruise junkies, and they have been encouraging us to try RCCL. I know that we'll probably want to try one of the new DCL ships, eventually, when Charlotte is a bit older (she's a DCL baby, actually! ) but before Christian gets too old for it. Maybe we'll make it a graduation present, when I get my MSN degree.

Even if the ship had been in pristine condition, I think we would still be trying RCCL for this cruise. We've heard a lot of great things about RCCL, and want to compare for ourselves. We just don't see the value of the premium pricing, for us. Similarly, we don't find value in staying onsite at WDW, for us. We've stayed onsite many times, but find we are happier pricelining a 2.5 star offsite hotel, so we can save a lot of money and go more often. I'm not saying it's finicky, if someone wants to complain. It just wasn't worth it, for me.

I didn't really see a point wasting my time complaining. I don't believe these were isolated incidents, but an indication of overall decline in quality. You could see it all over the ship. Just little things. Like I said, I'm not really picky. We still had a great cruise, regardless of the conditions, but it definitely made us question the value of the premium pricing that DCL charges. That's why we're trying RCCL, this time.

I'm fearing those prices! RCCL is charging a pretty hefty amount for the Oasis. I'm waiting to see if those prices come down, when they can't fill the ship. We were a bit disappointed with our last DCL cruise. The first one was great, but the second one, we noticed a lot of wear and tear on the Wonder, and that was just a couple of months after dry dock. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that big a deal, but for the prices they charge, I didn't appreciate mold in the bathroom, broken veneer all over the cabinetry, and stained sheets with holes. Honestly, I'm not very picky, but I expect better than that from DCL.

Oh, wait - that's NOT supposed to be David Caruso? The first one kind of looks like a young Jerry Orbach, but they would never make a wax figure of him. Kind of looks like he's wearing a scrub top, so maybe someone from a medical show? I'm grasping at straws, here! Pink chick - Drew Barrymore? Madonna?

Sorry for the confusion, on my part. I edited my post.

I thought for sure I had read that, when I was buying tickets! Of course, I just checked the WDW site, and it says "separate tickets," not "additional." (We've always had passes, so it didn't apply.) Sorry!!!!

Time to get your picture pages, time to get your crayons and your pencils! (I immediately started singing that without thinking - it was Pavlovian! ) Yeah for Big Lebowski references! Don't know the Pulp Fiction one, though.

TPR Toddlers! I see a shirt, here!