moinab

LOL! Ok, I'll admit it - I think Dan is cute, too. If I were 15 years younger, 15 pounds thinner, and single....

So sorry for your loss. Our 17 year old cat is starting to fade, so I'm afraid we're in for a loss of our own, soon. It's so hard to say goodbye. {{{{{hugs}}}}} Maureen

I'm shocked it has lasted this long.

Old Orchard Beach was old the last time I was there, almost 30 years ago. Glad to see some things never change!

Very well said, Robb!!!! It seems to me that those who are complaining about this have not been to WDW with the 2-5 year old set. Having made 17 trips to WDW last year with a 1-2 year old and a 3-4 year old, I can say that this attraction is definitely fulfilling a need for a major WDW demographic - families with young children. This allows the little ones to run around and burn off pent up energy. It's tough on toddlers and preschoolers to constantly be in strollers or standing in lines, or sitting still on rides. They need unrestrained romping time. Walt died almost 40 years ago. Society has changed quite a bit in that time. The American family has changed quite a bit in that time. If Walt had survived another 20-30 years, his vision would have changed, too. Yeah, he probably would have done it differently, but since he's gone, there's no way of knowing what he would have done. But, wallow in nostalgia if you must. In the meantime, I'm going to take my kids to have a great family getaway at WDW.

I first found the site in 2004, when Robb posted the ToT comparison thread on DISBoards. I was really impressed, and loved the mix of humor and excellent info. I didn't stick around, though. Not sure why. Came back again after someone on the DIS posted a link to the Nara Dreamland photos, and have been here ever since. I like the way R&E moderate the board, and I really enjoy the mix of people of all ages, from all over the world (Soren's random photo TRs rock!!!) Now I've got my husband (who is not a fan of message boards) asking when we can go to a TPR meet and hoping for a TPR Japan trip! Maureen "maybe MNSSHP next year" O'Donnell

As the parent of two small, WDW-loving children, I am thrilled with the decision to build a giant playground at MK. There is a desperate need for it. The Boneyard at AK and HISTK playground at DS are godsends for families. Children love them, and they provide a great break in the day for parents. It may not be a thrill ride, but it is a major attraction for families with young children. Maureen "Epcot needs one, too" O'Donnell

Jim Henson

Oh no, a tropical storm isn't much. We just had three houses in our neighborhood crushed by trees and we lost power for 5 days twice last year from tropical storms.

So, if you actually like diet Coke, you are only allowed to eat health food? :?

I voted other accidentally, but it is actually 1024x768.

FYI, Mayport Naval Station/Jax NAS here in Jacksonville is, I believe, the third largest in the country, after San Diego and Norfolk. Huge military presence here in Jax.

Great looking sausage.

^Yeah, I literally spit tea on the monitor! ^^Not so obvious to me. My first thought was, "don't get your braids caught in the machinery." Maureen "I hate getting my hair caught in stuff" O'Donnell

ITA This country is bulging at the seams, so to speak.

The launch is the most intense part of the ride, and it is over in seconds. The weird feeling is that your stomach feels like it is left behind for a moment, but it goes by so fast, it really is nothing to worry about. Just keep telling yourself "I'm ok," over and over again, if you start feeling nervous or scared. Before you know it, you'll be laughing and enjoying yourself.

Lots of great movies mentioned so far, although none by one of my favorite directors, John Sayles. (Peter Weir is great, too.) Several years ago, when I was working in an art-house multi-plex in Minneapolis, I made a list of my top 100 movies, divided into genres (oh, to have that kind of time to waste again!) My all time favorite movie, however, has remained the same since I first saw it 22 years ago - Local Hero.

Ok, here's a topic in which I can consider myself an expert. I attended Framingham State College (MA) for 3 semesters, as an English major. Massive waste of time. I transferred to UMass Amherst, where I continued as an English major, before switching to theatre. I spent 2 years there as a theatre major, studying stage manangement (although I took two semesters off, due to lack of funds, I still worked on shows.) Then, I moved to Minneapolis, working as a semi-professional stage manager for two years. Got really sick of theatre people, and worked at Kinko's for a year, before deciding to go back to school at Minneapolis Community College, studying nutrition. Spent a couple of years getting in all of my science credits, and then transferred to University of MN, Twin Cities, after being accepted into the coordinated program in dietetics. Exactly one year from graduating and being certified as a registered dietician, I dropped out of school, yet again, to move back to MA, where my step-father was battling cancer and heart disease. Now, 6 years later, I am the RN program at Florida Community College Jacksonville. With any luck, I may actually graduate next April! My advice is: don't go to school, not knowing what you want to do, and expect to find a major. Chances are, you are not going to be terribly motivated and may be very tempted to do a lot of partying. There's no point paying all that money (or taking out all those loans) just to get drunk and fail classes. (Yes, I am speaking from experience!) I'm a big fan of community college for getting the first two years of gen ed requirements out of the way. It's a lot cheaper, the classes are much smaller, and you have more access to the instructors. Then, you can transfer to a university to finish up your major. I would also highly recommend choosing a major that will actually lead to a career. That is where I screwed up with nutrition, because the job outlook is dismal. Nursing, on the other hand, is the hottest profession going. My classmates and I already have hospitals trying to hire us for after we graduate. My husband has an MBA in international business management, but has yet to find a job with it (6 years, now.) It really sucks to spend so much time and money on school, only to find that your degree is useless. One last piece of advice - whatever major you choose, the best way to land a job after graduation is to have an internship before graduation. Good luck with your decisions!

I'm guessing quite a few people end up here from the coaster community, but I followed a link posted on the DISBoards to the Nara Dreamland TR. I'm curious to hear how others found their way here.

^Ewwwwwww! :shock: LOL BTW, the landlord cuts our grass. I won't post a picture of him, because he's creepy, and I wouldn't want him to see me taking a picture of him.

^OMFG! LMAO!!! I want one of those for my husband! I already tease him about looking like Mr. Incredible when he drives my 1998 Mazda 626. That would be so perfect!

LOL, Julie! I can sooooo relate. When I'm not working overnight nursing assistant shifts at the hospital, I'm filling in shifts as a server in the the breakfast room at Hilton Garden Inn. (Shoot me now, please.) I usually have to wake up the night audit guy when I come in at 5:30 AM.

MNSSHP tickets are limited. Halloween always sells out. The 30th will most likely be sold out, also. If you decide to go, I would check on ticket availability ASAP.

Yes, it started raining about a half a block into the walk home. By the time I got home, it was pouring. Good thing we were already wet! At least we beat the thunder and lightning, though. I had only intended to go for a walk to check out the renourishment project, but when we got there, the kids bolted for the water. They didn't have bathing suits on. They were having so much fun, though, that I let them play for about 20 minutes, until the sky became too threatening to ignore.

Took the kids for a walk this morning. It's 0.4 mile from our front door to the sand. Storm's blowing in. Time to go. Thanks for joining us! That was fun. Here it is! Waiting for the wave. Ahhhh. Refreshing. Actually, it feels like bath water. The kids head for the water. The beach is a bit of a mess right now, because of a renourishment project. Normally, there is not a huge, ugly pipe here. Here we are! This is the street that goes from the school to the beach. I love the trees. This is what it looks like in the nature park. It's actually very nice, but right now, it's too buggy. This is the back of the elementary school, looking at the kindergarden classes, where Christian will be starting school next Monday. I hope they are going to mow the grass. Here is our street. The dark blob at the end of the street is a back entrance to the nature park. The back of the elementary school is on the right. Here's our house. It used to look a lot nicer when I was a stay at home mom. Now, the killer rosemary is taking over.