Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie

We checked in today at 10:45 am without sending a request. What I see different from September to now is the CM comes to your window with an iPad to do check in. There's a list of available sites on the iPad that they can refresh by the minute. I scrolled through the list while looking through the book. I was allowed to pick 1010. I thought the 1000 loop was premium meadow, but either way I only had reserved premium.  The fort was packed coming in today. We parked in the field by the hitching post for along with a bunch of others while waiting for our site. 
The CM said the iPad thing was being developed for the Riviera.  Apparently there will not be a front desk area....only wandering CM's with iPads 

Especially when they bring soft cuddly adorable 5-month-old babies with them. Kristie says I don't have to share the baby if I don't want to. 

I am super excited to get to see my "sister" again. 

Fiends are the greatest!  I received a wonderful surprise from Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie and her family a few days ago:

I only have to look at them to be happy.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Meanwhile I apologize to everyone that I haven't been able to keep up with this TR.  It's just been too difficult to sit in a straight chair long enough to get my photos processed.  I promise to finish it up, but it's going to be after we get home.

I just returned home after being at the Fort with Gwen and David for a week.  Let me tell you, Gwen was in terrible pain, but - like the trooper she is - she didn't let that stop her.  She and David were such wonderful hosts, going with me to the parks, fancy restaurants, and sharing a memorable evening at Crockett's Tavern.  I have never seen such gracious hospitality under such dire conditions - and I so appreciate the efforts they made to make my visit so special.  Gwen and David are wonderful people - the "salt of the earth" kind - and if you're at the Fort now, try to meet them.  They are very special people!  Love you, David and Gwen!!!

I was just getting ready to shoot you a message. We are really tied up with packing tonight. Will try and meet you guys another time. Maybe we can setup a grand gathering for us northern folks sometime.

If you guys think it's cool now, wait until I can take pics of it at night.  It's amazing!
Kristie, it was great to meet you last night.  Hope we can spend more time together before we both have to leave.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DoPhPDuCV76E&ved=2ahUKEwiJx8-G6e_dAhWjHDQIHROWDLQQjjgwAXoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2uAV77mxQNrscZ_JfNoD2p

I guess I need to tell my Stan Lee story.
At the 2015 D23 Expo, we had waited in line for a long time for one of the presentations, only to be told at the last minute that they had miscalculated, and they could not seat us. 
To make it up to us, they promised us reserved seating at the next presentation. Sure enough, we were ushered in a side door for that one, and placed in a specific row at almost front and center. Several seats at the end of our row had reserved signs on them, and sat empty for the beginning of the presentation. I was seated right next to those seats. 
About halfway through all the announcements, I saw some movement to my right and saw that there was now one old man seated by himself in one of those reserved seats. I thought nothing of it. 
Then they came to the part of the presentation when they were going to talk about Hong Kong Disneyland, and they start talking about the new Iron Man attraction that was coming there. Next thing I know, there's a spotlight on the old man, and he's yelling at the stage, then runs up and jumps on the stage, and participates in the presentation. The old man was Stan Lee.  He was 93. God bless him. 
TCD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DoPhPDuCV76E&ved=2ahUKEwiJx8-G6e_dAhWjHDQIHROWDLQQjjgwAXoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2uAV77mxQNrscZ_JfNoD2p

Probably in stolen underwear as well.

For his sake I hope they shut the ride down at night. Still how creepy being in with those dolls. Glad he was found safe.

You can purchase the dole whip pineapple and orange mixes on Amazon.  Then you just need some sort of ice cream machine.

It's an acquired skill - LOL!!
This isn't the biggest one I ever managed, but it's close - large soda cup for comparison.
 

I wish we could have had more time to chat that day. Hope to meet up with you again one day. ❤

Most definitely!

Probably in stolen underwear as well.

I know Mo is waiting for this, so I'll try to keep it brief and to the point.
We ate at V&A's earlier this week, in the main dining room. This is one of three dining options at V&A's, along with the chef's table and the smaller, private dining room. There is a harpist playing in the dining room for the evening, and the ambiance was lovely.
Our party arrived about a half hour early, since I was informed when the restaurant called to confirm our reservation that we would be seated promptly at our reservation time (6 PM). Most of our party went into the adjacent bar at Mizners, but they hadn't even had a chance to order a drink before our table was ready.
Unassuming entrance:

Ceiling detail:

Drinks were ordered, and our waiter for the evening (John from Boston, MA) and server (Rado, not sure where the gentleman was from but he was very helpful all evening) passed around personalized menus and a glass of champagne for everyone.


This was my menu for the evening, with 11 total courses (including the amuse bouche). We also chose to do the wine pairing (2-3 oz. pours):

One of our party had the pescatarian menu, which was basically the same but with substitutions for the animal protein dishes. Another in our party had the vegetarian menu, which he said was amazing as well.
Amuse Bouche, New Zealand Langoustine with Imperial Caviar, Avocado and Lime Nuage:

The Nuage was a type of foam, and the pairing of the salty langoustine and caviar with the creamy avocado and sweet foam was a nice way to start the dinner. We all skipped the additional caviar dish.
First Course, Bison Tenderloin with Horseradish Creme and Clementines.

This was a Bison carpaccio, and was a great bite, with the clementine pairing well with the sharpness of the horseradish and the flavor of the meat. Most if not all of the dishes were about texture and balance as well as flavor, and we all felt that they nailed it consistently.
Second Course, Maine Halibut with Poppy Seed and Lemon Ravioli

Quite possibly my favorite single bite of the evening, the sauce with this dish was amazing. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the handmade ravioli with fresh herbs paired well with it.
Third Course, Dover Sole with Petite Squash and Tomato Water:

Don't let the name fool you, that tomato water was amazing. They brought the dishes to the table and poured the sauce over at each plate. Delicious and so aromatic - thank god they had bread service.
Fourth Course, (this was a 'chef's choice' and was not on the menu) Lamb shoulder with Yukon Mashed Potatoes and Potato 'glass':

The piece on top was a modernist take on a potato chip, and was really quite interesting. It is made using raw pureed potatoes, white vinegar and salt that is blended together and spread on a silk screen, then dehydrated overnight and fried the next day. I think this was the most 'nontraditional' item on the menu, and very well done.
Fifth Course, Roasted French Quail with Corn Pudding and Spinach:

The Quail was cooked as a type of sausage, very tasty.
Sixth Course, Kurubota Pork Belly with Pineapple and Peanuts:

Honestly, this was good but it was my least favorite plate of the night. The wine pairing with this was one of the best, though.
Seventh Course, Australian Kobe Style Beef with Potato Pinwheel (I did splurge for the Miyazaki Beef add-on also):

I've never eaten such a buttery, delicious piece of beef - the Japanese portion we shared among three of us so we each got a bite. You've heard the phrase 'melt in your mouth, that's exactly what this did. It was served with a savory sauce. The 'Kobe style' beef was also amazing, well paired with a nice Cabernet and a chimichurri sauce. (sorry for the 'already took a bite' photo)
Eighth Course, cheese plate

We could have ended the meal here and it still would have been perfect. Nice selection of cheeses, and the fresh honeycomb was fantastic. They also brought out the coffee service, which is made fresh at your table in a kind of 'reverse perk' British vacuum pot.

The glass carafe with the grinds in it is placed in the pot of water, and a small burner is lit below the pot. The water heats up and perks up and into the carafe with the grounds, and the burner is extinguished. As the pot cools, the coffee is drawn back down into the pot and then served. It's pretty cool to watch, and the coffee was as good as I've had. https://cona.co.uk/cona-products-dining.php for info and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUzDYHi1A2g for a video of the coffee brewing (not my video).
Ninth Course, Banana Cream Dessert (not on the menu):

Fresh banana with a salted caramel sauce, with a crunchy wrap full of banana cream and more sauce. This was reeeally good. By this point we were all pretty much done, but there was yet the..
Tenth Course, Bittersweet Chocolate Dome on Praline Crunch

Compared to a lot of the other plates, this one was larger, and if we were doing it again I think I would have brought this home to enjoy. It was delicious, but by this point we were stuffed.
After coffee and dessert were finished, the waiter came around with chocolates for everyone, which we did manage to decline.

All in all an excellent dinner, no one had the slightest complaints (even after the bill had arrived) and the presentation, food, service and ambiance were all wonderful. 10/10.
Would I do it again? Maybe, but I feel like that box was checked and there are so many other places to get excellent meals on and off property that it's more for a once-in-a lifetime experience.

My husband was on his way home tonight when he passed a Class A on our country road. He stopped to see if they needed help. Apparently they were towing a box cart behind them and the ball of the hutch snapped. We had an extra ball, so my husband got them all fixed up and back on the road. Curious, he asked them why they were way out here. Stupid Google lol. However in this case, thank you Google.

Best part is if you came with us you could snuggle the new little one. 
Lol my house would be so clean and school work would actually get done. 

Traffic is even worse now ... accents are about the same.  LOL
Wickid pissah!

And be sure you make the birthday potty....

It's not too fah. Get back in your cah and go past the pahk and then turn by the bah.
(I've got lots of Boston relatives!)

That is brilliant!
I've had some "stupid Google" moments trying to navigate through Boston.  Boston is a ridiculous city to get around anyway - lots of alleyways and narrow one way streets and just generally a mess.  Then there are streets that just end, with the rest of the street being on the other side of the expressway. Apparently someone forgot to give Google that little update and "stupid Google" has had me trying to "continue" on a street that doesn't go anywhere more than once.

We again were on our way to Florida. As we were traveling through TN, "stupid google" said there was an accident up ahead and we should divert our current path. My husband looked at the suggested route and said it would save us possible hours. It looked like an easy route so we took the chance, along with 20 or more other cars. The route took us through a small town where a bunch of good o boys were standing around a few diesel trucks with Confederate flags waving above them. Now our new camper came equipped with an awesome new horn that plays Dixie Land. With a grin I told my family to watch this. I pressed the horn and Dixie Land was blasted loud and clear for all to hear. Those boys came jumping off their trucks screaming and cheering. My kids were cracking up.