It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR

A job with flexible and generous vacation is worth its weight in gold, in my opinion. Its one of the main reasons I have stayed with this company since Jake was 2 and a half years old. I'm not getting rich there (as far as wages go) but its wonderful to still have a life even though I have a job.
I so agree. The flexibility is the only reasons DH has stayed with his company. He took his current position because he was tired of commuting but a local job means less money. He has left in the middle of the day to change a flat on my car or to go to the dentist or because someone was locked out of the house. He can use company vehicles for anything he wants...when ever he wants. His boss is very laid back about life stuff. That has come to be valuable to us.
 
I so agree. The flexibility is the only reasons DH has stayed with his company. He took his current position because he was tired of commuting but a local job means less money. He has left in the middle of the day to change a flat on my car or to go to the dentist or because someone was locked out of the house. He can use company vehicles for anything he wants...when ever he wants. His boss is very laid back about life stuff. That has come to be valuable to us.

Don't you wonder why more employers don't take that approach, though? I have always been of the opinion that the more courtesies an employer grants their staff, the harder the staff will work (because they feel appreciated and want to give back). Maybe that's the Pollyanna mindset, I don't know, but I know I work harder because I know I'm appreciated and thought of as a person.

I'm more of a Cougar

I am soooooo not surprised :rotfl:.

Woot! And I get to go driving Miss Daisy...! :car:

Who gets to sit in the front seat, though? Me, @dancin Disney style or @pigletto ?
 


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Don't you wonder why more employers don't take that approach, though? I have always been of the opinion that the more courtesies an employer grants their staff, the harder the staff will work (because they feel appreciated and want to give back). Maybe that's the Pollyanna mindset, I don't know, but I know I work harder because I know I'm appreciated and thought of as a person.
I think DH's company is laid back about that stuff because the owner is an old school Italian gentleman. His kids all work at his companies and he brings his mother to all company social functions. I'm not sure that anyone there wants to work harder but there is a sense of family/loyalty for sure. There are not many people that come and go. I can't for the life of me figure out how people stay there though. No one gets raises and life is constantly getting more expensive.
 
Actually, based on DDS's suggestion that I get a little red convertible, I'm thinking you would have to all take turns and go individually. Most of those numbers don't have a usable back seat. See there goes my sensible Capricorn nature kicking in again.

Well, that changes everything. Time to ditch the convertible dreams for a mini van.....because it just wouldn't be the same without my partners in crime!

The sports car would have made for a bad hair day, anyway ;).
 


Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here? I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...
 
First time in a while and I stumble on to your trip report, how lucky is that? I always enjoy your reports.

Hi dennise, good to see you again!! :goodvibes How are the grandkids?

I would love to have you join in the pre-trip planning for our spring vacation....so if you are interested, follow us over here to the Universal boards :):

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/

Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here? I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...

I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem :teeth: .

Now....I run.....:duck:.
 
Wait, who's paying for my mid-life crisis here? I was thinking a used MX-3 might be in budget...
Have you never seen the car commercials in the US....you can get a NICE car for $199/month.

I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem :teeth: .

Now....I run.....:duck:.
Loaded with what? I just paid for one kid to go to University...twice. Now the second one(who is a competitive dancer, which runs about $10K/year) I planning to go far, far away to University in 2017. As soon as the snow clears I'm heading out to the curb with a violin and a tin cup.

Donations anyone???
 
First time in a while and I stumble on to your trip report, how lucky is that? I always enjoy your reports.

Ditto to all that! I've been off sulking most of the past year because it was so long between Orlando trips, but maybe I'll stick around awhile this time. Took me a few days to read this thread, and will probably take me a while to catch up on the other Gina trips I haven't read (and I'll probably reread the others anyhow, why not?), should get me back in the habit of hangin' out at the Dis. ;)

As you may or may not remember, I can ramble on considerable... There's a scroll bar, you can shut me up easily enough. So here's some random observations as I read...

Ever read Nancy Drew books, Gina? I used to enjoy the ones from the forties -- the ones from the seventies, not so much... Anyhow, a secondary character in those (Nancy's good friend) is the only other Georgina I've run across; most of the Ginas I've known were Reginas, I think.

I'm another anhinga fan, and like bankr63's comment that they're a "Loon in a more tropical setting." Loons are Minnesota's state birds -- I'm a native Minnesota, although I haven't lived there since I was six, and that's the only "Minnesota state anything" I know, because loons are cool. As are anhinga. ::yes::

How wonderful that you got to take that behind the scenes tour at SeaWorld! Disboard peeps are the best. :smooth:

No otter in the new Clyde and Seamore show? Middle daughter will not be pleased. :sad2:

Gators generally look self-satisfied as much as anything, IMHO, but most of the ones at Gator Spot looked outright happy! They knew you were there to appreciate them, that's what.

Many, many thanks on the food reviews. Red Robin is on our “give it a try” list, too, but I'm realizing that we don’t eat nearly as many burgers on vacation as you guys do, which is probably why we’ve not gotten there yet. Compared to you guys, we're practically vegetarians! Now I think on it, we eat a lot of ethnic peasant food and vegetarian-ish stuff at home; maybe that's why we're more likely to hit restaurants for decadence than a proper meal. :scratchin

I'm jealous of the people who get five weeks of vacation or more a year -- always thought five or six weeks a year would be perfect. Although hubby's company is pretty flexible about him taking off early or taking long lunches or otherwise fiddling with his schedule to see a kid's class or whatever (when I had a baby at home, he took the older kids to most of their classes and homeschool gym and whatnot), he only gets three weeks vacation time, and every other year we spend a week of it on Christmas with my side of the family (his family is closer so when his mom was alive we'd do Thanksgiving and a holiday weekend or two out there -- we've been really bad about visiting them since his mom died, need to get better about that :o ).

OTOH, I love your trip reports, so that jealousy is somewhat balanced out by appreciation. Reading one of your trip reports is a mini-vacation in itself!
 
Ditto to all that! I've been off sulking most of the past year because it was so long between Orlando trips, but maybe I'll stick around awhile this time. Took me a few days to read this thread, and will probably take me a while to catch up on the other Gina trips I haven't read (and I'll probably reread the others anyhow, why not?), should get me back in the habit of hangin' out at the Dis. ;)

As you may or may not remember, I can ramble on considerable... There's a scroll bar, you can shut me up easily enough. So here's some random observations as I read...

Well hello, my long lost friend! I haven't heard from you....well.....in AGES!

I certainly don't mind any lengthy posts and replies....let's be honest, I'm living in a glass house there, myself :o . Feel free to "ramble" away!

Ever read Nancy Drew books, Gina? I used to enjoy the ones from the forties -- the ones from the seventies, not so much... Anyhow, a secondary character in those (Nancy's good friend) is the only other Georgina I've run across; most of the Ginas I've known were Reginas, I think.

I did read Nancy Drew as a kid, but its been a while.....can't say I remember much about them. I always wished for a name that was trendy and contemporary, like all the cool girls in my class....then I go and name my only-born Jacob (just about as traditional and classic as it gets :rotfl:). I'm sure if I had been born in the 40's, I may not have minded my name nearly so much!

How wonderful that you got to take that behind the scenes tour at SeaWorld! Disboard peeps are the best. :smooth:

No otter in the new Clyde and Seamore show? Middle daughter will not be pleased. :sad2:

Gators generally look self-satisfied as much as anything, IMHO, but most of the ones at Gator Spot looked outright happy! They knew you were there to appreciate them, that's what.

The good folks on the Dis are really the best! Such wonderful people, in so many ways :goodvibes.

Your middle DD need not fear....the otter is still a part of the new show :). Now if the mime was a favourite, she might be gutted about that loss.....but definitely the otter made an appearance when we were there over Christmas, and he's just as stinking cute as he was Pirate Island production :thumbsup2.

Many, many thanks on the food reviews. Red Robin is on our “give it a try” list, too, but I'm realizing that we don’t eat nearly as many burgers on vacation as you guys do, which is probably why we’ve not gotten there yet. Compared to you guys, we're practically vegetarians! Now I think on it, we eat a lot of ethnic peasant food and vegetarian-ish stuff at home; maybe that's why we're more likely to hit restaurants for decadence than a proper meal. :scratchin
LOL, my guys are meatatarians by nature.....they rarely meet a burger they don't like :rotfl2:. Now that you bring it up, we do seem to hit up a lot of burger joints on our trips :blush: . I guess we'll have to work on branching out on that!

OTOH, I love your trip reports, so that jealousy is somewhat balanced out by appreciation. Reading one of your trip reports is a mini-vacation in itself!

Aw, thank you!!! :goodvibes
 
Hi dennise, good to see you again!! :goodvibes How are the grandkids?

I would love to have you join in the pre-trip planning for our spring vacation....so if you are interested, follow us over here to the Universal boards :):

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wa...ersal-seaworld-an-april-may-2016-ptr.3483799/



I hear that @dancin Disney style is loaded.....she should be able to cover your expenses with no problem :teeth: .

Now....I run.....:duck:.
The grandkids are great, two in hockey, two in basketball, one in volleyball, one into girls and the other has no interest at all, hopefully she will be back in soccer. I am really looking forward to this trip, we are overlapping with oldest and his family. It has been a stressful year.
 
LOL....I totally agree. Dick's is great for a 20 year old boy, but I wouldn't take my 13 year old daughter there :blush: .

The first part of our Aquatica visit is coming up soon! Stay tuned :surfweb: .



I'm afraid Jake put the stopper on our expertly planned nuptuals. Seems he thinks he has the right to pick his own mate :confused3 . Good thing he's chosen one I really, really like this time.....otherwise I may have had to reconsider my cream cheese fear just to ensure he got an entertaining mother in law...;) .

As for the Dick's hat.....let's remember we're friends here, okay? Thou shalt not share it. Facebook has an unfriend feature and I'm not afraid to use it :crutches: .

And that's all I have to say about that :rolleyes2.
Are we going to see the hat!
 

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