The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship...pre trip...June 12-25

[danagirl]

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Hello everyone…thanks for tuning in…. this shall be my very first trip report so bear with me. Just so you know there will be a.) lots of misspelled words and absences of punctuation and crazy run on sentences b.)lots of words ending in “n” instead of “g”…sorry I’m pretty southern so there will be lots of goin, doin, fixin…etc …and finally…c.) You will see a lot of “…...” I do it all the time…(see…) anyways… I also feel like I should warn you…I have no attention span and go off into randomness often. You know how Dug in UP does the squirrel thing? Yeah that’s me except its not usually squirrels…it can be almost anything...soooo anyways…I will introduce you to the gang…

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Me-Dana- 32 –I’m the big planner and Disney freak of the trip, DBF has been warned …I planned this trip months in advance..okay maybe it was more like a year. Mom to Alexis … this will be my sixth trip to Disney, the third with my daughter…I am a tink fan and my fav’s are philharmagic, haunted mansion, and soarin. BTW there is no picture of me because I could not resize the one I had to be smaller and i figured you guys didn't need to see me THAT well...it was crazy big...like scroll down three times just to get off my forehead big...so sorry!!

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DBF-Will-33-This poor fella has no idea what he’s in for…but he doesn’t care cause he loves me…he truly is the best thing ever..i have noooo idea what he sees in me but I’m not giving him back…He’s such a great daddy to his daughter and cannot wait to go to Disney just because his daughter can’t wait to go to Disney…he has no idea what he likes yet but I will turn him into a Disney fan and he will like it…wait and see

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DD-Alexis 11-My little princess…she is soooo awesome…and totally me…attitude and everything. Alexis has severe rheumatoid arthritis. She has had such a struggle getting her disease under control. I cannot begin to the pain she has been through. Luckily she has a strong spirit and a big heart and I could not ask for a better kid…okay maybe one that cleaned her room once in awhile but I don’t think they make those…She uses a wheelchair pretty frequently because she has problems walking….so of course Disney without a wheelchair is not even an option…This is her third trip to Disney and her first with someone close to her own age, and that makes her even more excited…she is a Aurora fan and loves Rosetta and her favorite rides are BTMR, Soarin.
This Pic is from our trip last year...

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Jada-6- cause it’s easier than writing DBFDD. This kid is a tomboy in a dress and nail polish. She’s a daddy’s girl and I can’t blame her This will be her first trip and she is super excited and looking forward to meeting the princesses and doing the BBB.
This is Jada and her Dad this past summer...

A little back story….Will and I are old friends who reconnected in 2008 and started dating in 2009…only problem is he lives in Oregon and I live in North Carolina… I know it’s crazy…trust me…anyways…Will is the most awesomest(yeah I made that word up) boyfriend ever and Jada is the cutest kid ever and second only to my little cupcake. To tell you how hectic and crazy the time before our trip is let me just clue you in on what I am doing ….we are flying from NC to Disney and then flying straight back to Oregon…to live there …forever…which means I am MOVING!!! Not only am I moving….all the way across the country…it will be the first time I have ever lived more than 15 miles from where I was born…ever. So that means in the weeks before I leave I have to pack up everything I own except for what I am taking to Disney …that doesn’t sound too difficult …does it? NAW!! Well let’s just throw in that I will also be living with my mother for two weeks as all my worldly possessions will have already been shipped. Now that’s just scary. The upside to all this is we finally get to be together and I don’t have to miss him so much and spend so much money on flight tickets to and from Oregon… I can instead spend that on money for flights to Disneyworld.

So…how ready am I? I am pretty much done planning….yep done…Oh did you wanna help?



……Oh



…..sorry



….Well anyways would you like to know what I have planned????
We are heading to Disneyworld June 12-June 25. That’s 13 NIGHTS IN DISNEYWORLD!!! I’M SO FREAKIN EXCITED!!!!We are flying Southwest…I love Southwest… and shall arrive around 8:30 in the morning. We are spending our first 4 nights at AKL-Jambo House-savannah view and the last 9 at BLT. Our last two trips we have stayed at the Poly. We have found that with the wheelchair we just love the monorail soooo much more than the buses. Since we are doing such a long trip I wanted to have at least 2 days in each park. I have yet to make it to any shows or dinoland in Animal kingdom…so this year I’m goin! The rest are going to be rest days…it is a vacation after all. We are doing the DxDP for the whole trip but don’t worry most of my meals are at signature places so I don’t waste any valuable park time. Maybe tomorrow I will go over my park plans with ya and see what you think. Have a great day!!!

 

[hollybearsmom]

I'm here to follow along! Moving across the country, oh my!

 

[danagirl]

I'm here to follow along! Moving across the country, oh my!

thanks for joining in!!! Yeah its a BIG move...its freaking me out just a little but I am so ready to be together full time. Life is so much better when we're together.

 

[cmp1111]

Congrats AND Good Luck and all that stuff! Great intros, can't wait to hear more!

 

[danagirl]

Congrats AND Good Luck and all that stuff! Great intros, can't wait to hear more!

Thanks!! Should be on later this evening to go over my daily plans..or half of them anyways.

 

[danagirl]

Park Plans…
My Park plans are based on a couple of things….where we are staying and Tour guide Mike. Sometimes I listen to him and…well sometimes…I don’t. I want to but it just doesn’t work out. I wanted to get the “bus resorts” outta the way before we moved to BLT so we don’t have to take one more than we need to. I don’t mind the buses but with the wheelchair I feel really bad about making everyone wait..and its kinda a pain in the rear. So these are my plans so far…

Arrive Sat June 12th- Lex and I are coming from NC and DBF and J are coming from Oregon so we are hoping to meet at the airport in Orlando but since DBF and J have an overnight flight we might just meet up at AKL. I didn’t plan a park today because I knew DBF and J would be tired but excited so we have a DTD day planned starting around lunch time with a visit to T-rex and ending kinda early.We have dinner ressies for Jiko.

Sun June 13th- Animal Kingdom –We have breakfast at Tuskers at 8:05…our first character meal..yay!!! After breakfast my plan is to ride all the big rides as early as possible. My daughter has big plans to ride Everest this year but with her JRA she goes through spells where she has neck issues so we will have to see how she is feeling. Around lunch we plan to pop in Rainforest Café for a cool off break and some apps to snack on. This will be our first time at RFC so we are excited to check it out, more for the atmosphere than the food. After our break we will hopefully catch a show or maybe some characters. I know its gonna be rather warm being June and all so I will play the afternoon by ear. We have dinner plans at the Yachtsman at 6 so I am hoping to get back to the resort a little early and freshen up . Anyone have any idea on the best way to get there and back?? Since dinner is kinda early we hope to get back and roam around the resort for a bit.

Mon-June 14th-Animal Kingdon day 2-I wanted to have a second day at AK just so I know that this year I can see Finding Nemo and the Lion King and make it to Dinoland…which btw I have never done.We have lunch reservations at the Yak and Yeti then onto check out some trails. Hopefully it will be an early day and we can head back to the resort in the early afternoon. We have dinner ressies at Jiko so DBF and I are trying to decide with or without the kiddos.

Tues-June 15th-Hollywood Studios-Today we head out for our first day at HS. I really want to do TSM (along with everyone else) so we will grab some fast passes and maybe ride as soon as possible. DBF and J will want to ride TOT and RRC but Lex and I will probably pass. So we may just get fast passes asap and just Lex and I will ride TSM standby while they go and hit the other two. I have yet to do Beauty and the Beast or Indiana Jones so that would be two I would love to do this year. I think DBF would love LMA. Plus we have to do the Muppets. HS days are my hardest to plan. We have lunch scheduled at The Brown Derby(our first time) and dinner at Cape May. Tomorrow we switch resorts….BLT here we come!!

 

[cmp1111]

I have to put in a plug for the "Simba's Cubhouse" if you and DBF want a night alone at Jiko. My kids went in 2007 and STILL want to go back - mind you, they were 5 at the time, but they had a total blast. If you are hanging at the resort and it will be not so much time, especially, I highly recommend it. They did crafts and watched movies... We went to DTD when we used it, and were gone most of the night. If you're staying in, it wouldn't be so long (and therefore not as expensive) but probably a nice night for your kiddos.

 

[kmpprg]

Hi Danagirl,
I just ran across your PTR and was so excited to see that you are new at this like me. I have been reading here on the Dis for a few months, but just recently started to reply. How exciting for you about that awesome trip with the great hotels and dining plan. Also, very exciting about the big move to Oregon-wow! Did I read right that you are eating at Jiko twice? My daughter and I ate at Boma last summer and loved it, but never at Jiko yet. A date night would be very nice and more fun for the girls to do kid things for a few hours.
I hope you see lots of animals in your savannah view room and You and the girls will love Nemo and Lion King. I cannot wait to read more of your plans. My family is travelling to the world June 6th until the 13th-just when you are starting. By the way, love the pink print!

 

[danagirl]

Hi Danagirl,
I just ran across your PTR and was so excited to see that you are new at this like me. I have been reading here on the Dis for a few months, but just recently started to reply. How exciting for you about that awesome trip with the great hotels and dining plan. Also, very exciting about the big move to Oregon-wow! Did I read right that you are eating at Jiko twice? My daughter and I ate at Boma last summer and loved it, but never at Jiko yet. A date night would be very nice and more fun for the girls to do kid things for a few hours.
I hope you see lots of animals in your savannah view room and You and the girls will love Nemo and Lion King. I cannot wait to read more of your plans. My family is travelling to the world June 6th until the 13th-just when you are starting. By the way, love the pink print!

I wouldnt say I'm new.......just more of a lurker than a poster I have been getting better at throwing my two cents in though. Yes we are eating at Jiko twice. I moved that one around a couple of times and decided to do it. I love Jiko.....This way I can have the Maize-crusted Pacific Halibut and the Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon. Plus if we do a dinner without the kids I would like it to be in the same hotel.That way we can take our time and not feel rushed or worried about picking them up from child care, plus my daughter loved Jiko last year and is not going to let us go without her at least once. We are doing Boma for breakfast this year which I am super excited about!! I wish we could go a little earlier in June...I hate being so close to the 4th...but with school not getting out there's just no way. But I am going to Disney so I will suffer through...

 

[danagirl]

Wed-June 16th-Resort Day- We will be waking up(late) this morning and saying goodbye to AKL. We have breakfast ressies at Boma and then back to the room to pack and check out. I haven’t decided if we are gonna hang out at the pool here or maybe just go ahead to BLT and hang at the pool there….i guess it depends on how much pool time we manage to get in up till now. We have dinner reservations at Cali Grill tonight, then some fireworks and an early bed time. I am trying really hard not to overdo it and wear everyone out. Especially since DBF has to push the wheelchair around. I did that last year and wow was I tired at the end of the day.

Thurs-June 17th-Hollywood Studios- Last day at DHS…not sure how long we will stay. I know we have lunch ressies at Sci Fi…not my favorite but for Lex it’s a must do. We will probably finish up a few things; maybe ride TSM, who knows. We have dinner tonight at Artists Point. This year I would like to do Fantasmic….I am hoping for some more dates and times as June grows nearer…we will have to wait and see. So here is my issue…do you think it’s worth it to go back? It doesn’t have to be on this day. It could be another but I am trying to decide if I wanna do it. My biggest worry is the crowds. As I have mentioned my daughter is in a wheelchair…and boy I could tell you some stories from trips past. I have read about different issues people have had and how bad the crowds are. Lex gets a bit claustrophobic and happens to be the perfect height for elbows and people that talk with their hands. So I worry…not to mention there was the story on dis about some guy who was pushing a woman’s wheelchair to try and move her...I can only be so nice people. You lay a hand on my kid and I can’t promise much. So for those of you that have been…is it THAT bad? Is there someplace for disabled people to wait in the line out of the way? And if there is how do I get there?


figured i would add a picture...this was when we got to the poly to check in

 

[kmpprg]

Hi again, I don't know if this will help, but we usually arrive to see Fantasmic a few minutes before it starts, and slip right in. Everyone else is already seated and no one around to bump or push. I also heard that when it is showing twice in one night, the later showing is emptier and maybe will not have the long lines of everyone waiting to get a good seat. It is a good show, but not worth it for an hour wait ahead of time with the rude and uncaring people who may cause a problem.

 

[danagirl]

Hi again, I don't know if this will help, but we usually arrive to see Fantasmic a few minutes before it starts, and slip right in. Everyone else is already seated and no one around to bump or push. I also heard that when it is showing twice in one night, the later showing is emptier and maybe will not have the long lines of everyone waiting to get a good seat. It is a good show, but not worth it for an hour wait ahead of time with the rude and uncaring people who may cause a problem.

Thanks!We will try to make it but I won't mention it to the girls until I know we can get there and get in. Hopefully they will add some nights and some later times to the June schedule since its usually so crowded. That way I will have more options as when to go.

 

[PamelaKay]

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Hello everyone…thanks for tuning in…. this shall be my very first trip report so bear with me. Just so you know there will be a.) lots of misspelled words and absences of punctuation and crazy run on sentences b.)lots of words ending in “n” instead of “g”…sorry I’m pretty southern so there will be lots of goin, doin, fixin…etc …and finally…c.) You will see a lot of “…...” I do it all the time…(see…) anyways… I also feel like I should warn you…I have no attention span and go off into randomness often. You know how Dug in UP does the squirrel thing? Yeah that’s me except its not usually squirrels…it can be almost anything...soooo anyways…I will introduce you to the gang…

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Me-Dana- 32 –I’m the big planner and Disney freak of the trip, DBF has been warned …I planned this trip months in advance..okay maybe it was more like a year. Mom to Alexis … this will be my sixth trip to Disney, the third with my daughter…I am a tink fan and my fav’s are philharmagic, haunted mansion, and soarin. BTW there is no picture of me because I could not resize the one I had to be smaller and i figured you guys didn't need to see me THAT well...it was crazy big...like scroll down three times just to get off my forehead big...so sorry!!

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DBF-Will-33-This poor fella has no idea what he’s in for…but he doesn’t care cause he loves me…he truly is the best thing ever..i have noooo idea what he sees in me but I’m not giving him back…He’s such a great daddy to his daughter and cannot wait to go to Disney just because his daughter can’t wait to go to Disney…he has no idea what he likes yet but I will turn him into a Disney fan and he will like it…wait and see

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DD-Alexis 11-My little princess…she is soooo awesome…and totally me…attitude and everything. Alexis has severe rheumatoid arthritis. She has had such a struggle getting her disease under control. I cannot begin to the pain she has been through. Luckily she has a strong spirit and a big heart and I could not ask for a better kid…okay maybe one that cleaned her room once in awhile but I don’t think they make those…She uses a wheelchair pretty frequently because she has problems walking….so of course Disney without a wheelchair is not even an option…This is her third trip to Disney and her first with someone close to her own age, and that makes her even more excited…she is a Aurora fan and loves Rosetta and her favorite rides are BTMR, Soarin.
This Pic is from our trip last year...

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Jada-6- cause it’s easier than writing DBFDD. This kid is a tomboy in a dress and nail polish. She’s a daddy’s girl and I can’t blame her This will be her first trip and she is super excited and looking forward to meeting the princesses and doing the BBB.
This is Jada and her Dad this past summer...

A little back story….Will and I are old friends who reconnected in 2008 and started dating in 2009…only problem is he lives in Oregon and I live in North Carolina… I know it’s crazy…trust me…anyways…Will is the most awesomest(yeah I made that word up) boyfriend ever and Jada is the cutest kid ever and second only to my little cupcake. To tell you how hectic and crazy the time before our trip is let me just clue you in on what I am doing ….we are flying from NC to Disney and then flying straight back to Oregon…to live there …forever…which means I am MOVING!!! Not only am I moving….all the way across the country…it will be the first time I have ever lived more than 15 miles from where I was born…ever. So that means in the weeks before I leave I have to pack up everything I own except for what I am taking to Disney …that doesn’t sound too difficult …does it? NAW!! Well let’s just throw in that I will also be living with my mother for two weeks as all my worldly possessions will have already been shipped. Now that’s just scary. The upside to all this is we finally get to be together and I don’t have to miss him so much and spend so much money on flight tickets to and from Oregon… I can instead spend that on money for flights to Disneyworld.

So…how ready am I? I am pretty much done planning….yep done…Oh did you wanna help?



……Oh



…..sorry



….Well anyways would you like to know what I have planned????
We are heading to Disneyworld June 12-June 25. That’s 13 NIGHTS IN DISNEYWORLD!!! I’M SO FREAKIN EXCITED!!!!We are flying Southwest…I love Southwest… and shall arrive around 8:30 in the morning. We are spending our first 4 nights at AKL-Jambo House-savannah view and the last 9 at BLT. Our last two trips we have stayed at the Poly. We have found that with the wheelchair we just love the monorail soooo much more than the buses. Since we are doing such a long trip I wanted to have at least 2 days in each park. I have yet to make it to any shows or dinoland in Animal kingdom…so this year I’m goin! The rest are going to be rest days…it is a vacation after all. We are doing the DxDP for the whole trip but don’t worry most of my meals are at signature places so I don’t waste any valuable park time. Maybe tomorrow I will go over my park plans with ya and see what you think. Have a great day!!!

I have been to Disney many times with friends and this year I am taking my mom and dad. My mother has MS and will be renting an ECV. Did you like the Poly with a wheelchai. Was it easy to get around?

 

[danagirl]

I have been to Disney many times with friends and this year I am taking my mom and dad. My mother has MS and will be renting an ECV. Did you like the Poly with a wheelchair. Was it easy to get around?

We loved the Poly. We have stayed there the last two years. The first year we were in Tokelau the second we stayed in Tuvalu....I liked Tokelau much better. The only problem with Tuvalu was that the pathway was VERY bumpy. I thought we were gonna lose some parts to the wheelchair!!! Not to mention it couldn't have been any farther. I requested the first floor which worked really well for us. You should have a wonderful time there and of course having the monorail so close is wonderful especially when it means less time on the buses. Hope you have a wonderful trip! Any plans to write a trip report?

 

[PamelaKay]

Hope you have a wonderful trip! Any plans to write a trip report?

I started my pre-trip report. The link is in my signature. It is my first one. I have been a lurker for a long time. I am going to make a valliant effort to follow it up with a trip report.

I am glad to hear you enjoyed the Poly.

 

[kmpprg]

Hi Danagirl just checking in to say Hi. I hope all is well and waiting for your next installment.

 

[danagirl]

Hi Danagirl just checking in to say Hi. I hope all is well and waiting for your next installment.

Awww thanks...I have had a pretty sick little one for the past 2 weeks or so. The weathers been crazy around here and her arthritis has been really bothering her.So much so that she can't walk very well.So we have been taking it easy, trying some different kinds of pain management etc..so hopefully she will be better soon. I am working on my next installment now and hope to add some pictures of all the cool disney stuff we have bought and made for our trip when I am done...

 

[xanphylus]

All I can say is WoW!!! That's a long and fun Disney trip you've got planned there!! I wish I could pull that one off. We are staying value and only 3 nights this trip, but I also am not moving further away from the world. We live about 8 hours away and plan to drive there at least once a year from here on out. (At least as long as I can convince the hubby to do so ).

Your kiddos are cute! I love how you DBF's daughter has a brownie vest on! I am a brownie troop leader.

Where are you in NC? I have relatives on Oak Island and in Orrum and in the Fayetteville area.

 

[danagirl]

All I can say is WoW!!! That's a long and fun Disney trip you've got planned there!! I wish I could pull that one off. We are staying value and only 3 nights this trip, but I also am not moving further away from the world. We live about 8 hours away and plan to drive there at least once a year from here on out. (At least as long as I can convince the hubby to do so ).

Your kiddos are cute! I love how you DBF's daughter has a brownie vest on! I am a brownie troop leader.

Where are you in NC? I have relatives on Oak Island and in Orrum and in the Fayetteville area.

Further away stinks but at least we can be together full time..We live in Southern Pines/Pinehurst area...think golf and Fayetteville is not far away. Most of my friends are married to military boys. This is definitely the trip of a lifetime for us...not sure we will be able to stay this long for awhile.We will probably not go next year but theres always Disneyland!!! Thats so cool that ur a troop leader...my DBF just became a girlscout MOM....since he's the only one willing to take his daughter to girlscouts. It just makes him cuter!

 

[danagirl]

Okay, sorry for the long break but I had a pretty sick kiddo for a bit. She’s slowly getting better but still in a lot of pain so we are taking it pretty easy around here. Getting back to my pre trip report….

Fri-June 18th-Epcot-We get to start our wonderful day at Epcot with the Princess Storybook Breakfast bright and early…with hopes of being done in time to do the Soarin’ run…Well DBF can do the soarin’ run…I shall walk there with the girls After we are done with soarin we plan to head to test track…this will be a first for us so I’m excited!! After these two I am not sure yet how we will spend the rest of our time except to say we will be wondering around future world doing future worldish stuff. We do have lunch ressies at Chefs at 12 so we will either walk or take the boat over. We have dinner reservations at Coral Reef which means we will have three sit down meals today so I may change our Chefs to Tokyo dining…but I’m not sure yet. We may go back and take a break at BLT rt after lunch..it just depends on the crowds and how we are all feeling. If we will return in time to mosey around the living seas before dinner and then do more touring after we eat…hoping we get out in time for illuminations but we will have to see.


Sat-June 19th-Rest day-Lazy day today…well we are at Disney so not really..We have breakfast plans at 1900 Park Fare. Lex and I have done this every trip so far and we just love it. Strawberry Soup here I come!! Maybe today we will get to sit by the POOL…which I have yet to really do while at Disney…crazy I know. Dinner is at Flying Fish and then off to our Pirate Cruise!!! Yay!!! I have always wanted to do this but my parents had no interest what so ever. This sounds like sooo much fun. I am hoping the kids will love it. But shhhhh…it’s a surprise!!


Sun-June 20th-Magic Kingdom-FINALLY! It only took us 9 days to actually make our way here. We have plans for the BBB this morning. This is what LMJ has been waiting for since forever. Today is the day we celebrate her birthday. Since LMJ will be with her mom on her birthday for her two weeks of vacation we needed a day to celebrate…she chose today….so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! And after the BBB where do you go???? Why CRT of course!!! So far Cindy is LMJ’s favorite princess…this may change but that’s what I am going with at this point. We are making lots of Cindy t-shirts and such. After breakfast we will be using all the fast passes I had DBF collect while we were at the BBB . Tonight dinner is at Narcoossees which I love. Lex is so excited about being an adult this year and getting her own lobster…Tonight is EMH at MK…we will have to see if we are up to staying or not.


Mon-June 21st –Epcot- We may have a late start day depending on how late we stay out the night before. If so today will definitely be a World Showcase day. All Kid cots and Kim Possible missions as well as touring the world…its gonna be a busy day. We have lunch at Tutto and dinner at Lecellier at 6 so hopefully we will get to watch Illuminations.


Tues-June 22nd-Rest day….I know I have a lot of these but it’s not like I actually rest…just no rushing around the park. We have breakfast at Ohana with Lilo and Stitch this morning around 9 so we don’t sleep in too late!! Pool day or shopping…we are playing this one by ear. Dinner tonight is at CaliGrill just the two of us…we are send the princesses off to Neverland and picking them up as late as possible..okay not really..well maybe.


Wed-June 23rd-MK- We are going to see Pooh this morning!! Then its all day at MK…it’s my favorite!!! My daughter loves BTMRR…and she would ride it repeatedly if I would allow it. I love Phillharmagic!! We have lunch ressies at the plaza and dinner at Citricos.


Thurs-June 24th-MK-again…It is scheduled for early EMH…and today is our last day in Disney. This is gonna be hard…I don’t wanna leave and I’m not even there yet! We have lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern and Dinner tonight at Narcoossees..but that may change.


Fri-June-25th-We go home today…boohoo. But first we have breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and we will see from then…DBF‘s plane leaves at 2 (he’s driving back to NC to pick up the car and the dog and driving it to Oregon) and the rest of us fly out at 4. So I get to go home and unpack…everything I own…ya know that’s gonna be fun...