A letter

Dear Grandmother,

 

    Thanksgiving has already passed, I can't believe it.  As the holidays approach, all I can think about is you.  I'm not going to lie, this has been a rough, rough year.  I'm searching and searching through my brain for memories of us together, I don't ever want to forget them.  I don't ever want to forget you.  In time I know my heart will heal and I believe one day we'll be together again, but for now...it aches. 

 

A few weekends ago I went to get my haircut and there was an older lady in the waiting area that looked like you.  Mom and I both looked at one another and said "She looks just like Grandmother".  Isn't it amazing how things like that happen?  Just when I'm missing you the most, I see someone who resembles you.  That reminded me of a time when we lived in Savannah.  Mom, Trevor and I were on our way to eat Applebee's and Trevor was talking about missing the trains at Ba's house and naming them after Thomas & Friends.  As he was talking, we approached a railroad crossing and to our stunned eyes, the crossing arms dropped and the bell began to ring that a train was on its way.  It was almost as if Ba heard us talking about the trains and sent one our way.  Before that trip to Applebee's and even after, I don't recall us ever encountering another train.

 

Things just aren't the same without you here and I can't seem to grasp that you're gone.  It just feels like you're on vacation or something.  I want to call you, I want to visit you and hug your neck, but I can't.  I don't want to be sad, but the selfish child in me misses you so badly and I want you back.  There's a beautiful photo of you and I hugging from my wedding, I have a copy of it at my desk at work and in the foyer at home.  I love you and miss you. 

The final countdown...

3 days, 23 hours and 58 minutes until we're onboard the Disney Dream.....

 

 

We will be leaving Saturday morning to make our trek to Florida for our big trip.  We'll be back next Thursday, so you're sure to see several posts about our trip next weekend.  Here is just a taste of what's to come....

 

 

This is a photo of the Aquaduck, the very first (and currently the only) cruise ship waterslide that actually extends out over the ocean.

 

 

Their three restaurants are magical in their own right.  Animator's Palate changes from black/white to color during your dining experience.  Enchanted Garden has flowers that bloom while you dine.  You rotate to a new restaurant each night (since there's only 3, you'll eat in one of them twice), but your wait staff follow you, so you still get the same familiar faces during your meal. 

 

 

Animator's Palate Dining Room

 

 

Royal Palace Dining Room

 

 

Enchanted Garden Dining Room

 

 

 

We may have to have the cats shipped to us via UPS/Fed Ex, I'm pretty sure we won't want to leave.

Nooooo cold, go away

It was almost as if an alarm went off in my sinuses as soon as I pulled in the driveway last night.  I felt a funny tingle in my throat...I ate dinner and pretended it didn't bother me.  The only thing in the house was Benadryl so I took a couple doses and while it did make me sleepy, it didn't last long.  Benadryl has a very short lifespan and I woke up several times throughout the morning tossing/turning.  Trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in that would allow breathing took FOREVER. 

 

I started taking 500mg of Vitamin C last night to hopefully boost my immune system.  I won't lie though, I'm looking forward to my lunch break where I can go to the drugstore and attempt to self-medicate.  I generally only get sick like this once a year, but WHY NOW?!?

 

I cannot be sick on our cruise, I refuse!

Thanksgiving Break

On Wednesday after work, Hardy and I drove up to Gatlinburg, TN to stay with his family. We had a nice room at The Edgewater right behind the main strip into town. Aside from an apparent little leave football tournament going on our stay there was nice.

Thursday we got up and road around Pigeon Forge. We ate lunch at Corky's which was pretty good and then did this cool attraction called TOMB. It was only $12/per adult and lasted 45mins. You go in a "tomb" with a tour guide and have to solve all of these puzzles as a group before advancing to the next room. It was definitely the best $12 I've spent in a while.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Texas Roadhouse. They actually were offering a Thanksgiving dinner, but we all opted for steak. Our plan was to eat lunch at Dick's Last Resort back in Gatlinburg....huge mistake. We waited on a table (for 8) for 45mins, we finally sat down at 2:50pm. Our waiter greeted us immediately and took our drink order.  From there it was all down hill.  We got our drinks and about 45mins later we still had no food...our waiter came around and asked us what we ordered, we all thought he was kidding and that it was part of him being a "dick", but it wasn't. He came back and said we scared him, he thought he didn't have our order.

Come to find out he never even put our order in even after he asked us what we ordered a second time. Finally after a 2hr wait from the moment we walked in the door, without any food (and plenty of other larger tables had all been fed) I went and complained to the hostess. The manager came over, apologized profusely and offered us free nachos and cheese sticks on the house while our food got prepared.  Once our food finally did arrive, we were informed our original waiter had been fired. The manager comp'd our entire meal and I thanked him letting him know we knew it wasn't HIS fault.  We all had horrible headaches and were starving by the time we actually did eat, but the manager righted the situation and we appreciate that. 

Since this was our last night, some of us got funnel cakes and the others donuts and ice-cream.  Hope, Hardy's mom, Holden and I all did this weird 5D theatre where you sat on a mechanical horse and shot at targets on a big movie screen.  Holden won the first game and I won the second - - another cute attraction I would recommend.  Saturday morning we got up, checked out of the hotel and enjoyed a most delicious meal at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  The meal was high, but the food was worth every penny.  We were sat in our own little hole that looked like the Gump house from the movie Forest Gump.  While we waited on our food, the waiter came by and asked us trivia questions about the movie, I was very proud of Hardy and myself as we got nearly every question (actually kind of sad to know we've seen the movie that many times ha ha).

After lunch, Hardy and I headed back home to our cats who missed us so much.

Always reminded...

Ever seen a rainbow-ball? Quite an interesting sight.