keishashadow
Proud Redhead...yes, I have some bananas!
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2004
Woohoo!
Woohoo!
View attachment 711012Playing around as I am doing some online learning about different types of picture taking/editing techniques.View attachment 711013
Lol - I popped in the wrong picture for the second one! Oh well now you know what you would look like with rocker hair and a shimmery husband .Love Tom`s shirt in that picture!! It looks like the material on one of the comfy chairs in our bedroom...kinda shimmery silver!!
Not sure about the pink hair on me .....I don`t think I`m anywhere near cool enough to pull that look off like my friend D does......she is very rock chick!!!
Love it though.......sounds like you have a nice hobby with the picture editing, is that just for fun you`re doing that?
Thanks for doing that.......
Lol - I popped in the wrong picture for the second one! Oh well now you know what you would look like with rocker hair and a shimmery husband .
We are heading to South America in the new year for an Antarctic cruise. We have booked to be in Iguazu Falls during a full moon so learning about twilight photography and editing. It can be fun playing around with different options.
Oh my gosh Carole this part of your trip report is always one of my favourites! The way you “lead up“ to your arrival into Florida is always filled with the most amazing details.THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1ST
TRAVEL DAY
As soon as the lights went out, I did fall asleep.......for about 26 minutes, yes, as long as that! And proceeded to lay awake on and off, mainly off for the next 5 hours.
I never understood why your brain goes into overdrive as soon as you know you need to sleep. The more you tell yourself you need to sleep, the more your brain stays awake.......it`s a little like when someone tells you not to think about a drunk giraffe......all you can think about is a drunk giraffe!! Well, that might just be me of course!
But, after getting up around 84 times just to wander around and look out the window, it was finally time to actually get up at 4.45am. I looked out the window a dozen times and I`m constantly amazed at how alive the roads around the airport are, even at 2am.
I jumped in the shower first and once Tom was ready we had finished packing our last minute stuff and of course bring the passports out of the room safe, we headed down to reception, dropped off the room keys and walked down to check in.....and they had moved where Virgin usually are....that confused us!
We walked further along and found what seemed to be 2 lines merging together, never to be shy I asked one man if he was in the VA line...he kinda growled back no, fair enough......we did find the end of the VA line and we had one couple follow us as they said we looked like we knew what we were doing......lol.....er, ok.......
We were a little early, but it wasn`t long till they opened the lines and we found the Premium line was off to one side, so we joined that line and had our documents (paper documents) to show we have had all our vaccinations and passports too. Of course we stood behind the couple who were furiously trying to find their vaccination certificates on their phones!!! And failing. You can see the airline staff getting frustrated with the amount of folks that do that and they have always said it`s so much easier to have a paper copy, which we have.
At this point where they ended up having to reload their NHS info, one of the men who check your documents spotted me and pointed he knew me.....he certainly did, he had checked our documents many times over the years but had remembered us from our previous trips. He immediately passed these two by and took our info, checked the passports and we were through to drop our bags and check in. We thanked him as the couple were still faffing around and getting more and more frustrated with each other!!! Far too early to be so stressed.
Once checked in we headed to security and again we were glad we had the Fast Trak service, the regular line was around 45 minutes and we walked through in seconds and in the proper line through the other side where your bags are scanned as are you, we were especially glad of Fast Trak.
But, when our bags went through, Tom`s was pulled for a secondary check and of course claimed complete innocence and said there was nothing in his bag that shouldn`t be there. hmmm.
He had forgot a small hand sanitiser was nestled in the confines of his hand luggage! It did pass some time of course as we were too early for the Lounge we had booked. So, he dutifully apologised to the very nice man who had seen it a million times before.
Once cleared, we wandered through and waited till it was time to enter the lounge. They treat this place like a Japanese Train Schedule!!! If you`re booked for 7.30am, heaven help you if you try to enter more than a minute early. And we had a little twist this morning as in, our time had changed as our flight was slightly later and I had tried to call and change the time but they said it was fine to just turn up at the later time. And the lady who works on the door is not known for her compassion.
So, we turn up and she tells us we were booked an hour ago....yes, but our flight changed and you only get 2.5 hours before take off time. She was unusually mellow and after explaining it didn`t quite work like that, she did deign to allow us entry as it wasn`t too buy. Could have been awkward, but we were very polite to her and she was the same back.
There was quite a line to get into to this and the other slightly cheaper lounge and she was as regimented with them as we heard her turn away several folks who were too early for their time slot.
The lounge is a nice area to relax in and it`s a fair size so even when it`s busier, it doesn`t feel too cramped. And today it certainly didn`t feel like it was crowded at all as the lady initially claimed when we arrived at a different time.
Alcohol is completely help yourself, and that includes every type of alcohol you can think of including champagne which was going to be our choice this morning. As well as tea of course.
You can help yourself to items like bacon, sausages, potatoes, tomatoes, beans (yuk) and many continental options like pastries, cereals breads and croissants. If you want items like poached eggs or toast with avocado, you can order anything like that you wish. It`s a good system and it works well to be honest.
We both wanted only bacon with some toast, so we had to wait till the toast was delivered to get the bacon but when it came it was very nice.
I do have one complaint, the tea can only be made in a cup and the cups are very small. So by the time you get back to the table, it`s either cold or almost gone. Then you have to go back up.....I wish they had teapots.
Tom opened the drinks cabinet underneath and opened a fresh bottle.....you didn`t have to wait for staff to open them and some were prosecco.....so we preferred the champagne. I don`t think some realised you could do this, once we opened a bottle, it was open season!
It really is too early for us to be doing some hard drinking as in Gins, we would have liked to taste one or two we hadn`t tried before, but it was just too early.
We passed some time after we had eaten a little and drank a little, then we headed down to buy some last minute things for the plane. A big bottle of water is standard, we can as for water whenever we like on the plane, but sometimes we can`t be bothered getting up and it`s handy to have a large bottle beside us. Wet wipes for the seats and screens and a magazine I never read.
The airport is busy today and when we see the gate number announced we head back to the older part of the airport again, this our stepping back into the 1980`s after being in the newer building. It`s much cooler through here too which isn`t fun.
We did have to sit at the gate a while, and it always makes us smile when folks line up expecting to get on first when they do have a routine for boarding. Wheelchairs and assistance first, Upper then Premium and then economy. It never varies yet, the same lines happen every flight and we have to scramble through them to board, this is despite announcements for them to stand back. The plane won`t leave without you!
Eventually we do board and the woman who had absolutely refused to move as she wanted on first, had to move and let those boarding before her enter the plane. She wasn`t happy.
We got on and found our seats immediately. I was sure we had the back row on this flight, but when I looked a couple of weeks ago I noticed we weren`t, but Premium seats are still good.
Cabin Crew are always lovely on our flights, and today is no different, they are very friendly and do make the flight when they are so nice.
We got settled in and of course, the obligatory selfie with our glass of fizz.
Being on a plane is still so exciting for us.....I know many seasoned travellers might just take it in their stride, but for us, we still get a thrill from flying and taking off so as we sit and wait we are rumbling with excitement to take off.
We were supposed to take off at 10am, but our Captain announced he was waiting on one piece of paperwork before he could take off......it felt like forever when you`re waiting but eventually at 10.30 we pushed back and started the slow roll to the end of the runway.
Another very smooth and clean take off and we`re up in the air, won`t be long till we`re at 40,000 feet and hoping we make good time for our landing. As soon as we level off CC begin the rounds of handing out our menu`s and offering the first drinks service of the flight.
The menu was no surprise to us as 2 days before our flight, we had received an email with an option to pre book whichever meals we wanted and Tom and I had both chosen the chicken lasagne. It`s a good idea as sometimes you can end up with the sloppy choice no one else wants, usually the veggie option, but we knew what was coming today.
39,000 feet.
They are always very generous with the wines, I had two handed to me at this point, Tom chose a beer and asked for only one as he is driving at the other end of this part of the flight.
We both started watching movies, Tom a Batman one and I forget which one I was watching, well it was over 5 weeks ago now, but it wasn`t good whatever it was so I ended up watching Harry Potter and they Philosopher`s Stone....again. I love that movie though and it continues to be my favourite of all the movies.
They appear with the food after about an hour or so and I have to say, I have never seen peas served with lasagne in my life before. I hate peas.
The little appetiser was odd, the orzo was quite nice, but I hate hummus so that wasn`t ever going to be a favourite dish. The lasagne itself wasn`t too bad once I picked out the veg. Bread roll is standard and the highlight was the little dessert, it was light as air and very nice.
After we had been fed and watered, we visited the bathroom and then I settled down to hopefully sleep a couple of hours away, but took a picture of our flight info before I did.
The people behind us had reclined, so that means it`s acceptable to recline your chair on a day flight, so blanket over me, eye mask on, pillow in place and window blind drawn down......and I fell asleep.
Tom was also asleep for a while, but he woke up to find me still out for the count, so he took a picture of the screen as he knew I`d ask why he didn`t since he was awake......lol......
He said he put on another movie but I still never flinched. I had been tired.
There was no turbulence this flight, well, not much, but eventually I woke up and boy did I feel like I had been sleeping, it is nice to be able to sleep on a plane though as I know many can`t, I think I had around 4 hours sleep.
Not long after I woke up they were coming round with afternoon tea. To be honest neither of us were overly hungry, but we did enjoy the mug of tea and kinda nibbled on the offerings. I ate half of the white cream cheese and dill sandwich and part of the scone, the other two little treats were lovely, but far too sweet for me. I don`t think Tom even ate them this time around, and he does have a sweet tooth.
But, it does pass some time on the flight that does now feel as if we`ve been on it for a fair few hours, we`re ready to get off now.
Almost there....
That last hour is filled with a new excitement and trepidation of what`s ahead for us for the next four weeks. We cannot wait to get off the plane and feel that heat hit us again and I know every other person on this plane feels the same way, but that last 40 minutes goes so slow.
But, once we see MCO......you can honestly feel the buzz around the plane amplify and everyone seemingly feels the same way as there is an audible buzz around the plane as the excitement level raises itself up.
Hearing the Captain say, Cabin Crew, Seats for landing please is one of the nicest things to hear. We then know we`re probably not going to circle for an hour or head up and down the coastline for any given length of time.
Despite leaving around 40 minutes late, we landed 15 minutes early and boy did we have the smoothest landing ever.....we barely kissed the runway before the brakes were hammered on to stop us in a timely fashion, any landing you walk away from is a good one of course, but smooth works for us.
That slow trundle to the gate follows and I think we landed in the furthest away spot possible today as it took forever to get to the gate.
But, we were here, safe and sound and ready to begin our special anniversary/birthday celebrations.
Oh my gosh Carole this part of your trip report is always one of my favourites! The way you “lead up“ to your arrival into Florida is always filled with the most amazing details.
Brenda
For a “not doing much” day you actually seem to have done loads!
Love the photo taken under RRR and the one of the crouching SA.
That chocolate martini photo does look a little X-rated Next trip we’re definitely going to make it to Strongwater… I say that, but we’ve been saying that for the last couple of trips and it took us seven trips to make it to Thirsty Fish (and we were staying at Portofino for all of those trips!).
Baby Spice! How lovely. Really……wearing big black sunglasses screams “notice me”. But we still would have been thrilled to see her!
You are off to a smashing start!
Where do I begin…love your honest reviews of the HHN houses and scare zones.
Your bangle is beyond gorgeous! What a lovely way to celebrate your anniversary!
I love that you were so very comfortable in your suite at SF. There is nothing better than relaxing after a wonderful day of sunshine and vacation
Congratulations to Kyle on his fabulous finish
Looking forward to seeing other new offerings on property
Hi Carole! I’m catching up, away for the weekend and you have many new updates!
I love the suite pictures. Just beautiful. What a lovely place to stay on your trip
I agree with your thoughts on the houses and scare zones so far. We didn’t have near as much time there as you but definitely feel the same way.
Happy Anniversary and Birthday! Wow the bangle bracelet is beautiful, I love the design.
Looking forward to more updates.
We’ve walked past it every single time we went to or from the parks so we felt it really was time we visited! We used to like Bar American but it wasn’t open this trip (and all the signage was gone…). We had good service in the Thirsty Fish, the Italian Old Fashioned was very nice and the sofas were comfy so we’ll likely return.I don’t think we’ve ever been to the Thirsty Fish??