Melancholy Weekend

[bankr63]

So here I sit, brokenhearted...

All day today we have been playing the "where would we be" game. Right about now as I write we should be somewhere in the Carolinas heading towards our late night arrival in Orlando.

First year in countless years that we have not bolted for the border as soon as the final school bell rang. Usually on Friday at 3:15 I would have been sitting at the school door fully packed with the car idling. We were so looking forward to spending this year celebrating 50 years of WDW.

We do have a few fun dinners planned this week, although with the March break move in Ontario, DW will still head off to class on Monday morning. She could really use a break too! This year has been hell for her - not just teaching but becoming the PPE and Social Distancing Police. Teaching in class, then switch to online, then back in class. Trying to shout through masks and visors so students can hear, trying to read student expressions on faces covered by masks. Teaching ALL subjects as specialists are no longer a thing in middle school.

This week more than any other, be sure to thank your kid's teachers. They have been toiling through these times, dedicated to providing a valuable education to the the kids to whom they devote their lives. And (in Ontario) this week will be tough as they miss their much needed break.

We know we'll be back to Orlando in 2022, and we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. But this week more than any other is the toughest of the pandemic for my life partner and dedicated teacher wife.

 

[Disneylover99]

Very nice tribute to your wife and teachers everywhere.

This has been very tough. More than ever, teachers especially this year, needed the March Break to just decompress.
It's been a long winter. Maybe we'll end up loving the April week off, but right now, I feel like teachers and the students could use the break right now.

 

[Minniemoo15]

I understand. I felt the same way at the beginning of March for our March break (teacher here as well). We played the “where would we be?” game all week leading up and it was so hard. I think it was made harder by the fact that our trips are so routine - we knew exactly what we should be doing and when.

I will say the actual March break was easier than the lead up. When we were supposed to be going to the airport hotel was a really tough day for me. But after it was all done, my husband turned to me and said “there! Think of all the money we just saved!”

 

[pigletto]

Thank you to your wife and to all the teachers who have worked so tirelessly during such an extraordinarily hard, stressful, and worrisome year. We are a family who respect and support the people who spend so much time with our kids. This year more than ever. My daughter started her first year as an EA this year and they are working their tails off in extreme conditions too.

So again, thank you to your wife, and thank you to all the educators and support staff who might be reading this post. I couldn’t do your job on a good day, and this year has been a lot of bad days. You all make such a positive difference to our children.

 

[DavidL]

We're right there with you playing the "where would we be" game this weekend. We would have arrived in Orlando on Saturday evening, and would have been checking into the Disney resort (Pop or Allstars) late morning today.... We drive from London ON to Orlando, and normally leave on the Thursday morning, drive as far as Kentucky on the 1st day, we make sure we are south of Atlanta on the 2nd day (Friday), and then on the Saturday we make it to Orlando. We stay at an off-property hotel on the Saturday night.

With the Pandemic, we haven't been to Orlando since Aug of 2019, and miss the road trips. We miss stopping at restaurants like "Waffle House!".

So here I sit, brokenhearted...

All day today we have been playing the "where would we be" game. Right about now as I write we should be somewhere in the Carolinas heading towards our late night arrival in Orlando.

 

[Pumpkin1172]

We have been playing this game for the past few weeks. We should have been in Daytona/Orlando mid February and also a quick last minute warm getaway right about now or by the end of March - But here we sit.

With the travel restrictions that are in place, I/We do not feel comfortable enough to even think about booking anything right now.

This is the time of year where I personally struggle the most. My mental health takes a huge hit. The sunlight helps, but winter drags on - especially in Alberta. We get those teaser days, then Oh....let's give them more snow, and some more cold weather, then a couple more teaser days then OH....more cold. It is just hard. With not planning or even looking forward to an upcoming trip just adds another layer onto it, then add onto it, not doing anything but work and home life. Thank goodness, I still have a job that allows me to get out of the house, We haven't seen our family members since Oct except through video chats, and honestly, that is getting hard as well. We have missed several milestone moments with our grandbaby, and not hugged another family member or visited with girlfriends since October. I know it's not just my personal mental health that is suffering. Many of our family members mental health is low.

Crossing my fingers that with the amount of vaccines that are starting to trickle in now, more restrictions will be lifted, so that we can start to see family members again. It's time. People's mental health is needing it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

A huge thanks to your DW for all of her efforts this year. My son's fiance is a teacher, and I know first hand how hard she has worked to keep the year a positive one for her students.....so I'm super sad that you guys can't get away for your annual trip south. After the challenges of the last 12 months, I know you both needed it.

I hope you were able to deposit your week with II or RCI, and it wasn't a loss for you. That would be like salt in the wound.

Stay safe, my friend.

 

[mshanson3121]

Hugs. I get it. While we weren't planning travel on March break - we should have been there in June. I should have been in the thick of planning right now. And yes, it has been a horrible year for teachers. I have never seen my husband so incredibly stressed out. It's awful. And next year while maybe a bit better, doesn't look to be normal, either. From talks, it won't be till the 2022-2023 school year that "normal" completely resumes in classrooms. Hopefully you guys can at least take a good vacation in Canada this summer!

 

[bankr63]

Hugs. I get it. While we weren't planning travel on March break - we should have been there in June. I should have been in the thick of planning right now. And yes, it has been a horrible year for teachers. I have never seen my husband so incredibly stressed out. It's awful. And next year while maybe a bit better, doesn't look to be normal, either. From talks, it won't be till the 2022-2023 school year that "normal" completely resumes in classrooms. Hopefully you guys can at least take a good vacation in Canada this summer!

Oh yes! Summer is keeping us going. We have 4 campground reservations so far spread throughout the summer. Total time of about 5+ weeks. I just hope the office doesn't realize that my "work from home" has some odd wildlife noises in the background...

Next year will be a tough start for schools, but a lot probably depends on how quickly we get a vaccine for youth and children. As it stands right now none of the students will have been vaccinated which puts a pretty big hole in the herd immunity theory. If all of the unvaccinated part of the herd all congregate together all day it will still be hard to stop the spread. Students and staff will definitely have to keep up with COVID protocols!

 

[Donald - my hero]

i hear you, we've already had that happen since our trips always take place in early to mid January (luckily we got in last year's trip just in time!) and it sucked, even more so when i think about the fact that possibly 2022 will be out for us as well since with my dietary restrictions we can't gamble on the possibility that dining choices will be back to the level I've become accustomed to.

I've found myself dealing with these milestones almost daily now, broke down in tears as i put the groceries into the trunk last night. For the last 40 years (GAWD we're old!) grocery shopping has been "date night" for us. Started when we were broke students and couldn't even think about affording to eat out and then when we had kids when we could "sort of" afford to eat out, we hired a sitter and shopped after having a burger somewhere. It then became a Sunday experience that would start in a favourite coffee shop where we would plan the meals for the week, write out the list and then head to the store. When self-checkout came into play it was even MORE fun (yeah, we're weird and proud of it). It's been a year now since we've grocery shopped together, we decided he was more at risk than I am so I became the shopper. We've just had our daughter's 2nd "quarantine" birthday and it was so hard to once again stand in their doorway handing over gifts & cake while masked (our health unit was on top of those very early on). I'm not looking forward to more of these time markers but keep reminding myself that the vaccines are coming and life will eventually enter into our "new normal"

We can't even plan trips in Canada to tide us over until we can safely go to Disney World, nah, let me change that we WON'T because I would need to cook for myself (restaurants here just don't put the same effort into making safe food for me) and that's not a holiday to me

 

[pigletto]

Oh yes! Summer is keeping us going. We have 4 campground reservations so far spread throughout the summer. Total time of about 5+ weeks. I just hope the office doesn't realize that my "work from home" has some odd wildlife noises in the background...

Next year will be a tough start for schools, but a lot probably depends on how quickly we get a vaccine for youth and children. As it stands right now none of the students will have been vaccinated which puts a pretty big hole in the herd immunity theory. If all of the unvaccinated part of the herd all congregate together all day it will still be hard to stop the spread. Students and staff will definitely have to keep up with COVID protocols!

So interestingly we got a letter last week from our sons high school that told us to expect a full return to school in September, with no compressed days, no cohorts or smaller classes, and a return to pre pandemic extra curriculars and activities . They did say they would still follow public health mask mandates etc, but it still seemed like a bold call in March. Mind you, half the school is over 16 and will be vaccinated .

 

[Sue M]

I’ve been torturing myself looking at my FB memories that have been appearing this month. One year ago Early March we were in Mexico. So all my FB pics have been appearing.
Then tonight was watching Mexico Life, Hawaii Life, Beachfront Bargain Hunt! Lol

 

[hdrolfe]

I’ve been torturing myself looking at my FB memories that have been appearing this month. One year ago Early March we were in Mexico. So all my FB pics have been appearing.
Then tonight was watching Mexico Life, Hawaii Life, Beachfront Bargain Hunt! Lol

I watch those every Friday and dream of when I can buy a place in the sun.