ABC's of Trip Planning (Oct 10-20), Vol. 2- Z is for: Zippidee Doo Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Poolrat]

What a cool trip! You really captured the essence of the countryside.

Glad you made it back to get gas and probably didn't cut it as close as it sounded.

Yes!! I actually just e-mailed my spreadsheet to Brook and she is all ready to snag them all next week. She suggested a few small little tweaks, but we are READY!!!

Um, please share so we can be on the same page!!! Rosie You too!!! Hopefully we can get some things to line up right.

 

[Steppesister]

Hi All,

Thought I'd be able to catch up on everyone else's threads tonight, but alas, we're waiting for a call back from the vet; looks like we're going to have to put one of our goats down. Symptoms point to tetanus. Working at both jobs tomorrow (most likely for the very last time at the Long Term Care place), so catching up will have to wait until Friday. Hope you all are well- miss everyone!

I also have a small update on Zach and will post more soon...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Thankful for paved highways

Finally! One person in America is thankful for the highways!

I'm just quoting all of these photos that just have me mesmerized staring at the screen. Gorgeous shots.

A Chinese place, in a town with an Indian name patronized by mostly Latinos.

Sounds thoroughly American!

And another one!

I was VERY sad about this, as one of my BIG wishes was to see a snake in the wild to photograph. From a distance with my long lens, of course.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

I ordered a BLT and my neighbors ordered a breakfast scramble, and yes, Marcia complained of lower GI issues the rest of the day. That'll teach her to come off of an extended cleanse with greasy potatoes, eggs and bacon.

I bet it was still worth it to her. The rest of you in the car? Not so much.

I thought it might be a dangerous game to put my foot through it and risk a snake bite.

But then you'd get your photo!

Thought I'd be able to catch up on everyone else's threads tonight, but alas, we're waiting for a call back from the vet; looks like we're going to have to put one of our goats down. Symptoms point to tetanus

I'm sorry to hear that.

Congrats on hitting the 70-day mark! So close now!

 

[Steppesister]

.....and my goat just died.

 

[Flossbolna]

.....and my goat just died.

Liesa, I am so sorry that you lost an animal!! However, if it was tetanus it might be a good reminder for everyone why those shots are so important!! It is such a horrible disease.

 

[franandaj]

.....and my goat just died.

I'm sorry to hear that.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[mom3sonstt]

.....and my goat just died.

I'm sorry to hear this

 

[jedijill]

So sorry about your poor goat.

Jill in CO

 

[Steppesister]

Thanks for the pity party on my little goatie. He was the sweeter of the 2, which made it such a bummer. Not sure what we'll do with the remaining brother right now. Selling him for meat is an option- there is a HUGE Mexican/Latino population in our area who buy goats like hotcakes for quinceanaras (Sweet 16 parties) and weddings. I'd personally like to start over with a smaller breed and ones that are de-budded.

Anywhooooo, I also have an update on Zach. We did get the MRI and it was returned "clean". The neurologist showed us all the images, and I played my "nurse card" for the first time. I won't lie, I enjoyed that, as I'm positive I got more information that way. He did say that there was a small area that showed a possible vein anomaly which could either be from a simple malformation at birth or an old injury from possibly his concussion when he was 8. In either case, it was inconsequential to his deal right now.

Now the good news and bad news:

It was most definitely a seizure. To be specific a partial complex (absence) seizure. In olden days terminology, a petit mal seizure. We, including the neuro are hopeful it was an isolated event. However... he has a couple of strikes against him. #1 He had a major concussive event in his past with loss of consciousness which has to be factored in. #2 He was a preemie. #3 He has had significant cognitive delays in many areas since birth.

The next step is an EEG which will be done in his office on Monday. Depending on what that shows, he may or may not have to go on anti-epileptics which have AWFUL side effects. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Hopefully, I will get a good old fashioned update up tonight. I have 3 glorious days off here, and am about to head out to go peach picking with HOURS of ensuing canning ahead of me with my daughter. I always enjoy that. But it's hard work. But I hope to relax as well with the DIS. I have SO many TRs to catch up. Most likely yours is one of them.

 

[franandaj]

Well that's quite some bit of news on Zach. Hopefully it was an isolated event. Crossing my fingers for you. I hope you enjoy your peaches and canning.

 

[irene_dsc]

It was most definitely a seizure. To be specific a partial complex (absence) seizure. In olden days terminology, a petit mal seizure. We, including the neuro are hopeful it was an isolated event. However... he has a couple of strikes against him. #1 He had a major concussive event in his past with loss of consciousness which has to be factored in. #2 He was a preemie. #3 He has had significant cognitive delays in many areas since birth.

The next step is an EEG which will be done in his office on Monday. Depending on what that shows, he may or may not have to go on anti-epileptics which have AWFUL side effects. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Hopefully, I will get a good old fashioned update up tonight. I have 3 glorious days off here, and am about to head out to go peach picking with HOURS of ensuing canning ahead of me with my daughter. I always enjoy that. But it's hard work. But I hope to relax as well with the DIS. I have SO many TRs to catch up. Most likely yours is one of them.

I wish the news was more definitive! Best of luck with the EEG.

Also, have fun with the peaches. I haven't done any canning in ages.

 

[rndmr2]

Looks like you had a fun weekend outing! Beautiful pictures! I love taking pictures but I'm not very good at it most of the time but I have fun. I take them mostly on vacations and at my Nephews' sporting events, they are just too cute at 7 and 9 years old.

Glad you are at least starting to get some answers about Zach. Hope everything goes well with the EEG. If he has to go on meds, there are a lot more out there nowadays that aren't as bad as they used to be. My Hubby has Absence seizures, was dx'd at age 17 and has been on multiple meds since then. He is 40 now and has the best control he has ever had. I barely ever see them anymore unless he is under a lot of stress or if he misses his dose. He actually used to have many a day, sometimes one right after another, luckily he isn't out of commission with them, he just goes right back to what he was saying/doing. He's been really lucky with side effects. he gained weight when he was on Depakote, then he was on Topamax for a few years and it was working well but then the docs started asking him about issues with word finding, forgetfulness, etc and we never though anything of that because he has a mild learning disability too but they took him off that and wow what a difference. Now he is on Lamictal and it is a miracle drug!! As far as we know he hasn't had any side effects at all. Unfortunately, he is not able to drive, which makes things hard but we make do.

 

[Steppesister]

Great pictures, and I'm glad you had a chance for such a great get away. I once took a photography class, intending to pursue such a fun hobby, and realized that I was too lazy to practice and certainly too lazy to get the "good" light early in the morning! However, my snapshots did improve, so now I can tolerate my own pictures and really appreciate yours! I will be back with my guesses in time - only 1 more shift before puppy staycation!

Thank you, Donna! I definitely don't enjoy getting up early, but it always seems to end up being worth it. Yes, I am going to put a bit more information up this weekend for the contest- the last piece that people need to guess on (the Top 10 Lists series). Hope you're enjoying your puppy love.

Woo hoo for under 70 days!!!!! It will be here before ya know it!

It's coming SOOOOO fast now! FiP Day is only like 6 days now!! Yikes!

What a cool trip! You really captured the essence of the countryside.

Glad you made it back to get gas and probably didn't cut it as close as it sounded.

It was so fun! Oregon has so many showcase areas to see.

It was scary.

Um, please share so we can be on the same page!!! Rosie You too!!! Hopefully we can get some things to line up right.

I will send it very soon. Doing the last little tweaks today as I dialogue with Brook.

 

[Steppesister]

Finally! One person in America is thankful for the highways!

Doing my part to keep Americans employed and getting to Disney.

I'm just quoting all of these photos that just have me mesmerized staring at the screen. Gorgeous shots.

Why thank you. Oregon has plenty to offer for great views.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

I bet it was still worth it to her. The rest of you in the car? Not so much.

We did give her more than plenty of opportunities to step out of the car. You know... to see the views.

But then you'd get your photo!

Good point. Good photography has its many risks.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Wish we knew what killed it. Not knowing is awful.

Congrats on hitting the 70-day mark! So close now!

64 or so now, I think. Need to finalize the FiPs so Brook can make them.

 

[Steppesister]

Well that's quite some bit of news on Zach. Hopefully it was an isolated event. Crossing my fingers for you. I hope you enjoy your peaches and canning.

I hope so too! Not a very fun diagnosis to have. I ended up with 30 pounds of peaches, but they won't be ready to can until Sunday. So, here I am refining some planning and finalizing FiP Plans.

I wish the news was more definitive! Best of luck with the EEG.

Also, have fun with the peaches. I haven't done any canning in ages.

Me too; we'll just have to wait until the results are in next week.

If I wasn't being lazy today, I'd be canning the pears since the peaches won't be ready until Sunday. Ah well.... it's hot and.... I'm lazy.

Looks like you had a fun weekend outing! Beautiful pictures! I love taking pictures but I'm not very good at it most of the time but I have fun. I take them mostly on vacations and at my Nephews' sporting events, they are just too cute at 7 and 9 years old.

I sure did! It was very restful in a nature-y way. And having fun is the most important thing. I know people who do it for a living, but am not so sure they still find it "fun". And vacations and family events are IMHO the most enjoyable to get pictures of.

Glad you are at least starting to get some answers about Zach. Hope everything goes well with the EEG. If he has to go on meds, there are a lot more out there nowadays that aren't as bad as they used to be. My Hubby has Absence seizures, was dx'd at age 17 and has been on multiple meds since then. He is 40 now and has the best control he has ever had. I barely ever see them anymore unless he is under a lot of stress or if he misses his dose. He actually used to have many a day, sometimes one right after another, luckily he isn't out of commission with them, he just goes right back to what he was saying/doing. He's been really lucky with side effects. he gained weight when he was on Depakote, then he was on Topamax for a few years and it was working well but then the docs started asking him about issues with word finding, forgetfulness, etc and we never though anything of that because he has a mild learning disability too but they took him off that and wow what a difference. Now he is on Lamictal and it is a miracle drug!! As far as we know he hasn't had any side effects at all. Unfortunately, he is not able to drive, which makes things hard but we make do.

The answers are coming slowly. Partly my own fault for stalling out on getting him an appt quickly; partly because it takes a while to get an appt in anywhere. Thanks for all the very helpful information on the various meds. Yes, long gone are the days with high doses of Dilantin (although it is still used). I like that the options are better now. I think the not driving part (if that's where this ends) will be pretty hard on an 18 year old kid. The loss of freedom will be a tough pill to swallow for sure.

 

[MarieLightning]

So sorry to hear about your goat. I do hope, if you do start over, that you get just a sweet a four-legged friend.

I am so glad to hear Zach's MRI came back normal, although I'm sure right now there's still quite a bit of anxiety over waiting for more results (obviously, the word seizure isn't one we like hearing). I hope the EEG shows it truly was an isolated thing.

And yaaay for three glorious days off!

 

[Elevationist]

Just checking in. Can you believe that 2 months from now, it'll be October? Crazy stuff!!!

 

[rndmr2]

I had forgotten to say I'm sorry about your little goat

I think the not driving part (if that's where this ends) will be pretty hard on an 18 year old kid. The loss of freedom will be a tough pill to swallow for sure.

This part was very hard for my husband, too. He is 40 now and has never really driven since he was diagnosed at 17. He did have a learners permit at one time but he wasn't able to get the actual license due to the seizures. He has a lot of hope on the Driverless car technology that is coming up now.

 

[Steppesister]

M is for Many, Many Hours of Planning in a Mini Mickey Book
​

So what does one do when the bulk of the planning process is complete and if the trip was tomorrow it would be simply fabulous?

Well, if you're a Class A Disney Dork, you do a little more planning. G'doy.

Or you get crafty.


I did both.

I"m happy to announce that planning is now complete for FP+s, and that Brook is ready to snag what she can for us. But that is for sharing on another day. This day is about:

STEPPE'S TRIP BOOK ​

Admittedly, a lot of time has gone into crafting these little beauties. But there's also been a fair amount of re-purposing as well. Many of you know, from the last trip, I made these little booklets up and they came in handy innumerable times when I needed information at my fingertips quickly. Park hours, our ADR numbers and times, the hidden little park gems I was on mission to find, etc.... Yes, Yes, I know all that, and more, is available on the My Dismal Experience now, but much of it not. And I don't want to be THAT person, constantly on my phone blocking the sidewalk spending precious time doing internet queries. I want it all in one place and easy to find quickly. Sure, I'll still have to add on FiPs with the app, but forgot my ADR time for Sanaa? Got it! What time was that flight on Thursday? Just a sec!

So, I dis-assembled "The Mickey" and "The Minnie", kept the section dividers (cuz they are still WAY too cute) and typed up the latest Disney Trip informations. Let's take a look inside, shall we??

The first section is packing. Naturally. Which has already begun a teensy bit.



I'll bet you'd like to see what's on our list(s), wouldn't you? See those extra blank spaces at the bottoms? Those are for the things we've forgotten to add, but you know we should. See any glaring omissions? Do us a favor and let us know... (ASA is Nurse-ese for aspirin, and see Ponzi, I got scissors on there!) I also see that there is a massive Excel use mishap that I wouldn't have noticed until a couple of weeks from now.... so it's a good thing that I'm writing this update so I could spend an hour today on updating/fixing that packing list. So, yeah. That's done now. You're welcome.



Alright. For all you Peeps who are playing the Contest, there was a section about forgetting something. After you've seen these lists, you are free to make any changes to your guesses that you feel necessary. I am thorough, but maybe not as thorough as some of you. Do we forget stuff?? We'll all know for sure on the 10th on our way to the airport. Because typically, if you're like me, we remember we've forgotten something about 3 1/2 minutes after we pull away from the house, don't we?

After all that packing, we'll be off!!! But on which airline? At what time? And what were those seats we got? How about my booking numbers right at my finger tips so that kiosk check-in will be just that much faster. No digging through reams of papers for this girl! For your amusement, and my convenience, here is the Travel Section of Steppe's Trip Binder. See that page to the left. Yep, that's the same evidence of Excel Ignoramoushood... (which I mentioned before... has been fixed). For some reason a certain children's book resembling The Hungry Caterpillar is stuck in my brain.




Once we get there, we'll be hungry! But where was that first meal? Need that Confirmation # handy? No problemo, baby! I know the photo is a bit blurry, but the one sheet that has the grid is our ADR times, ADR #s, name of restaurant, etc...

But that's not all, for only 4 more hours, I got myself a page by page summary of what I thought we'd order, the ballpark figure on the meal's total, a handy-dandy pocket for all of my meal receipts, and.... wait for it...


The Dining Report Forms. Did it suck? Was it delicious? Were they nice? I'm absolutely certain that my HBD meal on my last trip was about 4,323 times better because the server saw I was serious about doing a write-up. This is one of the larger sections of the Steppe's Trip Binder or STB. Do you have an STB?



I will leave you with that. There are several more sections I'm anxious to share with you. Most notably the Top 10 Lists- which you will all need to complete the last section of the CONTEST. Remember that??