18 weeks until we sail!

So, it has been a pretty hectic week at work as you may have guessed / read. It is very odd as I went down a road and tried to position someone for something and instead 4 people told me that they wanted me instead. I feel bad, and while I like the opportunity and want to put myself out there as the right person, I still want to Champion my team member that would be good as well. Definitely torn on this one... Have to wait until end of this next week before I hear anything. If I get it, great. If not, I hope that my team member gets it and that he is successful in it.

But beyond all of this there is so much more going on. 18 weeks until we sail. 18 weeks sounds like a really long time, but now I am looking at what all needs to be done - and I have stuff for every week! Considering that I really only have the weekends, this could get hairy.

I have baseball for the next two weekends, and while this doesn't take the whole weekend, it does eat a good part of it. So, very little cruise prep will get done until we get past it.

I have 14 days worth of magnets to print. This sounds simple, but, I think it will take quite a few weekends to accomplish. I have to plan the door layouts, separate into daily folders in my photobucket, download them to a local machine. Not to mention that I still need to customize many of them. I am saying 5 weekends for that one alone. It is a very long process, probably one full weekend of moving and downloading, a weekend of customizing, a weekend of printing and 2 weekends of cutting and trimming them.

I have to do a dry run on packing (not looking forward to this at all) to make sure we are within the weight restrictions. UUGH to this one as it will take a whole weekend and if we are over weight, then it will be 2 weekends just to really get it nailed down. I have come to the conclusion that it is better to take the time to do this so that we don't have issues or additional fees at the airport.

We are taking an extended weekend to celebrate my inlaws 50th anniversary. We will be heading to Lady Lake on a Thursday night, and not returning until Sunday. I can't believe I will be an hour or so from WDW and will not be able to go for even a day!! WAH!!!! Might have look into that, and see if it can be done... I am guessing the answer will be no as we are doing a huge Disney vacation, but it never hurts to ask!

So, with just those few things I am 9-10 weekends gone, and while we have 18 weeks until we sail - I really only have 16 weeks to get ready and then a full weekend to pack. AACK!!! so many things, so little time!!!

Then there is packing... That is a whole topic of its own... maybe tomorrow... Oh, and have I mentioned that we are trying to sell a condo? It is a lovely 2BR/2BA in the Towne Lake area of Woodstock GA. Know anyone that is looking? Send them my way!

Off to ball...

Thursday the 13th...

Sounds ominous, but I guess it really isn't... Just another day... Interesting day, indeed!

So we are 125 days until we are leaving for Spain. My current job is like a ton of bricks on my chest and out of the blue a new opportunity dropped in my lap. Training. Yep, standing at a desk, in front of a class of people training on how to use our software. Its almost a flashback to when I was the client! So, maybe "its just another manic Thursday" is more like it... Oh, except that the manic day is supposed to be Monday. :) Now I just need to figure out how to position myself as the best person for the job. And, I need to make sure that I am not signing up for a crap-ton (very technical term) of travel. Looking at other people in product instruction, it looks like 8 weeks a year. I don't think that is a lot, my wonderful husband is worried. I guess I am too - I have a teenager and a 6 year old (who wants to be a teenager) at home. I can't be gone all the time. I can't afford to be gone. And, as much as I want the opportunity, I need to make sure that I can sell that training in our start of the art training center in Alpharetta, GA is the place to be! The other thing I need to figure out is how do I deal with the consulting group? Now that my gentle readers could be the biggest challenge...

So, enough about work. Lets talk Spain! I can't believe how fast the time is going now. I am so far behind in what needs to be done - I have the basics, but that is it! Air arranged, check. Hotel in Barcelona, check. PIF for the cruise, check. Rental car to get home from PC, check. OBC confirmed, check (800.00 as planned). Anniversary noted on ressie, check. Magnets? nope. Packing lists? nope. Plans for Barcelona? nope. FE gifts? Yep - the last of it came today! Candy for exchange? Yep - bagged and ready to travel. Pirate outfits? Yep for the girls, nope for the estrogen challenged. :)

So, getting there. Luckily I have some help available in 8 days! I have pulled a list of things the concierge could do for us (and hope they will) together. And, I hope that they can make some magic happen for us!!

Have I mentioned that we are about 125 days until we fly to Spain and 128 days until we sail? WAHOO!!!!

UUGH!

Ever have a moment where you think that you will never get back on track, and you want to be angry at the world, but you can only be angry at yourself? Well folks, it is starting out to be that kind of day!

It really started at the gym last night with Rebecca, my darling 6 year old that at times seems like she is going to turn 18 before my eyes. She attends gymnastics classes, and has for 2 years. She really loves it and if I can brag for a moment, she is quite good for a little squirt. Well, she missed class 2 weeks ago due to being sick. We just didn't want to take a chance that she was indeed over the stomach bug. So, while I set up a makeup class for her I didn't have the fore site to remember it was the end of the class year and that I needed to sign her up for the show, rehearsals and all that... So, i asked about it last night and was told I was too late. So in class while the other girls were talking about the big show, Becca was left out. Being the mom I am, I asked about getting her into the show. I am told that there is a makeup rehearsal on Friday (we can do that)and then in front of my 6 year old I am told that it is too late to get a trophy for her and that she can perform, they will call her name but she will get NOTHING.

Seriously? Why would anyone say that in front of a child?

So, my kid is devastated. I am mad at everyone, and we pretty much leave in a huff. I get home and call the gym owner at home. Helps to know these guys really well. She is going to try and get another trophy engraved. So I can be mad at the girls at the gym, but it really boils down to I need to keep better track...

So, all that aside, I then break a bunch of rules that I didn't even know existed. Really bothers me - alot. I stewed all night and then finally figured out that there was no sense in stewing any longer. I apologised to the person that had no clue of what I did, am seeking permission to do what I had planned and have put myself in the doghouse to site a spell. Again, I would like to be mad at whoever wrote the rule as it is a bit strict - but in the end I can only be mad at myself. Its like a Jimmy Buffet song gone wrong...
(Excerpts from Margaritaville)


"Now I think
Hell, it could be my fault

Yes and some people claim that there's a woman to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault

Off to work... Hopefully I won't do any more harm...

Just another Tuesday...

Except it isn't starting out so great... Why is it when you need to get into the office early you can't seem to get out the door? Kids... Need I say more? Luckily we did get to the bus on time, unluckily the bus was late. So, I missed running into the person I really wanted to see... Who and why? Well, the who isn't as important as the why... I am trying to get out of my current position and into something with less stress... So, there is talk of new positions opening up, and while they are not posted, I want a look-see at them before they are! :) Trying to stay a step ahead of the game...

So, 127 days give or take a few hours until we are on a plane heading to Spain. I know you must all be tired of my countdown! But, I am starting to panic a bit. What is the deal with the ever erupting volcano? I read that this thing will sit dormant for 100 years and then erupt on and off for 2-3 years? Seriously? I know I have a 2 day cushion to make the boat, but I want my 2 days in Spain... And I really don't want to get bumped. Can the airlines bump us just because? I mean, really - I have had our tickets since November - they can't just bump me right? I will need to try and figure that one out...

OK, off to work now...

127 days...

And there is so much to do! I never would have thought it. last September we went on the magic for a week and it was so easy. Pack, load car, meet kids at bus, drive, bet on boat, sail...

Then there is this year... Find DIS, join a meet, host a website, organize everything I can (because I am a bit anal about stuff), make FE gifts (which is a post in itself), put baggies of candy together for a candy swap and, wait, there has to be more... Oh yeah... Everything that we did last year still has to be done!

So, where am I with my to do list? Well, as of now, we are 131 days until we sail , but only 127 until we leave Georgia and fly to Spain. So, with that in mind, I started making lists... I have completed a few things but still have so much to do. It can be overwhelming at times, but then I go and read on our meet thread of the DIS and I feel so much better. I think that going on a DIS cruise is a bit like cruising with family that doesn't drive you batty... Of course, I am partial to this group - they are all great!! So, we are a lucky bunch.

Where was I? Oh yeah, where am I with my list. Well, I have stopped adding to it, and I have 2 things completed. I hope to finish 4 more this week. These are the fun things - magnets, gifts and Pirate stuff... I can't say what I am making for our FE gift because I might open my blog to other cruisers, but lets just say that I have bought more than what I am making because as creative as I am, I still only get 24 hours in a day, I work and drive back and forth for 12 of those and I do have to spend time with the kids as well as sleep. I will tell you that the goodies include something that I think every cabin will need, and fun stuff that I hope people will like!

So the agenda for the week is 2 secretive items, printing door magnets and making decisions about excursions and what to see in Spain. That should keep me busy!

I will check in later and provide an update... Of course, I could be escaping the reality of not being Able to do it all, but the good thing is that there are more weeks until we cruise than there are items on the to do list!

Later!