A Seasonal Pass entitles you to admission** to Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park Except the following dates:
* March 15 – March 28, 2008
* June 7, 2008 – August 14, 2008
* December 21, 2008 – January 3, 2009

* April 4 – April 17, 2009
* June 6, 2009 – August 13, 2009
* December 19, 2009 – January 1, 2010
**Except for activities/events separately priced.

You also get:
* The exclusive “Mickey Monitor” Passholder newsletter
* Special offers on Walt Disney World® dining, merchandise, backstage tours, and much more!

When you order the Seasonal Pass, you will receive an exchange certificate in the mail. Redeem the exchange certificate for a Seasonal Pass at any Walt Disney World® Theme Park ticket window by presenting the exchange certificate and valid photo ID. The Seasonal Pass is valid for 365 days from exchange certificate redemption.

Proof of Florida residency is required — you must provide any one of the following:
* Florida driver’s license
* Florida state-issued ID card (must have Florida address)
* Florida voter’s registration card with corresponding picture ID
* A college ID for a Florida college
* Florida- based military ID

Passes are non-transferable, are only valid during regularly scheduled operating hours and exclude activities / events priced separately. No additional discounts apply.

http://tickets.disney.go.com/buy/TicketTrans#subcat2

(you can put in 32181 as a zip code – that’s mine!)

I need a local group, so here it is! Just publicizing it.

I’m doing our secret swap again this year, so here is my all about me post for this year. It’s pretty much the same one from last year, and the year before.

What I am… I am a mom, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and all the things those roles define. I act as an accountant, a chef (gourmet and diner varieties), a maid, a washing woman, seamstress, personal shopper, and any other menial household task you can think of. I am also a taxi service on occasion as well as a nurse.

Now that I have (somewhat) defined my role, here is who I am (on this day)… I haven’t knitted in ages, so please, no yarn. I like reading, but I am picky. I am a web and graphic designer by trade, and I do that in my spare time. I co-own and operate Punky Moms, the rockin’est (is that a word? It is now!) parenting forum out there. I spend way more time there than is probably healthy, but I seriously love it and couldn’t think of a better way to spend my spare time. And all my other time. And time that doesn’t exist yet. I like to think I can sew and do all sorts of other crafty things, but in reality, there isn’t any time left over for it. I am kinda-sorta learning to tattoo, but I seem to be out of time and a cheering section.

I have lots of tattoos and big ears. My lobes are stretched to 3/4 of an inch, my double conches are an 8g, my tragii are a 10g and my helixes are at a 2G. I’ve had my navel pierced since I was 14 and yes it’s still there. Everything else I’ve removed.

I have a general wishlist posted here: http://quirkymom.com/wishful/

I am a stay at home mom.

I live in South Florida, where it’s hot all the time, but I can’t think of anyplace better to live. I grew up in MD but I don’t want to move back.

Hm… I can’t think of anything else right now. If my secret pal wants to know anything in particular, just drop me an email!

Does it matter? Are you going to vote McCain just because he chose a woman? I bet he’s hedging his bets on that. I bet over half the Repub party is as well.

Think on this: what exactly does the VP do other than pointedly not be wherever the President is? Yes, the VP is slated to take over if the Pres is incapacitated, but that has happened, I think, six times in our entire history of having a United States president. The last time it happened was Nixon, due to death it was Kennedy, and prior to that it was I think Roosevelt. I’m not positive. There have been many times the VP has gone on to become President in a succeeding election, but is it worth the risk to hope for that outcome? Wait, is it worth the risk if you both want a female president and agree with her politics? I don’t agree with her politics from what I have read *only* today, so I am kind of talking out of my ass there. I am not well-read on her as yet.

I live in Florida. They are using real paper ballots this year (scantron even!) but I am hedging my bets that they find a way to set the storage facility on fire before they are run/tallied or they accidentally fall into a chipper-shredder on the way there or something. I’ll be voting, but it certainly will not based on what is hiding or dangling between someone’s legs.

Part One: The Feral Child

PLANT CITY — The family had lived in the rundown rental house for almost three years when someone first saw a child’s face in the window.

A little girl, pale, with dark eyes, lifted a dirty blanket above the broken glass and peered out, one neighbor remembered.

The girl in the window – St. Petersburg Times.

Wow. Just wow. Michael sent me this link. I just finished reading it. Wow. Heart wrenching comes to mind. How something like this can even happen, I cannot fathom.

The girl is just precious. There is a family photo on the page. How someone could ignore a baby like that, to the point that it isn’t a person. It makes me want to hug my babies tight, and I did. It makes me wonder how neighbors didn’t call (more often), and how DCF could ignore it for so long. That is addressed in the end of the article, but it’s just amazing.

My son is so high functioning, he’ll just fall through the cracks if I don’t speak up. It’s disheartening that this little girl just fell through the cracks, because there was no one to speak up. No one to speak up….

I’m not pointing fingers here. From the article, it sounds like the mother has some problems of her own and possibly should have been checked in on a little more often in general. DCF winds up in the news a lot for dropping the ball, and I am not excusing them that, but how often do they properly do their job and it isn’t reported? One in a million is too many to mess up on, let alone more, so I’m not cutting them any slack, I’m just saying that it’s not an everyday occurance.

Mind boggling.

Obama fires back at GOP – First Read – msnbc.com.

I told you there would be a new and improved blog here. My husband sent me this, and what grabs me the most is how adamantly RNC seems to be against conservation, even when it is as easy as putting some air in your tires.

My car has an idiot light. When the tire pressure is off (and sometimes when it’s not!) my odometer flashes at me and tells me to reset my tires. We pull into the nearest gas station, check the pressure, add some air if needed, reset the idiot light, and go on our way. My car is a 2005, so most newish cars should have this feature somewhere (I can’t believe it is Ford specific) and if you have an older car (with an analog odometer) you should be checking your tire pressure (and oil and other fluids) at least once a month anyway.

This is common sense people. Don’t deny a basic fact, one that has been known for decades. If you take care of your car, from the tires up, you will have better fuel efficiency, and a car that lasts past your payments.

I got off topic. I’m not for anyone just yet in this election. I haven’t decided who gets my vote, but hey, I live in South Florida, my vote doesn’t count too often in elections anyway. I just thought this was note-worthy, someone is bringing attention to the fact that some things in conservation are as knowing how to use an air gauge.

ETA: Outside of my blog, which got a little off topic   How do you feel about this? The RNC is trying to say a little upkeep doesn’t help, but more drilling is the be all end all answer. Don’t they stand to benefit from more drilling (or their cronies anyway?)

This year is the 13th year it’s going on, and the dates are August 15, 16 & 17. According to the site, hours are noon to 1AM on Friday & Saturday, and noon to 7PM Sunday. Admission is 15$/day or 30$ for the three-day pass.

Location is the Deerfield Beach Hilton. A word of warning – this hotel has the expo split up into multiple rooms and it’s kind of hard to navigate. I know of at least one vendor last year who got there, set up and packed up because of the layout. Unfortunately, the Coral Springs space was much nicer (I’m not being selfish here. Yes, it was right around the corner, but it was also all in one large room plus vendors in the public area, not five or six small rooms and a maze to get around) and better thought out.

This expo benefits the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. I don’t know the total, but they donate thousands of dollars every year to the hospital. You can beat new swag, new tattoos and a healthy donation for the kids. Actually, according to the website, over 400,000$ have been donated over the past twelve years.

Check out the website for location, vendors, artists, events and more. We’ll be there Saturday or Sunday, so keep an eye out and come say hi!

I phoned, and missed the number to press, so then Michael phoned our pediatrician so we could take Dorian in. He has plantar worts on his foot. We successfully treated a single one last year with apple cider vinegar, but this was a little daunting. So the doc froze three of them, and the other three we’ll plaster with some OTC stuff (three were medium sized, the other three he said should clear up quickly with the OTC stuff). Dorian was fantastic for it. We got some lunch, threw out his nasty shoes, picked up some sandals, hit target for new shoes and the OTC stuff and some misc. other stuff, and dropped him off at school.

While at the doctors office I phoned, and rephoned, and rephoned again Florida Kid Care. I finally got through to someone and not hung up on. After explaining what was going on, she tried to tell me the application is only good for 120 days and I have to send in another and a bunch of other shit. I did raise my voice, and she fucking scoffed at me. I handed the phone to Michael because the dumb bitch on the other end was *not* listening to what I had to say or not understanding or something. Out of my beloved mouth came “but 120 days is four months, the date you just gave me was two months ago.” That seemed to be the turning point of this conversation, along with explaining that we faxed the Medicaid denial letters two – three weeks ago becase FKC said it would speed things along. Apparently One of my children was approved two weeks ago, and the other is active as of today. Now I am waiting on the insurance cards. Why the fuck do they waste so much postage and money sending things that don’t need to be sent (you know, like papers saying we have to apply again and another application)? It is so wasteful. Oh, and why I couldn’t get online? The system was down. No shit! That does not explain why I kept getting hung up on by the automated phone system. Bah. So I am waiting on the US mail system now I guess. I am stupidly excited to be able to take my kids to the dentist.

That’s about it. We got home and I was gonna work on a melon that has been ready to go for at least a week now, but the tube I was using was a one piece, so my new grip can’t be put on it. Michael told me I sounded disgusted and he was sorry we didn’t look at it before ordering the grip. The problem wasn’t that. The problem was I had an hour that he could sit me with, we could do this, and something else came up. It’s just frustrating, and I feel like it’s never gonna happen. None of my stuff sold either, so my DSLR probably isn’t gonna happen either. I am not getting it till I get rid of this other stuff, and oh well if it doesn’t happen. I don’t want to deal with ebay. Know anyone who wants a camera, vsmile, serger or embroidery machine? Send em my way!

Mini Heirloom Tomatoes, COLORFUL!, (FLORIDA), per pint container : 1.00
Pink Lady ® Brand Apples, 3 lb bag : 1.00
Valencia Oranges, (FLORIDA), 4 lb bag : 1.00
Ginger, Crystallized Ginger, Organic, 4oz box, The Ginger People (#734027920019): 1.00
Chard, RED Chard, (California) bunch : 2.00
Heirloom Lettuce, (different kinds), Earthbound Farms : 3.00
Yellow, Orange or Red Peppers, some WRINKLES, Large Colorful Bell Pepper, per lb : 3.00
Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes, 1.5 lb : 2.00
Turnip, some brown spots DISCOUNTED, each : 2.00
Fruit & Veggie Box $75 : 1.00 <-- this is a variety of "stuff that looks good" when it packed up, so it's produce surprise box, I love getting this!
Apple Cider, 64oz, Organic, Zeigler : 1.00
Dog Biscuits, Peanut Butter, 21oz, Mr. Pugsley, DATED 7>

So it was nice to see, when I scanned for anyplace in Florida, that my little town (ok, not so small, 135K people or so) is on this list. Who knew?

http://men.msn.com/articlebl.aspx?cp-documentid=7560549&GT1=32001

The 100 Best Places to Raise a Family
Find out which cities in America are the best—and the worst—for you and your brood.
Research by Sara Vigneri; Illustration: Sean McCabe

Television executives seized the idea long ago: American families value where they plant their roots. The Cosbys had Brooklyn. The Cunninghams, Milwaukee. The Simpsons, Springfield.

But fathers face reality when they’re not in prime time. They want to raise their children somewhere safe, where they can attend good schools with favorable student-teacher ratios, above-average test scores, and respectable budgets. Plenty of museums, parks, and pediatricians also contribute to a good quality of life, whereas multihour commutes, expensive houses, and divorcing friends and neighbors do not.

Best Life editors used these categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, FBI, American Association of Museums, National Center for Health Statistics, and American Bar Association to evaluate 257 cities. Here are the best—and worst—places to raise a family.

1 Honolulu, Hawaii (Schools spend almost $9,000 per pupil, unemployment ranks less than half the national average, and you can play on the island of O’ahu’s 125 beaches.)
2 Virginia Beach, Virginia
3 Billings, Montana
4 Columbus, Georgia
5 San Diego, California
6 Des Moines, Iowa
7 Minneapolis, Minnesota
8 Madison, Wisconsin (Madison has a high number of pediatricians per capita.)
9 Colorado Springs, Colorado
10 Santa Rosa, California
11 Wichita, Kansas
12 Los Angeles, California
13 Corona, California
14 Austin, Texas
15 Stamford, Connecticut
16 Omaha, Nebraska
17 Naperville, Illinois
18 Fort Wayne, Indiana
19 Springfield, Illinois
20 Boise, Idaho
21 Manchester, New Hampshire
22 South Bay Area, California
23 New York, New York
24 Fontana, California
25 Louisville, Kentucky
26 Plano, Texas
27 Oceanside, California
28 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
29 Sacramento, California
30 Ann Arbor, Michigan
31 Reno, Nevada
32 Las Vegas, Nevada
33 Lincoln, Nebraska
34 San Bernardino, California
35 Grand Rapids, Michigan
36 Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (Median value of a home: $202,733)
37 Kansas City, Kansas
38 Fremont, California
39 Buffalo, New York
40 Berkeley, California
41 Cambridge, Massachusetts
42 Kansas City, Missouri
43 Waterbury, Connecticut
44 Syracuse, New York
45 Phoenix, Arizona
46 Albuquerque, New Mexico
47 Akron, Ohio
48 Boston, Massachusetts
49 Escondido, California
50 Fairfield, California
51 Antioch, California
52 Elgin, Illinois
53 Rochester, New York
54 Seattle, Washington (Residents spend $266 per person annually to maintain the city’s parks.)
55 Tucson, Arizona
56 Santa Clarita, California
57 Denver, Colorado
58 Indianapolis, Indiana
59 Glendale, Arizona
60 Chicago, Illinois
61 Atlanta, Georgia
62 San Antonio, Texas
63 Mobile, Alabama
64 Concord, California
65 Denton, Texas
66 Coral Springs, Florida
67 San Francisco, California
68 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
69 El Paso, Texas (Classrooms average fewer than 16 students for every teacher.)
70 San Buenaventura, California
71 Worcester, Massachusetts
72 Baltimore, Maryland
73 Richmond, California
74 Lowell, Massachusetts
75 Portland, Oregon
76 Jacksonville, Florida
77 Fort Collins, Colorado
78 Orlando, Florida
79 Modesto, California
80 Montgomery, Alabama
81 Tampa, Florida
82 Salinas, California
83 Newport News, Virginia
84 Oakland, California
85 Augusta, Georgia
86 Fort Worth, Texas
87 Washington, D.C.
88 Tulsa, Oklahoma (Residents spend just 17 minutes commuting to work.)
89 Bellevue, Washington
90 Cincinnati, Ohio
91 McKinney, Texas
92 St. Louis, Missouri
93 Hayward, California
94 Midland, Texas
95 Sterling Heights, Michigan
96 Greensboro, North Carolina
97 Arlington, Texas
98 Alexandria, Virginia
99 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
100 Lexington, Kentucky

The 10 Worst Places to Raise a Family (from best to worst)

Springfield, Missouri
Dayton, Ohio
Corpus Christi, Texas
Flint, Michigan (Country’s highest violent-crime rate)
Columbia, South Carolina
Waco, Texas
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Beaumont, Texas (Long-standing air-quality challenges)
Clarksville, Tennessee (Low educational spending: $6,729 per student)