IT'S BEEN A GOOD WEEKEND!!

Well - we went to PF on Friday - stayed at a pretty nice motel and wonders of wonders - I got a really nice surprise when we checked in.  When I had called on Thursday to make the reservation, the desk clerk said that it would be $81 plus tax...ouch - but okay.  When we checked in - the rrom was $37 plus tax - oh happy day!  What a godsend.  And the room was very nice.  We went to the dress rehearsal of "smokies" and it was great - Ryan got to see all his girls from DW and I got to meet those I hadn't had a chance to meet yet - and then we went out to dinner with Mary and Edgar.  We decided to go to Calhoun's for "dessert" - but since none of us had eaten supper - we opted for "real food".  It was a really nice time, but when it came time for the check - Edgar took ours too and treated us to supper - what a nice surprise - although if I had known he was going to do that I wouldn't have ordered the appetizer....LOL.  It was a really nice evening.  Then after we ate, Ryan and I decided to check out the new pre-historic boat ride that just opened and found out that it is free to Dollywood employees - so we really had a special night!!!

We slept really well on Friday night, then got up Saturday and made our way to DW for the opening day of Smoky Mountain Christmas.  The park opened at 11 and we got there about 10:30 and the parking lots were filling up fast.  We did manage to get seating tickets for the Von Trapp Family - they were Awesome - three sisters and a brother who are the grandchildren of the youngest Von Trapp boy (his name was Kurt in the movie) and they were just great!  We also saw "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in the Pines - really good show this year, and of course "Christmas in the Smokies" which is the signature show of DW and if was great - as it always is.  The lights were beautiful and the food delicious.

Then I made my mistake - I was feeling guilty about being off so I volunteered to "load trams" at the end of the evening.  I worked for almost three hours getting people and strollers on the trams to get them out as quickly and effciently as possible, and the parking people were very apprciative and nice. I worked for almost three hours.  But boy did I pay for that - my legs swelled up like toads and I didn't sleep hardly at all from the cramps all night long.  Today they are better - no swelling - but still hurting.  I guess I'm going to have to limit myself to about 1 to 1/2 hours loading trams if I do that again.  I think I could do that okay. 

Anyway - a good weekend overall - Ryan loved it - that was all that mattered.  He knows I'm going to have to work some weekends but having this first weekend off was just great.

Thanks Mary.

Peace