I turned down Disney!

Okay, so late last night I get a call from my sister telling me that she received an e-mail from our dad's wife about dad's 65th birthday - which is in July. Now dad has been dropping hints for YEARS about his 65th birthday. Why this one is so important, no one knows. So the idea was tossed out about going to Disney.

In July.

Peak season.

Peak heat.

Most expensive AND most crowded time of the year to go.

So sis and I talked and I was kind of like "Why?" I mean, I understand the fact that he is our dad and that it is his birthday but, seriously, I'm not seeing why we have to go all out. This is a man who told me that it is not cost effective to visit me. A man who - in the almost 14 years that I've lived in North Carolina - has not ONCE come to visit me. A man who has no idea how old my children are or the dates of their birthdays. A man who bought me cookware for my 40th birthday - not because I wanted it (which I didn't) but because he wanted some of the pieces that came with it!!! So now tell me, would you be willing to try and raise $1000 to spend a weekend with him? Even if it was in Disney?

In July.

Peak season.

Peak heat.

Most expensive AND most crowded time of the year to go.

I DON'T THINK SO!!

Karen was a little miffed with me I think because I was lacking enthusiasm. But I am not going to be swayed on this. I promised to try and find deals but guess what? THERE ARE NONE. Add to that the fact that at $1000, only I can go. Not Frank. Not the kids. Just me. For a weekend. Frank only heard my end of the conversation and needless to say, he is NOT on board with me going away AGAIN. Alone. And spending all that money on just ME. And you know what? He is absolutely right. So as much as I would love to be in Disney, I cannot do it. I cannot afford it. It is not fair to my family. And I learned many, many years ago that you do not do Disney World in JULY!!!

Now we are tossing around other ideas but somehow they are all going to seem lame. I mean, gee, I can be in the most magical place on earth (aka - Walt Disney World), or I can go and hang out at dad's for a weekend. Or maybe we can rent a place on the coast (here in NC) but again, it's peak time. Your looking at several thousand dollars for a house and there's not much to do for someone flashy like my dad. Seriously, his nick-name is Frank Flash. Does Cape Hatteras, North Carolina sound flashy to you? NO.

So now I'm sucked in to all of this. The last time I had a situation like this it was my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary cruise and we ended up backing out of that one due to the cost and half of the family stopped talking to us. You can imagine how I would be...hey wait...no, never mind. There are pros and cons to all of it.

As a Walt Disney World fanatic, I did the unthinkable. I chose to NOT go to the World. I chose to be sensible and be fair to my family. Being responsible sucks. The economy sucks. The fact that my bank account is so small and the cost of a summer vacation is so big sucks.

Suck, suck, suckedee, sucks.