Forums Closed
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As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
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01-18-2006, 11:56 AM
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#1
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Community Rank: Scout 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 4,890
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What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Okay, here it is, the New Year. January 1, 2006. I drive to work, little knowing what's in store. Well, first off, one of the printers refuses to work. We finally conclude that it needs toner. I send my co-worker to Office Max with $50 to buy a cartridge, and hand him the keys to my van...he returns a few minutes later, telling me that it won't start! Well, this isn't such a big deal, it's been doing that a lot the past few months, it just needs a jump, right? Hah!
So at the end of the day, we go to my van and a friend is waiting to give me a jump-start.....Oh, oh! Nothing!!
We leave the cables on for a while, still nothing! We go back to the store (I work in a mall) and call my boss. He wants to know where DH is, I tell him at home, since we only have one vehicle. Dear boss comes to pick us up. What a sweetie!
Anyway, DH and I go to the mall with a friend to try to get the van started. We finally have success! Or not....
The van goes about 1/4 mile, then poops out completely. We try to jump it again, to no avail...so we push the thing into a nearby parking lot. There's a service station nearby with a tow truck, so we arrange for them to pick the thing up and take it to the garage to find out what's wrong with the thing. Now, mind you, the van is parked about 1/2 block from the service station...and the tow bill is $53 (thankfully, we have road service on our auto insurance)!
So the next day we get a call...it's going to cost a bit over $1100 to get the van fixed! Seems it needs a water pump, ignition coil, and a bunch of small stuff. Plus we'll have to get a new battery (which we got from Sam's Club for a lot less than the service station would have charged).
Okay, we get the van back and figure that all is well, right? Wrong!!!
Over the weekend, we have to go to Reading, PA, to pick up our 3-year-old grandson, who's been visiting his mother (our soon-to-be-ex-daughter-in-law or STBExDiL for short). This is about a 12 hour trip each way, so an overnight stay is required.
We leave Michigan the morning of the 7th (Saturday), and head for Reading. Just past Pittsburg on the turnpike, the van starts making a funny noise and we've just blown the transmission! AARRGGHH! Fortunately, the PA turnpike has call boxes every mile along it's length, and since we don't have a cell phone, it's lucky that those boxes are available. So, about 1/2 hour after placing our call, a tow truck arrives. The van gets hooked up, and we head back to Pittsburg.
Now, this is Saturday. It seems that there is absolutely NO ONE available to look at the van. No one. Because the Steelers are playing tomorrow (?!?!?!?). So, we have to wait until Monday to find out how much it's going to cost to repair...What to do?
Well, we have the tow truck drop us off at a restaurant just off the toll road, and next to a Day's Inn (just in case), and phone STBExDiL (see above...). She and her boyfriend decide to come and pick us up...mind you, this is about 6 hours from Reading...
So, we cool our heels in the restaurant for several hours. The staff is really nice, they understand what's going on with us and let us sit in a closed section while we wait.
STBExDiL and BF arrive in two vehicles, and we travel the rest of the way to Reading, arriving at about 3 in the morning. We're completely exhausted, so hit the sack.
Next day, we call our employers to let them know what's up. We don't call DS's, because they're a nasty bunch who would probably fire him for this, so we send him home on the bus, and DH and I will bring DGS with us when we're able to return home.
Monday we hear from the mechanics...the bill will be almost $1700, and the van won't be fixed until Friday....HELP! This, on top of the $1100 we just put into the darned thing! Well, we don't have much choice, so we tell them to go ahead and fix the van. In the meantime, we're stuck spending a week with STBExDiL...not one of my favorite people in the whole world... [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]
Somehow a miracle occurs and the mechanic calls on Wednesday evening with the news that the van is fixed ahead of schedule...seems they put a rush on it. Kinda makes you wonder how long some of these repairs really need to take... [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img].
So, BF of STBExDiL takes the next day off work and returns us to Pittsburg to get the van, and we finally get home on Thursday evening.
Now, here's what's really bothering me...If I were going to spend that kind of money to be away from home for several days, I'd much rather have been at WDW instead of where I was! And our income tax refund has to go to pay the repair bills for the van [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]. I had other plans for that money.... [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Well, we're home, safe and sound, and the van is running smoothly...for now. After all the stuff we had done, I'm just hoping that we won't have any major repairs in the near future (although DH keeps saying that we may need a new alternator soon [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] ).
Thanks for listening, you guys.
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01-18-2006, 12:02 PM
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#2
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The Original BagMan
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Shalimar, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 22,002
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 12:04 PM
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#3
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Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Alabama
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 2,284
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Sorry for all the money you had to spend! That is awful. On top of having to see your STBExDiL ( [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) for almost a week! (Her bf sounds nice, the fact that he would take off from work to take you to Pittsburg) I hope your van is fixed!!! Good luck!
Danielle
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01-18-2006, 12:04 PM
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#4
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Community Rank: Adventurer 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 621
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
You need a [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] that was quite an ordeal.
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01-18-2006, 12:04 PM
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#5
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RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Wow Carol, what a nightmare [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] Thank goodness none of you were hurt when the tranny crapped out [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] And too bad you had to put all that money into the van instead of a Disney trip [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 12:34 PM
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#6
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Wannabe Snowbird
Join Date: May 2002
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 34,137
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
ARGGGG! 
I hope that's the end of the van woes for a long time!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] |
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01-18-2006, 12:45 PM
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#7
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Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 5,893
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Oh, Carol! What an ordeal! I am glad you are home safe!
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 12:48 PM
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#8
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Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Kissimmee, Fl
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 25,061
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Ugh how awful Carol [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I too would rather spend the money on a trip to WDW. Hope things get better for you. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 12:56 PM
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#9
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 10,481
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Wow Carol I am sorry [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] that everything is ok with your van! I had the same kind of deal with my Explorer...so I traded it in for a new car!
If you ever need a ride...give me a ring! *LOL* I know we live pretty close to each other [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 01:03 PM
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#10
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PassPorter Message Board Manager
 PassPorter Guide Author
Community Rank: Legend VIP 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Maidstone, Kent, UK
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 190,285
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 01:06 PM
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#11
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Terrible story. Sorry you had to go through that.
Any chance the first mechanic did something to cause the need for the second mechanic? Maybe you can get reimbursed some how for some of it.
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01-18-2006, 01:11 PM
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#12
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Illinois
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 9,564
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
Carol, I am so sorry to hear about your car problems. Glad you are home safe and sound with your DGrndS. I was wondering why you had been so quiet on the boards since Mousefest! Here's [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] for you and Bob.
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01-18-2006, 01:40 PM
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#13
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Community Rank: Scout
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 4,890
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
[ QUOTE ]
Any chance the first mechanic did something to cause the need for the second mechanic? Maybe you can get reimbursed some how for some of it.
[/ QUOTE ]
It's not likely that the first mechanic did anything, since he was working in a totally different part of the vehicle.
And the only thing we can recoup is $50 for each tow from our auto insurance. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
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01-18-2006, 01:44 PM
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#14
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Community Rank: Scout
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 4,890
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
[ QUOTE ]
Her bf sounds nice, the fact that he would take off from work to take you to Pittsburg)
[/ QUOTE ]
Her BF is a real sweetheart! I love him to pieces...just hoping that STBExDiL doesn't dump him as soon as she has him really hooked (translation: married) as she's done three times previously. I think she's really only interested in the chase, and as soon as she's "bagged her trophy", she's ready for the next victim...I mean...boyfriend.
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01-18-2006, 02:35 PM
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#15
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Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
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Re: What a beginning (or Why Was I in Reading PA When I\'d Rather Be in WDW....(long, long vent!)
I am so sorry Carol, what a nightmare. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/fairy2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif[/img]
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