Disney - Day 1

Boy did we spend a fun filled day at Disneyland yesterday. We got up early and had breakfast at the motel before we took off and we were waiting at the gate at 8 a.m. for it to open. When we got up to the gate, we were pleasantly suprised because the whole park had been decorated for Christmas. They didn't turn all the lights on last night but at least we got to see it decorated. When we got to the park at 8 a.m. it was beautiful sunny day and about 80 degrees. I got some awesome pictures with the Matterhorn and the castle with a beautiful blue sky behind it. At some point (I think it was about 11 a.m.) we started noticing a smokey smell and ash and soot falling from the sky from the wildfires that are in the area. The sky was getting darker and a strange shade of brown as the wind blew the ash clouds closer to Anaheim. It certainly was different. Because of the winds they cancelled the fireworks show last night.

When we got in the gate, Dianne and Cindy both rented motorized carts to zip around in. One thing about Disneyland is that it was built before handicapped accessable was really an issue so if you have a wheelchair or a cart or a handicap card, you can go into the exits and avoid the long lines. Tom rented the cart for Cindy and while they were getting the carts, Cindy and I made a mad dash for Space Mountain and got on right away. I was a little apprehensive about it because I had ridden on it before and it scared the crap out of me then. But it was much more enjoyable this time although I did a lot of screaming and felt a sore throat coming on after that. We pretty much knocked out the rides in Tomorrowland in a couple of hours and headed out to ride the Spinning Teacups. It was hella fun and Dianne and I thought we were spinning really, really fast. Tom said we weren't. Just normal fast. We took in most of the rides around Storybookland after that and then headed out in search of lunch. We went to a pretty nice restaurant called the "Blue Bayou". It was pricey but good. You know what I'm talking about when I say pricey...limited menu and poor lighting so you can't read it. The food was good and Tom and Cindy said that is very hard to just walk up and get into this restaurant. Actually this restaurant is visible from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which we took in after we ate. So we did some more rides like the Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn, and Splash Mountain. Some where in there, I lost my phone. What a dumbass...what did I need it for anyway. About 2 p.m. we decided to come back to the room to rest to go back at night. We went back about 7:30 and spent the rest of the night there. We were lucky that we got to see the Fantasmic show at 10:30 because they had cancelled the previous shows due to the high winds.

Okay, so the carts really made the park so much more enjoyable. We are all pretty much sick, lame, or lazy, and we did take turns driving the carts around. The strange thing was that I felt a lot like my mom driving that thing around so I was glad my sister had rented it and she had control of it. Although, I gotta say, she reminded me of my mom a lot in that thing. LMAO!!! Tom is really too tall to be comfortable in one of these carts so we mostly followed the cart drivers to wherever we were going. But it was awesome to be apart of the "handicapped" party to get into the rides quicker. We probably rode on 20-25 rides and it was really not very crowded until we came back at night. Then it was a frickin' madhouse for our cart people. Actually it was kind of madhouse for us walkers too. Oh yeah, here is the other great thing about renting the cart. It is yours for the day. If you are leaving and coming back later, you just park it and take the key with you. You come back and it is there for you. Frickin' Awesome!!!

So anyway, come back tomorrow for Disney - Day 2 if I din't bore the crap out of you on day one. Har, har, har!!! (Pirate laugh). Bye for now.

California...We're Here!!!

Greetings from California!!! It is officially our first full day in California. It is before 7am and we are eating breakfast at our hotel waiting for "the Happiest Place on Earth" to open. We don't have long to wait now!!! So after flying into San Francisco and Tom and Cindy picking us up at the airport, we began the journey to Anaheim. It took us about 7 hours to get down here with a beautiful drive down Mickey's favorite highway...HWY 5. We were planning on going to Downtown Disney last night but Dianne and I kind of pooped out early from all the traveling. Actually it wasn't that early for us. It was about 2 am est.

It is sunny and hot here already today. There is a huge fire going on in the L.A. area that we were watching on the news last night. The news told us not to panic and it appears that Disney is safe. So we are set to go and cannot wait. Tom and Cindy surprised us with some friggin awesome t-shirts that a friend of theirs airbrushed. Dianne got a shirt with Pirate Mickey on it. My shirt has Goofy, Tom's is Grumpy and Cindy's is Tink. We are all wearing them today and we are going to be the talk of the place, let me tell you. I hope to have a picture of us taken today wearing them so I can download it tomorrow.

So anyway...bye bye for now. I will report back later with a Disney update.

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!!!

So as you can probably figure out I am up early updating this crazy blog one more time before I leave for California.

My sister and I took the girls to the kennel last night and it was very hard leaving them there but I think we are leaving them in good hands as we have heard that the owner of the kennel is a "whisperer." Jake, the young kid that took them in,was super nice and seemed to know all the questions to ask and genuinely loves dogs.

We also talked to our cousin, Tom, (Mr. Massive from yesterday's blog)a couple of times and he is super geeked about us coming out there. Tom and Cindy have thought of everything and have gotten super-duper deals on just about everything too. He wants it to be our "best trip ever" to California.

So for now, I am signing off as I have to get ready to be "leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again." (For you younger folks...that was a big, big song from the 70's.)

California Countdown

My California countdown continues....we are down to the last day before we are "leaving on a jet plane, don't know when we'll be back again." YIPPEE, YEE-HAW, WOO-HOO!!! My sister and I are super excited because tomorrow we will be hooking up with family and having the time of our lives at the "Happiest Place on Earth." So for all of you that are interested in this trip I'm taking, follow along on this super-duper blog or Mr.Massive will be coming for you!!! LOL!!!

California Countdown

So here is my entry for my five day countdown to California. We received the five day countdown from the Countdown Guru in California this morning. Every 10 days or so, my cousin, Tom, becomes the "Countdown Guru" and his wife, Cindy, becomes the "Countdown Fairy". They sent us just an awesome countdown today. They always include pictures and fun facts about Disneyland. In five days the four of us will be experiencing the "Happiest Place on Earth" together. Tom and Cindy have been to Disneyland numerous times and they know the ins and outs of the place. Tom said in his email today (and I quote) "WELL WELL WELL 5 DAYS LEFT. GET CRACKIN AND START PACKIN!" I started packing last night. I am so excited. If I was a dog, my tail would be wagging so hard that my butt would not be able to keep up with it.

In the countdown pictures today, Tom included a Disney blast from the past about Bear Valley Jamboree. That was one of my favorite attractions the last time I went to Disneyland when I was 17. According to his email, the attraction was run out of town by some other bear named Pooh. What a crock... But I guess Bear Valley Jamboree can still be seen at Disneyworld. You know what this means??? The four of us will have to plan a trip to Florida. YAY!!!

Now for the picture on today's post...this was my folks, my sister, and me. We stopped at the neighbor's house before we left for California on June 6, 1962. I am standing in front of my Dad and my sister is standing next to me. I told her that I particularily liked the look of the skirt and ankle socks pulled up half way up to her knees. (Doesn't she look stunning??? Kind of bigger version of my Mom.) I wanted her to recreate the look 46 years later but she said she would only do it if I would join her with the same fashion statement. I think Tom replied that he would pretend not to know us at the airport and leave us there. LOL!!!

OZ

So anyway, I am fixated with OZ. I don't know when this happened. Maybe it is because my girls (The Pointer Sisters) came from a rescue organization called Pointers from OZ. Another thing I am wondering is if Oz is in Afghanistan. Poppies are a huge crop in Afghanistan to produce heroin. Dorothy fell asleep in the poppy field so that is kind of why I think Oz may be in Afghanistan. Plus have you seen the commercial for US Goverment website. When Dorothy tells the Wizard she wants to go back to Kansas, he types in "passport." So it just goes to show that Oz cannot be in the US if she needs a passport to get back to Kansas. Just some ramblings for you to think about. Sometimes when I tell people what I am really thinking about it, they find it disturbing and they look at me like "WTH???" If you agree with them or with me, let me know. I would love to hear your views. I know I am a little off bubble, but I would like to know really how much off bubble I am. LMAO!!!


I know you are all probably as disappointed as I am that Mr. Obama will not be appearing in the next season of Dancing with the Stars (see the picture on the October 17th posting.) He probably won't be appearing in the remake of The Wizard of Oz either, but at least Palin and McCain will have good parts in the show. LOL. Maybe after they star in The Wizard of Oz they will do a remake of the Maverick movie. I just love it that Sarah and John are so mavericky!!! LMAO...I cracked myself up again.

California Countdown

So it is 12 days and counting until we jet off to California. But who's counting? I AM!!! Of course!!!

Yesterday some friends from work came over for a bonfire. We had good fun, laughs around the fire and just a really good time. Not too many people came but that was fine with me because it was a nice small group. Steve came over and helped me find wood for the fire and got the fire started before everyone showed up. Cindy and Joe came over first. I had called and asked her to pick up pretzels for the Zippy Dip. I couldn't really tell if she was glad or mad that I made Zippy. I think glad because she asked for it immediately when she came in. LOL. Zippy is like cocaine in a dip. It is awesome. The more you eat, the more you want. Just when I had given up hope that anyone else would come, Rachel and her husband, Marc, and her sister, Sandy, and their friend named Sam showed up. We saw them turn around in the neighbor's driveway so we knew someone else was coming. Then just when I thought everyone that was going to show had showed up, another car pulls up and it was Julie and Todd. It was really great sharing a couple drinks around the fire with my friends from work. When it got too cold everyone decided to head for home. I had the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher running before midnight. We had a good time. So thanks, friends, for coming to my "last official bonfire party" at my home in Sparta.