A Little Slice of Life

Way Back When

2012-02-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Kids don't understand that certain things in their life that they take for granted are not inalienable rights, but instead are given to them as favors and can be taken away if grantor of said favors deems it no longer in their best interest to continue giving of themselves.

For instance, like being driven to school instead of having to walk.

Overheard this morning:

"Mom, did you know that you used to be able to buy a hamburger for only 10¢?"

"Really? Wow that was a good deal."

"But it was a very, very long time ago. WAAAAAAY way back when."

"And exactly how "way back when" are you talking about?"

"Like when you were a kid."

If we weren't on the freeway at that very moment I would have pulled over and made him walk.

You know like I had to do when I was a kid.

20 miles.

In the snow.

Uphill.

Both ways.

Talent Show Mania

2012-02-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The talent show is upon us.

And, so as not to break with tradition, I did not find out until Monday that the try-outs are next Tuesday.

So I have next-to-no-time to get the dynamic duo to learn a routine well enough to show the try-out committee.

Last night was our first "rehearsal". I use that term loosely because the first 15 minutes consisted of a lot of bitching and whining about who was going to stand in the front, which way they were going to start the first move and wondering how much longer this was going to take. That last part was mine.

The following is a list of notes and helpful suggestions from the peanut gallery:

J: Katherine keeps stepping on my feet.
K: Its not my fault your feet are so big.

K: Jeffrey keeps hitting me in the face when he makes his turn.
J: Its not my fault your face is so big.
K: What does THAT mean?
J: Nothing in particular.
K: MOM!

J: I'm not doing that move. It makes me look like a girl.
K: Its not just the move that does that.
J: MOM!

K: I can't start like that. I'm not left handed.
Me: That has nothing to do with which direction you start in.
K: It doesn't? Oh Ok.
Me (silently) Are we through yet?

Jeff (from his office): Now you know how I feel when I'm teaching them at the dojo twice a week.

It's a wonder he hasn't used a karate chop on one of them in the past year.

I have 6 days to get them relatively good at this.
If I don't throttle them in the mean time.
Wish me luck.

Here is their routine from 2 years ago... They've grown so much (sniff sniff).

Search Terms From the Twilight Zone

2012-01-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

Because I tend to be nosy (just ask anyone) I occasionally check out who is visiting my blog.

I have traffic counters that tell me what city or country viewers come from and also how they got here. Such as links I posted, if they were just browsing Blogger, or if they typed in certain key words.

The most popular searchs that land people here are: "are mermaids real?" "real mermaids found" "photos (or videos) of real mermaids".

Yep, you read that right. REAL mermaids.

This is because I have a Disney post chronicling the Submarine Voyage at Disneyland and it features pictures of the "real" mermaids who used to sit in the lagoon and wave at the people as they passed by.

Apparently there are hundreds of people out there in Google Search-land that think there is proof of living mermaids right here on the internet. And the 5000+ hits on my blog post prove it.

But I also have other off the wall terms that have brought people to my little corner of the world.

Just from the last week I found the following items listed on the "how they got here" page:

The Future (of what and why was my blog ranked second on the search results? Do I know more than I think I do? Should I go and buy lottery tickets? I need to know!)

Spring break adventure stories nude (OK I did write a post titled "Spring Break Adventures" but nowhere did I include the word NUDE or any pictures featuring anyone or anything NUDE. I did go back and check it out though just to be sure)

If kids were cats (I'd need more litter boxes)

Summer pictures; love on the beach (I did post a whole bunch of summer beach pictures but it was more goofballs on the beach as opposed to love)

Weird but true facts about losing weight (lots of weird but true around here, but not much about losing weight... even though I am trying)

Flying Saucer Girl (Obviously they were looking for that picture of me in the sexy little astronaut uniform)

Japanese Porn (I have a entry entitled Sushi Porn, so I guess it's sort of the same thing)

My Pony My Friend (well alrighty then...)

Situations where you would never give up or never surrender (seriously.. I cant make this stuff up)

INDIen ceaf vilige Disney pic (not sure how Google got them routed around to the pictures of the Indian Village Disney Chiefs, but apparently they figured it out.. on the plus side, they DID spell Disney right)

Jeffrey plays video games (even though this is a well known fact, I am unclear as to the reasons behind this search)

Rear end accidents at autopia Disney Photos (I thought I destroyed all those... who told?)

The list could go on for quite a bit longer but as you can see there is no end to the off the wall things people search for. And for some reason some of those searches land people here. I hope some stay and have a look around, even if it wasn't what they were looking for... We enjoy the company!

A really bad, awful, terribly horrible day

2012-01-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

There is nothing subtle about Jeffrey.

I guess if you read this with any regularity you would know that.

Last Friday I picked him up from school (Katherine had gone to Gabby's for a sleepover). When he got into the car he announced that this had the been the worst day of his life. It was so bad in fact that he didnt even know if could talk about it.

That sentiment of course did not last long.

He said the day started out with great promise as it was Friday and the class has hot chocolate every Friday morning. With the enthusiasm this causes, you might think he didn't have hot chocolate as a dessert choice every night at home.

But that's beside the point.

So his morning of great promise went straight downhill when *somehow* his cup got knocked over before he got even 2 drinks and went all over the desk, into his lap and onto the floor. He had to spend the whole time he would have been drinking nirvana by soaking up the mess with paper towels.

"AND THEN" (he said so loud that I winced)..... "the worst possible thing happened.... I was sitting there minding my own business quietly doing my math,"

(I refrained from verifying the authenticity of exactly what he meant by *quiet*)

"When my teacher came by my chair and stopped to answer someone's question. You know there isn't very much room between the chairs right? And you know that my teacher is, ummm.... well she is bigger than the space between the chairs right?" (This was his attempt to be polite) "So when she finished answering the question and turned around she knocked me clean out of my chair with her butt. (pause) Everyone laughed at me. (pause) I was mortified. (pause) I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SHOW MY FACE BACK IN CLASS AGAIN!"

Nice try kid. You still have to go to school.

I was also trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

"MOM! Its not funny!"

"I'm sorry, you're right it's not. I imagine your teacher was a bit embarrassed too."

"Are you kidding? She yelled at me for fooling around. I don't think she even felt the impact.
My life is over."

"Would it help if you had something yummy when you got home and then you can play Little Big Planet?"

"I guess so. But I think I may be scarred for life."

As I said, subtlety is not one of his defining characteristics... but he does provide quite a bit of comic relief to my day.

Details, Details

2011-12-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a shopping day. It's getting a little too close to Christmas and I have a little too little done for my tastes.

Sarah decided she was going to come with me and before we left I laid out EXACTLY what I was going to do to Jeff and told him I would call him at some point in my travels so he knew what time to expect me home. If I dont do this he will call and ask if I got lost or fell into a black hole because he can never understand how shopping can take so long.

He is one of these "pick something and buy it" guys. No patience to look around.

He is also pretty sick and has had a fever off and on for 3 days so he is grouchy and out of sorts anyway.

After the first 2 stores I call him and tell him I'm on my way to Home Depot to get the Christmas tree and then will stop at the market to pick him up him something to drink. I also start to tell him about a few of the things I've gotten so far.

He interrupts me and says "I don't want to hear all the details... just get everything done and come home".

I hung up and stuck my tongue out at the phone. Very mature I know.

Sarah and I got to Home Depot and start looking for a tree... She holds one up and I look at it, then I hold it up and she looks at it. We trade opinions until we find the perfect one. Not like when I take Jeff and he wants the first tree we pull out of the pile. We pay for it, stuff it into the back of the van and head for the market. We hurry through some quick shopping to get stuff so I can make cookies and other yummies this week, as well as the requested drink. As we are pulling out of the parking lot my phone rings.

I am greeted with a very dejected voice on the other end: "Exactly one hour and a minute ago you said you were coming home."

"Exactly one hour and a minute ago I said I was going to get a tree and go to the market... now I am 5 minutes from home."

"Oh OK...sorry.. I must have missed that part".

No kidding!

See what happens when you don't want to hear all the details?

Disney Sunday #28 ~~ The House of the Future

2011-12-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

The House of the Future opened in Disneyland in 1957 right next to the Circorama.
It was one of 2 free attractions sponsored by Monsanto. Hall of Chemistry being the other.
It was a walk through tour of a 1280 sq ft house filled with plastic furnishings and polyester clothes. It also boasted new and exciting modern appliances like dishwashers, microwaves and intercoms. It was made from eight prefabricated plastic sections with large windows and anchored onto a concrete earthquake proof foundation. The house consisted of a middle square (kitchen and bathroom) with 4 "wings" (master bedroom, children's room, dining room and living room).

It lasted 10 years until Monsanto went on to sponsor Adventure thru Inner Space. The house was so indestructible that the one day demolition ended up taking two weeks because the wrecking ball could not damage it. It had to be cut apart with hack saws. Some of the support pilings are still visible in Neptune's Grotto and the landscape, waterfalls and walkways are still there.

This is Disney's publicity shot:

This is the floor plan:

The next few shots are of construction:

I love these 2 with the castle in the background:

Opening day complete with band:

Some shots of the exterior:

I love how empty things were back then:

Dressed up for Christmas:

Interior promotion pictures:

Love the TV:

And when you got tired of being inside in the future, you could come outside to your very own geodesic patio dome:

Love You, Mean It ~~ A Tribute to a Beautiful Soul.

2011-12-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

I lost a friend very unexpectedly this week. Not that any of us at my age (mid 40's) EXPECTS to lose someone. And not that that person was expecting it either. But its just so much of a shock when things like this happen that your brain can't quite wrap itself around the fact that a person can up and die and leave behind a family, friends and so many unrealized hopes and dreams and then life and everyone they left behind has to go on without them.

The circumstances of my friends death are not entirely clear yet. She was having some health issues and had been in and out of the hospital over the past week. But there didn't seem to be any indication that things couldn't be fixed. Until they couldn't. And she was gone. Just like that. Here one day, gone the next.

She left behind several young adult children who are of course much more devastated than I am. They have lost their mother. The one who was supposed to be there to guide them through the still difficult years of youth. To hold her children's babies, to soothe them when they are crying, and to watch them grow into adults as she grew into old age.

How many times can I yell at the universe that life isn't fair? Asking why a life has to be cut short when there was so much more to do? Surely the sole purpose of my friend's life was not a lesson for the rest us that if we don't get our shit together the same thing could happen to us. She was much more than that.

As I go back and read the things that she had been writing about recently, I realized I was not going to find any clues that she knew this was coming. If any of us knew tragedy was on the horizon we would certainly change the way we were living our last moments. Get our ducks in a row, heal old wounds, take that vacation we've been putting off, buy ourselves that pair of shoes we've been eyeing. Because we would know that life was indeed shorter than we think and we better enjoy what we have and fix whats broken right now because no matter who you are, we all come with an expiration date. And the thought we always have tomorrow to do or fix what we want may not come.

My heart is beyond sad. She and I shared a lot in common. We both had oldest sons named Chris. Who both went into the Air Force to become crew chiefs for F-16 fighter jets. They both had sons (our first grandchildren) within a year of each other. We also both had 2 daughters of similar ages. We were both remarried with step kids (I had 2, she had one). And we both loved to write and maintained a blog (Hers: http://delswife-stories.blogspot.com/).

She was a much better writer than I was. So much more funny and the words seemed to roll off her fingers with much less effort than it took me. She loved Disney as much as I do and in an ironic twist, she died on Walt's birthday. She wrote REAL trip reports (not just a bunch of pictures strung together with a few words) that kept you laughing out loud and coming back for more. Her first report seen here without the original pictures as they got lost a few years back and she never got around to fixing them: http://www.abbycandlesmi.com/delswife_trip_report.pdf was what started some of her popularity. I met many people and good friends because of her and I cannot express the how grateful I am for her to have touched my life.

I wish I could reach out and ease the pain her family must be going through. Because if I am as sad as am, nothing but a casual acquaintance who spent just a small portion of my life interacting with her, I cannot imagine the depth to the sorrow of the people who spent daily lives with her, knowing her, loving her... having her enrich their lives with her humor, kindness and ability to see the best in people and in life no matter what the circumstances.

All I can say is:
Robin... you will be missed more than you ever imagined possible.
There will be a emptiness where you used to be that no one else will ever be able to fill in quite the same way that you did.

Love You , Mean It
LYMI

Disney Sunday #27 ~~ Dumbo the Flying Elephant

2011-11-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

Back in the saddle again!!

This time on Dumbo!

Originally this ride was based on the alcohol induced pink elephants from the movie with the working title of "10 Pink Elephants on Parade" going so far as to having the original ride vehicles painted pink.

Walt objected saying he didn't want his guests riding on something themed to a hallucination and ordered them to be repainted grey.

Here is a picture of the original concept art:

The original ears moved which as you can imagine created all sorts of mechanical problems so new molds were made without hinges. You can see the older version in this picture:

Timothy Mouse stands in the center twirling around. He originally held a training whip until this was later replaced with a feather. It has since changed back to the whip.

Here's a good early shot with the Skyway station being built in the background.

A good black and white aerial shot:

I had a hard time finding older shots in color:

Love this one... with girls all dressed up!

Glad to see you all again!!
Have a great Sunday and stayed tuned!!

Horn Tuskers

2011-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in your life when you realize you take certain knowledge for granted.
There are things you figure everyone knows so it's a bit of a reality check when you discover not everyone is as well informed as you are.

Katherine: Today was Colonial Day so we made dolls out of things like they did in the old days.
Me: Really, what did you make them out of?
Katherine: Out of the horn of a tusker something or other...
Me: A what?
Katherine (sensing the disbelief in my voice) : Ummm maybe I got that wrong maybe it was a tusk of a horny something..
Me: I don't think that's right either...
Katherine: Well I forget what Ms Sendejas said.. or maybe I wasn't paying attention (SHOCKER) but is was definitely out of some kind of growth from some kind of animal.
Me: Why don't you just show me what you made....
She brings out the doll
Me: Katherine... these are CORN HUSKS... they cover corn while it is growing... You peel it off before you eat it and it gets hard and turns this light tan color. This does not come from an animal.
Katherine: OOOOOHHHHhhhhhh... I thought you peeled it off some kind of growth that some animal had growing out of its face... like a unicorn or something.
Me: Face palm.

Way Back Wednesday ~ Vintage Star Trek Toy Commercials

2011-09-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

So many times the geek in me comes out but I can't help it!
Not only do I love vintage stuff, but vintage Star Trek stuff is even better!
Enjoy these old commercials!

Bet you didn't know that Vulcans were so good at doing laundry!

Saturday in the Car Park

2011-09-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

I was at Costco the other day, picking up our weekly supply of Family Size items, herding the kids around and trying to get done as quickly as possible.

We made it into the parking lot and I was feeling pretty good about how well everything had gone.
I didn't lose anyone, I didn't have to yell at anyone, I didn't drop a 25 pound bag of flour on the floor and then have to pretend it wasn't me. Just overall a good shopping trip.

We were about half way down one of the parking aisles when I realized I couldn't remember where I parked.
I stopped so fast Katherine ran right into me.

"OW MOM!"

I tried to say I was using it as a real world example of what momentum was... you know, any opportunity is a teaching opportunity I always say.

No the kids didn't buy it either.

Not wanting to let on that I had been overcome with sudden onset Alzheimer's I tried to act nonchalant and began digging for my keys.

"Mom, did you forget where we parked?"

Nothing gets past Jeffrey.

"No, did you?"

I was trying to remember something about where I parked. Was I going up or down? Was I parked near tree? A sign? The basket return?

And I tell my kids to pay attention.

The lot was a giant ocean and my car was lost, adrift on the current.

I found my keys and performed the classic "Hold them over your head and hope you see some lights flashing or hear horns honking" routine.

Nothing.

This is when I realized there had been a lady creeping along next to me apparently waiting to score my spot.

This didn't make her happy so she floored it up the aisle and out of sight.

"Hey mom I think that lady was waving at you."

Yeah, the one finger wave. My favorite.

I turned around and realized that a parade of other cars had formed behind me.

I crossed through the parked cars pretending that I suddenly remembered where I was.

Two cars took off at top speed and tried to beat each other around to other aisle.

A-HA! There it is! I saw it!

I rushed forward, clicking "open" on my key ring and grabbed the back handle of the door only to have my fingers bend backwards, break a nail and realize this was not my van.

Why do so many people drive blue Honda minivans out here?

Another line of cars had begun to form and the kids were looking at me and I was becoming a stressed mess.
I waved the cars away "NO. NO I'm not leaving, just came to the car get to get something, I'm going back inside".

"Why do we have to go back in?" Jeffrey wanted to know. "I thought we were done? Mom? Mom?"

Now my only choice is trudge up and down the aisles and I'm annoyed because I'm sweating all over my clean shirt, my groceries are going to be a melted mess by the time I get them home and the kids now know for sure that their mother is not perfect.

Yes up until this very moment my children have thought of me as a combination of Einstein and the virgin Mary... a genius without faults.

It's true and you cant tell me otherwise.

Suddenly all the way at the end of one of the aisles that I swear I have never driven down in my life, I spot the blue boat. I rush forward, click my keys, hear the honk and feel the joy of a kid on Christmas morning.

I load the kids in, load the groceries in and then some jerk honks at me because I'm taking too long.

I hurry into the drivers seat, back out, pretend Im not driving a minivan and pass him like I'm on the Indy Speedway.

"Hey mom.. that guy was waving at you too."

Yeah, I know... There seems to be a lot of that going on lately.

Saturday Ramblings

2011-08-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

My life this week has been a series of unfortunate spills by the animals of the house.

It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't keep stepping in it.

I haven't figured out exactly what has set them off, but I suspect it was the week long visit by Grandma.

She pretends to like the animals. As long as they stay as far away from her as possible.

Unfortunately, as with most animals, ours know who don't like them and it just makes them all the more friendly to said individuals.

This display of friendship sends Grandma into hysterics, waving her arms or kicking at them with her feet, all the while shouting "JEFF! HELP! Get over here" at the top of her lungs.

She is now safely back in Vegas and our life is SLOWLY returning to normal as we are slip back into the school year routine. Which essentially means I will remember what day of the week it is when I wake up in the morning.

Today is Saturday so I get several hours by myself on the computer while Jeff and Alex beat each other up in Karate, Katherine is at Gabby's and Jeffrey pops in out to ask me deep philosophical questions.

Like "Are people bald because they wore a hat too much and it rubbed all the hair off?" or "If I asked my teacher for the whole years homework right now, could I do it all over the weekend and then play video games after school because my homework was all finished until Jr High?" and the last one "If the number 2 pencil is the best one to use, why don't we call it number 1?"

I wonder if he sits around and thinks these things up just to make me stop and have to think about what he saying.

So I.m back to eBay-land for the time being, but if anyone needs any Simpsons figures, vintage items or Disney memorabilia, feel free to stop by our store!

J & M Sales Emporium

Way too early for coherent thought.....

2011-08-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Who put 7 AM so early in the morning?

Honestly, would it kill someone to move it closer to the afternoon?

The dog is still sleeping, why can't I?

Oh right, I had to get up and schlep the crew to their institutions of learning.

Summer is over and I am forced to get reacquainted with the wee hours of the morning.

I suppose it will facilitate my getting more work done. I'm trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not.

Overall, I think the kids are happy to be back into the swing of things.

Well perhaps not Alex. He has been dreading this year since last April.

His class schedule is as follows:

~ Math Analysis Honors (which I assume is more than sitting around and analyzing 1 + 1 = 2)
~ AP English (which required he read Grapes of Wrath over the summer. Yesterday his homework was to pick out themes of the book and he wanted to know if he could include "boring" and "unnecessary" without getting himself into trouble. I told him probably not).
~ AP Computer Science (He's going to learn how to program in Java... I told him I could probably help him with that since I am quite familiar with several types of Java including Breakfast Blend and French Vanilla. He did not find my humor especially helpful.)
~ AP Physics (Scares me just typing the words)
~ AP US History (I told him to study the states over the summer, but did he listen... NOOOoooo... what is his first test today? Name all the states. See mom knows what she's talking about some of the time.)
~ AP Spanish 4 (Me llamo Paco...Et tu, como te llamas? See I'm bilingual.)

Alex pretty much figures this is the end of his life as he knows it and that he will never leave his room except to go to school and occasionally use the bathroom.

I told him I would keep dinner warm and slip it under his door around 6 PM every night so not to worry.

Good to see all of you again!

Now off to eBay land!

Summer Fun at the California Science Center & Griffith Park Observatory

2011-08-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

As I feared, I have had no time over this summer to do much on my blog.

SOON the kids will be back in school and I will be able to get back to regularly scheduled programming!

But in the mean time I am trying to keep up with picture trip reports.

On Thursday I took the troops downtown to see the science center.

I think Alex was 3 the last time we visited.

The cast of characters included:

Me (well you knew that since I took all the pictures)

4 of my own personal kids:

Sarah (We picked her up on the way there)

Alex (He needed a break from all that tiring Black Ops he's been forced to endure these past weeks)

The Partners in Crime, Jeffrey & Katherine

and The Twins, Jacob and Olivia who are spending most of their summer with us.

So we arrived bright and early, er, wait.... I mean in time for lunch at the California Science Center which shares real estate with the Colosseum (where many of the 1984 Olympic games were held) and The Natural History Museum:

First stop.... a picture in front of a SR-71 Blackbird:

For some reason the dry ice fog didn't show up when I took the picture:

The kids were fascinated with how small the Apollo capsules were:

Jeffrey listening to the Doppler effect:

Katherine and Olivia looking at the satellite exhibit:

The crew playing virtual soccer:

Alex trying out the ping pong ball machine:

Jacob trying his hand at it:

Sarah checking out some information on the wall:

All 4 of them trying to pick up balls with different types of bird beaks:

Jeffery & Jacob take a ride on a snowmobile:

Katherine, Jacob and Olivia check out the frozen wall:

Sarah and the girls find some dessert bugs and lizards:

Waiting to get splashed by the flash flood:

Alex showing Jeffrey how one of the machines work:

Smashing their hands in the ocean depth pressure machine:

Checking out the 2 story deep salt water tanks:

The kids loved watching the divers feed the fish:

Katherine looking into the under water periscope:

Getting some close up looks at the fish:

We were first in line when they opened up the touch tank:

Jeffrey and Jacob head for the 3rd floor:

Planes from the next door Air & Space museum are on display here while the other museum is being renovated:

Because we didn't do enough already today, we stopped at the Griffith Park Observatory:

Somehow we got inside, despite the contradictory signs:

The boys checking out the "Big Picture" from the new viewing platform:

Katherine and Jacob looking at Meteorites:

Jeffrey sits with Griffith J Griffith and demonstrates how little sky is actually shown on the "Big Picture" wall.

The planets shown in correct proportion:

View of the Hollywood Sign from the lower observation deck:

The gang's all here!

All in all we had a really great day!!

Summer Beach Pictures

2011-07-31T19:59:00.004-07:00

I have been taking my camera to the beach every week and have come up with great shots.

We go to the Point Dume area of Zuma Beach off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

It's about 30 minutes from our house.

This is a compilation of shots from the past few weeks.

This is a sunset from our front yard last week.

Katherine loves the waves and has no fear.....

Though after taking this shot, maybe she should rethink her bravery...

Jeffrey is fishing with seaweed, and Katherine takes another spill

More frolicking

Jeffrey enjoying the moment

Jeffrey as the Sorcerer in "Commanding the Waters"

Katherine trying her hand at controlling the waves...
Either that or she's trying for Master of Silly Walks

A few waves pictures.. I must have taken 100 of them

4 of them out in the waves

LOOK! Out there...........

It's dolphins!!

Jeffrey was racing with them up and down the beach

The boys were thrilled they were so close to shore.

Here the boys were enjoying the way the sand felt on their feet

And here they come looking like they just had their nails done

Katherine spent a lot of time panning for sand crabs

Here everyone is trying to count how many were in the bucket

Jeffrey looks shocked he found some in his bucket

Here the girls were trying to divide them all up so everyone had the same number

Sarah takes a look

The kids spend a lot of time digging holes while we are on the beach

Jacob and Jeffrey would dig to China if they could

Jeffrey testing the depth of this hole

A collaborative effort well done

Everyone got themselves into the hole today

Katherine and Olivia spend a lot of time building sand castles

They are never very big, but they have fun making them

Always the ham

Jeffrey shows off his amazing 10 year old physique

Charles Atlas.. watch out!!

Katherine finds digging holes to be a tiring experience

In their best effort yet, Jacob relaxes at the bottom of their masterpiece

Jeffrey brings the water to demonstrate the built in tunnel they created

Alex enjoys the relative quiet

Sarah snoozes in the sun

The seagulls seems to have a lot of yelling to do.
Of course after they ate Olivia's sandwich, there shouldn't be too much for them to complain about

I caught this one taking off

Pelicans.. a lot of them!

The lifeguard is surfing in his boat

One day, I promise I'm going to own a beautiful house on the beach
Of course I better be in shape if it's one of these because the hike down the mountain is a killer!

Lifeguard station #3

Kayakers

These last photos were of the little kids from the family who was sitting near us.
They were so cute and really enjoying themselves

Updates on life.....

2011-07-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was just marveling the other day that I had actually hit 10,000 views on my blog.

I took a look a few minutes ago and I had soared past 11,000.

YAY!!!!

Life continues to chug forward this summer. I've been able to go to the beach every week and lo and behold my legs aren't snow white anymore. Not that it will last but it's nice while it here.

I'm faithfully keeping up with my trip countdown blog because having something to look forward to (even if it's a year away) adds a little spring to my step.

I still don't have much time to sit and do the fun blog stuff I want to do for this blog. The other blog requires looking for pictures in my online albums, pasting them in and VOILA! It's done. Easy, fast and efficient. At least something in my life is!

It's 4 weeks until school starts but only 3 weeks until Grandma arrives.

Ooooo Rah!

I have a goal to take off 10 pounds in the next 3 weeks just so I don't feel quite so fat when she gets here. I was thinner than I am now last time I saw her. And believe me, it's no stretch to have Grandma say "You look like you've put on some weight.. are you going to gym like me? I go every day. I may have some of my bigger clothes to lend you until you lose the weight again, if you like."

NO thanks.. I'll pass on that fun.

I am going to post my summer pictures in the next day or two so keep an eye out for those!

See you soon!!

Reality... when did this happen?

2011-07-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

OK. Cold hard reality of the situation is that I am simply not going to be able to keep up with this blog the way I want to during this summer.

My computer is basically a timeshare while the kids are home.

I get time when others are willing to share.

The computer is in Alex's room and he uses it to hide from the reality of the upcoming school year. 5 AP classes + Honors something else I don't remember. He is frantically trying to spend as much time killing zombies and improving his prestige level in Black OPs because he knows once school starts he will be lucky if he gets an hour a week away from schoolwork.

Then Jeffrey begs (add whines and rolls around on the ground) to play a new game Alex came up with called Minecraft and it can only be played on this computer. So we allow him 45 minutes to an hour a day to dig in the dirt so he can collect rocks and loot and whatever else he unearths to build a house. I cannot for the life of me understand why the boys find this so exciting.

Then I have to list on eBay. It takes me a lot more time than I would like it to, to take pictures, process pictures, upload pictures, write the auctions, fine tune the auctions and get them listed. By the time I am through doing that I either dont feel like sitting around here anymore or I have 2 boys hanging over my shoulder wondering when I'm going to be finished so whoever is faster can slide into the chair to play their games. This also makes it hard to use the bathroom when I'm listing because if I don't choose exactly the right moment when no one is paying attention, I will find my chair occupied when I return.

AND I've found this new passion of keeping my trip countdown blog so whenever I have a moment and feel like blogging I tend to go there.

But I promise that I will keep doing what I can here and once school starts again in a month I will be back to posting some of the regular features.

Thank you all for bearing with me... and stop by the trip countdown for some really great photos!!!

Disney Sunday ~~ New Trip Countdown Blog!

2011-07-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Join me in anticipation.
OK I have a year but you gotta start somewhere right???

WDW 2012 ~~ Here we come!

The Thought Process of a 10 Year Old

2011-07-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

I was confronted today with the realization that kids are in their own world and do not necessarily use this wonderful thing we humans are supposed to be blessed with called "thought process".

I can't count how many times I have said "Does that make any sense? Use your brain and think it through!".

But a kid would have to realize that they AREN'T thinking it through in the first place and since mine are 10 and 11, that's just not going to happen.

This afternoon I was taking a moment and reading on the couch while Jeffrey & Katherine and Jacob & Olivia were outside soaking each other with Nerf water guns.

They had only been out there for maybe 5 minutes when Katherine and Olivia came stomping inside.

"What's wrong?" I asked (not REALLY wanting to know because it might mean I had to get up and referee).

Katherine immediately began explaining: "I accidentally" (read: on purpose) " shot Jeffrey in the ear with water and when I tried to tell him I didn't mean to, he told me I did it on purpose, and when I told him I didn't" (read" I did but don't want to admit it) "he told me to SHUT UP". And we don't want to play anymore anyway."

And off they went into the bedroom to sit their wet behinds on the floor after I have told them 100 times not to...

But I digress.

Fast forward 15 minutes and in come Jeffrey and Jacob, laughing and giggling.

As they are hurrying through I ask "Jeffrey... did you tell Katherine to shut up?"

"OK, no problem" Jeffrey calls out and hurries even faster towards his room.

Wait, what?

"Jeffrey?!?"

He pops his head around the corner... "Yes?"

"What did you think I just said?"

"You told me to "go tell Katherine to shut-up". But I haven't done it yet."

Seriously son?

In what reality did you wake up in this morning?

"Jeffrey do you honestly think I would tell you to tell your sister to shut up?"

"Well I don't know... maybe... she can get pretty loud and I know if I get tired of it, then you must get tired of it too. I figured I was doing you a favor because this way you didn't have to get up and go tell her yourself."

OK, I was wrong.

He did think it through.

Just not the way I hoped he would.

You were saying what?

2011-07-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

This has been one of those weeks.

I have a lot them so when one shows up I shouldn't be surprised.

I know I need a vacation from my life when I find myself doing things that if I were calm and stress free wouldn't happen. The type of things that make Jeff close his eyes, shake his head and wonder what he got himself into by marrying someone like me.

This morning I got up from the couch, walked into the kitchen to see what time it was, went back into the living room sat down and realized I hadn't actually been paying any attention and had to go back check again.

Then I took a shower, got out and started to wrap my hair in a towel and realized I didn't rinse the shampoo out of my hair.

I try to tell myself that at least I haven't answered the door naked so that must count for something right?
AND I haven't lost any credit cards, my Costco card or locked my keys in the car anytime in the last month so I'm doing good right?

RIGHT??

The apple must not fall far from the tree because today Sarah called and said she was all moved into her new larger apartment but she forgot to call the electric company and tell them she needed power. She said the power was on when she moved in over the weekend but when she woke up this morning, it had been turned off. So she was walking around in a sweltering hot sauna and she kept trying to turn the lights on every time she went into a different room. And on top of that her cell phone was dying so she went and plugged it into the charger, waited, then couldn't figure out why the power indicator went down instead of up.

Yep... like mother like daughter.

I eventually got a hold of the power company for her since her cell phone had about 5 minutes left on it and talked them into turning the power on same day. I convinced them she might otherwise die of heat exhaustion.

So my goal is to make enough money in the next few months to send me (OK and the rest of the crew too) on vacation. My brain just needs something to look forward too. And I think a nice 2 week stay in central Florida just might do the trick.

Disney Sunday #26 ~~ The Phantom Boats & Motor Boat Cruise

2011-07-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Tomorrowland boats opened in July 1955 in the lagoon that would eventually become the submarines.
Very few people rode them and a month later they were redesigned and rechristened the Phantom Boats with tail-fins any Cadillac of the time would be proud of.

Apparently the 14 boats had a poor mechanical design and they would often overheat and leave riders stranded in the middle of the lagoon. They briefly tried adding a pilot to the boat but that couldn't overcome their problems and in 1956 the attraction got the dubious distinction of the first permanent Disneyland attraction that was closed.

You can see the train the background:

And here you can see the autopia to the right:

Don't you love the "Keep off the Grass" sign?

Art and Diane Linkletter when they were using boat pilots:

Aerial view from the buckets:

In 1957 The Motor Boat Cruise opened in a nearby lagoon. It was "B" ticket ride and now the boats were on a track with no steering or acceleration. Cast members wore little sailor outfits and the ride remained basically unchanged until the Gummi Bears were added briefly in 1991 until the rides closure in 1993.

An oldie of the loading dock:

The viewliner goes right over your head:

This isn't the best shot but I love the way it looks so vintage and you can see that the boats were named after characters:

Have a great day!!

ARGH! and OOPS!

2011-07-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Damn it...... Where did the week go?

Well part of it went into going back to the sadist dentist (any wonder why those words sound so similar?) and having to have my poor mouth packed with this stuff to help it heal since is wasn't.

Happy to report that at least that seems to have worked.

But in other news, it was a big week of OOPS! and ARGH!

Two (count 'em TWO) times this week I was innocently sitting on the sofa enjoying my morning coffee when it suddenly got a mind of it's own and did a triple gainer into my lap. Which then also included the couch and the carpet as well.

When it happened this morning Jeffery immediately went into "fix-it" mode (after I flew into the air with a string of colorful language that should have been bleeped out) . "Mom.. it's Saturday, the best day of the week, so nothing bad can happen right? This wasn't too bad was it? You can fix it right? Can I get paper towels. Can I help you clean it?"

It was hard to be too upset after that.

And for the ARGH portion of the program, I give you our dinner last night.

We are all sitting around enjoying some really good hamburgers chatting and feeling relieved that the evening was getting cooler when the dog started sniffing around and looking out the door.

Now this is a big deal with the dog because if you miss her cues she is likely to go to the SAME damn spot in the den and piddle. (Insert irritated face here).

So I told Katherine to take her out and make sure she went.

Katherine carried her out and about 2 minutes later brought her in and announced that she had peed and pooped. (The dog, not Katherine in case you were wondering.)

OK good. I thought, now she's good for a couple of hours.

"OH NO!" Jeffrey looked horrified.

OH crap.. that's never a good thing to hear out of your kid.

And I looked down and indeed Oh Crap was the right term to have used.

Apparently if you do not give your shaggy dog a Brazilian wax of the behind they have the tendency to get hanger-on-ers.

And what does a dog do when it gets into one of these unfortunate situations?

It sits down (on the carpet) and proceeds to butt-ski in a zig-zag line along said carpet until it manages to dislodge all of the offending hanger-on-er.

OH CRAP OH CRAP OH CRAP!

I'm not sure if I was stating the obvious or just really pissed off.

I think it was a little of both.

I grabbed the dog and tossed her and her poopy rear out the door.

When I turned around I noticed that no one was left at the table.

Way to be supportive guys.

Turns out only the kids abandoned me, Jeff had hustled to the laundry room to get the carpet cleaning machine.

The machine did the trick but I couldn't use it to clean the dog, so I had to carry her in (at arms length), throw her in the sink and bathe her (for the second time this week).

Today I am going to look into the butt waxing thing so as not to have to go through that all over again.

Seeing as this weekend is going to be over 100 for the next 3-4 days, I may decide to wax the entire dog and not just her rear.

Saturday Shenanigans

2011-06-25T11:52:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning dawned bright and way too early.

Jeff had to go to Coronado to help with a Black Belt grading and he left at 6 AM. I was excited because I figured this would give me an opportunity to sleep in. Yeah right. 7 AM and I am up, brewing coffee and walking the dog in the beach fog that reached all the way to our house.

But I figured it wouldn't be all bad. I could snuggle up on the sofa and have my coffee, watch Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman and just in general relax in the calm peaceful morning silence.

Yeah, I live in Fantasyland.

By 8 AM the happy sounds of too much time and not enough to do had already started drifting out of the bedroom at the end of the hall.

Have you met my children... Mr & Mrs Ridiculous?

"KATHERINE!!"

"JEFFREY!!"

OK they know each others names.

"TURN THAT DOWN! I CANT HEAR!"

"WHY DON'T YOU TURN YOURS DOWN BECAUSE I CANT HEAR?"

"KATHERINE! I have to hear when I throw my fishing pole in the water. Fishing is a quiet sport."

"Exactly... so turn your sound down and it will be quiet."

"NOOOOO! I have to be able to HEAR!"

"I thought you said it was quiet? If it's quiet what do you have to hear??"

"You're so mean.. MOM!!! Katherine is being mean."

"I AM NOT!"

OK scratch quiet couch time.

I figured I would take a shower because that would certainly be relaxing. Warm water, closed behind 2 doors with no one to bother me.

Yes, exactly what I needed.

There is such a fine line between needing and getting.

I did make it all the way behind 2 closed doors and into the warm water but that's when it sort of went all wrong.

Now if any of you read this often enough you know that I often jump to irrational conclusions.
One such example chronicled here.
One might think I would learn my lesson but I'm living proof that hasn't happened yet.

So there I am basking in the glory of the hot water, leaning my head back, closing my eyes as the warmth flows over my head and down my back, rinsing the delicious smelling shampoo out of my hair when it happened.

Something touched my leg. It was just a light touch at first, almost a caress. Felt like a finger starting at my thigh and moving down towards my knee. My first irrational thought was that Jeffrey had come into the bathroom and opened the door and was trying to get my attention, but as I peeked open one eye I realized the shower door was still closed so that highly unlikely scenario was ruled out. I squeezed my eyes shut and started to panic. I moved my leg slightly towards the opposite wall and the light caress turned into a full on push and scraping past my knee and down onto my calf. If it weren't for the fact that whatever it was was between me and the door I would have bolted, soaking wet and naked out of the bathroom, down the hall and into the living room and worry about scarring the children for life later when it was all over.

All I could do was jump sideways into the wall, yelping loud enough for the neighbors to wonder if they should call 911 and then listen to the extremely loud crashing noise as I forced myself to open my eyes, look down and figure out that the 2 foot high zombie that had somehow materialized in the shower with me was actually the shower stand that had fallen over and landed against my leg.

There were bottles and things everywhere. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, shaving gel, a bar of soap, a razor. There was no place left to stand because the entire shower floor was one big mess.

I'm not really sure if I was more relived or irritated. Why on earth do I panic so quickly?
It's really embarrassing.

Seriously I need more calm relaxing moments in my life to help steady my hyperactive imagination.

But considering it's only the 3rd week of June and the kids don't go back to school until the 3rd week of August, I'm not likely to be getting much of that any time soon.

And to top it off, I've got this great plan for today... it's called taking the kids shopping.

Yeah, I thought that through.

I'll let you tomorrow if I survive.

Park Day Photos

2011-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep the kids from burning the house down out of boredom, we try to get them out and about at least once every day.

Today we headed to the park.

Mr Watson, come here, I need you.....

The sheer joy of swinging:

Olivia:

Jeffrey the consumate goof-ball:

Jacob trying not to laugh:

I love this shot of him:

Trying to get 4 kids to all smile at the same time was next to impossible.

This was the best out of 10 shots.....

Two are easier...

Beach Day

2011-06-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

So here we are 2 weeks into summer and I'm ready to pay the school district to reopen and let my kids go back to class.

I think I can probably find another few parents who would also be willing to chip in.

Yesterday was our first beach day of the season and even though it takes about half an hour to drive from my house to the shore, it still managed to take me almost 2 hours from the time I backed out of the driveway to the time our feet hit the sand.

I kept wondering why I was schlepping four 10 and 11 year olds to a place that would by definition cause them to get sand stuck in every imaginable crevice so they could bring it home and deposit it starting at the front door, through the living room, down the hall, into the bathroom, into the bathtub, onto the towels, back down the hall and into their bedroom and into bed. My vacuum is going to have a nervous breakdown.

This has been the toughest week to get even a second to sit down on the computer and do anything but list on ebay. I will be the happiest person on the planet when I am done with listing auctions. In the mean time though, it puts food on the table. Which seems to be a necessity when you've got 3 kids living under one roof. Especially a 16 year old boy. With size 13 feet. I should just get him a feedbag. It might save time.

I gotta get back to work but here are a few snapshots from today:

Olivia calling to the chickens on the shore:

Those waves are stronger than they look:

I am thinking Jeffrey is doing his own rendition of "I'm a little teapot".

I do love the waves:

Katherine and Olivia looking for shells:

And then stopping for a snack:

Mr Wiener & the Rubberneckers

2011-06-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

What is it they say about how you are more sore the second day after working out than the first?

Yeah well, it works the same for having your tooth chiseled out of your head.

Ow.

And to top it off I hate the weather we are having. Where is my summer? How can I go to the beach when it's cloudy? June Gloom my behind. This is beyond gloomy. I need warmth. I need sunshine. I need vitamin D. It might improve my mood.

I don't talk politics too much. Maybe because I'm so opinionated that I'm afraid of alienating a certain portion of my audience.

But I'm just pretty pissy about his whole Wiener thing. See, in my mind with a name like Wiener you might think that you would watch what you do so as not to become one. He did not take my advice seriously.

I'm about as Democratic as they come and when the story first came out I wasn't sure what side Mr. Wiener was on. But once I heard the details I figured out that he must be a Democrat too because if he had been a Republican the photos would have been sent to an underage boy.

Now I ask you, if you had the brains enough to get all the way to becoming a congressman (and a rather good one I have heard told), wouldn't it follow that you might have the brains enough to know better then to send pictures of yourself on a public forum where anyone with a low level of technological knowledge can find them and tattle on you? Don't you watch the news?? Didn't it occur to you that if all the other brainless political dolts out there who sent racey pictures of themselves to people other than their wife got caught, wouldn't it follow that there might be the smallest possibility of the same thing happening to you?

Apparently not.

But beyond all that, and no matter what I think of his decision making process, I do not think the man should have to resign.

His speech said this was so his colleagues could get back to work. Aren't they adults and shouldn't they be able to have enough self control to focus on what they need to be doing instead of gossip mongering? My 4th graders are expected to focus on their work and ignore activities going on around them, so why shouldn't United States Congressmen?

Grow up and get over yourselves and realize that while Mr Wiener might need a lesson in the finer points of appropriate photo sharing, up until this point he has been a good and solid politician and to resign because your playmates cant stop rubbernecking at your unfortunate missteps is just wrong.

This is a matter between Wiener and his wife. Not the government.

But unfortunately people like to make examples of others in an effort to take the spotlight off of their own stupidity but in the end it backfires and we all end up paying for others butting into what is not thier business by losing a good politician.

See?? I told you I need some sunshine because my mood has sunk low enough to start writing political commentary. And I'm not sure we really want go there for any length of time.

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire

2011-06-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back from la-la land.

And straight into summer vacation land.

Not sure which one is preferable.

I've been trying to get some plans in place so the kids don't drive each other (or me) up a tree.

Then we're also trying to get eBay up and running smoothly, going through the garage and selling off the last of my parents collectibles. And going through all of our collectibles and deciding what we need and don't need.

Basically I've been so busy I haven't had a moment for guilty pleasures like blogging. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't have to sit down and take an hour to write something. That I can be creative without a whole lot of preparation.

We'll see.

So this past week, aside from disappearing into the great garage void only to emerge days later, hungry,thirsty and glad to have found my way home, I've been dreading the inevitability of having one of my back teeth pulled out. I finally got a call that from the dentist that they had an opening and if I could show up at 9:30 AM on Wednesday morning they would take care of my little problem.

So I showed up, trembling in fear only to be told that the dentist was delayed an hour.

Oh goody.

After having my blood pressure taken and informed it was slightly high (no Sh*t Sherlock, I'm 2 inches from bolting out of here if I see the door open one more time), I was taken into a small room and left to stare at the ceiling. Fortunately I brought a book and 20 pages later the dentist finally showed up. We'll call him Doc Whasizname. My dentist didn't do extractions so I was forced into letting this be done by a total stranger.

After the initial numbing (4 shots that were supposed to last 12 hours) I was once again left to contemplate how I could escape without being tackled by the 300 pound nurse behind the desk.

I had just about formulated my plan when the doc showed up all business with two nurses and shut the door.

Damn.

I got another shot placed around the base of my tooth and then Doc Whasizname went into what I assume was his normal spiel of what was going to happen when needing to extract a tooth like mine (previous root canal, crown fallen off and not much left above the gumline). He smiled sweetly, his voice almost purring and said "Now you are going to feel some tapping. Nothing to be worried about. Just a few taps."

Now I don't know about you, but when I think of tapping and all of it's connotations, it's usually something gentle and not very loud. Kind of like your fingers moving rhythmically back and forth on the computer keys while trying to think of what to type next.

It does NOT involve a good size chisel and a hammer that would make Paul Bunyan proud.

The king size chisel was placed into my mouth carefully and gently and then Doc Whasizname instructed his helper (in his sugar sweet voice) to "please give it a little tap."

He should have added "Now this isn't gong to hurt a bit". Then I could have yelled "Liar Liar pants on Fire" when it was over and done with.

When the hammer hit the chisel for the first time I was pretty sure they had broken my jaw. In several places.

When the hammer hit the chisel for the second, third and fourth time I didn't think there were going to be any teeth left in my head because they would be rattled out by sheer seismic force.

I think I must have been knocked into a semi-conscious state because I could hear my brain screaming that they had to stop but I could not for the life of me make a single sound.

Everything was removed from my mouth and Doc Whasizname began prying and picking and pulling bits and pieces from my mouth and depositing them onto the tray.

All the while smiling and saying how good it looked. He made no mention of how it might have felt.

I must have started breathing again at some point, glad THAT was over, when without warning the whole process started over again with Doc W asking his nurse to "give it a couple of small taps right here".

I think my brain rattled loose and impacted against the inside of skull which, if I remember correctly is not good. I had no rational thought left except for brief wondering if they had a specialist waiting in the next room to set the broken bones in my face.

We really have to set Doc W straight on what "small" and "tap" mean.

The rest of the experience is kind of a blur. I think the nurse gave at least another 3 or 4 "small tap" sessions before it was suddenly over and Doc W was smiling a big bright smile and telling me how well I did.

I wanted to tell him the only reason I did so well was because I incurred a small amount of brain damage and could no longer speak clearly, but I was hindered by the entire roll of gauze I had stuffed into my cheek and could only bob my head up and down and wander to the front desk to check out.

I think I've been traumatized for life. Seriously.

So it's been more than 24 hours and surprisingly I am only a tiny bit sore and swollen. My brain function has returned to somewhat normal and I am extremely grateful that it's all over.

My mission (should I choose to accept it) is to get over here and write something 4-5 times per week. And since I apparently am not brain damaged I should be able to accomplish that without too much trouble.

Way Back Wednesday ~ 1969, The Internet

2011-06-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

I found this old clip of what the people of 1969 thought the internet would be like in the future and by-golly! they got an awful lot of it right.

Online shopping, closed circuit monitoring of different areas of your home, and online banking.

All very real these days.

The part I thought was the funniest was how it was it was taken for granted that the wife would shop on her "console" and it would be paid for on the husbands "console".

Thats how its supposed to work right?

I love how the husband has about 5 different large units on his desk all with push buttons and round knobs.

And at the end, on his "at home postal machine" he is writing on the screen like you can do on some machines today.

It seemed like it would take a huge building to house the "electronics" that would have run such a complex set up. I guess they didn't realize just how small things would become. And we probably would be surprised ourselves at how small things will continue to get in our future.

Disney Sunday #25 ~~ The Submarine Voyage & the Mermaids

2011-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The submarines opened in the summer of 1959.

There were 8 of them each named after a submarine in the 1950's nuclear program Seawolf, Skate, Ethan Allen, Patrick Henry, Nautilus, Triton, Skipjack, and the George Washington.

They each held 38 passengers and were 52' long. The ride took 9 minutes and it carried you under the North Pole, past a giant sea serpent and in the early days there were even real mermaids that could be seen for 4 hours a day on the rocks in the middle of the lagoon.

Here are some construction shots:

Here is the entrance which doesn't look much different today:

Here is the inauguration:

And a couple of vintage shots of the subs at the station:

This is a great overhead shot showing how colorful it used to be:

There aren't a lot of older under water shots to be found:

And now a word about the mermaids.
They held auditions for them at the Disneyland Hotel and the requirements were that you had to be between 5' 4" and 5' 7" (this cuts me out) and had to be able to swim.
Looking at the pictures I assume an unspoken requirement was also that you were thin enough to fit the costume. (this would also leave me out).

Here are a few pictures of the auditions:

And here are some of the lucky winners in action:

And finally today I found this great video:

Hope everyone has a really great weekend and is getting ready for summer!

Gumball Wars Video

2011-06-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need a really good giggle!

Gumball Wars from Scott Thierauf on Vimeo.

Disney Sunday #24 ~~ The Flying Saucers

2011-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

As one might imagine this is one ride I wish I had been around for.

Not only was it in Tomorrowland (my undisputed favorite land in the park) but it was outer-spacey and cool and looked SO fun!

The Flying Saucers arrived in 1961 and lasted through 1966.

They were designed to hold either one large guest (with a small child) or two small ones.

There were were two sides with 16 saucers each. One side would fly while the other was being loaded.

When your flying time was up a giant sweeper arm would come around and slam everyone up to the loading dock.

Each little circle on the ride deck was a pressure sensitive cylinder. Under the deck was a large air filled chamber with huge fans to keep up the pressure.

It was basically a giant air hockey table and you had to shift your weight to make the saucers move.

You could crash into each other or just zoom back and forth over the surface.

Unfortunately they were a lot of mechanical problems with the ride usually in direct correlation to the weight of the pilot. The heavier you were, the harder it was to get the saucer off the ground and if you were too light you couldn't tip it enough to get it moving. It would just sit and bounce up and down.

And as you might imagine, there was a quite a possibility of getting a back injury.

Here is a great aerial shot:

And a vintage postcard of the ride:

I love this old black and white with the Matterhorn in the background:

Don't you love the hat the little girl is wearing?

It's so cute how she's sitting with her dad.

And here is the same father/daughter mid-ride:

And speaking of hats!
I want one!

Have a great Sunday everyone!!
Relax and enjoy yourself!!!

Pass the Umbrella, Please

2011-05-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Can someone please explain to me why when one expensive and necessary object breaks or stops working, other expensive and necessary objects in the general vicinity tend to follow suit?

The list of things going haywire in my life right now is growing at an astonishing rate.

First there was the living room TV. We were watching it one Saturday afternoon and there was a loud POP and the color went out, the picture skewed and that was that. In an effort not interrupt our evening ritual we dragged the bedroom TV out to the living room. After a lot of grousing and complaining that it was too small to enjoy, we settled in and figured it was better than nothing.

We discovered that TV is also on the way out, so it might end up being nothing after all.

Note to readers: There is a reason they no longer make DLP TVs. (Both of ours were Samsung). They do not last long and before you know it you will be having to replace them with something more reliable. These were only 5 years old. Both color wheels failed and in the case of the big set, one of the electronic boards went out at the same time.

An-eeeeeeeee-way. Moving on.

Jeff's computer fan is making a terrible noise and you have to turn it on and off several times before you can get it to boot up without making a horrific noise. Now this is a little more understandable because the poor thing is at least 8 years old and neither of us knows how its lasted this long in the first place. There was a period of time when we had an office and warehouse in Agoura Hills and it was on 24 hours a day so Jeff could remotely access it. It was only a matter of time before it started to break down. And now of course seems like a good time.

And the cherry on top of the failing cake: our Honda Odyssey has been having transmission trouble for the past few months and we have been babying it and getting it cooperate. Until last week.

On the way up the hill towards home it was slipping so bad we had to turn around and go the long long way around to avoid the steepest part of the drive.

That was basically it's death knell.

$3200 later it's fixed and we're eating cup of noodles until we can replenish the bank account.

The list goes on but I think you get the idea.

When it rains it pours.

And I seem to have lost my umbrella and I'm now I'm completely soaked.

Looking forward to a little sunshine in the hopefully not too distant future.

Forgotten Friday ~~ Pong, Nintendo

2011-05-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't have video games when I was a little kid.

My dad got me the Mattel Football hand held game sometime in the late 70's which put me in my early teens. It had tiny red LED lights that moved across the screen to simulate players. I played it a lot and thought it was pretty cool. I might even have it still in one of my memory boxes.

The next step up was Pong. One of my girlfriends got this for Christmas (or more likely Hanukkah) one year and I was so jealous that she could play any time she wanted.

Of course looking back now I can't imagine that this held anyone's attention for too long. I was terrible at it so after the 5th or 6th game I usually gave up.

The very first incarnation of video games that actually made it into my possession was the very first Nintendo game system which a friend of mine gave the kids because they had bought a newer version.
Thats was probably the late 90's.

The kids played Mario endlessly and I also got pretty good at it.

But truly my all time favorite from this era was Zelda. I learned all the tricks and short cuts until I beat the game. I still have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV playing over and over until I got it right.

Then in 1992 for Christopher's 7th birthday he got the Holy Grail of gifts; The Super Nintendo!

There were the usual favorite games:

One of my personal favorites was Mario Cart because I got really good at it!
I always had to be Yoshi and none of the kids could beat me!
I played this not too long ago and was appalled that I could no longer stay on the course on Rainbow Road and Jeffrey beat my pants off on every level.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Then there was Mario Paint that came complete with a "Super Nintendo Mouse".
The kids spent hours and hours playing it and I have to admit I was pretty fond of it too.

Here is a home movie Chris took of one of the songs he "wrote".

Then there was Yoshi's Island.
I just adored this game. Loved the patchwork feel to it.
I spent quite a bit of time in my off hours playing and eventually beat the game.

And last but not least for today was the original Gameboy.
This was another hand-me-down and again I can remember Chris being over the moon when he got it.
He kept saying how he could now take video games everywhere and he didn't think it could get any better than that.

So I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend.
3 days to sleep in and relax.
And play some video games!!

Preparing to grin and bear it, Captain.

2011-05-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

3 Weeks and counting until school lets out.

This is always a mixed blessing. This means we do not have to get up at 7 AM every day and drive the crew to school. But it then follows that the crew is not in school.

After a week or two of this I begin to think that getting up early isn't such a bad trade off. Eleven weeks with the Bickersons (AKA Jeffrey & Katherine) can get a little tedious.

This summer we will add to fun by having the twins, Jacob and Olivia with us 3 days a week.

Double the noise, double the fun!

I plan on structuring their days so there isn't a lot of time for miscellaneous grousing, complaining, fighting and hollering. I think we'll make every Friday a beach day. We're about 1/2 an hour from Zuma Beach and I always complain I don't go enough every summer so this way I will be forced into doing what I wanted to do in the first place.

And at least one day a week I plan on an outing to someplace interesting. But after the Museums downtown, the La Brea Tar Pits and the Griffith Observatory I'm already out of ideas. Well, out of ideas that don't cost a small fortune.

Being the end of the year, the teachers are trying to squeeze as much into these last few weeks as possible.
This includes Open House which encompasses giving up your dinner hour to drive to the school, park 8 blocks away, fight your way through the crowds to your kids classroom, fight the crowds IN your kids classroom, spend 2 minutes with the teacher who tells you what a pleasure your kid has been all year before dashing off to repeat the same thing to the next parent in line, fight your way back through the crowds, walk 8 blocks back to your car and go home and wonder what you accomplished.

But I found out earlier this week that we will have the real pièce de résistance at the end of this year. Something I have never had the pleasure of experiencing before.

Because Jeffrey and Katherine are both in 4th grade, they both do the same projects and take the same tests and go on the same field trips etc. So if one of them is clueless to what is going on, the other one will probably know. It's been a nice little perk until now.

The last thing the kids are studying this year is the California gold rush. And to go with this unit they are performing a play complete with songs and skits and all the other stuff that accompanies an elementary school performance.

There are five 4th grades and instead of doing 5 separate plays they are combining the classrooms. 2 classes plus half of one class will perform at 6 PM next Friday followed by 2 1/2 half classes performing the exact same play at 7 PM the same day.

If you have even a single thought in your head you should know where I am going with this. That's right ladies and gentlemen.... Katherine and Jeffrey are in different performances.

This translates into 2 (count 'em.. 2) hours we will have to sit through watching the same show twice.

I asked Katherine what her part was.

"These are my lines 'Welcome parents and family. Thank you for coming to our show. Please sit back and relax and enjoy our performance.' I'm the Hostess."

"And what else do you do?"

"I sing in a couple of the songs. That's it."

"And Jeffrey, what are your lines?"

"I don't have any. I'm a dancer."

"You have no lines whatsoever?"

"Nope. And I'm not happy about it. Do I have to do this play?"

Don't I wish.

I saw this exact same play when Alex was in the 4th grade six years ago. And at that time I do not remember thinking that it was so good that not only would I want to see it again but I'd like to catch it twice in one night.

Now don't get me wrong, Jeff and I will both be there and cheer our kids on and never let on that we are suffering. But if I could just get my hands on who divided up the classes without regard to the parents of siblings, I would certainly give them a piece of my mind.

Of course I may not have much left after next Friday so maybe I just better grin and bear it.
I've become pretty good at that lately.

It's the end of the world as we know it ~~ And I feel fine.

2011-05-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

My Facebook page is littered with videos and tips and suggestions for the coming Rapture tomorrow. If I read them all I should be quite prepared.

Wait, do I capitalize Rapture? I'm not sure. I know I'm supposed capitalize God. ACK.. wait a second.. I think I'm supposed to write G-D instead of spelling it out completely. Right?

See what happens when you don't grow up going to church? So many unanswered questions. And really important ones too. For instance, should one dress up for the coming event tomorrow? Like an evening gown or cocktail dress or can I be slightly more causal in a pants suit and heels? I wouldn't want to offend anybody and show up Friday casual. Oh wait, it's Saturday so maybe that doesn't count. And do my clothes even go with me? I've heard that there will be empty cars and discarded clothing littering the streets so maybe I shouldn't be giving it any thought. Come as you are and just bring your smile.

Of course it's really a moot point because it is one party that I am definitely not invited too. Which is fine because I doubt I would like the company anyway. And they certainly would not like me so I guess we're even.

If on the other hand you plan attending I do ask that you avoid driving or otherwise operating any sort of machinery that depends heavily on human guidance. Those of us left behind (aka the Damned) will already have to deal with the fact that we now face earthquakes, plagues, fire, gay pride, pestilence, war, famine etc. without having the inconvenience of dodging unoccupied cars, falling aircraft, out of control forklifts and the like when you are sucked into heaven. And if you are unsure as to whether you will be attending said Rapture, it might be best to err on the side of caution and stay home, prepare a nice meal, watch some TV and relax because before you know it you're going to be greeting your long lost loved ones, fitted for wings and be busy settling into the afterlife. You have no idea when the next time you'll be able to catch an episode of Fox News or the O'Reilly Factor.

For those of left behind, let's go find all of our gay friends, catch some great tunes on the radio and relax without being told we are all gong to Hell.

Because we will already be there.

And in good company too I might add.

101 Random Personal Questions

2011-05-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Because I have nothing better to blog about this morning, I decided to answer these 101 questions that I found on a blog that I read regularly.

ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? I have a scar on the back of my right hand caused by a dog bite. My mothers dogs got into it one day and being the intelligent person I am, I reached between them and dragged them apart, but not before one of them got me.
WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR BEDROOM? (Geek alert) Several Star Trek collectibles including a painting of the Enterprise D and 2 framed sets of rank insignia.
WHAT DOES YOUR MOBILE PHONE LOOK LIKE? A 5 year old flip phone that could really stand to be replaced at some point.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? I listen to my IPOD in the car and it has music from the 60's to current. Usually I listen to something with a good beat so the kids will pay attention to that instead of fighting in the back seat.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? 7:40 AM.
WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? World Peace (yeah yeah, but it's the truth!)
WHO DO YOU MISS? My parents.
IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU OR HAS A CRUSH ON YOU? The awesome and fantastic hubby.....Jeff!
WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED? See #8.
WHAT'S YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Sorry, if I told you I would have to kill you.
THE BEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED? Star Trek
THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO? Katherine who asked me if she could let the dog in.
DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? Do we even need to ask this?
THE LAST THING TO MAKE YOU CRY? I watched Eat Pray Love the other day and bawled like a baby.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME? Pure Poison by Dior
WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX? Blonde hair and blue eyes. (see #8)
WOULD YOU RATHER BE SMART OR FUNNY? Can I go for both and be a smartass?
COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS? Java Java Java
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? Mushrooms, sausage and onions.
IF YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Sushi.
WHO IS THE LAST PERSON WHO MADE YOU MAD? Probably some idiot driver who shouldn't be on the road.
DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE? Some Spanish and little of a few others. Nothing fluent.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? 1979 Honda Accord.
DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? See #8.
ARE YOU A LEFTY OR A RIGHTY? Righty.
FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? Anything that fits and doesn't make me look too fat.
WHAT'S YOUR DREAM CAR? Bugatti Veyron. (heavy on the "IN YOUR DREAMS" part).
WHAT COLOR IS IT? Red.
DO YOU LIKE SPICEY FOOD? I do but my tongue does not.
WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? Like you can control who you love......
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? Be there for them no matter what.
WRITE A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED? 7.
BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? Blonde with a touch of gray (See #8).
WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN? Sarah or Jeff.
WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? Republicans.
HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF YOUR COUNTRY? WHERE DID YOU GO? Yes. Canada, Europe, Bahamas, Russia.
FAVORITE FOOD? BBQ chicken thighs.
FRIES/CHIPS, RICE, OR BEANS? Yes please.
FIRST JOB? Usher at the Hollywood Bowl.
WHAT KIND OF CAR(s) DO YOU HAVE NOW? Honda van and Subaru WRX.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS? Watching Jeff build a Lego Star Destroyer.
HAVE YOU EVER RIDDEN A MOTORCYCLE? Nope.
WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS MEME? Because it was there.
CAN YOU PLAY AN INSTRUMENT? I can play the piano, but it's been so long I would need a lot of practice.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL? Since I dont drink its a non issue.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT? Disney theme park. (That was a tough one).
HOW MANY (MORE) KIDS DO YOU WANT? No more thank you..... I've caught my limit. I'm onto grandkids now
WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My mother saw my name in the book "Don't go near the water" and thought it was pretty. The girl was a Tahitian princess.
DO YOU WISH ON STARS? All the time.
HOW TALL ARE YOU? Soaring in at 5' 3".
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A chicken breast tortilla wrap with salsa, sour cream and cheese.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? When I try I can be pretty neat.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM? I can swim, but I'm not particularly good at it.
DO YOU CHEW YOUR NAILS? Nope.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF? Where do I start?
DO YOU GET SEASICK? I never used to until we went to Hawaii and we went took a catamaran to Lanai'i and I felt like I was going to die. I puked over the side of the boat and that was one of the most embarrassing things ever!
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT? See #35.
ARE YOU MARRIED? To the love of my life.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Los Angeles California.
DO YOU WEAR A WATCH? I have a great Mickey Mouse watch, but the batteries need to be replaced.
DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY? Too easily.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? The Marx Farm set.
HOW MANY AUTO-DIAL NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR MOBILE PHONE? About 15.
LAST ITEM YOU PURCHASED? Groceries. Dang kids keep eating everything.
DO YOU GO TO CHURCH? Only for weddings or funerals.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT? Unless you count a few of the kids birthday parties, no.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PLACE TO LIVE? Proximity to the beach.
WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES? Mel, Chickworth, Honey Dumpling (not really)
HOW MANY HATS DO YOU OWN? Not a single one.
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE RIGHT NOW? It's cool today and a bit overcast.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? French Silk or anything with lots of stuff in it like Moose Tracks etc.
WHAT TIME DID YOU GO TO BED LAST NIGHT? A little after 11 PM.
WHAT SIZE BED DO YOU SLEEP IN? A standard king. Thats enough room for me, Jeff and the dog.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS OR PIERCINGS? Jeff has enough tattoos for the both of us thankyouverymuch and I have 3 piercings.
HAVE YOU BEEN TO LAS VEGAS? Many times. My Mother-in-law lives there so we have to visit on a regular basis.
DO YOU WANT TO GO ANYWHERE SPECIAL THIS YEAR? Disney World, but that's no surprise because I want to go there every year.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The neighbors cockatiels chirping endlessly.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? On Sunday watched Pirates of the Caribbean; At Worlds End.
LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Sarah.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID? A veterinarian .
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Blue.
FAVORITE TWO THINGS TO HATE? FOX News and people who can't drive.
FAVORITE DRINK? Thai Ice tea.
WHAT'S YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? Aquarius.
SPORTS YOU LIKE TO WATCH? Does none count as an answer?
WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? Reddish blonde.
EYE COLOR? Dark Blue.
LAST PLACE YOU DROVE TO? Took the kids to school.
SIBLINGS? 4, all younger than me. I grew up with none of them but am now close to only one..my super-de-dooperty sister!
FAVORITE MONTH(s)? I love August because we usually go on vacation, I love October because its almost Halloween and I love December because of Christmas.
DO YOU LIKE SUSHI? Almost more than life itself.
LAST THINGS YOU WATCHED? Watched a new Dr Who last night then watched the Survivor Finale this morning which I had TIVOed.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? A trip to Disney World (notice the running theme here) .
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich.
SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer. Zuma Beach here I come!!
KISSES OR HUGS? Both please.
DO YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES? Not so much.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES? I have several but on the top of the list is Tremors (and all the sequels), Ever After, Independence Day, IQ, While You Were Sleeping.
ANY PETS? 3 cats (Madison, Ally & Leo) and 1 dog (Sophie)
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? Grey sweats, red long-sleeve Henley shirt and socks. Gotta be comfy!

Disney Sunday #23 ~~ The Viewliner

2011-05-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Viewliner opened in June 1957. It was billed as the fastest miniature train in the world.
There were two seperate trains both designed after the GM futuristic Aerotrain.

It was originally conceived as a way to take up the space vacated by the Mickey Mouse Club Circus.

The train ran until construction on the Matterhorn and submarines began in 1958 making it one of the most short lived of all Disneyland attractions.

This photo shows the viewliner station construction:

The viewliner represented the future of rail travel and it ran along next to the steam engine
which represented the past.

The Fantasyland train was painted blue and the passenger cars were named after Disney Characters.

The Tomorrowland train was painted red and the cars were named after the planets.

Here is Walt himself engineering the train:

Hope you all have a really great Sunday!!!

Forgotten Friday ~~ Rotary Dial Phones

2011-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Remember rotary dial phones?

And how long it would take when you had to redial because you got a busy signal and the number you were calling had a lot of 7, 8 and 9's in it?

Just the other day someone mentioned that there didn't used to be a Q or Z on the dial and I see that they were right.

And of course there was the updated wall phone which usually hung in the kitchen.

I want to get one these and hang it on the side of my kitchen cabinet and have the kids ask me what the heck it is.

And maybe force them to experience having to sit in one place while they were talking because the phone was tethered to the wall.

I was so excited when my dad brought home one of these.

The push button phone in my opinion was one of the greatest inventions of all time!

I wanted to call everybody I knew just so I could experience not having to wait for the dial to reset between numbers.

Remember the little clear slot under the last row of buttons where you could take a piece of paper and write your number on it and slide it in there so everyone would know where they were calling from?

And then there is this relic.

The public pay phone.

Finding one nowadays is next to impossible unless you are in a large public area like an airport or maybe a mall. And even then you have to search.

Not long ago I left the house without my cell phone (unheard of I know for me to forget something) and when I got to where I was going (a large shopping area with Target, Kohls, and a bunch of fast food and smaller shops) I realized I needed to call home.

There was not a public phone in sight and no one I asked had a clue as to where I could look. I finally discovered one near the restrooms in Kohls and it cost me 50¢.

Maybe I shouldn't have been but I was shocked not only at the cost but at the reality that these things that used to be on every street corner are now almost gone for good.

It's times like these that make me wonder in 10, 20 or 30 years, what is going to be archaic and outdated. What will our grandchildren think is weird and wonder how we could ever have used something that primitive.

Times change and lately its been at an exponential rate. But in truth I am excited to see what happens. As long as it doesn't involve out of control robots bent on destroying their makers.

I've seen that on television and it wasn't pretty.

Night of the Living Scaredy Cat

2011-05-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

We should all know by now that I am a huge scaredy cat.

I'm afraid of spiders, roller coasters, bungee jumping, heights, deep water.

With that list I would guess my ultimate form of torture would be bungee jumping off a very tall roller coaster into deep water filled with spiders.

YIKES!

BUT..even worse than those, and something I still hate to this day, is being home alone at night.

I hate it. I hear things. I imagine things. I see things moving around outside.

I have to check every door lock twice and then follow that with a thorough check of all the windows and maybe even the air vents for good measure.

I am truly the worlds biggest baby.

I bring this up because the other day I was reminded of an incident that happened about 13 years ago when I still lived out in Hollywood.

My house there was 1/2 mile down a bush lined driveway. It was extremely private and you could not see the other two neighbors houses (one above and one below) that shared the road with me. It was the perfect set-up for a suspense filled thriller where no one could hear or see someone being murdered.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

At the time of this story I was living alone with my 4 kids and 2 dogs. It was quite late that night (probably around 11PM), the kids were asleep and I was awake in the den smartly watching an X-files about Zombies from Haiti. I am pretty sure I was hiding under a blanket with only one eye peeking out between the scary scenes.

I knew I shouldn't be watching it but I couldn't stop myself. Story of my life sometimes.

About half way through the episode I looked out the window and saw that the hazard lights on my car had suddenly started flashing.

I think my blood pressure must have soared to near stroke level because I became extremely light headed and I couldn't stand up. I knew there was no way my cars light would suddenly go on by themselves. The car doors were locked and I had just glanced out the window at the last commercial to check for an impending Zombie attack and it was completely quiet and dark outside.

Now let me say that I am not like the typical woman in a horror movie who hears strange noises or has a friend go into the basement and then doesn't answer when called, prompting her to go and investigate (usually unarmed).

No siree. I could hear the scary background music, getting louder, waiting to reach a peak as I ventured outside, into the cold dark night just as the staggering rotting corpse descended upon me to eat my brains.

I knew better.

But the problem was I didn't know what to do. I was quite certain someone or something had come down the driveway and somehow turned my blinkers on as a way to lure me outside to do me bodily harm. And my heart was pounding so hard in my head I could not not for the life of me get it together enough to formulate a plan.

At this point I had regained bodily control and had run from the den and was hiding in the hall bathroom when I realized that if I didn't do something, whatever or whoever was out there would eventually try to break in and if it couldn't find me it would go after my kids.

I guess the mother bear instinct in me was stronger than scardey cat instinct because suddenly it all became quite clear. I crawled on my hands and knees through the hall into living room so as not to be seen through a window, fumbled for the phone and dialed 911.

It was such a wonderful plan until the operator answered and asked me for my emergency and I heard myself blurt out "There's something in my driveway that turned on my emergency lights in my car and has me trapped in house and I am afraid for my children's safety."

"Excuse me m'am? There's something in your driveway? Can you be more specific?"

Yes probably if I could think straight.

"Can you please send the police? I dont know what's out there and I need help right away."

"It would help m'am if you could elaborate so I know what to tell the officers to expect."

I seem to remember shouting into the phone:

"I DON'T KNOW WHATS OUT THERE BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT GOOD AND IF YOU DON"T HURRY WHATEVER IT IS IS GOING TO GET ME AND MY CHILDREN."

I imagine at this point she finally called the police and informed them there was a drunk or otherwise intoxicated woman ranting about monsters in her driveway. Perhaps they should send some psychiatric back-up as well.

An absolute eternity (about 15 minutes) later the police came slowly rolling down the driveway, got out and knocked on my door.

I quickly told them the story of how my car lights somehow got turned on and I knew someone was playing a trick on me and was sure I was in trouble and I was really scared and I had been watching the X-files so maybe I was overreacting but I didn't think so and I was glad they were there and would they please go look.

At this point they were probably thinking they might be needing that psychiatric back up after all.

To humor me, they headed over to investigate, clearly not understanding the danger that surely still lurked somewhere in the dark. I crept after them, making sure to look over my shoulder constantly to make sure whatever it was wasn't planning a rear offensive.

When the officers reached the car, flashlights drawn, they looked on each side of the garage, under the car and finally into the windows.

This was when they started to laugh. I mean REALLY laugh. Out loud to the point that they could not breathe.

I knew at that moment I was going to feel like a complete idiot and I didn't even know why.

When one of them caught his breath he motioned me over and pointed his light into the drivers side window. There sitting on the seat was my small dog who had apparently gone out the back door to use the potty then decided to take a snooze in the car through the open window and had caught her collar on the emergency flasher knob and turned it on. She was sitting there unable to move and probably pretty glad someone had finally come to her rescue.

Yep. I felt like an idiot.

Fortunately for me the officers were quite good natured about the whole thing and said it totally made their night and couldn't wait to get back to the station and tell everybody the whole story.

"You don't get calls like this every day" one of them told me.

Glad I could be of service gentlemen.

***SIGH***

Disney Sunday #22 ~~ Mad Tea Party / Tea Cups

2011-05-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

The Tea Cups were one of the original rides at Disneyland and with Dumbo, are the only 2 rides to switch locations.

It started out behind the carousel and was moved to it's new location in 1983.

Something I didn't know was that the teacups can't operate in the rain. When the turntables get wet they slip and can't spin. For the first two years of the ride there were no brakes or clutches and there was no limit as to how fast the cups could spin. I can't imagine going on them like that with Jeff... I would pass out from the amount of G's he could create.

I realized as I was looking for pictures that there are only so many views you can have of the ride. After the first few they all start to look the same.

Here is an overhead shot that was either taken early in the morning or on a very low crowd day.

This shot shows its proximity to the carousel:

And on the other side is the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship:

Here's a closer look at the teacups..... There was no door or chain to keep you inside so if you slipped too far one way or the other... out you go! (I doubt that ever happened but the mother in me worries about these things!)

I love this shot because you can see both the castle and one of the skyway cars:

And here is another overhead showing Alice, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter making an appearance right in the middle of the ride.

I always love this ride and am glad I don't get cup-sick. I really wish you could spin them faster now-a-days though!

Hope you all have a really great day!!!

Talking Dog and Mystic Cat Videos

2011-05-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

OK I almost never add content to my blog that isn't my own but I really laughed so hard when I watched these that I had to share.

(It also gives me something to post since I've been so un-imaginative lately).

Way Back Wednesday ~ Chris' Big TV Debut 1990

2011-05-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

OK so this isn't nearly as "Way Back" as I normally go, but I am currently in the throes of coping my old VHS movies to DVD and I came across a video of my oldest, Christopher from an Izuzu Truck commercial that he did when he was 4 years old.

The fact that I even have a copy of this is next to amazing because the company told me that they did not provide copies of their commercials because of copyright infringement or some other excuse I can't remember. One day I just happened to get a hold of a sympathetic producer when I called (for the 10th time) explaining to them I never got to see the ad when it was on TV and I was just devastated. So she sent me the video and I have kept it all years these promising myself one day I would get it onto a more permanent and secure medium.

The cool thing is that Chris was not the first choice of the producers. They had chosen another little boy (who I believe was the child of one of the producers) and Chris was called in as a back up. The director told us they would film both boys but unless something went wrong the other kid would be the one they used.

The wardrobe lady fitted both of them into the pajamas which included taking a regular pair of footie pajamas and cutting a flap into them and then sewing on buttons to give them a traditional look. All this while the boys were in them.

The other little boy was taken onto the set first and they gave him instructions such as "When I say BIG BIRD you turn and look at the truck and when I say BALLOONS start swinging your bear." And "Now when I say COTTON CANDY you look over your shoulder then look back at me and make a face like you just ate green beans."

The other kid would not follow directions quickly enough when the words were called out and he could not make a funny face that the director was happy with. So when it was Chris' turn he did everything on cue and then he made the face you see in one take and everyone laughed so hard and the director said "YES..now thats what I was looking for!" The other boys mom looked pretty mad and I had to try not to look too happy.

When it was time to leave they told us that we wouldn't know which kid was chosen for about a month but in less than a week we got our first check from the production company and I knew they had chosen Chris.

And as I mentioned, I never did see it on TV, but everyone else I knew in the free world seemed to catch it because I got at least 3 calls a day from an excited relative or friend informing me that they had just seen Chris on TV.

At least I have a permanent version and I can watch it anytime I want!!

Disney Sunday #21 ~~ Circarama / America the Beautiful

2011-05-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Circarama was one of the original attractions at Disneyland.

It was sponsored by American Motor Cars and the first movie was called "A Tour of the West" where you could watch a 360 degree movie of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Balboa Bay and Los Angeles.

Wow... look how little there was back then!

Here is an old entrance picture:

Here is the building front after things started filling in around it:

Once inside, there was a huge room with car displays:

And Kelvinator displays:

In 1960 Bell System took over sponsorship and the film changed to America the Beautiful.

It stayed pretty much the same until 1975 when they added some Bicentennial scenes and then in 1984 it was changed to The Wonders of China in the morning and American Journeys in the afternoon. In 1997 they brought back The Bicentennial version of America the Beautiful for the final year before it was closed down for good.

Hope you all have a great Disney Sunday!

Way Back Wednesday ~~ Banjo & Andy

2011-04-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Because I was looking through my moms old "pet album" last week for dog pictures, I came across some of the other pets my parents had back in 1955.

First up is their pet spider monkey "Banjo".
My dad got him from the studio. Apparently the pet show they used to film there often gave away the animals they brought in and my dad was always keen to adopt any that he could.

This picture is kind of fuzzy but its the only one where my mom is holding him.

Banjo lasted a year or so until one day when my mom was trying to put him back into his cage and he didn't want go and bit her on the arms about 20 times. They found him another home after that.

From the same era was their burro "Andy".
Andy was another acquisition from the studio. My mom loved to tell the story of the day my dad brought him home. They lived close to the studio so my dad walked him home but half a block from the house Andy didn't want to go anymore so he sat down in the middle of the road and refused to move. My dad had to leave him there, run home, get some carrots and run back and entice him the rest of the way.
At the time my parents lived out in North Hollywood and had a house with a huge backyard so there was plenty of room for him. When they bought the Hollywood Hills house Andy moved to a local farm.

Back in the day you could send away for a spider monkey through the mail.
I remember seeing this advertisement when I was a kid and WISHING I had $18.95 (and a checking account).
I don't know what I would have told my mom when it showed up but I wasn't thinking that far ahead.
I guess I figured I would worry about that part of the plan once it arrived.

I did, in the other hand, order the seahorses only to have my envelope returned saying there was something wrong with the address.
I was sorely disappointed but never reordered probably because I knew my mom wouldn't be happy with these either.

There was also the story about the time my dad wanted to buy my mom a baby elephant.
(You used to be able to get all kinds of exotics back then).
I have no idea where he thought he was going to keep it or what he was going to do with it once it grew up but I dont think he was thinking any further into the future than I was.
Fortunately my mom found out and talked him out of it.

Happy halfway through the week day!

Disney Sunday #20 ~~ Astro Jets / Rocket Jets / Astro Orbitor

2011-04-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

We all should know by now that I adore Tomorrowland and am hoping (wishing) that the people in charge will one day soon return it to some of it's previous glory.

Today: the Astro Jets.

They were known by this name until the mid 60's when United Airlines who was a new sponsor for the Tiki Room complained that it free advertising for American Airlines and the name was changed to Tomorrowland Jets. They were closed in 1966 and reopened as the Rocket Jets perched atop the Peoplemover where you flew 70" off the ground. This version lasted until 1997 when Tomorrowland was once again renovated and it opened with another name change as the Astor Orbiter placed ground level at the entrance because it's weight was too much for the current building.

I love these first pictures because it shows how much nothing there was in the early days around the park.

This is a great picture shot in the late 50's or early 60's.

Close-up of the original rockets:

The Rocket Jets & the Tomorrowland ticket booth:

The good ol' days!

A good view of the elevator structure that you had to use to get up to the ride:
(look at all the different rides shown in this one pic: Matterhorn, Skyway, Rocket Jets, Peoplemover)

Hope you all have a great day and that the Easter Bunny brings you lots of chocolate and marshmallow peeps!

Spring Break Adventures

2011-04-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Spring Break this week! Jeffrey and Katherine's friends, Jacob and Olivia (twins) are spending the week with us and in Jeffrey's words: "WOW we are going to have SO much fun!!!"

And in truth is there anything more fun than playing Monopoly with 4 kids?

Poking your eye out with a stick comes to mind.
Or maybe having a dream where you show up to work naked only to discover it's not a dream.

Either would surely be quieter and require less difficult and complex math than either of the above.

"I want to buy that... how much is it? $260? OK here's a $500 bill now I get back $340......
Mom!
You only gave me $240 dollars, you owe me $100.
Lucky I know how to add or else you would have short changed me!"

This from the kid who goes to math league.

"Hey! Get your elbow out of my money pile!
MOM! Katherine is purposely putting her elbow in my money pile."

(Give me a second, I'll phone 911)

"Jeffrey stop yelling Cha-Ching every time I land on your property.. It's not funny, it's annoying."

"Jacob thinks it's funny, don't you Jacob?"
(Lots of mouth covered giggling from Jacob)

"MOM... Jeffrey is not listening to me."

"What did you say Katherine?"

"MOM!! Did you hear that? Jeffrey is pretending not to hear me"

No I was sitting right here but somehow missed the entire conversation.

Not sure if I can take much more fun.

We did take the 4 person (plus Alex) crew to the zoo this week and aside from wanting to leave Jeffrey in the monkey cage a few times, we had a pretty good time.

I won't bore you with all the pictures I took but here are a few just to document the adventure:

Jeffrey has talked non-stop about going to the petting zoo since the last time we went and it was closed.
You have to wash your hands before you go in, and the boys really liked the the hand washing station:

They no longer let you feed the goats which is probably just as well because who needs a bunch of fat goats?
Now you get to brush them which the boys really enjoyed:

Katherine and Olivia thought the goats looked fine and didn't need any hair styling:

Probably the highlight of the trip were the domes where you could get up close and personal with the prairie dogs. The hard part was getting the kids out of there.

They are cute little buggers aren't they?

We've still got 3 days (including today) of vacation left and I'm trying to think of things to keep everyone busy.
We'll have an Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow and I will have to try to keep myself from OD-ing on chocolate easter bunnies. And hoping maybe they will spend the next 2 days in a sugar coma and it will go by in relative quiet.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Way Back Wednesday ~ Dogs of the Past

2011-04-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Keeping with the theme for the week of dogs, I thought I would do some pictures of my parents dogs that they had over the years.

This was one of their first dogs.
Her name was Cookie and she was a pekingese.

Then they got Tuffy who was a toy poodle.

Tuffy had black ears as a baby and when he grew up they turned pure white.

Cookie and Tuffy got together and had a couple litter of puppies.

They included Candy Jane who went to one of my moms best friends:

And Smidgey who they kept until he was an old man:

There were several other puppies (Ting-a-ling, Whitey, Smudge) who also went to their friends.

They took Tuffy everywhere, including all their vacations:

And shared the morning breakfast donut with him:

When Tuffy was no longer with them, my mom went in search of another dog and found Lo-sten.
They got her out of the pound and the story goes that someone else wanted her to and back then they put the dog up on auction when their were 2 or more interested parties and the dog went to the highest bidder. Because my mother just HAD to have her, my dad kept bidding until the other people gave up. Lo-sten lived a long and happy life and loved my mom with the devotion only a dog can.

They also had a tiny Yorkie Terrier who they rescued from a very bad situation.
His name was Danci and he was already pretty old when he came to be with us.
He lived many years and by the time he passed away he had no teeth and almost no hair.

After Lo-sten and Danci passed away there was a whole other pack of dogs that I grew up with but I will save those for another time!

Have a great Wednesday everybody!!

Pictures of Sophie

2011-04-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

I'm ready for my close-up!

The cat's bed??
I didn't see a sign that said this was the cat's bed!

Look, I'm really sorry about that bed thing yesterday...
It won't happen again.

OH YAY! This is perfect... where are YOU going to sleep?

Alright, I moved. But I'm not sure about sharing my space with these two.
They look a little shadey if you ask me.
And look at the brown one..... He's Naked!!!

AHHHhhhhhh... Home at last!

Sophie: The New Addition

2011-04-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Wow where did the week go?

Today is the first day of our Spring Break and I dropped Alex off at the airport for his first solo plane flight to Washington to see family. Of course I'm the typical mom trying to make sure he has everything..... I asked him 5 times on the way there if he had his school ID, if he was sure he didn't want any extra money, if he wanted any more snacks other than the four I gave him, was he sure he packed all his toiletries etc etc. You would think he was heading for an extended backpacking trip in the Amazon.

But the happy side of this is I get free access to his (MY) computer for four full days! I don't have to share it with him while he hibernates and plays Black Ops for 18 hours a day. He was given very little work to do over the break so this of course means he will only emerge from his room to eat and use the bathroom (maybe). I'll have to force a shower on him sometime midweek or else threaten to take him outside and hose him off.

On another happy side, we seem to have finally found a dog.

I'm as surprised as you are!

I have been looking for a family dog FOREVER! We keep having false starts where we find a dog (or so we think) and we get it home and it has some major issue that can't be worked around. We had one little guy who I could not housebreak to save my life. He peed everywhere and by everywhere I mean that literally. There was not a corner, piece of furniture, piece of stereo equipment, laundry basket, kids toys (you name it) that he did not lift his leg on. I tried every trick, every trainer suggestion in the book with absolutely no success. I did find him a good home where the lady said she was sure she could work with him but it was still hard to see him go.

Then we had the dog who came home and peed 3 times in 3 days on Jeff's pillow. I think she was making some sort of statement but either way she didn't stay past the 3 days.

Then we had a 100 pound Old English Sheepdog who didn't like the kids. We took her in from a friend who said she loved everybody. But after she bit Sarah in the face and broke skin, I found her a good child free home where she could love the adults but didn't have to worry about short people.

I had pretty much given up on finding a good dog unless I started with a puppy and raised it myself. (UGH..... I really didn't want to have to go through that).

But I kept on the lookout, dropping by the animal shelter weekly hoping to come across someone who would fit the bill.

Last week after a series of events that eventually landed me a few blocks from the shelter I was heading home and the kids suddenly decided they wanted to go look at the dogs. It was after 6 PM and the shelter wouldn't show dogs after 6:30 and it was windy and cold outside but the kids begged so I relented.

We got there about 6:15 and made the rounds. The shelter is extremely overcrowded lately and it took a while to look at the more than 150 cages, most of which were occupied. We had gone through most of them when we got around the back of the building and passed kennel 69.

There she was... little black eyes, curly white hair and tail wagging so hard I thought she might take off like a helicopter. I couldn't believe was she available! I got to the front desk 2 minutes before they stopped taking visitation requests.

The shelter worker brought her out and she ran to the kids and jumped around and wiggled a lot. I had Jeffrey pick her up and she just wiggled even more. The problem I was having was that it was FREEZING. Neither Katherine nor Jeffrey had jackets because it wasn't cold when we left. I had a large oversize sweater on and they were both trying to climb under it. The wind was whipping and I could not think straight. I was worried about the kids turning into Popsicles, and I couldn't seem to concentrate on whether or not this little dog was going to fit the bill. The worker said if we didn't take her tonight to put in an IP (interested party) note at the desk because she was on the euthanasia list for the next day and it would give her another 24 hours while I made up my mind.

I thanked the lady who brought her out and headed towards the car. Everyone shivering and their lips turning blue. We got to the gate and I was completely torn as to what to do. I had made so many poor choices over the years with dogs that I didn't think I could actually find one that would work.

The kids looked up at me with big watery eyes: "Aren't you going to at least tell the desk about that IP thing?"

ARGH.. I was shivering and hungry and completely unable to make a decision.

Therefore I marched everyone around to the forgotten hospital ward where they often kept small dogs and puppies. (Just in case we missed someone in there). Nada.

We stepped back outside into the wind and Jeffrey pleaded for us to go look at her one more time.

When I got to the kennel she was standing there, her tail rotating near Mach one and her little black eyes looking up at us as if to say "PLEASE take me out of this place!"

OH ALRIGHT! I called Jeff and caught him between classes. I asked him if it was OK and he said "Whatever you want to do."

Thereby making it completely my fault if this didn't work out.

The kids were jumping up and down but at this point it might have been just as much to keep warm as excitement.

I went to the counter and paid her bail. I couldn't take her until the following Monday because she had to be spayed but the deed was done and I was really crossing my fingers that things would work out.

It's been almost a week now and I am happy to report the following:

~ She is housebroken
~ She ignores the cats (and their dry food and their littler box) and except for Alley who still growls at her in passing, the cats ignore her too
~ She likes everyone
~ She sleeps through the night
~ She does not bark
~ She walks well on a leash
~ She travels well in the car

I am a pretty darn happy camper.
Now all we have to do is come up with a name that everyone can agree on and the process will be done!

As you can see, she is making herself right at home:
(more pictures to follow)

Click here for more pictures!

Disney Sunday #19 ~~ The Indian Village

2011-04-10T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another attraction I didn't get to see for myself.
Or at least if I did I was too young to remember.

Pre-opening:

The Indian Village opened in 1955 with authentic Indians who performed ceremonial dances in the Ceremonial Dance Circle. The dances included The Omaha (also known as the War Dance), The Shield & Spear, The Eagle, The Zuni-Comanche, The Mountain Spirit, and The Friendship Dance. Each tribe usually performed for six months and then another tribe would be brought in to perform their own versions of their tribal customs.

Great picture of the chief:

Kids were invited to participate during the shows.

The village moved in 1956 to what is now Critter Country. The Indian Village contained teepees, totem poles, and a burial ground. Guests could meet a full-blooded Indian Chief, buy authentic crafts at the Indian Trading Post, or paddle an Indian War Canoe.

By 1971 guests had lost enough interest in this area of the park that it was closed down and Bear Country was built. The Indian War Canoes became Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes and the Indian Trading Post stayed until 1989, when it became the Briar Patch for Splash Mountain.

I love the old Disney attractions. I would love to find some old home movies of these and watch them and pretend I was there!

Have a great Sunday everyone!!!

Arachnophobia or Beware of the Blob

2011-04-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

It is a well known fact I that I do not like spiders.

They give me the creeps and I have a hard time not squishing them on sight.

The universe seems to know this so of course I consistently find spiders everywhere as if being told to "get over it already".

Sorry, not going to happen.

But the universe keeps trying just the same.

Two nights ago I was in bed, about to turn off the light when I glance up at the ceiling and there hanging out in the corner is a rather large black blob with a whole lot of legs.

I called Jeff to rescue me but his only advice was not to worry because he doubted that the spider would suddenly fall off the ceiling.

I beg to differ, I often fall off the floor while I am right side up so it doesn't seem to too far fetched to fall off the ceiling when you are hanging upside down.

Unfortunately the blob was all the way at the top of the vaulted ceiling and there was no getting him down, dead OR alive, so I would just have to live with his presence and go to sleep.

As soon as the light went out, my mind went to work. I could just see the little bugger trekking along the edge of the ceiling until he was over my bed at which time he would let go and float down with his too many legs to land right on my pillow and then proceed to crawl all over my face.

YUCK YUCK YUCK!!!

I was never going to get any sleep.

Eventually I found something else to think about and come morning I woke and realized I didn't have tiny little spider footprints on my forehead nor a bad taste in my mouth after he crawled in there and got stuck.

Alls well that ends well.

Until last night when I was in bed just about to turn out the light and I looked up and saw him again this time hanging out over the doorway to the closet. Lower and more accessible this time. Where's the vacuum? That should do it.

Jeff was called in but he dismissed the vacuum idea because the kids were sleeping and he was certain that the spider meant no harm and would eventually find his way outside and that would be that.

Another bought of restless tossing and turning as I imagined being covered in spider cooties.

Come this morning and last nights fears were forgotten so I went about my business until I decided to hop in the shower.

I put the heater on in the bathroom, set out my towel, stepped into the warmth and began soaking up the hot water.

AHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh...... this is the life. Just what I needed. Let my troubles wash off and go right down the drain. Lather up my hair with good smelling shampoo. Oh yeah! Feels good!

Right up until I looked down and see Mr. Blob pulling his water soaked carcass across the shower floor a mere 2 inches from my toes. And he was bigger and scarier up close.

Not sure if I mentioned this before but we have perhaps the smallest shower in existence. If you bend over your butt will knock the door open and there will be an enormous flood in the bathroom.

This did not stop me from dancing around like an idiot, hopping from one foot to the other trying to avoid the blob as he was being tossed and tumbled about by the shower spray. Somehow I couldn't get myself to turn off the faucet because I kept thinking, "If I turn off the water he will be able to run and head straight for me. And I cant get out because my hair is full of shampoo, I'm soaking wet and I will drip all over the floor".

Funny the things that your brain focuses on in a crisis. I'm lucky the house wasn't on fire because the firemen would have had to pull me kicking and screaming out of the burning building because I didn't want to get the floor all soapy.

I thought about yelling for Jeff but realized not only wouldn't he hear me, but he would probably die laughing in the process.

More hopping and yelling and splashing about on my part.

Until I looked down just in time to see the last of the blob swirling down the drain.

I stopped and immediately felt bad. But that was immediately followed by a fear of what happens if he is able to climb back up after the shower turns off and take revenge on me for trying to drown him? Will he lay in wait until the next time I step in and then jump out and sink his fangs into my foot? Would I feel OK about drowning him then?

Clearly having more spider encounters does not lessen my fear or make me more accepting of their presence. All it does is prove to myself how irrational my mind can be when under stress.

I finally managed to get the shampoo out of my hair and compose myself enough to step calmly out of the shower and dry off like a sane and rational person.

I did however Google whether or not spiders could survive if washed down the drain and was relieved to discover that it was highly unlikely.

So now I can take future showers without worry of arachnids laying wait to seek revenge upon my toes.

Way Back Wednesday ~ 1971 Beverly Park & Kiddieland

2011-04-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

One of the fondest memories of my childhood was Sunday mornings when my dad would take me to Beverly Park to ride the ponies. It cost one dollar and you got 7 times around the track.
Over the years the cost stayed the same but you got less go-arounds.

Here I am smiling for my dad while my pony takes a drink half way through the ride.
My favorite pony was Popcorn and I was disappointed that I didn't get to ride him on the day we came with the Polaroid.
I can still vividly remember waiting at the gate (behind me in this pic) wondering which pony would be mine that day. The sweet anticipation never lessened in all the years I went there.

There were 3 tracks.

One for walking, one for trotting and one for running.

Often the ponies decided about half way through that they didn't want to run anymore and one of the workers would come out onto the track and shoo them back into a gallop.

I was much more of a daredevil as a kid and loved the exhilaration of racing around the track as fast as my pony could take me. My mother always worried I was going to snap my neck.

In my right hand you can see the blue plastic "whip" they gave the kids to make their pony go.

I don't think that kind of thing would fly today.

Every once in awhile we would bring my best friend Sally and she would only go on the walking track. Which meant I would be finished about 10 minutes ahead of her and had to stand there and wait and watch while her pony would leisurely stroll around the track. And one time they forgot to pull her horse off the track at the end of her turn and she got to stay on for another 2 or 3 circles which meant I was stuck standing at the fence wishing I could again.

And after the pony ride I could usually talk my dad into taking me next door to Kiddieland and going on a few of the rides.

I always wanted to go on the funhouse even though I inevitably came out crying because it sacred the bejeejus out of me at the end when it looked like your ride car was going to be run over by an oncoming train.

I don't think my dad understood why I wanted to go week after week.

Frankly I don't either!

Here I am on the carousel:

They eventually tore down the park and pony ride and built the Beverly Center shopping mall.

But these will stay forever in mind as one of the happiest times of my childhood.

Recently found these great videos:

Have a great Wednesday everyone!!!

Here Comes the Sun

2011-03-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

If I turned the volume up on the radio any louder my ears would bleed.
And I would still be able to hear the moaning drifting out of the back seat.

"My eyes... my eyes....

ACK!!! OW OW OW !!!!

I'm going blind... I can't see anything!

HELP ME!!!!"

"Jeffrey for Pete's sake, will you hold it down. I can't help that the sun is shining.
As soon as the we turn it will be out of your face.
In the mean time close your eyes."

"I can still see it with my eyes closed."

He's got super powers.
I didn't know that.

"I don't have any sun on my side of the car."

Thank you Katherine, but that doesn't help.

"Yeah, how come she gets to sit over there... there isn't any sun over there.
As a matter of fact there's never any sun on her side....That's not fair!"

"Thats because we like her better than you and thats one of the perks."

"MOM!"

"Jeffrey, I cannot control the sun.
Tomorrow you can trade sides with Katherine and she will ride over there."

Katherine, ever the team player, noted that she liked where she was sitting and didn't want to trade.

I informed her that she did.

Alex looked pained as he glanced at his watch.

"Is there a problem?"

"Umm, no, just wondering how much longer til we get there."

"You're not enjoying your ride this morning?"

"Well sure, I mean who wouldn't right?"

Exactly. Blaring music, whining children. What more could one ask for at 7:30 AM.

For starters, to be asleep in bed snuggled under my quilt. Quiet. Relaxed. Serene.

"MOM! Katherine made a face at me just because I said she looked funny with her hair pulled up in horsetail like that...."

"It's a PONY tail and I do NOT look funny. YOU look funny."

Tomorrow Jeff drives.

Dance like no one is watching

2011-03-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Apparently driving to school in the morning is a boring and tedious task that requires one to invent out of the ordinary things to amuse oneself.

I was about halfway to school when I glanced in the rear-view mirror and was met with 2 completely contorted faces. One eye was squished shut and one side of their mouths was curved up into a half smile with their tongue out and waggling back and forth on their cheeks.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to lick our eyebrows."

There was a few moments of silence as I contemplated their ability to accomplish this. I also momentarily thought about telling them if they weren't careful their faces might stick like that but realized Jeffrey might think that would be cool and try to keep his face like that as long as possible.

I chose to avoid looking in the mirror.

I had to stop at the market after dropping off Alex and before I got them to their destination.

I got them into the store and even managed to arrive at the right aisle without incident. I found what I needed and was heading towards the register when the background music suddenly changed from boring elevator music to that song "You've got to move it, move it".

Within 5 seconds Jeffrey had broken out into one his dances and was bopping up and down in the aisle.

I made a hard left turn hoping to lose him but no such luck.

We arrived at the register and he continued to bop and bounce away in rhythm to the beat.

Katherine suddenly found the tabloids very interesting as she moved slowly away from him hoping no one she knew would see her in his presence.

I'm not sure if Jeffrey thinks he lives in an invisible bubble that no one can see into but when we got to the cashier and she smiled and laughed at him, he suddenly froze, looked around and a little louder than necessary said

"I was just kidding." And promptly attached himself my hip.

The people in line all giggled at him which caused him to burrow even deeper against me.
I tried to shake him off so I could pay with both hands but no such luck. He stayed attached all the way to the car.

"Jeffrey, why do you bop around like that if you don't want to people to see you?"

"I don't know... I just hear the music and I cant help myself. My feet have a mind of their own. Music makes me happy."

I realized at that moment that he is a living example of that age old saying "To dance like no one is watching."

At least until he opens his eyes and realizes that everyone is. Now I just need to teach him not to care.

Disney Sunday #18 ~~ Adventures Thru Inner Space

2011-03-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Finally a discontinued ride that I actually rode!

I really loved this ride! It was so sci-fi which you don't get a whole lot of at Disney.

It would cost you one "C" ticket when they were still using them.

One thing I discovered is that there aren't a whole of good pictures of this ride so these were the best I could do.

This ran from 1967 though 1985 and took the place of Hall of Aluminum Fame shown here in a few photos:

Here's an early picture of the front entrance when Monsanto was still the sponsor:

Here's a few views of the ride line.

It still has the same path as the ride that replaced it, Star Tours.

You can see the Peoplemover on the left.

A close up of the snowflake wall:

And a close-up of the shrinking tube.
When I was kid I remember SWEARING I saw people moving around and scratching their noses while going through the tube. My friend also agreed with me.

They had several of these signs as you waited to get onto the ride, telling you what was going to happen.

Here are some shots of the loading area:

A closer shot of the ride cars.
This was the first ride to use the "Omni-mover" ride system whose ride cars eventually became known as "Doom Buggies" when they were used in the Haunted Mansion.

And then a shot of the famous eye which stared at just before you returned back to normal size.

Here's a great video that uses the original soundtrack.

Brings back such memories!

Hope you all have a really great weekend!!!

Angry Birds? No ~~ Angry Human!!

2011-03-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

There is an outright conspiracy to keep me from sleeping.

I just know that someone is paying a nitwit bird to sit outside my bedroom window starting at 4 AM and twitter and chirp and scream frenetically until just before the alarm goes off. At which time he closes shop and heads back to the nest.

It's pitch black outside and this feathered assassin finds it amusing to let go with every sound, every vocal gymnastic, every noise that he can possibly come up with.

I have no idea what kind of bird it is, but I did not think it was possible for one single creature to make so much racket in so many different languages.

Honestly, I am not a violent person but as I lay there with my head under a pillow, I imagine all sorts of torture I could bestow on this creature. If I weren't afraid of ~~zombies~~, I mean the dark, I would march out there, figure out where he is and throw something hard and large in his direction while screaming well deserved obscenities at the top of my lungs. In my fantasy I see myself making contact and watching his little bird body go flying off to parts unknown ala Angry Birds style.

I swear I cant be the only person in this little cul de sac that is bothered by the pre-dawn wake up call. I think maybe everyone might actually thank me.

Either that or show up outside with a shotgun ready to take me down because I'm a bigger and easier target.

If I don't get some sleep soon I swear I will not be responsible for my actions. Not guilty by reason of insanity.

I wonder if it would fly in court?

Way Back Wednesday ~ 1958

2011-03-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I found this picture in an album my mom made for my dad of some of the different crews he worked on over the years.

This was from 1958 on the set for a show called "Ladies Fair".

I have looked everywhere and can't find any reference for it so either it was extremely short lived or it was a one time special. Either way I really love the old camera and everyone's very cool clothes. Notice only one lady in the crew? I wonder if she was hostess.

My dad is sitting on the floor in the white shirt with the arrow pointing to him.

I am assuming it was shot at the KNXT studios on the corner of Sunset and Gower in Hollywood.

Here's an old color shot of the studios around the time the above picture was taken:

I spent so much time in this building. I would often come here after school and watch TV in the make-up room until my dad could drive me home. I remember going up the roof (the tallest one above the CBS logo) and dropping small pebbles onto the sidewalk so people would look up and I would duck down so no one could see me..

Yeah, hooligan in the making.. that was me.

In the course of looking for information it seems they have closed this building down which is sad. I knew every nook and cranny, every shortcut through the soundstages to get to the cafeteria the fastest..places to hide so I could read a book or pretend I was lost in some vast warehouse with no way to get out and evil villains were looking for me.

Another part of childhood gone.

At least I have some pictures to remember it by.

Disney Sunday #17 ~~ Carousel of Progress

2011-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Truly one of my favorite attractions!

I didn't get to go on it the first time until my first trip to Disneyworld in 2001.

It made it's first appearance at the 1964 Worlds Fair in New York then moved to Disneyland where it lasted until 1973 when it was moved to Florida.

I spent almost an hour clicking through old pictures and I realized I could be here all day so I just went with some of my favorites!

Here are two construction photos:

And here is a postcard showing the finished building:

This is the Worlds Fair version of the turn of the century:

The 1920's:

And these are the side scenes from the 20's

Here are two different versions from the 1940's.
One father is sitting on the chair, and the other he is sitting in the booth.

And the last scene has been updated several times over the years
This is the original ending showing Progress City in the background through the window.
I love that!
Look at that great TV someone is getting!

Then there are these updated versions:

The 1970's here:

These were identified as being from the early 1980's
Great computer!!

And lastly we have some posters.
First from the Worlds Fair

And then the ride poster:

Hope you are having a really great Sunday and I will talk to you all soon!

Double Double, Toil and Trouble

2011-03-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

There are some mornings that no amount of warm vanilla creamy coffee can make more tolerable.

Sometimes the dynamic duo simply is not in the mood to share the same space. And they let me know in no uncertain terms.

It was a cloudy, misty morning as we headed on our way to school today and apparently the back seats mood was reflective of the weather.

I was discussing the finer points of Macbeth with Alex when drifting up from behind me comes grumping and complaining.

I stopped talking and the back seat stopped talking. I started up again and so did the back seat.

"What is going on?"

"Katherine is staring at me."

"I am not.... I'm just looking that way and I can't help it if your face is in my way."

Really? This early in the morning and you two are already finding ways to annoy each other?

"Please stop looking at each other. At least until we get to school."

There that should fix that.

Back to Shakespeare.

"MOM!!!"

I glance in the back seat and Katherine has her backpack lifted up onto her shoulder, resting against her head.

"Katherine what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

I've noticed that they each put a lot of effort into doing nothing.

"Please put that down and look out your window. If I have to stop suddenly that backpack is going to fly through the air and hit Alex in the head."

She debated on whether or not that would fun to watch but when she caught my eye in the rear view she reluctantly dumped the pack on the floor and turned to look out her window.

Finally. Maybe the rest of the trip would be quiet.

Alex noted that the car carrier driving along side of us was headed to the Jeep dealer in the automall.

"Look at all those different types of Jeeps. Theres the classic, the rugged and then look at the new ones, that one is kind of fluffy and the other one looks squishy."

Really Alex? Fluffy and squishy? Did MacBeth suck up all your brain power this morning?

My sister drives a jeep. I'll have to call and ask her which one she has.. the fluffy one or the squishy one. Of course she'll think I'm a nut job but I guess it won't be too much of a change in opinion.

"MOM!!!"

Seriously... again??

"What now?"

"Katherine is looking out my window. I specifically heard you tell her to look out her own window."

"Katherine can you please look out your own window."

"But there's nothing interesting out my window. Jeffrey always has the good stuff on his side of the car. Can I look out the front window at least?"

"No... you can look out your window and that's my final offer. "

"But Jeffrey can't look out the front window either right?"

They are not going to make it easy this morning are they?

I cranked up the radio and distracted them with some tunes. I dropped Alex off and managed to get them to their destination without much more ado.

Clearly some mornings I need the giant industrial size coffee just to keep me from losing perspective of why I am in the car with them in the first place.

6 hours of no bickering or complaining or negotiating. Until I have to pick them up and do the whole thing in reverse.

As Shakespeare said " Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night til it be morrow." Or the afternoon. Whichever comes first.

You cannot change the laws of physics, Captain.

2011-03-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

What is it with the breakfast table? I think it has a magnetic pole that draws to it all stray papers, books, pencils, unfinished milk glasses, used napkins, magazines, bread crumbs and any number of different items too numerous to mention.

I don't care if I clean it down to the placemats in the evening, by the end of the next day I can't see the wood through the vast array of things that have found their way there.

And who leaves these misplaced items?

Well if there's anyone out there who knows they don't live in MY house.

"Jeffrey why is this Garfield book on the table?"

"I don't know, I wasn't reading that one."

Strange how he can see through walls.

"Neither was I" comes another voice before I can even inquire.

OK, well I know their dad wasn't reading it, Alex hasn't left his room since he got home and I know for sure that I haven't had the time for guilty pleasures like Garfield so I'm guessing the neighbor kid must have come in while I wasn't looking and gone into their room, found Jeffrey's favorite book, snuck out to the table, read it while no one was looking then left it there just to drive us crazy. Which around here wouldn't take too much gas.

Dinner tonight and the table is a jumble of who knows what. I call the two of them in and ask them to please clean it off so I can serve dinner on a flat surface. For some odd reason they scurry right in and before I can dish out the first plate of meatloaf the whole thing is clean as a whistle.

MY MY, I am SO impressed.

Dinner is served, eaten and somehow the dirty dishes all reach the kitchen without my having to remind anybody.

I go about my business, shuffling laundry to where it needs to go, checking my auctions on eBay, trying to pry Alex away from his homework so HE can eat. In my travels I passed by my rolltop desk and came to a dead stop.

Every item from the table had been placed in a pile on top of my laptop, on my chair and there were even 2 things on the floor next to the drawers.

I can't be sure but I think steam may have started to shoot out my ears.

"JEFFREY AND KATHERINE!!!"

Two little heads peer around the corner.

"What on EARTH is this mess??"

"You told us to clean off the table."

"Yes but I didn't tell you to put everything on my desk!"

"Where should we put it?"

"I don't know.. perhaps where it belongs?"

Silence.

"Well?"

"We didn't think of that. You could have just told us to do it like that in the first place."

My turn for silence. Deep breath.

"OK well I'm now telling it to you in the second place."

Eventually they got it all put away but not without a couple of raised voices about who left what where. Both agreeing that even though neither of them did it, they would put it away anyway since it was the right thing to do. I'm not sure whether to be proud of them or smack my forehead.

If I could change the laws of physics I would try to somehow break the magnetic junk force that this table seems to possess but until then I will have to try to keep a closer eye on things before they get out of hand.

OH yeah, and put a lock on the door to keep out that pesky neighbor kid.

Happy Birthday Emily!!!

2011-02-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

22 years ago my wonderful little girl was born!

An 8 lb 8 oz bundle of love.

2 hours old:

4 mos old:

1 year old:

3 years old:

5 years old:

7 years old:

10 years old:

13th Birthday:

The teenage years filled with lovin' Elvis and funky hats:

You've done so many fun things.
Starting with nude modeling when you were one:

Moving up the ranks in Karate:

Making fashion statements:

Performing in plays:

And you've been all over the world...

The glaciers in Alaska:

Hiking in Hawaii:

Dancing at Disney World:

Visiting Elvis in Vegas:

The Hermitage in Russia:

but I hope you know that home is where you are loved the best and missed the most!!

Happy Birthday my beautiful girl!!!

Reading.... the new contact sport

2011-02-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

The entire house.

Thats how much room the two of them have to find a place to read.

There's the living room, the breakfast table, the top bunk, the bottom bunk, my bed, on the floor. The list goes on. So many different choices to settle in and get that book report reading done.

Yet they are drawn together like moths to flame. With the same end result.

I'm working on the computer and drifting down the hall comes the happy sounds of the afternoon.

"Stop kicking me."

"Well then get your foot out from under my bottom"

"Why don't you move your bottom, there's no room for my feet"

"If your feet weren't so big that wouldn't be a problem"

"If your bottom weren't so big there'd be room for my feet"

I reluctantly head down the hall to find the two of them on the short side of the sofa, their heads at each end and their feet entwined together.

"What are you two doing?"

"Reading". This is accompanied by a look of "What did you think we were doing?"

"Why are you both on the small end of the sofa?"

They look around as if it has just occurred to them that there are other places they could be.

"You" pointing at Jeffrey "Lay over here" I direct him to the other couch.

"You" pointing at Katherine "Go lay on your bed".

They both look completely shocked but get up and shuffle off to other locales.

Back to my work and hopefully a little peace and quiet.

The universe finds my optimism amusing.

15 minutes later and the happy sounds of children's voices once again come floating down the hall.

"Get your knee out of my side"

"Well move over, you don't have squish me."

"I'm not squishing you, you're just taking up too much room."

"I am not, I was here first so I can take up as much as I want to."

"Thats selfish... MOM Katherine is being selfish"

They're kidding right?

Once again I head down the hall and they are laying on the living room floor, practically on top of each other, both with rather cross looks on their faces.

"NOW what are the two of you doing?"

"I came out here to read and then Jeffrey got off the sofa and started taking up the whole floor so there was no room for me."

No room at all except the entire other part of the floor on the other side of the room.

"NO! Thats not how it happened. I was just laying here already on the floor when she came in and laid down right on top of me.

"I did NOT"

"You did TOO!"

This is the time I wish I could do one of those really loud whistles that make everyone stop whatever they are doing and give you their undivided attention.

Since I can't do that I was left with raising my voice to be heard above the ruckus.

"YO!"

That worked.

"Why are you both not where I told you to be? If you both stayed in your assigned places I wouldn't have to keep coming out here to referee this absurdity. Can't you two stay apart for more than 5 minutes?"

"But it's lonely being apart."

"And we like being together."

"Yeah it's no fun being in different rooms."

See and here I thought the whole point was to avoid arguing and instead I come to find out that arguing is actually fun.

You learn something new every day.

Let them eat zucchini...

2011-02-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

The other day I took the dynamic duo to the supermarket after Karate to pick up veggies for the soup I was going to make.

For me it was a simple errand, for them it turned into a smorgasbord of desire.

Katherine discovering a huge bar of Hersey's chocolate: "WOW, look at this! MOM can we get this to eat on the way home"

"You're kidding right?"

Jeffrey as we walk down the cereal aisle: "LOOK MOM LOOK! Trix (Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, Coco Pebbles.... fill in any sugar sweetened cereal here) Can we get this for breakfast??"

"Seriously?"

"Well then how about:

Fruit Roll ups
Pudding cups
Sour Cream and Onion potato chips
Frozen corn dogs
Kool-aid
Hostess Twinkies
Hostess Cupcakes
Hostess apple pies
Cracker Jacks

MOM PLEASE!! All the kids get this stuff for lunch... why can't we have it????"

(Because I'm the wicked witch of health and I care about what goes into your body.)

Holy Moly... what is with these food companies? No wonder kids are fat.

I compromised and let them get a bag of Veggie Straws to munch on while we drove home. It had the added advantage that as long as their mouths were chewing they couldn't be talking. (Well that's the idea anyway).

So I finally got around to making the soup last night. As Jeffrey was eating it he sorted through each piece to make sure I wasn't trying to poison him with something he was unfamiliar with.

He looked up from his bowl. "Mom, you know I don't like zucchini right?"

"And?"

"There's zucchini in here. Two different kinds no less."

"No less."

"MOM.... I really do not like it."

Katherine: "I LOVE zucchini!"

Jeffrey: "Katherine! Hush!"

"Think of it as a character building experience."

"MOM!"

"Jeffrey, this is not Burger King where you get it your way. I'm sorry you don't like it, but sometimes you gotta do things that you may not like but will benefit you in the end."

He sat there stabbing at zucchini pieces that he had singled out and shoved to one side of his bowl. His nose wrinkled up to his forehead.

"If I eat them do I get extra dessert because of what I had to endure?"

"Let's put it this way, if you keep complaining you will get no dessert because of what I had to endure."

There was a moment of silence followed by "EW EW EW" and the glugging of an entire glass of milk.

He appeared in the kitchen with an empty bowl, an empty glass and a sour look on his face.

"You lived! See that wasn't so bad!"

"It wouldn't have been bad at all if it weren't for the zucchini."

"Thank you for finishing it."

"Thank you for making it. But next time when you give me some, maybe you can try not to put 100 pieces in my bowl."

"Deal."

So another meal down and at least vegetables past his lips and made it into his stomach. Next time I may try a different kind of soup but there's no guarantee it will get the Jeffrey seal of approval.

But life doesn't come with guarantees now does it?

New Trip Report... Disney World 2009!

2011-02-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

I finally got my last trip report put together.
It took me over a year to compile the pictures because I was sorting through so many.
Both kids had their own cameras and each took a couple hundred shots.
Add in my excessive picture taking and it turned into a huge project!

Check it out:

Walt Disney Trip report 2009

Isn't it someone else's turn to drive?

2011-02-17T10:42:00.001-08:00

Alex has been sick and has stayed home from school this week. So I've been driving the partners in crime by myself.

I bring my music so they can listen to that instead of goading each other into an argument. Good in theory, not so good in practice.

I turned the music on shuffle so I can't be accused of giving someone's music choice preferential treatment.

First song up, "Soul Sister" by Train. Jeffrey starts belting out the lyrics turning towards Katherine while singing.

"MOM! Jeffrey is calling me a soul sister."

"And?"

"Isn't that rude?"

"Not the last time I checked".

She crossed her arms and stared out the window unconvinced.

Up next Mony Mony by Billy Idol.

Jeffery once again begins singing away.

"Here she comes now sayin' Mony Mony

Shoot 'em down, turn around you look like a pony"

"MOM! Jeffrey said I look like a horse."

"No I didn't. I said you look like a pony."

"MOM!"

"Jeffrey if you're going to sing please stick to the ACTUAL words of the songs instead of making up your own."

"OK".

Song #3 and we have Thriller.

"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark (Katherine get out of there)

Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart (he grabs his chest and pretends to faint)
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it (he grabs his throat and makes choking noises)
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes (Katherine stop looking at me)"

"MOM!!!"

"Jeffrey!"

"What? I wasn't changing the lyrics."

"Could you possibly not make every song you sing about your sister?"

"I can't help it. I have a very good imagination."

I see self esteem is not lacking in this one.

"Well then can you be a more thoughtful when using your imagination?"

"I thought I WAS using a lot of thought "

Somehow I don't think I'm going to win this one.

"Jeffrey you know what I am talking about... so KNOCK IT OFF!"

"OK. Sorry Katherine"

Silence from behind me.

"Katherine?"

"Yes?"

"Your brother apologized.. can you please say something."

I checked the rear view mirror and saw her deciding if it would be the right time to say "Something".

Deciding I probably wasn't in the mood for poorly timed humor she accepted his apology.

I will have a relaxing uneventful morning drive one day, but I have a feeling it won't be anytime soon.

Way Back Wednesday ~~ 1977

2011-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day this week I found a picture of a Valentine's Day party I had back in 1977.

This was on a small patio off the library. It was a really neat place and very much reflected the time that the house was built back in the 1920's. You got out here by climbing a set of cement stairs so you ended up raised above the library and you could look down into the house through big plate glass windows.

You got to the rest of the yard by walking up a small flight of rickety wooden stairs back to the left (that later my mom had redone in cement) and if you stood next to the wall behind us it would come to your mid thigh.

It was always nice and cool in here so we ate out here a lot in the summer. My mom kept all her low light plants here and one summer I made a small guppy pond in a cement depression that was near the window.

I really miss this house.

From left to right in the back row we've got Jackie, Katie, Sasha and Michael.

Sitting in the front row there's Dina, me, Sally and Grace.

We had those wrought iron tables for ever and every time they started to get rusty my mom would simply paint them.

She always gave me the best parties and this was no exception. I'm sure we had a really nice cake that she made from scratch and served all kinds of tasty treats.

I hope you all had a fun Valentine's Day and I will talk to you soon!!