Visible Light

new find

Last night I was cutting out fabric in front of the tv (i'm making an apron for an apron exchange - i'll take a picture of the lucky recipient and post it later.) I was watching Monday's Studio 60 which is a flawed but enjoyable show (flawed because I just don't buy the whole Southern Baptist Comedian willing to poke fun at her faith on the SNL like show and they keep reminding us of her ubber faith which makes it more unbelievable) Anyway - the musical guest in the show within a show was Corinne Bailey Rae who I had never heard of before - but her music was memorizing, so I ran over to Itunes and downloaded her album and now its my music. Her voice is so beautiful so haunting - check her out.

Does a body good

while swimming today I noticed this nice old man watching me. He was in the water arobics class and I was swimming in the fast lane next to him. Every time I past him or looked over he was watching me and he wasn't even shy about it. So When I was kicking (with kickboard head above water) I asked him "Are you watching me?"

He replied "yes yes I am" in the best Barry White impression i've ever heard.

When I returned on my next lap he said ... "your just so fine to watch"! ... I laughed and said you sir are good for my self esteem - at this point all the other old men laughed with us and now I have my own personal fan club.

The icing on the cake came when I was getting out of the pool and a little slip of a woman asked me if I was one of the life guards... NO I said and she said well you sure swim really good you should be :)

FITNESS UPDATE: I am at the fittest I've ever been. I was able to carry Megan around parts of disney up on my back and I walked around all 4 parks sick and was actually fine- never achy etc. I missed 2 weeks of swimming but when I went back in the pool last friday I had no trouble getting back into it and doing the mile. Today I did 200 butterfly without my fins, and I used a pull buoy so when I was just pulling I was really working my arms. I'm down a pants size and two sizes in swim suits.

Santa Baby...

Our santa has retired - remember him from last year:

The new Santa was not as nice, very down to business and matter of fact. Megan wanted nothing to do with him but he bribed her on his lap with a happy face sticker - which freaked me out a bit - here's a kid saying no I don't want to go any where near that man in red and then he says how about for a sticker and she says ok and jumps on his lap. Freaky and shows how easily child predators can get kids to do what they want.

Anyway - the new pic is OK - not the best as Megan was not thrilled to be there so her smile is forced - we'll probably make it part of card anyway so I'm not going to post it.

Security

Tonight Megan and I read one of her "Blues Clues" books. In this one Blue and her friends goto the fair and they each use blue's stuffed dog pokadots to ride a scary ride. I pointed out to Megan that she took her girlie doll on lots of Rides at Disney and asked if it helped when she was scared...

"No silly mommy"

"Girlie is my baby - i helped her not be scared!"

Blissfully Home

We pulled in at 10:30 last night. Megan had slept for most of the second flight and had woken up when they announced we were starting to land. She got excited about seeing daddy soon, coughed alittle and then threw up on me and her blanket and doll. She managed to miss the seat or the floor or the guy next to her.

But hey we made it - after what was one of the unluckiest adventures to date. My wallet getting lost and Megan's puking make nice bookends. Incase you've forgotten - the other shitting stuff include my cell phone breaking, and us both getting sick - which I still am.

But there were highlights - seeing the cousins, riding rides, eating great food. Seeing Mumsy and Grandpa at EPCOT and then again in Ocala was wonderful. Megan really loves them - and told them so several times.

But being back in bed, with Duncun curled at my feet and Oso next to me moaning. Today is going to be a beautiful day.

Happy Feet

Grandpa Mumsie, Megan and I went to see Happy Feet yesterday. It was a bit long but overall cute movie. Megan however hated it. She squirmed and wiggled, she talked and talked and in the end said that was not a good movie. I think the trouble was that she just didn't understand why the other penguins were being mean to the little guy with the blue eyes.

We had a lovely Dinner at Thai Ruby here in Ocala, which I topped off with Thai Donuts - little balls of happiness not available on my coast at all!

Grandpa's

We had a quiet day at Grandpa and Mumsie's. Mumsie let Megan decorate the tree with her, and we all managed naps. I'm still very stuffed and Megan has a cough - the kind that trigger's gag reflexes.

I think we are going to try and make Happy Feet tomorrow or the next day - hopefully my coughing will have subsided.

Disney Cont...

Disney Day 4...

Today we went to EPCOT. We started out the morning early and headed over to the Land where we ate breakfast and rode on the old Listen to the Land boat ride which has been redone and they’ve lost the cool cheesy song - the one I know all the words too. Ah well, I got some neat pictures of what they are doing to grow pumpkins and tomatoes and such and I shall put a couple up on my blog when time permits.

I got a little teary watching the Lion King respect the land circle of life movie. Oh the damage we humans have done to our fair planet.

Then it was finally time for Soaring. Megan, Uncle Doodle, Aunt Missy, Justin and I all went on a soaring ride over California. Megan was enthralled, but I fear some of it was lost on her as she sat cross legged in the chair and didn’t dangle her feet.

When we got out Grandpa and Mumsie had found Pat and Elizabeth and the whole group headed off for the new Nemo Pavilion. Its where the living seas used to be and the whole thing is just really well done. The highlight was definitely the show with Crush talking to us.

Michael and I ran off after and went on Mission space while the grandparents, Kids, and Missy headed over to Journey into the Imagination.

Mission space was awesome, and I who normally don’t care for fast rides (any one who’ has seen me hyperventilate on an escalator knows what I’m talking about) LOVED it. We rode Orange training which means we were spun. (Green is for Sissies) I was absolutely in love with the ride and will do it again - I can’t wait for Megan to be old enough and for Jack to join us just to ride this ride. I sent a post card to Jack from the space related techie playground after.

We met up with the rest of the gang and chatted, and then said our goodbyes, Grandpa and Mumsie went off to get some grub before heading back home. Megan and I headed off for some more rides, and the Casa De Newf bunch went off to nap.

Megan and I meandered over to universe of Energy and when we arrived I turned around to see Casa De Newf had followed thinking the 45 min ride would give the kids a place to rest.

We really did separate then and Megan and I went and rode Spaceship earth which had been updated to include the internet, and Walter Cronkit had been replaced with Jeremy Irons, though he was still on the TV’s during that segment of the ride.

Megan told me her favorite ride of the day had been Nemo and since i had missed it, we headed back over there and well it had been changed and was much better than the second version but I’m nostalgic for the original. Figment is now made by a scientist played by a british Actor I can’t think of his name. Figment kidnaps our tour through the senses. It was better than I remembered actually.

It was finally time to go and head over the Chef Mickey’s at the contemporary where we were all having dinner with the Core gang of Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Goofy and Minnie.

And that was basically the day. We got to ride the monorail, and Megan and her cousins watched some Little Einsteins after baths in the room, but basically the day was great.

Day 5

We slept in till almost 9,After a quick breakfast with the newf clan Megan and I headed to EPCOT again. The newf’s all went to Animal Kingdom. We however had a date with some princesses.

We got there and walked right on Test track. Then we headed over to the countries starting at Mexico where we rode the ride twice. Megan wasn’t too thrilled with the Norway ride, but enjoyed the art project there and in China. We even watched the movie in china killing time til our lunch At Norway’s storybook Princess Banquet Hall. Megan was shy at first insisting I stand between her and Aurora, but after that she just opened up, hugging all the princesses and getting her picture taken with each and every one that came to our table. She saw Ariel, Belle, Jasmaine and Mary Poppins - I know not a princess but who knows.

Lunch was OK more fish than i’ve seen in a life time, but the princesses made Megan’s day. We headed out and on our way around the world who did we find in Germany but Snow White, who was very nice and chatted Megan up and posed for lots of pictures. We made it over to America where I made Megan sit through the American Adventure - I have to see at least one show where I know all the songs - I cried again as I do each and every time.

and that was it - we headed the rest of the way around and out. Caught a bus back to the hotel and are now napping. We have Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas tonight so naps are a must.

UPDATE:

The Christmas party was alot of fun. Megan and I got to ride on a lot of rides including Buzz three times, Pooh, Small World, Barnstormer, People Mover, And Astro Orbitors. We spent a bit of time with the cousins before we went off in search of Belle and they Fireworks. Megan also got her picture with Cinderella and sleeping Beauty.

We made it to main street in time to watch some of the parade and I gave Megan the camera and she went crazy. They had snow on main street and it was just beautiful with all the decorations and lights. We made it back to the hotel around 12:15 and Megan was in bed by 1.

Day 6...

Up and adam but not early - we got a late start and headed over to MGM where we managed to get in one show of the "Voyage of the LIttle Mermaid" before our lunch reservation with play house Disney characters. It was my favorite of all the buffets and very yummy.

After playhouse disney and the muppets in 3D, Megan and I separated from the crew and went to the Great Movie Ride and ended with a live showing of Beauty and The Beast - which just mesmerized Gee. Then we headed back to the hotel for an early night of picking up the rental car, laundry, swimming and dinner in the room with a movie. Megan was in bed by 9 and I followed soon after.

Our final day in Disney I loaded up the rental car and we said good bye to the cousins. We then headed over to Animal kingdom where we started on a safari, and then after lunch we got soaked on the River Rapids ride, and Megan's dress spent the rest of the day hung on the back of the stroller. We finished with "its tough to be a bug" before heading back to the magic Kingdom for another run at our favorite rides. We ended with a lovely dinner at Tony's on Mainstreet before boarding our last bus for the hotel, picking up some last bits at the gift-shop, and heading out to Mumsie's and Grandpa's where we arrived just after 9:30.

And that my friends is Disney for 2006!

Disney - the begining

Disney Day one... Arrival.

It was a fairly uneventful trip. Megan and I got on the first plane, flew, sat next to a really nice man from Pleasenton named Steve. I was really tired from getting up at 4 but I was able to function and once we were air-born Megan started Beauty and the Beast, while I listened to stored podcasts. Mid Flight Megan decided she wanted to play instead of watch movies. So she did in her seat with a new Magnetic castle thing I had picked up at The San Jose Children’s Museum.

After about 20 mins she started another movie, until we started our decent when she promptly fell asleep - I don’t know what it is about decent but it always sends Megan to sleep - and this kid doesn’t nap anymore and she’s never slept in cars, but landing on a plane puts her out.

We got to the gate and she awoke, we managed to get out with the rest of the passengers and found the potty. We headed to our next gate - looking along the way for food and we found Uncle Doodlebug Aunt Missy, Cousin Justin and Elizabeth and Granny Pat.

After a quick lunch we got on another plane for the last leg. Totally uneventful though Megan did spike a fever as we got closer to Orlando and refused the Tylonal Chewables which I’d brought instead of liquid because of the whole no Liquids over 3 oz on a plane thing. She again fell asleep on landing and did so so soundly that she slept through most of the other passengers getting off. I then rushed to get every thing together and get out the door. We met up again with the family who were seated closer to the door and able to get off quickly, and we headed to Disney’s Magical Express Bus.

We Got to the hotel around 6 local time and checked in - this is when I discovered my wallet was gone. I dumped my carry on on the floor in front of the front desk, my purse on the desk - no wallet...

Everything is paid for so we’re set with the trip and got checked in. We even have meals paid for. Michael put his card on my account for incidentals, and I threw tears, and disbelief, some how managed to do everything I was supposed to, Call Jack (on Michael’s phone since Cingular has no service here!) and he started canceling credit cards, while I got to the room and started calling the airline, and bus to see if I had dropped it.

I was very lucky - turns out I dropped it on the plane - in the over head bin - they found it and tried paging me at the airport. Then ended up giving it to a Disney employee (after boxing it and sealing it in) and it is currently on its way to me. After I found out my wallet was on its way - We all wandered over to the hotel’s food court and got some grub, back to the room to wait for our luggage, and then Megan and I decided to find the pool and swim. Her fever is long gone though she does have the sniffles, but the pool was heated and the spa was hot, so we hit that before braving the breeze along the lake and back to our room.

She is now sleeping soundly and I’m dozing while writing this and waiting for word on my wallet. I’m thinking since its after 11 they will probably hold it at the front desk until manana.

More later - peace

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom or simply exhausted

We started out the day early with a rush to breakfast at the crystal palace where Megan was terrified of all the characters that came to the table, while her cousins where rushing up and hugging she was trembling.
We headed out after and tackled the first of many rides. Megan loved them all. She and I broke from the rest of the group to ride snow white before heading back to the hotel for snacks and a swim. I should have tried to get her to nap but I just wasn’t in the mood for that fight so instead I let her watch a movie while I handled moving our expenses over to my credit card. The wallet BTW showed up at 1:30 am - with a knock on the door.

We headed back to the Magic kingdom at 5 for dinner and more rides which included Pirates which Megan loved -and I enjoyed the addition of Jack Sparrow. We again separated from the group in order to do more rides while they watched fireworks, and rode Its a small World twice. Then we got lost in a line for peter pan which had a wait time listed of 20 mins but ended up being 40. It meant that after we got out the parade was about to go down main street and we ended up walking around the castle via tomorrowland We did stop at a couple of rides to bide time - the Carrousel and Buzz Lightyear. finally made it to Main street and out the park. Megan had a major melt down on the way up to the room - entirely my fault for keeping her out way to late. But now she sleeps and ... alas - so do I.

Day 3 Sick day...

Megan cough sounds like a seal, and i’m all stuffy and miserable myself. We’re going to have a hotel day with a lot of pampering and maybe an excursion to down town disney. It means we’ll be missing lunch with the princesses which is too bad, but i’ll make a point of taking Megan back to the princesses meet and greet in the Magic Kingdom after we’ve rested. Our tickets are such that this just means we’ll be able to goto the parks on our last day - originally we weren’t going to - we were just going to drive up to Grandpa and Mumsie’s. - its 5 in the morning that i’ve decided all this. But I can’t see changing my mind given how crappy I feel and my lack of sleep.

UPDATE:

We slept in til 10, she watched tv while i spent an hour on the phone with Cingular trying to decide what the heck was wrong with my phone. Then we wondered over to the hotel’s restaurant row/gift shop and had lunch or rather had lunch for breakfast. We picked up some sudafed the none meth lab variety for me, and wondered back to our room. We went out and hung out at the pool, Megan played with her princess dolls in the steps, and I did a load of laundry. Back to our room for naps, though Megan refused and is watching a movie.

I think I napped for 20mins.

The plan is to head over to down town Disney around 5 - wonder around and have dinner and be back here by 8 for an earlier bed time.

Then we’ll hit Animal Kingdom with the rest of the gang in the morning.

Happiness Is..

i'm in a state of giddy excitement and relief. Not only do we have Madam Pelosi speaker of the house, Rumsfield finally out! and the senate looking very blue, but I'm going to Disney tomorrow -how sweet is that!

I'm going to miss watching Little guy Duncan and Oso play - they are right now and its a hoot.

I swam for around 2 miles this morning since I won't be swimming for a while. I'm feeling great.

Just love that kid...

Today at Science class, a class Megan takes once a month at Sulpher Creek in hayward, the teacher passed around the lid to a coffee can that had been chewed on by a wild animal. She asked the kids to guess what animal had made the teeth marks.

She went around the room and got the usual suspects - Deer, Raccoon, Rabbit, Cat, Bobcat, etc.. then she got to Megan who looked ever so proud and said...

"I know, I know.... an Octopus!"

The teacher and all the mom's giggled and she told Megan that was a very creative guess.

Megan is as excited as I am...

We went to Target yesterday and let her pick out a little rolling suitcase for her carry on and well the kid is so excited now she's wheeling it around and telling anyone who will listen that "I'm going to Disney World!"

can I just say

at the risk of sounding cheesy - I can't wait till DISNEY!

Megan and I leave on Thursday to meet Uncle Doodlebug and the rest of the casa De Newf clan at WDW in Orlando. We have character meals almost every day - with Breakfast with Pooh, Lunch with all the princesses, and Dinner with Mickey. We're also going to the very Merry Christmas party on main street one night!

Megan is tall enough to ride Thunder mountain railroad! and a couple of others that i love. She's an couple of inches shy of Space mountain unless we use some of her thick heal shoes. :) The kid loves coaster and rides so this is a perfect year to go!

Ok Enough gushing!

It would have been really cute...

if it hadn't been such a mess...

Megan decided this morning while I was occupied to give Duncan a bath. She pulled her stool up to the sink, LOCKED the door and proceeded to give him a bath with hand soap. By the time I discovered them the floor was covered in water and Little guy was a ball of soap. Megan was wet, her dolls were wet everything was wet. It took me 3 towels just to mop up the water on floor and counter, I then had to rewash Duncan and dry him off.

It was a bit more than I intended to do this morning.

The queen

Last night I saw the movie "The Queen" with a mom friend and seeing QE2 being followed by a herd of Corgi's made me want to have a whole herd of Duncan's - it was just too cute.

I recommend the movie - it was odd to watch something about a time I vividly remember and yet had pushed from my memory. When Diana died I was visiting Jacqueline in Tennessee who was moving out of her apartment where a brown recluse had bit her. I had just found out my mom had cancer and had gone ahead with my trip to Tennessee since it had already been planned but it was a tough time to try and have fun.

Jack and I had just moved back from Australia a member of the commonwealth and I had really begun to follow the Royal's and Diana in-particular while we were there. Her death floored me. I was amazed at the worlds turn out and yet I too felt a surprising amount of grief.

Joy is ...

Watching an old Oso play for an hour with the 3 month old puppy - Now named Duncan.

We are all enjoying having all that puppy energy in the house.