moving day 351

Everything I own is all under one roof.  It is all stacked up in the garage.  One by one I will go through the each bin and rediscover what I have.  Fun.  Shane and I took Amtrak up to Milwaukee.  Visited with Mom and Dad, enjoyed a nice home cooked meal, got to see Tim and Julia.  Picked up the U-Haul the next morning, headed out to Scott and Barb's, emptied the loft in the barn, loaded up the truck and headed back.  Stopped at the A&W along 94 in Racine for lunch, went about 30mph through Chicago, got home safely, unloaded, returned the truck, went out to dinner.  Now I'm considering which bin to start with.

writing (or lack of)

I haven't been in the mood to write much lately, posts have been dwindling, content has been slight.  Not sure if it's writer's block, loss of interest, lack of inspiration, laziness.  I do think about getting something going and that's just about how far I get.  I think changes are needed, to get me writing consistently again, more substantial entries.  Have no fear, I will post in the mean time when the need/mood strikes.  I'm still taking a picture a day, unpacking the house, lounging on the couch, looking for a job, hanging out with friends, cats, cleaning the pool.  Oh you should see me wrestle with the pool vacuum.  Never realized you needed to be coordinated to work one of those things.  I do drop a mean chlorine tablet into the filter though.  Feeling great, no aches, pains, phantom discomforts.  Enjoying the lazy days of Summer, starting to want it to last forever (a sign that Fall is encroaching.)  That's about it for now, more when I give more. 

toying around

Saw Toy Story 3 3D.  What a movie.  Incredible.  Heartwarming.  Heartwrenching.  Right from the opening sequence it grabbed me, had me.  Wow.  The animated short accompanying the movie, Day & Night was a fun frolic using hand drawn and computer animation.  Disney and Pixar have created a fitting sequel to a wonderful story.

word search

Been thinking about a friend.  A friend who is battling cancer.  A friend whose battle is almost over.  Unsettled by the thought of losing my friend.  Unsettled that I can't find the right words to express my sorrow.  I remain silent.  A week ago she sent me a touching email thanking me for being there, for being a good person, for being her friend.  I replied that I considered her an angel for being there for me, for being my friend.  She was saying goodbye.  I am having a problem saying goodbye.  They were moments, conversations, mostly with coffee, books.  Now I'm at a loss for words.  Been thinking a lot about my friend.

food for thought

Had reservations today.  At Chick-Fil-A.  The new spicy chicken sandwich.  Free.  Seated in the Spicy VIP section of the restaurant.  The menu included the sandwich, large beverage, side order, dessert.  Being a fan of the place, I had to try it.  It was spicy.  Grilled out last evening.  Marinated pork chops in red wine, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic, and ginger for 8 hours.  Grilled the pork chops and corn on the cob.  Turned out excellent, one of the better grilled meals so far this grilling season.  The day before burgers with pepper jack cheese, grilled onions.  The day before that chicken breasts marinated in pina colada and lemon juice and pepper.  In between all that and the ice cream and sherbet, I am dieting!

backtracking

Home.  A long train trip made even longer by delays.  First train out Friday got into Penn Station an hour early on Saturday.  The Gershwin Hotel on 27th Street and 5th Avenue provided accomodations for the stay.  Walk to Times Square, New York Pizza, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building and surrounding neighborhoods.  The World of Disney Store is closed for renovations.  Sunday morning breakfast, Matinee Broadway performance of Hair, Havana Central Cafe for dinner, NYU, Union Square, Washington Square and Arch.  Monday Subways, Ferries, Liberty Island, Ellis Island, more Times Square, walking, subway rides, Greenwich Village.  Tuesday rains, shopping, raining, umbrellas, souveniers, subways, Grand Central Station, Central Park, rain, WTC, subways, coffee, milk, cookies.  Wednesday, check out, breakfast, walk the neighborhoods, Bryant Park, Herald Square, Flat Iron building, coffee, Penn Station, Amtrak, delays.  Home.

a drop in the bucket

It rained overnight.  Thunderstorms.  It rained this morning.  It was humid.  It was damp.  I had to pour the water out of the planters on the patio.  The flowers were drowning, the soil saturated.  The temperature rose, warmer.  Shorts weather again.  The sun actually came out.  A reprieve from the rain.  Flood watches and tornado watches remain. Steak and Shake for lunch, burger and a side salad.  Barnes and Noble, walking the mall, coffee and a pineapple corer later I am home, watching TV, thinking about dinner and New York City.

outside

Shorts weather.  Got outside and tended to the grounds of the estate.  Planted flowers, enjoyed the warm weather.  Yesterday took a long walk on the Notre Dame campus.  Opened the windows to let the fresh air flow, cats like perching on the window sills.  Sending out resumes, watching plenty of TV, reading at night, surfing the Internet, meeting friends for dinner and listening to the rude, inconsiderate and obnoxiously loud children next door. 

just the facts

Native American storytellers helped bring authentic Powhatan culture to the film Pocahontas.

At 199 feet, Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom is the tallest mountain in Florida.

Over 700 drawings were used in the first Mickey Mouse animation short.

Art directors traveled France extensively to bring true European inspiration to Beauty and the Beast.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was originally known as Disney's Folly.

The Little Mermaid has more effects than any traditionally animated film since Fantasia.

Robin Hood was the last animated feature to use a story book in the introduction.

I am going to stay at the Polynesian Resort.

shake, rattle, roll

6:54pm it's raining, temperatures in the fifties, and what's that I hear?  Rolling, rumbling, rattling.  The rain was predicted on Tuesday, held off until today.  Last night went to dinner with friends, today met Shane for lunch, Steak and Shake and my latest crave, tropical punch shake.  Watching TV, refereeing the cats, and listening to the rain on a balmy winter night.

dollar signs

$100+ for groceries.  $300+ for car insurance.  $1 scratch off.  You'd think I was made of money or something the way it's being spent.  For what its worth, the food will last for a couple of weeks, the insurance six months.  no winning lottery ticket.  On the way back from the store, drove through a number of police cars with lights flashing, police patroling the creek along side the roadway. 

phone calls

The phone rang.  First it was the veterinarian, checking on the kitty.  The phone rang and whoever it was hung up when I answered.  The phone rang and it was someone inquiring about my resume.  I had a phone interview set up for later in the day.  The phone rang at the scheduled time.  I answered it.  Standard generic questions, typical generic responses.  A half hour later the mention of a possible phone call or email.  Burger and fries for dinner, shopping afterward, a new chair to sit on, groceries and now watching TV, and checking messages on the phone.

panic

Alarm set for 8am.  Got out of bed early, showered, dressed, flicked on the TV and waited.  10:05am playing on the Internet, a car horn.  No, the jeep horn.  I must have hit the panic button.  Grab the keys and start pushing the lock, unlock, panic.  I panic.  10:10am the jeep horn blares.  10:11am outside, hood open, looking for something to disconnect.  Something, anything.  10:12am underneath the Jeep looking for something to jiggle, pull on, break.  10:13am silence.  It just stopped, could it have been my cussing?  Whatever I did, it worked.  10:15am back on the couch.

just what I needed

(I am being sarcastic.)  It snowed overnight, again today, more this evening. It had been rather nice the past week, the snow melted, sun out.  That has changed.  More lake effect snow squalls, frigid temperatures.  Shoveled this morning.  Spring can't get here soon enough.  Grocery shopped.  Lots of frozen food.  Up late, watching TV, facebook, snacking.

fun facts for the day

Concepts for The Haunted Mansion originally included a "The Museum of the Weird" themed restaurant.

Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.

Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railway designers hunted through actual wild west ghost towns for authentic props.

The large rolling ball featured in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular weighs more than 400 pounds.

Walt Disney arrived in Los Angeles with $40 in his pocket and an unfinished cartoon in his suitcase.

The Jammin' in the Jungle Parade at Disney's Animal Kingdom is my favorite parade.

Lilo and Stitch was the first animated film since Dumbo to use watercolor paintings for backgrounds.

*all information and images provided and copyrighted by WDC.

feisty

The carpet was installed today.  One room 12 X 15.  It took about one hour to complete.  It is still snowing, I swear it's snowed every day since Winter arrived.  A couple of inches overnight and more predicted.  I had to shovel off the front porch since the installers were using the front door to bring in the padding and carpeting.  And the snow.  They did wipe off their shoes, and I followed with a towel, wiping down the hardwood floor after them.  Boris spent the time watching them work.  She is one feisty feline.  I expected her to stay in her cubby hole under the end table in the living room during all the noise and excitement, but no, she wanted to be where the action was.