Posted By Kathleen David on January 17, 2010
I am still trying to wrap my head around last week. It was odd. I haven’t seen Jeff and Angelo except in bit-size time bits for about 11 years now. But when we got together, it’s like we had never been apart. Old in-jokes came back into play and we added some new ones. I knew their food likes and dislikes so planning for meals wasn’t hard at all. They brought enough breakfast food to feed an army so we were very well fed for breakfast which lasted us late into the afternoon. 10 years just fell away in an instant. Not that things weren’t different. They were. I have a husband and kids and a whole lot that happened in my life since we last seen each other even for a short time. And they had one h-ll of a year last year than none of us want to see repeated.
I got to introduce J&A to my friend G who I can honestly remember clearly the first time I met him since he was wearing a grass skirt. It was the night I got engaged and G was kind enough to video tape it for us. After meeting G, J&A and I got to talking about people you meet that you know you know even though you know you just met them. The best was the line from the Muppet Movie when in the desert Gonzo sings There’s not a word yet for old friends who just met and that’s how we feel about G. And how I feel about K, D, J, and both Es. (Yeah I am being vague but until I get permission to use the names, I am going by the initials. I have Jeff and Angelo’s OK to use their names.)
It was a week spent with friends which is always nice. I did get some time to slow down and think about things that have been happening and what I want to do about them. It also gave me some perspective on things that I think I have been too close to really take a look at. I also got to run around Disney World with people who share the same love for all things Disney. People who would ride Pirates 6 times in a row without blinking because there is no line. (We didn’t do that but we would have). People who don’t think it is odd that I did ride the Haunted Mansion 5 times in a row to clear my head and have some time to think. That was the best thing. I was surrounded by people who “get” me. I didn’t have to put on my professional face. I could be me and that was quite a gift.
But it was time to go home. I missed my Caroline and my Husband so much that it hurt.
I am grateful that I had the time and means to go to Disney this week.
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Posted By Kathleen David on January 16, 2010
I am currently sitting in the Orlando airport for my plane home. The time is creeping up as to when the flight is leaving in 5 minute increments. I will say that the business seating is really sweet and there is free on-line access from Google (Thank you Google). I am recharging my iPhone and my laptop while I am sitting here typing this entry for my web log. The airport is busy but not insanely busy which it can be on the weekend.
Yesterday I slept in a bit and then headed out for Disney Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM) and met up with Ariel. We wandered around a bit. I went through Muppets in 3-D two times. They really need to refurbish Bean. The coat is pink on the animatronic bunny where it is red in the film. Also Bean has lost his fluffy and his scarf. He doesn’t look like the image on screen except that he is a muppet-shaped rabbit. Statler and Waldorf could use a touch up too. This surprised me since Disney does own the Muppets and is trying to get them back into the public eye (i.e.: Bohemian Rhapsody Muppet Video).
We had dinner at the Prime Time Café and then rode the Toy Story Mania. I had a fast pass for 5:05 which I got at 11:30 which goes to show how fast the passes go out. Then the kids went on Tower of Terror and the Rockin’ Roller Coaster.
We went to Epcot and the kids lucked into three fast passes for Soaring from some people leaving the park. We met up with some friends and had a pleasant evening with all parties involved. I went back to the house I was staying and let the dogs out for a bit, played with the cats (one of which bedded down with me for the evening), and figured out how I am going to get everything back.
I got up this morning and tipped toed out of the house since my friends got back from another JoCo concert at an absurd hour. The dogs cooperated and didn’t bark. So I petted the pets goodbye and went to Downtown Disney to take a look at what was going on there. One last look at the Adventures Club since I don’t know if it will be there next time I go.
I left at a reasonable time for the airport and made better time than I thought arriving two hours and a bit before the flight. I returned the rental, checked my bags, and went onto the gate. Security was tight but everyone was polite and efficient at moving us through. I had lunch and then went to the gate which is where I am now waiting for the plane to arrive.
Overall I am very glad I did this trip. It was fun and I made some new friends and saw a lot of old friends. I was also glad to be there for Ariel. I think it helped her peace of mind that I was down here. I am very tired and may be slightly sunburned from yesterday.
I am grateful to be going home. I will be even more grateful if the plane leaves on time.
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Posted By Kathleen David on January 15, 2010
In which I say good-bye to Jeff and Angelo as they return to Atlanta, go see some old friends who were kind enough to let me stay with them, and see Jonathan Coulton in concert at a very small venue. (Me love Code Monkey)
Jeff, Angelo, and I took our time getting up and packed. We double and triple checked the rooms. Angelo almost forgot his cellphone charger. Then there were hugs and good-byes and a promise not to make it that long between visits again. I went to Downtown Disney to go have a look at the Adventures Club. It is still standing and looks like it could open any minute but I know it won’t (more on that later).
I drove over to our friends’ house and caught up on news with them about many subjects. I met their dogs and cats who accepted me into their tribe. I then went to the Magic Kingdom due to a magic pass that was bestowed upon me by them. I rode Pirates a couple of time and the Haunted Mansion 5 times total just to have some time to think.
Last night I got to see Jonathan Coulton live. I had heard Ikea (which he didn’t do), Code Monkey, and Creepy Doll before but I heard a lot that I hadn’t and it made me laugh pretty hard. He’s a very interesting songwriter. His opening act was Paul and Storm who made a number of new fans that night. It was a good night of geek rock. There were also a bunch of my friends there so we all did the quick catch-up on stuff and life. It was very nice. So a very pleasant evening with a bunch of adults.
The only thing that was little sad was the news that the Adventures’ Club had been stripped and Babylonia, the Coronel, the Yakoos, as well as some of the other puppets are going to the new Adventures’ club restaurant in Hong Kong I believe. Most of the rest of the club has been stripped and taken away but the building is still there. I took a lot of pictures of the building. I miss that place so much but it lives on in our hearts and I made a lot of good friends from going there many of which I saw at the Coulton concert.
Today I am catching up with Ariel at Disney MGM…Disney Hollywood Studios….Whatever they are calling it this week. Tomorrow I fly home back to Caroline and Peter who I miss very much.
I am grateful that I went to the concert.
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Posted By Kathleen David on January 13, 2010
When we last left our story, I was off to hear Ariel’s chorus concert. She and the rest of the group did very well. The wind was coming off the water so it was a bit nippy but they soldered forward and sang very well. One of our buddies joined me to watch the concert. He had a few things he needed to do so I took Ariel and friends to Magic Kingdom and met up with Jeff and Angelo on the way to Epcot.
They did Soaring which is a fun ride. We did a few other things and then headed back to find some dinner. We ended up at T-Rex which is owned by the same company that did Rainforest Café because I thought that the outside looked cool. We are glad that we did dine there. That is one of the more interesting meals I have had in a long time. The food was very good but the atmosphere is what made it so much fun. There were dinos and wooly mammoths all around us and they moved and made noises. It was quite a show. I liked the octopus a lot.
We went back to the hotel room and passed out into a food coma.
We went to Animal Kingdom today. I had forgotten how many shows that park has and very good shows too. We saw Finding Nemo, the Festival of the Lion King, and It’s hard to be a bug. I rode one of the not very fast rollercoasters and watched as my insane friends rode the Mount Everest ride. The Yeti was off-line due to problems with the hydraulics because of the extreme cold snap they have been having. But they said it was still fun. We went out to dinner with some of Ariel’s posse and some friends and had a roaring good time. We told stories and jokes that to us were old but were new to others at the table. It was one of those nice meals that had a lot of good conversation.
Tomorrow J&A go back to Atlanta. I am staying for a couple more days with some friends we have down here. I am going to a concert with a bunch of actors who work down here in Orlando tomorrow night.
I miss Caroline and Peter a lot but I am glad I had the chance to do this.
I am grateful that my husband supported the idea of me going off on this adventure.
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Posted By Kathleen David on January 12, 2010
The flight was pretty easy which means I am expecting the flight back to have a problem. I got to the Magic Kingdom and met up with one friend. Then caught up with my pals Jeff and Angelo. Ariel texted me a couple of times and then butt dialed for about half an hour.
We went to Disney MGM….I’m sorry Disney Hollywood Studios and did everything we wanted to do including the Toy Story Mania which took a few tries between the lines and the ride breaking down. I took J&A to the Prime Time Café which they had never been to. All in all we had fun. On the way back we picked Ariel up from her hotel and brought her over to our room and had good conversation and excellent tea.
Today has been in the Magic Kingdom. Ariel joined us for a bit and after I type this entry, I am off to Downtown Disney to see her chorus perform. It has been a mix bag of emotions for me. I miss having my husband and kid with me to see things like Kermit and Piggy. I am with good friends that I haven’t seen in a while.
So back to the Disneyworld experience. Maybe more later.
I am grateful that everyone is having a good time today.
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