i'm alive, really!

[boogieshoes]

so, i know it's been a couple of weeks since i've really updated, but it's been a bit busy here.  not bad-busy, just doing stuff busy. 

the last week of february, we had a family vacation to disneyworld.  this vacation was a lot of fun, and involved reminiscing back to the world's worst vacation ever (since we went to disneyworld on that vacation, too), and making new memories with the family, in-laws, and next generation.
 

the next generation consists of M, a girl who's 12 going on 13; H, 10yo girl; C, 9yo girl; Amber, 8yo girl; S, 6yo boy; L, twin to S.  this time around, only one of us - S - got sick to his stomach, and only the once, eating too many sweets.  and i *did not* get lost!  really!  i knew where i was the entire time!  the not-actually-lost episode lasted maybe an hour, and really was due to a communication mix-up.  i went on a ride, and Dad thought i had cell phone.  if i'd realized Dad and them were gonna take off, i'd have grabbed my cell phone when i went to stand in line.  yeah, we screwed that pooch pretty good.

those were really the only two 'bad' incidents of the trip - remarkable, really, considering the younglings.  Mom and Dad rented a house a few miles away from the disneyworld gates, and i recommend this as a way to go - time share or rent a house.  much cheaper and more comfortable than hotels.  it's a 9hr drive from NOLA, and i left on a friday, overnighted in Panama City, where i had flashbacks to puking all over the place, and came in mid-afternoon into Orland on Saturday - easy drive, really.  picked up some last minute things at walmart, because i was about to start my period (how fun, y/y?).

the house had a swimming pool and a hot tub - saturday, i was able to make use of the hot tub before the menstrual flow started.  yay!

sunday was animal kingdom.  we had a great time.  loved the tree of life in the park center - awesome piece of artwork, just awesome.  our first ride was in dinoland.  the setup was that we're being sent back in time to pick up a hadrosaur, only we're a little close to the big asteroid that hit, and the time machine's spatial settings are a little wonky.  the special f/x were awesome.  all the adults were impressed.  all the kids were terrified, which we didn't quite expect.  poor H was reduced to tears, and we re-assured her that it was ok to be scared.... but i'd totally do it again!

did a couple of kiddy rides, went on the safari tour, which was really worth it, cheesy script and all.  it's better than a zoo - the *variety* of animals weren't there, but disney has the money to do the environmental stuff *right*, so they did.  it was really nice to the animals in open enclosures that didn't even have over-head meshes, and the enclosures themselves were fairly huge.  we got to see the male and female lion loving it up.  awesome.  there was also a half-mile jungle walk.  and thunder river, which for some reason was unexpectedly cold.  a few of us went on it, and that first waterfall soaked everyone in the boat with COLD! water.  we *all*, at the same time, sat straight up and *squeaked*!  i wish someone had gotten a picture of that, because it was surely priceless.

at this time, my back was starting to hurt, so i went to the front of the park and sat down.  watched the ducks, watched the people, got crispy crittered a bit.  got some coloring stuff and popcorn and a soda, which oddly enough helped my stomach, went back to duck-watching.  i didn't know that they had a parade every day in the parks, but they do.  around about 4, mom and dad walked by my bench on the way to the Circle of Life show.  at 5pm, people started congregating, including cute kids, and local couple i started talking to.  at 5.30, the parade happened.  by this time, things didn't hurt so much, so i got up periodically and did some belly-dancing in time to the music, which the performers loved.  and i blew a kiss to donald duck who blushed as only a duck can. :-D  i love donald.

after the parade, a couple guys came across the street and asked if i would take a picture with them, because i stole the show - i was really flattered, because i was just being silly and having fun. :-D

and that was the end of day 1.  day 2, everyone else went to hollywood studios, and i stayed home.  and had a 5hr nap in the afternoon.  i kept intending to do some writing that week, but every time i stayed home, i ended up sleeping the sleep of the dead - go figure.  the others said hollywood studios was great, and i would have loved it, and i'm sure that's true, but i'm glad i stayed home, too.

day 3 was epcot.  the big golf ball.  whenever i see it, i'm always waiting for some over-sized goofy to come along and swing a club at it.  the 'world' - the back part around the lake with all the different countries represented - wasn't open till 11, so we went to some shows at the center.  the ride in the golf ball was... well, they'd changed it up, i still found historical mistakes, and it smelled funny at the top - some chemical smell i'm not sure what it was.  but i made funny pictures for the ride photo, and we laughed a lot.  ellen's energy dream thing was awesome in a cheesy ellen way.  they had dinosaur animatronix in there that i swear they hadn't changed out since the 'everyone got sick' trip in 1980-something.  that was highly amusing in a nostalgic way.  then we went to the world - i stopped in germany and got sis her christmas gift and a german cookbook, because they don't have german cookbooks in southern louisiana.  i also got cookies to munch on.  day 3, i'd brought a book with me, because i figured i wasn't going to be able to last the whole day.  i was right.  dad and i sat down at some tables overlooking the lake outside an african country, munched cookies, drank soda, and generally were happilly hanging out.

we ate dinner that night at the biergarten, where the waitress was very good, even looking after the kids and paying attention to them - she really didn't have to, but it was nice to see.  i left her an extra tip.  then everyone wanted to see the fireworks.  my back was killing me, so dad and i made our way slowly back up to the gate and rendevouzed with the others who'd taken the time to do a few more things before the show.  i couldn't enjoy the show - it hurt too much.  i tried, but eek, no. 

otoh, i gotta say - crud, do they have awesome flowers in that kingdom.  and also, this is where bad geography is ok:  'yeah, we're going to japan, but we gotta go through america first.  then if we keep walking, we'll get to paris!'  um, yeah, made me laugh, anyways.

day 4, wednesday, we decided to take a breather from the parks.  John, Dad, and I stayed home all day.  the others left to go shopping at disney downtown.  i'd thought about going with them, but when i heard they probably wouldn't get back till 5 or 6, i opted out - i just knew i wasn't going to be able to keep up.  that evening, half the troupe came home, and Mom, sis-in-law, M, and C went to see Cirque de Soleil, which they said was pretty awesome.

Day 5 was magick kingdom.  i bought a grumpy jacket, because it was cold.  we rode space mountain twice.  i rode a silly little thing at the top of a building because it had big pretty planets on it.  i didn't get lost. ;-)  i fell in love with cinderella's magic carousel all over again, and am currently trying to find patterns based on it so i can make a working model that combines a variety of crafts - cross-stitch/embroidery, woodwork, miniature painting... i have dreams, my man, dreams.

magick kingdom was tiring for the kids, but i didn't do a lot that day - think it was all catching up to me.  we stayed late to see the park parade, the lighted night parade (which really, quite awesome, and i felt like a jerk for wanting it to end fast because it was so cold and the end of the parade meant i was closer to getting home), and the fireworks.  the fireworks were nice, but i don't think they were worth the cold.  the monorail ride was fun, though, hee.

Day 6, friday, i hung around the house again, this time with John.  still didn't get any writing done.  that evening, i was mooned by L.  i thought it was appropriate, since wednesday, i was almost sunned by his twin brother, S. 

the kids were all relatively well-behaved, considering how very excited they must have been.  and L is our little engineer in the making.  S is the kid who's going to get his mother to shoot him - he's already showing some of my brother's more annoying traits when he just doesn't want to listen.  M is growing up too fast.  i forbid it.  she is not allowed.  but she is anyway, darnit.  she's being a typical teenager, but not overly whiney or bratty, and considering my own teen years, i'm glad she's not in the emotional morass i was.  H is still shy.  A is stubborn as all get out.  C i didn't see much of, possibly because she was too busy playing like a little hooligan with the boys when i was ready to interact with the kids.  not that any of the girls are particularly tomboy-ish, she just has a ton of little-kid energy to burn.

saturday was drive home day.  i had thought about stopping by one of the antique malls i'd seen signs for, but i got out later than i thought, and was too exhausted to want a side trip besides.  got home around 4ish CST  - no stopping this time - and fell face down for a bit.  had a great time, all in all. :-D

last week, it was right back to work. so i did, and worked this weekend, too.  saturday and sunday each, i spent 3hrs at work, then went to lowe's to find everyone in the world getting lawn and garden stuff.  pretty awesome, and mildly amusing.  work on the 'front expansion' is progressing.  also last week, got a pretty, pretty necklace from my friend spartanwerewolf in Canada.  i'm showing it off at work today, and everyone loves it, and i'm grinning like an idiot. :-)

hopefully, soon to come: a not in-depth analysis of a couple of the shows at epcot center that i didn't discuss here; an ending to the world's worst family vacation ever; and a beta'd Green Day.  i'm so close on that fic i can taste it, but every time i look at it, i don't have the energy to do anythingwith it - driving me bonkers, it is.

and that's the state of the boogieshoes today.

-bs

 

Comments

[slavelabour.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD, your trip. I'm tired just reading about it. But, really, belly dancing and Cirque de Soleil FTW! And coming home. And fic, yay for fic!

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

*grins* i always love that you love my posts. it's awesome. :-)

and yeah, just remembering that trip makes me tired! i'd do it again (sans Aunt Flow, thanks), but talk about needing a vacation after your vacation!

:-)

-bs