Adventures of the Birthday Girl

I have to face reality: Next year I will be a quarter of a century old!

Such a horrible reality that is, lol.

I tease, I tease. I'm still young and I know it. No need to go through a 'Quarter Life Crisis' or anything dramatic like that. But yes, I am officially 24 years old as of last week. I have been meaning to post about all of the fun (and not so fun) moments of my weekend, but alas I love to procrastinate. But I also have what I believe is a valid excuse, but I'll get to that later. I do have a lot of ground to cover here after all. And I'll apologize in advance for the amount of babbling I am bound to do. Sometimes it just helps to get my thoughts out in words and if you know me at all you'll know that my thoughts tend to involve a lot of words. Now if only I could form one cohesive journal of my thoughts. That sure would be something. In the meantime you get as follows: me rambling.

So, where to begin? Oh, yes, the birthday.

Truth be told my birthdays have never been big celebrations by any means, at least not compared to some. As far as I can recall I have never really had what you would call an actual birthday party, which I could probably blame in part on my lack of socialization, but still. I don't mind this little factoid of my life. Goodness knows I've never felt quite comfortable in party settings of any kind, I prefer smaller and more intimate family affairs I suppose. And regardless, I usually enjoy myself. As much as I don't like big gatherings I certainly do have an affinity for being the center of attention and birthdays make that possible without coming off like too much of a brat. So yes, I proudly announce my birthday to anyone who will listen to me.

That being said, strange things always happen on or around my birthday. I'll spare you the details of past years but let me fill you in on what happened this year: I locked my keys in the trunk of my car. Not so bad an event in itself, but I was trying to leave work with my hands full of birthday gifts from my awesome Disney Princess loving co-worker, securing the balloons in my trunk so they wouldn't be an accident waiting to happen in the backseat of my car and the next thing I know I have no way of getting into my car. I'm rather thankful of the fact that home, and work, and my families work places are all within a 7 minute drive from one another or else getting home may have taken a lot longer than it did. Said Disney Princess loving co-worker was amazing enough to come pick me up so I could get my spare key from home, but of course upon arrival I couldn't find the spare key to the house so I had to go pick up a key from my dad at the Shop where he works and the back to the house, and then back to work again. All in all, I got home 1 hour after I got off work. I suppose I could have called AAA, but in the past I have done this so often that I used up all of my "freebies" and I would rather save those for times when I'm not a couple of miles from home. At least I can laugh about the ordeal. Of course then, for dinner, I ordered pizza from the wrong Round Table and when my family went to go pick it up there was obviously no pizza there and the one I did call was literally on the other side of town. I felt even worse about that than I did with my car keys seeing as that affected everyone and not just me.

Speaking of my awesome Disney Princess loving co-worker and my gaggle of birthday presents, take a look at what she got me!


A Princess mug so I can some hot chocolate for the road when I leave home at 2 am on my way to the Happiest Place on Earth.


A gorgeous little ornament from the Ashton-Drake Galleries "A Dream Come True" collection.

There was also a Snow White pin that I didn't have yet to add to my collection, my Snow White birthday balloons, and a Disney Princess bucket to hold it all. Talk about a great way to start off my day in addition to the card from my parents and some Pez candy with a Snow White Pez dispenser and money for Disneyland. Do you see the connection here? I guarantee you, I am easy to shop for. You can never go wrong with Disney/Snow White and money for Disney. The trouble comes in finding something that I don't already have, such as this precious Jim Shore figurine of Snow White and the Prince that I fell in love with the moment I saw it for the first time. My parents got it for me for Christmas last year, and now I have two thanks to my beloved Aunt Lisa. But I love it regardless. It's nice to have it displayed on my TV cabinet along with my large water globes. I have most of my figurines packed away for the time being until I move out and can display them all in a case, safe away from my cats who have a tendency to knock things over on a daily basis.

But I am excited to announce that between my birthday money and the money I have saved up with Miss Piggy, who I introduced to you all not too long ago, including the recent addition of 24 dollars and change from my recycling collection I now have close to $500 of spending money outside of what I have been putting away to begin with. I'm excited to go do a little shopping for myself, although first the money will go towards paying off the meals I have planned for myself.

In other news, and the reason behind my forgetfulness and procrastination as of late, I have given up soda. Again. This isn't the first time I have sworn of my sugary-caffeine fueled addiction, but it is the first time I have felt confident I can make it stick. As of today I am already one week 'soda-sober' as I have come to call it. The first few days I was absolutely ridden by headaches that made me miserable. Thankfully, they are gone now, but they have been replaced by a lack of focus that has made me rather forgetful and uninterested in a lot of things. I can only hope this part will be temporary while I'm still getting used to not having any soda in my system. I've also added coffee to my no-drink list in part to keep me away from temptation and in part to save some money as well. Those weekly coffees before my overnight shift and the few in between add up fast, especially on top of the money I was shelling out to curb my Coca-Cola cravings.

happy birthday, body, this one is for you!

It appears my forgetfulness has struck again. I had more to talk about but unfortunately I have completely forgotten. Although, kudos to you for making it this far!

You'll hear from me again soon. I am one week away from the start of my vacation, only 5 days of work left between me and freedom, and I want to finish my story from last years fun before I leave. Do you think I can do it? We'll have to find out.

T.T.F.N.

Trip Report Part III

A Date with Pirates
Under normal circumstances any other time during the year that little run through of the Haunted Mansion would have been third in line, following another fan favorite (and favorite of ours). I'm sure somebody could take a stab at guessing which attraction I'm talking about. Here's a hint for you:

Yo Ho Yo Ho
A Pirate's life for me
I'm sure you guessed that I'm talking about a ride based off the Veggie Tales "The Pirates Who Don't do Anything". Am I right?

No, I suppose that answer wouldn't be correct after all. Of course I am talking about the ride turned three-peat of the film industry, Pirates of the Caribbean!

"Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys... and there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together, and keep your ruddy hands inboard. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys... dead men tell no tales!"

"Ye come seekin' adventure and salty ol' pirates, aye? Sure ye come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight, with both hands if you please... there be squalls ahead, and Davey Jones waiting for them what don't obey..."
It never gets old saying this, but the ride just keeps getting better and better. I couldn't begin to guess how many times I have crossed those waters but I still love it now as much as I did so many years ago. If there is any justice in the world the excitement will never go away.

In a wonderful display of perfect timing, we found ourselves exiting the ride just as we needed to check in right next door at the entrance to our favorite place to eat in the park: the Blue Bayou (although now that she has dined at the exclusive Club 33 it may just be Andrea's second favorite).


We needed to be there early to check in to be sure that we got our beloved water side tables, and we're glad that we were. Between the time that we got there and the time hat they started letting us into the lobby to be seated I can't even tell you how many more parties showed up. And of course everyone is trying to tell the Hostesses that they have an early 'reservation' and they should be at the head of the line, but we all had the same time so the little argument would get them nowhere.

The wait wasn't bad however. It was still a good 20 or 30 minutes before our priority seating time (which is Disneyland speak for reservations, but it's not quite the same) but we managed to find some entertainment for ourselves. Andrea and I took turns going in and out of the shops and even found some roaming and performing pirates!






By the time we were actually seated we were the third party in to get a table. I'm very happy that we chose to do an early lunch because they always fill the water side tables first so we got our water side table no problem. I've always loved the ambiance of the restaurant but those tables only add to the experience. You really feel as though you are eating outdoors at nighttime. And if you didn't already know this the restaurant is inside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and you actually pass by the dining area not long after you launch from the loading docks. It's not as though the ride is passing directly next to everyone trying to enjoy a nice meal, but they are there. Because it is so dark it can be tricky to get photos from inside the restaurant without flash (which you don't want to use too much since it will likely blind everyone seating near you), but I did my best.






And just in case you were wondering, I ordered the same thing that I order wherever I go: the salmon. And their Blackened-Cajun Salmon is almost as to-die-for as that Mediterranean Salmon I had back in Texas this summer that I have been craving ever since. I just wish I could have eaten the whole thing but I was so hungry I had already stuffed my little face with the salad before we even got to our entrees. But it was delicious nonetheless. And it being my birthday and all, we even got a little extra treat in the form of a delicious little chocolate mousse desert.


Yes, that is a birthday candle in my iced tea!






It was a great lunch and put us in an even better mood for the rest of the afternoon. I don't know how happy we would have been with each other after such a long morning if we hadn't decided to add this meal into the mix for our first day.

Coming up: We meet Winnie the Pooh & Friends

Trip Report Part II

Here you leave today
And enter the world
of yesterday, tomorrow
and fantasy
- Walt Disney
Our first day in the park was just amazing, and a much better all-around experience than we had on our first day back in March. If you haven't heard me tell you the tale of what went down on that not-so-Magical day, you'll have to keep waiting. That is a story for another day.

While Andrea was busy changing into something that wasn't sequin-color-contaminated, me and my own two legs walked along Harbor Blvd. just enjoying the sights and sounds that took me closer to Disneyland inch by inch, step by step. I'm a fast walker so I would venture a guess that the walk from the hotel to the park gates takes me just about 5 minutes (or longer if I decide to slow it down which is not very often). I am a speed-walking fiend I tell you!

Here's an awesome image that I found that shows you the very simple and straightforward walk from that I have made more times than I can count this year:


The best (and really the only entertaining) part about the walk is all the little hints that you are getting closer and closer to Disneyland. The lamp posts proudly display banners advertising the latest and greatest that Disneyland has to offer. Back in March they were the same "Celebrate Today" images that were used with this year's "What Will You Celebrate" promotion (that included the free admission on your birthday) and matched the park hoppers (a.k.a. tickets) we held in our hand. The lamp posts were sporting a different look this time around, advertising the D23 Expo that would be taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center from September 10th - 13th.


Do I really need to tell you that just seeing them put the spring right back in my step?

It would have been awesome to be able to attend the Expo. I keep in touch with a few people who went to different events throughout the weekend and it just seemed like so much fun, and there was so much Disney history to be found there, along with exciting new announcements (and a preview of The Princess & the Frog that I would have loved to see). Heck, Johnny Depp even made an appearance decked out in full Captain Jack Sparrow attire. You had better believe I would have done anything to be there if I could have. Did you know that they are making a 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Well, you do now.

The most important part of the walk however, is when you reach that turning point and get ready to cross Harbor Blvd. (without getting hit by a swiftly moving vehicle, which is why we have traffic lights). For any Disney fanatic, this is a beautiful sight:


The plan was for me to get their first since I am the faster walker between the two of us and stake out spots in line to get ready for the glorious moment that they start letting non-Magic Morning regular entrance folks like ourselves in through those green gates with that wand waving sound that tells us we've been granted a Magical day (if you have no idea what I mean by Magical Morning, you will in due course, I promise you this). Of course if I had remembered that they start letting people onto Main Street en masse 30 minutes prior to the rope drop that will open up all of the different Lands of Disney we may have reworked our strategy somewhat. So I was into the parks before Andre managed to meet me there, which was all fine and dandy. I needed to swing by City Hall to get that all-important birthday badge to let everyone know exactly what I was celebrating!


Once my birthday badge (which sported my naickname, Jazz, because it's just so much fun) was securely in place and visible for all it was time to start off the real Disneyland adventure.

First we would venture into the world of yesterday and the 1950's exotic adventure of Adventureland! There I met up with Andre outside the entrance to the world famous Jungle Cruise. It's tradition that this ride always be our first stop. Always. And no matter how many times I have heard the jokes I think I will always love this ride. They are so full of cheese, but that's why we love it. Our Skipper wasn't the best that I've had, but she wasn't the worst either. But I was expecting a little more from her first cruise out on the day.






Shh! You're supposed to attack the next boat!!


There's old Trader Sam, head salesman of the area. Business has been shrinking lately, so this week only, Sam's offering a two-for-one special: two of his, for one of yours! Either way you slice, you always come out ahead.
Going back even further into yesterday, we made our way into what is hands down our favorite 'land' to just chill in: New Orleans Square. What is there in New Orleans Square that we don't love? Pirates of the Caribbean? Love it! Blue Bayou? Love it! Haunted Mansion? Love it! Do you know what else we love? The Jambalaya Jazz Band! And they certainly got a kick out of my beloved nickname. It would be a memorable one for Cast Members all over the park.


And let that photo just go to show you just how bright it was that morning. There was so much sunlight everywhere! We got some Mardi Gras beads out of the deal. I wish we could have stayed to watch them perform a little while longer because they're awesome, but we were on a mission to get our Haunted Mansion fix in before they closed it on the 10th for the Haunted Mansion Holiday that opens up just in time for the Halloween season.










Coming up: We have a lunch date on the Bayou

Happy Birthday to me!!

This is my birthday song
It isn't very long
We've been celebrating my birthday since we got to Disneyland on Tuesday, but today was my actual birthday! And there is no doubt about it, it's the best birthday I have ever had - well except for that actual birth day. That one seems kind of important.

The kicker in why I made the decision to come for my actual birthday rather than celebrate my birthday any old time I came down here was because of the "free admission on your birthday" promotion that has been going on in 2009. Or in my case a $72 gift card since I already had admission for 5 whole days.


Of course I already spent the full gift card! And I still have more shopping to do tomorrow with the rest of my birthday money. I don't know what to do with myself!


And yes, those are my awesome birthday cards on display in our hotel in the background. I bought a purse, a necklace (shock, right?), and a Precious Moments Snow White figurine that I have had my eyes on since March! She wont be alone by the time I come home either.

Hello from Anaheim!!

Greetings from Disneyland!!

Dre and I have already been here for 2 whole days - and in case you are wondering, we're having the most magical time! Heck, even better than that. And we're still going to be here for 3 more days before spending the 4th just taking our time on the way home. The fun is just never ending.

And it is just awesome being told happy birthday every time you turn around. We all know how much I love to be the center of attention! And heck, it's not even my official birthday just yet. That would be tomorrow!!! Big day that will be.

I'll be 23!

To hold you over until we get home and have the chance to tell (and show) you all about what we've been doing, here are a few photos from our first 2 days:


It's Jazz & the Jazz Band

Before an amazing lunch at Blue Bayou

My favorite Princess!!

Maybe you can settle this for us. We were debating who's taller: me or Pan?

3 days to go

3 days to go now. That means there are only 3 sleeps and 2 shifts of work (totaling 12 hours) standing between me and the Happiest Place on Earth.

And I still haven't packed.

But at least I started. That's what counts, right? That leaves me tomorrow to finish my laundry and set aside the clothes I'll need for Monday and then the real progress of packing can start. It just feels so weird to have so little done already when we're leaving so soon - if that makes any sense. I have a plan, now all I have to do is stick to it and we'll see where I go.

I just can't wait to get the birthday celebrations started. It's going to be weird not being home for my birthday this year, but it's going to be awesome. But there wont be any birthday cards in the mail to look forward to until we get home next Sunday. All I had in today's mail was a statement from the credit union. No more mail until Tuesday afternoon now, by which time we will be long gone.

Sigh.

Well, at least I have one. Thanks to Karolina. We went out to lunch at CPK today (a favorite of mine and Bamma's) and it was delicious as always. I don't know what I would do without a BBQ chicken pizza every now and again. And seeing Karolina is always a plus. I miss being able to see her at work every day.


Speaking of work ... I have that dreaded overnight shift tonight. But at least I wont have to do it again until September 19th.

It's time to start the countdown

6!! Only 6 days until all the fun of my birthday extravaganza at Disneyland begin. And now, because you haven't had enough of me telling you how many days to go, you get to read all about it. I'm going through some major planning withdrawals right now, and I'm falling too far behind. Why on earth haven't I started packing anything yet?! Aren't the obsessive compulsive pack rat who takes close to two whole weeks to pack everything to make sure nothing is skipped over because she got tired of winding up down a toothbrush and pajamas wherever she went? Today will be the day, I tell you.

I know we're getting together on Thursday so I can catch up on the end of season 2 of True Blood, but we also have to tackle the all-important playlist on my iPod to make for the drive to Anaheim as well as the drive home, which is guaranteed to include a couple of Dre-Jazz staples like "the man song" which is our affectionate term for a track off the Mulan soundtrack better known as "I'll Make a Man Out of You". Speaking of, we were recently asked by someone what it is about that song and why women seem to like it so much. It turns out that his wife has pretty much the same reaction we do whenever we hear the song. In the words of Dre ...

Donny Osmond + Machismo =
I know that outside of the packing and the playlist there isn't a whole lot to do, but I'm just antsy and feel like I should be doing something. I keep going over everything in my head:

- Park Hoppers? Check. Thanks to Disney's summer promotion we get 2 days free with the purchase of our 3 day hoppers (Disney speak for tickets). Getting them through the Credit Union also ended up saving us another $20-40 if we had purchased them through Disney.

- Hotel Reservation? Check. We're staying at the Howard Johnson on Harbor Blvd. again, which is a few minutes walking distance to the park gates. We even scored on their entertainment rate this time. What is an entertainment rate? It's a 50% discount that they offer on select dates if you have a valid Entertainment Card, which is the discount card that comes with the Entertainment Book. So we've got our room booked at $57/night.

- Entertainment Card? Check. This is one that I almost let slip my mind. Oh, how sorry I would have been! But a quick search on eBay, $1.50, and 3 days later I officially have our little piece of plastic that is saving us so much money.

- Priority Seating? Check. Here's another Disney term that you probably haven't heard before. Priority Seating is similar to a typical dining reservation, and can be made 60 days in advance. Rather than waiting until I could call and make them all at once I had so much fun calling each day that we reached 60 days out from when we had planned our dining! We made a total of 4 different PS: Blue Bayou (the restaurant that is inside Pirates of the Caribbean), Ariel's Grotto (character meal), Goofy's Kitchen (character meal), and Minnie & Friend's (character meal).

Dre and I did the Minnie & Friend's Breakfast in the park back in March:





Fairy Godmother loved the color of my nail polish.

Dale almost knocked my ears off.



- Free admission on my birthday? un-Check. I may not be getting the free admission on my birthday because we already have 5 day Park Hoppers, but that doesn't mean I am not loving this year's birthday promotion!! I've registered and printed out my voucher, now all I have to do is take my ID and Park Hopper to get my Birthday Fun Card. So much better than the free admission. They give me $72 to go spend in the parks. How awesome is that?! It's going to be so hard to decide what I want to buy, but I'm sure that I'll manage. I wonder if I can also use my 10% coupon. Hmmm.

Be prepared. I am not done talking about Disneyland. Not by a long shot!

Oh, and remember! I wont be home on my actual birthday or a few days before - but I will shamelessly beg for some awesome voice mail on my cell phone of everyone singing me happy birthday.

Mom's birthday dinner

We went to Claim Jumper (aka home of too much damn food) for mom's birthday dinner on Monday. I swear one plate could feed a whole family. I just wish my meal had been more appetizing. I love salmon. I love BBQ sauce. I love putting BBQ sauce on just about everything. Wouldn't it make sense that I would like BBQ sauce on salmon? I don't know if it was just because of everything else I had eaten but to be honest it was disgusting. Then again, when I ate the leftovers the next day it tasted better. I had a good afternoon with mom though. We went to lunch, the bookstore (bought her a couple of books), and went and saw a movie together (which brings the count to 3 times I have seen The Proposal now). One last Happy Birthday to you, mom!