May I Have Your Autograph?

This past year at Disney, we met over 30 characters throughout the parks.  One of the things the kids loved to do was to go get their autograph and take photos with them.  The first year we did this, I had a basic autograph book for each child.  It actually proved to be a little more cumbersome than I imagined, and the end product didn’t turn out all that great.  This past year, I started with the end in mind and created individual note cards that the kids used for each character (found online), plus I took more candid photos of their interactions with them.  The end result was that I had so much more flexibility as to how to put together each kids final album and it came out rather great (if I do say so myself).

So, if I had to give any advice to my friends who visit Disney and want character autographs, I would give the following::

1. Take Candid Shots:

With “professional” photographers stationed at each character spot (and especially if you have a spouse or a friend with you), the “official” shots of each child with the characters will most likely be in abundance. However, what I found to be really cool is getting the kids approaching the characters and interacting with them (or even the characters signing the autographs)

It allows you to do so much more when you return if you’re putting together scrapbooks.  What I also do is shoot videos of those moments (with pretty much any smart phone you can take the stills while the video is still shooting).

 

2. Plan in Advance

Planning which characters you want to meet, find out where they are located (and get fast pass to meet them if you can) and plan out the ideal times to meet them.  It will also help ensure that you get to meet your child's favorite.

Ben wanted to meet Woody (we met him twice),

Emma wanted Doc Mc Stuffins (She is only in 1 spot out of all of the parks)

For some reason, Chase’s favorite character is The Green Army Man from Toy Story.

3. Individual Character Cards

Planning in advance also allows you to make pre-printed character cards for each character you plan on meeting.  You print it out blank (with the characters name or image) and then they sign it for you.

For me, it also allows me to sort them into separate bags based on when I plan on meeting them.  I would bag each day (or even part of the day) in separate bags so I didn’t have to go looking through all of the cards when we met each character.

Sure, it’s a little more effort, but the end product makes it worth it.

4. Generic Cards

While I love the personal cards with each characters name and image, you will also come across characters you either didn’t plan to meet or even know existed.  For us, we met Stitch (what the heck is a Stitch?), among others so I had some blank cards printed with Disney logos etc. for those occasions and always made sure I had a bunch with me just in case.

5. Put it all together:

When you get home, you are probably pretty exhausted and it would be easy to just throw the autographs in a box and be done with it.  The beauty of the cards is that you can easily put them in an album right by the pictures you took for a pretty cool finished product.

"Let’s ostracize the freak". A new look at the classic holiday cartoons

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

• The moral of the story is that you will be treated liked crap until someone needs something from you.
• "Let’s ostracize the freak".  Santa about Rudolph.  Or the Dentist Elf.   Probably.
• I don’t think Women’s lib made it to the North Pole as Ol Donner says to his wife “Stay home, this is Man’s work”. 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

• I am not sure of the laws of Somber-Town, but at the opening of the show the Mailman basically opens up every letter and reads them.  Isn’t that mail fraud

Twas the Night Before Christmas:

• Evidently Santa gets one letter then bans and condemns an entire city.  A little thinned skin don’t ya think Santa?
• Correct me if I am wrong, but Father Mouse says to his son, and I am paraphrasing here  – “See what you did by having your own opinion”
• After Santa decides to grace the town with his presence after receiving offerings of gold (and clocks), he goes down a chimney and smokes his pipe while putting presents in the stockings,  thus exposing the entire family to second hand smoke and causing cancer in the entire family probably.
• And probably the most absurd is the government giving the clockmaker the go-ahead to make the clock but provides no funding whatsoever.

The Year without a Santa Clause

• Maybe the most unbelievable aspect of this show isn’t that Santa Claus exists.  Or that Reindeer fly.  It’s that the Mayor of is able to get all the Mayors across the US and across party lines to agree on something.
• “What’s your name sir”.  Uh. Uh Uh Clawwwws…  Yeah Santa, nice undercover work.  They’ll never guess who you really are.
• Anyone else notice that Santa calls Mrs. Claus “Ma” – yet they have no kids?
• Speaking of the Mrs.  Way to throw Jingle and Jangle under the bus by saying that going into the world was their idea.  Manipulative B***h

The Fine Line Between Being Sick And Supporting Aquaman

OK, so I go to bed, hoping to get a good night’s sleep before a busy day.  15 minutes later, I know something is wrong.  Anxiety over who will be the next Bachelor? No.  Troubled over if Kayne and Kim’s son will run into trouble giving people directions? No.  Rather, I start to feel sick.  I visit WebMd on my phone to find out what’s wrong.

• Trouble breathing
• Feeling Disey
• Tightness in chest
• Search Results: Polio

OK, now something is really wrong.  I don’t want to wake my son who is sleeping on the floor, but I know I need to get to a bathroom.  I maneuver through the room like OJ Simpson used to go through airports in those Hertz commercials.

I drop to my knees in the hallway and crawl to the bathroom.  I lay my face right over the bowl and what do I pray for?

• To get it over with?  No
• To not get sick? No
• That my arms are strong enough so I don’t plunge right into the water?  Yes.

I don’t get sick but now a dilemma.  Should I stay like this or should sit upright.  It was like my own Sophie’s choice.  Things are getting worse.  I am now sweating and am as white as a ghost…or as Richie Incognito.

 

I think I start to hallucinate.  Sweating, I start to wonder about random things:

• Can I remember any of the Hanson “mmmmbop” brother’s names?
• Who were those Menudo kids?
• Will One Direction suffer the same fate?

I see some towels and put them on the floor thinking that I will just rest for a bit; mind you, half naked and on the cold tile of the bathroom.  I think I pass out for a bit because I wake up with my face pressed against the sink.

I think I meekly call out for help, but regret doing so as soon as I do it.  I mean, what will happen.  My kids will wake up, walk in to the bathroom and see their daddy lying on the tile.

• Hi Daddy, what ya doing?
• Call 911
• Daddy, draw me a picture
• Call 911
• Daddy, who would win in a fight – The Hulk or Aquaman?
• Call 91…wait what?  Are you kidding me?  How the heck do you think Aquaman will beat the Hulk?  Call 911
• OK Daddy, Fine.  How do you spell 911?

Anyway, I make my way downstairs thinking I just need to lay down on a couch.  It’s cold and dark so I randomly pick up articles of clothing to keep me warm.  I pick up some socks for my feet and hands.  I pick up a jacket from the kitchen and go to lie down.  I am restless.  I catch a glimpse of me in the mirror with mismatched red, brown and green socks on my hands and feet and a pink jacket.  I looked like a deranged Elf from Chucky the killer doll’s shelf.

I toss and turn all night and finally my kids come see my on the couch.

• Hi Daddy, can we have milk and waffles?
• Oh guys, Daddy doesn’t feel well. 
• OK, but um daddy um, can we have Waffles now?

My kids say a lot of things, but they never say this

20 things my kids never say

1. Oh, you’re in the bathroom, I'll wait until you come out to talk to you
2. It appears we disagree.  Let’s talk this out and not yell…or whine… or throw things
3. Daddy, let’s leave this toy store.  I don’t want anything
4. Shhh, let’s go back to sleep and wake up at a reasonable hour
5. While that candy looks appetizing, I don’t want to eat it or I will spoil my dinner
6. Wait!  Before I go outside, can you make sure I have on my jacket, gloves and hat
7. I don’t need a goodie bag, it’s their birthday party and it's not about me
8. Let me move back a few feet because I respect your personal space
9. More shampoo please
10. Let’s watch what YOU want to watch on TV
11. You look tired.  Let me sit here in silence while you rest
12. It’s OK, I’ll wait until you eat your dinner before asking you for something
13. Dear Santa.  All I want for Christmas is for peace on Earth
14. Let me ride my bike slowly around this turn, because you know, it's dangerous
15. I know we are out at a public place, so I will wait until we get home to throw a tantrum
16. Daddy, it’s my bedtime.  I want to put away all my toys and just go to sleep
17. I don’t care that it is the weekend, we should do homework because I have an ongoing thirst for knowledge
18. Quiet guys, Daddy is on the phone and we want to make sure he can hear the person he is talking to
19. We don't heat the whole world, let me close the door behind me
20. Daddy. (That’s it.  Just Daddy.  A single “Daddy”.  One time. Not followed up by Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!)

Greatest Television Shows...Ever

When considering the best shows ever on TV, there are many to choose from.  BJ & the Bear, Baywatch, ALF, Joe Millionaire and the one with that robot girl all need to be in the conversation.  OK, maybe those don’t, but shows like MASH, I Love Lucy, Battle Star Galactica, Sopranos and The Simpsons might be.  However, they did not make my final list.  Here's who did.

#1.  Star Trek – The Original Series 

It is almost hard to believe that this show only lasted 3 seasons when you think of the lasting mark on pop-culture.  Between the movies, documentaries, pop culture references (beam me up Scotty), books, spin offs and the conventions, the Star Trek phenomena is worldwide.  The plot?  I don’t know something about aliens, humans and an attractive green woman.

 #2: The Walking Dead

For those of you who haven’t seen the Walking Dead, you may be saying “Really, a show about Zombies?  The best way to think about this show is that it deals with how people survive in the wake of an Earth wide catastrophe.   The Walking Dead refer not to the Zombies, but rather to the people who fight to survive.  Yes, the show is only 3 seasons in, so while it can be argued that it is too new to be considered one of the best shows ever, it has become a rare show that I consider “Must watch Live”.  Interesting note, while Walking Dead continues to break its own cable ratings records and beats out broadcast shows in the 18-49 segment, did you know that NBC turned down this show?  Nice job Peacock.

#3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Forget the movie with Kristy Swanson and that guy from 90210.  And forget Vampires that sparkle.  This show was just cool.  It was smart, funny, action packed, and I think there was a love story in between jamming a wooden spike into vampire hearts.

#4 Seinfeld

What is amazing to me about Seinfeld is how this show could last 9 seasons with basically no point, no continuous plot, no moral and no real romance or love interest (Man hands doesn’t count).  What other show asked the hard hitting questions like “Does the yellow sun of Earth also cause Superman to have a super sense of humor?”

#5 Mystery Science Theater 3000:

“In the not too distant future…”  Who hasn’t sat and watched a movie or TV show and just made fun of it for the bad acting or stupidity of it.  I mean, anyone who has seen Twilight knows what I am talking about.  All I can say is that I want friends like Tom Servo and Crow.

#6 Game of Thrones

Of all time?  OK, maybe that is a stretch, but it’s my list.  I just started reading the books (after watching the first 3 seasons on TV) and even after watching the show, it is pretty hard to follow.  If I read the books first, I would never have thought they could have made this into a TV show.  Too many characters.  Too many simultaneous stories.  No one is likeable.  But not only has it been done…it has been done well.  It also is the only show or movie which has provided me with a true OMG moment and honest shock since Darth Vader was revealed as Luke’s father.  I am so happy I didn’t read the book beforehand and got to experience the “Red Wedding” live.

#7 Married With Children

Cliff Huxtable. Mike Brady. Jason Seaver. Al Bundy.  Which one doesn’t fit?  Married with Children was the first show that I remember that turned the core family on its head.  A husband that doesn’t want to spend time with his wife.  A wife that can’t cook.  Kids that bribe parents for money.  This show had it all…all while doing it all in way that made everyone laugh.  Truth be told, I personally probably liked Brady Bunch better (Mom always said don’t play ball in the house), but this was different and for that, makes my list.

#8 X-Files 

The Truth is Out There.  I am not talking about the post Mulder show.  They might as well put Cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch on after Mulder left for all I cared at that point.  But the early seasons?  Must see TV.

#9 South Park

A cartoon you say?  How about a cartoon which almost real time takes every high profile news story and skewers in ways that make you embarrassed to laugh – but laugh you do. Michael Jackson and bringing kids to Neverland?  Been There.  Tom Cruise not coming out of the closet?  Done That.  Suzanne Summers and taking advantage of starving children?  Mel Gibson’s viewpoint on Judaism.  Christopher Reeve and Stem Cell Research?  Yep, yep yep. 

#10 Dr. Who 

OK, I have never watched Dr. Who…but any show that lasts over 26 seasons should make the list.  Wait, then I guess General Hospital or Days of Our Lives should be on it…Ok on second thought, make this one Saved by the Bell.

See The World They Said...

I travel.  I travel a lot.  What is a lot?  For some context, these past 4 months I have flown over 150,000 miles.  All domestically. 

There is a big difference between what I do, and what my friends and family think I do, especially when it comes to this travel. 

• Them: “You are so lucky.  You get to see the world and visit new and exciting places”
• Me: “Damn it, I think I am in a middle seat”

So, to set the record straight, let’s examine my travel day.  

Lines, Lines and More Lines

• Let's pretend you already have your ticket.  Upon arriving at the security checkpoint , the first big choice is knowing which line to go on.  The best advice I can give here is find the one I am going on, and pick the opposite.   Invariably I get stuck behind either
• The person who hasn’t travelled since 1973 and therefore has decided to bring a big-gulp sized bottle of Shampoo that they are now longer able to carry on.
• The couple with the kid.  Yeah, that kid.  The one who doesn’t listen, climbs on the conveyor belt and lingers in the X-Ray with a spider thinking he is going to be the next Spiderman.

Break on Through to the Other Side (of Security)

• If you are going through the security process and if by accident you forget to take that tube of Chap Stick out of your bag, be prepared to get searched like you tried crossing the Turkish border with 7 kilo’s of drugs.
• Once YOU are through, you need to wait for your bags on the conveyor belt.  The best analogy I can give is that it is like trying to catch the Ice-Cream man when you were a kid.  Running after the little bus yelling STOP Ice Cream Man, Stop!  Only this time, you are running after your shoes, your belt and your bags – all while the 19 year old TSA guy who was turned down from the “Fry job” at McDonalds continues to run the conveyor belt as your bags pile up.  So you shuttle along the length of the belt trying to grab your things, while avoiding other passengers like Mario avoiding the barrels from Donkey Kong until finally all the stuff crashes into each other and creates more of a mess than Lindsay Lohan’s acting career. 

Now Boarding...Zone Crazy People 

• Ok you got through security, now you need to find your gate.  Simple right?  Well, not so fast.
• A typical gate announcement goes like this “*gum chewing*, uh, yeah, for those of you on flight 3628-niner…your flight has been delayed.  Your new gate is…” – at that point every passenger looks for their flight number (did she say niner?) as it is the one piece of information that nobody knows or cares about.  When you finally locate the number you look up and hear…”*gum chewing*…thank you”
• When they finally line people up to board – they are very clear in saying that they will board by group number.  “Ok, now boarding Group 1”  As soon as this is said, every single passenger in the waiting area tries to board like this is the last flight out and a horde of Zombies is marching down towards the gate.
• Now, given that you actually are group 1, you almost get to the front of the line…that is until some guy in a business suit pushes aside a nun, steps on a 5 year old kid on crutches and then tries to pass you saying HE is in group 1.

• The main driver behind the mad dash for the plane is, like the Titanic and lifeboats, there is only limited overhead space for 5 carry-on bags for 237 passengers.  
• As you walk on, feeling that stress, you see an open space…DAMN, someone else took it.  Oh wait there is another.  You go to put your bag up and there is a sport coat laying down in the overhead space.  Seriously, some guy took off his sport coat and lay it down in the space?  You do the polite thing and push your bag up and scrunch up the coat and sit down.
• Great, you are finally seated…in the aisle no less.  Things are good.  Uh oh, someone sits in the window seat.  Now with seats filling up quick you know that someone will be in the middle seat.  Now you start evaluating and judging your fellow passengers.  Here comes a skinny girl…yes, yes, please yes…damn it, she walked by.  Here comes someone who looks like they talk a lot.  No, no, no…whew, they walked by.  Uh oh, here comes a fairly large person…no god please no, please nooooo

 In-Flight

• You sit down, get ready to “relax and enjoy your flight”…until the person in front of you reclines right into your lap.  Now you can’t get your laptop or book open and you’re sitting there starring at the top of their head like you are about to give them a haircut.  What do you do? The only thing a civilized person should do.  Talk to them? No…
• …You knee them in the back.  Rather than sitting up, they instead put all their weight into reclining back as far as they can.  Ok, you will deal with it…until the kid behind you starts kicking your seat.  At least the parents of the kid will reprimand them right…parent?  Hello Parents????
• Oh well, you will just get up, stretch your legs and use the rest room.  You enter and immediately discover that anyone over the height of 3’7” is in trouble.  You have to bend at the knees just to avoid the curved ceiling, lift up the seat of the toilet with your foot (because eww) try to keep it from dropping while you do your business.  You then hit the flight attendant call button because you thought that was the button for flushing and now you have drawn attention to yourself.  You hit the water to wash your hands but it only runs for about .00007 seconds before turning off.  You leave, head down in shame.

• You return to your seat and then the turbulence starts.  You immediately recall all your childhood prayers and say the “Our Father” about 17 times, you promise that you will call your parents every day, you will always say (and mean) I love you to people, you will never be mean to anyone ever again and you will…..oh wait, turbulence is over.  Now I can be mean to that ass reclining in front of me.
• You finally land and as you get ready to deplane, the other customers appear to have forgotten that there is etiquette for leaving the plane.  Row by row people like we learned in the 1^st grade.  Nope, evidently Ricky-Bobby from row 18 decides that he needs to get ahead of everyone as he pushes his way up the 18 inch aisle to try to get off the plane first like it is an Olympic sport.
• If you checked your luggage, at the gate or ticketing, you now enter into your own version of Russian roulette.  Click…bag didn’t come out….click…damn it, where is it…click…crap it’s only me and this other guy….crap he got his bag…. 

Ah, you are done

You kick off your week in your new destination by changing to the local time zone which basically means that for breakfast you want a bacon cheeseburger.  You get into Taxi’s that smell worse than that pig pen kid from Charlie Brown.  You spill coffee on your shirt and then spend the afternoon trying to cover it up.  You go to the hotel gym only to realize that the only machine they have was last used in 1856 - and it still has a line of 16 people waiting to use it.

At the end of the week, you go to the airport and start the whole process again.  Yes, the same old security buffoonery, plane delaying, Airplane bathroom crouching, child kicking business man reclining overhead bin using stress.  

You are finally back home...”here take the kids!”

Bachelor Week 5: Part II: Because They Couldn’t Fit All The Crazy Into 1 Night

• After watching the scenes for Part II, some girl better lose a limb…well except for the one arm girl, because that would be just cruel.
• Really Sean, yesterday’s Rose ceremony is the thing that makes you question if you can find your wife on this show? 

1:1 Date with some girl

• What is she wearing?  She looks like a maid.  Maybe that is the fairy tale part?
• An ice castle…with a fire.  Um, does anyone else see the potential for a melt down here?  Get it.  Melt Down.  See what I did there?
• Sean “What don’t I know about you?”.  Really, how about everything?
• I may have been thinking this is my head instead but this is what I heard her say  “I was a clone developed during the clone wars, became a bounty hunter and watched my clone dad get his head chopped off”…oh, no wait, that was Boba Fett.  Instead let me tell you this story about camp…
• This show becomes a series of one-up-manship.  Girl with one arm.  Girl falls down the stairs.  Girl given up for adoption.  Girl has tree fall on fellow camper.  Girl gets frozen in water.  You know next week a girl will cut off her legs and arms, inject herself  with the ebola virus and she will be this torso saying she has 6 months to live and her make – a – wish is to get a rose.

Group Date:

• Holy crazy person laugh.  I expected Selma to be petting a bald cat while laughing like that.
• Sean, “It’s been an incredible day so far”…really, all you did is row a boat.
• Sean “you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but I hope you do if you really want a rose”.  Sounds like the girls have a choice to me.
• Sean “you won’t die”.  5 minutes later “Uh, I don’t think she is breathing”
• It’s nice to see the fake concern of these girls over Tierra.  “Oh yeah, I hope she is um, not dead”
• Let’s see girl that didn’t jump into a frozen lake.  Sean can’t respect that you actually had an opinion and didn’t want to do something.  I think that is a foreshadowing of your future relationship.
• Every time someone gets a rose on a group date  all the other girls have looks on their face like “What the?”
• Holy crap, he sends home Sarah “the one armed girl”.  Now I won’t know anyone’s name
• The one girl who was actually sweet and nice gets sent home.  A lesson to the ladies I guess.
• Sarah comes out in the hallways crying.  Sean looks at her and says “Are you ok?”.  Just peachy Sean, just peachy.

1:1 Date with Des

• Sean “Anytime you get in a relationship it’s about taking a chance”.  Yeah Sean, but it’s not about jumping off a literal mountain
• Des “Oh no I hope I don’t die”.  Don’t worry Des, if you do, I got 10 other girls that will help me get over you.
• Sean “This was such a rewarding day for Des”.  Me?  Not so much
• So, now that you answered my pop quiz correctly, here’s a rose.

Rose Ceremony

• Because of my culture I have not kissed him on national television.  Wow, that is some very specific rules for that culture.
• If we cut of Ashlee’s arm, she may be my new favorite.
• How sad is it that I pay enough attention to say “Well, I know Tierra gets a rose because I saw a scene with her in a peach dress and she hasn’t worn one yet”