Two details on the way out of Disney:
1) We watched a Koi feeding frenzy outside of the hotel: The nice guy was letting any kid out onto the platform to grab a handful of fish food and have them swarm, giving "fish kisses". These fish were so excited they were leaping out of the water. Bella and Jenny were fascinated, but declined the honor of feeding them.
2) At our Brunch with Goofy, guess who showed up? Burt from Mary Poppins - this time as a chimney sweep (yesterday he was dandied up). He of course remembered Bella and Jenny, and plopped right down to sing and color again, and was there for around 20 minutes, completely NOT going from table to table. And he waved over Pluto and Goofy and we all had a very casual playtime - Bella was frolicking with Pluto quite a bit. She was dancing and laughing - she was just enchanted by Pluto!
Goofy took my water glass and went out to the porch to put his feet up, so we joined him for some loafing off... We got some great pictures of us all just kicking back with Chef Goofy.
You know, you see these ads for Disney showing families getting quality time with "characters" and you think "oh sure, THAT'll happen". And here we were getting all sorts of great one-on-one time with Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Mary Poppins, even the Mad Hatter?
One slightly grim image sticks with me as the "tell" of the Disney Experience: A very well dressed "manager" type standing over a pile of kid-puke on the sidewalk, politely waving people to either side, waiting for a clean-up. At other times, I saw gardners and clean up guys giving very detailed directions and even carrying things for people. Service is truly an art for these people!
We left Disney very very impressed and satisfied.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Final Disney Morning
Today we're off to San Diego - but first a "Character Brunch" at Goofy's Kitchen...
Today's Word from Bella is "Tiperator" (tip-er-ay-tor). She's used it in the past too, but today she said "It's Tiperator, and that means I want to keep it FOREVER!" A few days ago she said "It's fine and tiperator, and that means it's FANCY!"
So Tiperator it is.
To conclude the evening last night, we had very good Neopolitan Pizza, and hit the park for a last run: The Enchanted Tiki Birds were wonderful (and retro-tastic). And we got in one last Carousel, Dumbo Ride, and K.C. JR Circus Train... and that closed the park.
Bella fell asleep in the stroller again, so night night was easy, though she woke up a few times in the night shouting about rides or sites, so I'm pretty sure her brain is chock full of the experience, and one more day would probably make her explode. I know OUR feet are KILLING us, and I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing drive down to San Diego... and no plans for the night. Tomorrow, SEA WORLD!
Today's Word from Bella is "Tiperator" (tip-er-ay-tor). She's used it in the past too, but today she said "It's Tiperator, and that means I want to keep it FOREVER!" A few days ago she said "It's fine and tiperator, and that means it's FANCY!"
So Tiperator it is.
To conclude the evening last night, we had very good Neopolitan Pizza, and hit the park for a last run: The Enchanted Tiki Birds were wonderful (and retro-tastic). And we got in one last Carousel, Dumbo Ride, and K.C. JR Circus Train... and that closed the park.
Bella fell asleep in the stroller again, so night night was easy, though she woke up a few times in the night shouting about rides or sites, so I'm pretty sure her brain is chock full of the experience, and one more day would probably make her explode. I know OUR feet are KILLING us, and I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing drive down to San Diego... and no plans for the night. Tomorrow, SEA WORLD!
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Midpoint Report
Allright, forget all about sequential: I need to tell you about what happened this afternoon! We had a great day in general, and were on our way back to the hotel for swimming, when we spotted Mary Poppins and Burt strolling along, so we tailed them. They sat down at some tables in a cafe and we walked up to them. They were politely not signing autographs, but invited Jenny and Bella to sit down and do some coloring with them.
After a little hesitation, they both plopped down, Bella by Burt (the Dick Van Dyke character), and Jenny by Mary Poppins. And they grabbed paper and crayons, and colored. And talked to them, and sang songs together... for over 45 minutes.
Bella and Jenny had a 45 minute private playtime with Mary Poppins and Burt, COMPLETELY impromptu. It wasn't exclusive, but lots of people just ran up wanting autographs and pictures, and they weren't giving either - they invited people to play if they wanted - and a few kids did on and off, but Bella and Jenny were SO into it. And I can't stress this enough - even though other kids came and went, Bella and Jenny were really getting the one-on-one treatment.
This was just one of the most incredible things yet on an incredible vacation.
Which we needed, because this morning, both girls woke up a bit grouchy - and who wouldn't after all of the stimulation of the days? They really needed some downtime, and so after a quiet, separate morning, we met at Toon Town, which is sort of a free form playland, where bella also got to meet Pluto, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
Finally, about the consumerist frenzy from the night before - Bella did not let us forget it - right away this AM she said she wanted a toy... and we had put her off yesterday by saying "tomorrow". So we stopped in many shops and we held all manner of toys in front of her, and she would give an imperial shake of the head NO.
But when we went into Tomorrowland, she immediately fixated on a SILVER ROBOT Pluto, with lights that walked, and she gave the queen's nod - this would be her toy.
And after all of the princess stuff and the mickey and minnie and everything, it warmed my heart that at the very end of it, she picked a DOG and a ROBOT. My little girl is a geek at heart.
More later!
After a little hesitation, they both plopped down, Bella by Burt (the Dick Van Dyke character), and Jenny by Mary Poppins. And they grabbed paper and crayons, and colored. And talked to them, and sang songs together... for over 45 minutes.
Bella and Jenny had a 45 minute private playtime with Mary Poppins and Burt, COMPLETELY impromptu. It wasn't exclusive, but lots of people just ran up wanting autographs and pictures, and they weren't giving either - they invited people to play if they wanted - and a few kids did on and off, but Bella and Jenny were SO into it. And I can't stress this enough - even though other kids came and went, Bella and Jenny were really getting the one-on-one treatment.
This was just one of the most incredible things yet on an incredible vacation.
Which we needed, because this morning, both girls woke up a bit grouchy - and who wouldn't after all of the stimulation of the days? They really needed some downtime, and so after a quiet, separate morning, we met at Toon Town, which is sort of a free form playland, where bella also got to meet Pluto, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
Finally, about the consumerist frenzy from the night before - Bella did not let us forget it - right away this AM she said she wanted a toy... and we had put her off yesterday by saying "tomorrow". So we stopped in many shops and we held all manner of toys in front of her, and she would give an imperial shake of the head NO.
But when we went into Tomorrowland, she immediately fixated on a SILVER ROBOT Pluto, with lights that walked, and she gave the queen's nod - this would be her toy.
And after all of the princess stuff and the mickey and minnie and everything, it warmed my heart that at the very end of it, she picked a DOG and a ROBOT. My little girl is a geek at heart.
More later!
One more thing about Superawesome Day
The Mommys did Space Mountain - did I forget to mention that? They were very proud of their bravery, and they got a picture of themselves screaming. Again, I post: "THE MOMMYS DID SPACE MOUNTAIN!!!!!!"
It's the next day now (Wednesday), and Bella slept in to 7am! Randy and Mae are out having a morning "date" for coffee and pastry, and we have the Squirrels for a little while.
A big day ahead - lots on the agenda!
Jimmy OUT (and off to find some espresso!)
It's the next day now (Wednesday), and Bella slept in to 7am! Randy and Mae are out having a morning "date" for coffee and pastry, and we have the Squirrels for a little while.
A big day ahead - lots on the agenda!
Jimmy OUT (and off to find some espresso!)
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Oh - there's a fire
There's a huge fire someplace near LA - there is a huge plume of smoke over the horizon and the sky has a yellowish tint in places... and there's ash floating down over everything!
Yesterday the smell of smoke was strong (but not acrid - more like a fireplace), but today it was better.
Yet strangely, my asthma has not kicked in even a little bit! And that's the story of the fire.
Yesterday the smell of smoke was strong (but not acrid - more like a fireplace), but today it was better.
Yet strangely, my asthma has not kicked in even a little bit! And that's the story of the fire.
Superawesome DAY
So Bella woke up at 6am again... and I ventured out to find some stronger coffee, only to find that (after walking all the way up and down Downtown Disney) that everything opens at 8, except for the coffee shop 20 feet from the entrance of my hotel, which had been open the whole time! A Quad espresso got the day started right (along with my constitutional walk...)
The park opened 1 hour early for Hotel guests, so we had the run of the place from 9-10, which let Randy and I do Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn (what a charming old ride - but very jarring!) Pamela and the girls did tons of the Fantasyland rides like the Teacups and Small World (sparing me the horror!).
Randy and I hightailed over to California Adventure for some more rides - worried that the lines would start forming... turns out we needn't have - someone forgot to tell the world that that park was open today - every ride we did, there was NO line. In the course of 2 hours, we did the Tower of Terror (the 13 story elevator drip ride), the Soaring over California (IMAX flying movie with hanging chairs and dangling legs), the big California Screamin' roller coaster (TWICE), and two other non-premium rides. After this, my "jones" for rides has been satisfied. And my Inner Ear was letting me know in no uncertain terms that enough is indeed enough.
To put in perspective, the guidebooks say to plan to hit ONE or TWO of these rides in a typical day at the park. We hit FOUR in two hours. To all the people in the world I say, the first week in February is an excellent time to come here. I'd suggest homeschooling your children just so that you can take them this week instead of waiting for a busy time.
For lunch, we went to Ariel's Grotto - and it was a PRINCESS EXPLOSION - my god. Ariel, Belle, Mulan, Snow White, Aurora (?), Shoshanna, Trixie, Zlontar... actually just the first 5. They went from table to table signing autographs and talking to the little princesses, and taking pictures.
At some point, Disney started working this Princess Cult thing, and the little girls go flipping NUTS at the concept of these ladies. They wander around the park at a slow saunter and little girls in princess dresses flock after them like ducklings!
We did more rides, and got home for a quick nap... 5 very busy hours followed by 2 hours of rest. Halfway through naptime, I got up and made my way to the arcade. 4 pinball games, and one round of Dance Dance Revolution - an indignity made better by the fact I was dancing to a Specials song, and there was NO one else there.
After naptime, it was back to Disneyland for more rides - Autopia for driving, the Pooh Honey dream, Peter Pan, the Storyland boat. And maybe the only disappointing meal - Mexican food done very much in the "mess on a plate" style of ChiChis. We closed the park down at 8pm and started back home.
Bella had her first meltdown about not being able to buy something - we let her just cry it out... for 20 minutes... oh well! In general, she's holding up VERY well considering how much we're packing into these days. I wonder if us Adults are holding up as well...? One sleepy daddo signing off for the day.
The park opened 1 hour early for Hotel guests, so we had the run of the place from 9-10, which let Randy and I do Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn (what a charming old ride - but very jarring!) Pamela and the girls did tons of the Fantasyland rides like the Teacups and Small World (sparing me the horror!).
Randy and I hightailed over to California Adventure for some more rides - worried that the lines would start forming... turns out we needn't have - someone forgot to tell the world that that park was open today - every ride we did, there was NO line. In the course of 2 hours, we did the Tower of Terror (the 13 story elevator drip ride), the Soaring over California (IMAX flying movie with hanging chairs and dangling legs), the big California Screamin' roller coaster (TWICE), and two other non-premium rides. After this, my "jones" for rides has been satisfied. And my Inner Ear was letting me know in no uncertain terms that enough is indeed enough.
To put in perspective, the guidebooks say to plan to hit ONE or TWO of these rides in a typical day at the park. We hit FOUR in two hours. To all the people in the world I say, the first week in February is an excellent time to come here. I'd suggest homeschooling your children just so that you can take them this week instead of waiting for a busy time.
For lunch, we went to Ariel's Grotto - and it was a PRINCESS EXPLOSION - my god. Ariel, Belle, Mulan, Snow White, Aurora (?), Shoshanna, Trixie, Zlontar... actually just the first 5. They went from table to table signing autographs and talking to the little princesses, and taking pictures.
At some point, Disney started working this Princess Cult thing, and the little girls go flipping NUTS at the concept of these ladies. They wander around the park at a slow saunter and little girls in princess dresses flock after them like ducklings!
We did more rides, and got home for a quick nap... 5 very busy hours followed by 2 hours of rest. Halfway through naptime, I got up and made my way to the arcade. 4 pinball games, and one round of Dance Dance Revolution - an indignity made better by the fact I was dancing to a Specials song, and there was NO one else there.
After naptime, it was back to Disneyland for more rides - Autopia for driving, the Pooh Honey dream, Peter Pan, the Storyland boat. And maybe the only disappointing meal - Mexican food done very much in the "mess on a plate" style of ChiChis. We closed the park down at 8pm and started back home.
Bella had her first meltdown about not being able to buy something - we let her just cry it out... for 20 minutes... oh well! In general, she's holding up VERY well considering how much we're packing into these days. I wonder if us Adults are holding up as well...? One sleepy daddo signing off for the day.
Monday, February 06, 2006
The Bellman's Lament
While bringing some luggage up to Randy's room, the Bellman was telling us about the sad state of employment at Disney: Back 20 years ago when this guy started, a Disney job was very coveted by teens, and they paid a good dollar over minimum wage. These days, they have a hard time hiring - and they only pay $.40 over minimum.
Add to this, they have pretty rigid rules for conduct and appearance: No piercings (one pair earrings for females, none for guys), no visible tattoos, no facial hair on men. He said they hold orientations, and half of the people drop out by the midpoint - this is an 8 hour day!
In summary, the Bellman lamented that kids weren't as into the job as he was (and is), and was extrapolating conclusions about the general state of kids and their work ethics, while also questioning management decisions, while hoping they'll move to a more career-focused pay scale which might encourage more professionalism.
With all that said, I have to say that every single person we've interacted with here has been enthusiastic, polite, and extremely helpful. If there are problems, it's certainly not showing to the public!
Add to this, they have pretty rigid rules for conduct and appearance: No piercings (one pair earrings for females, none for guys), no visible tattoos, no facial hair on men. He said they hold orientations, and half of the people drop out by the midpoint - this is an 8 hour day!
In summary, the Bellman lamented that kids weren't as into the job as he was (and is), and was extrapolating conclusions about the general state of kids and their work ethics, while also questioning management decisions, while hoping they'll move to a more career-focused pay scale which might encourage more professionalism.
With all that said, I have to say that every single person we've interacted with here has been enthusiastic, polite, and extremely helpful. If there are problems, it's certainly not showing to the public!
So much to tell
Yesterday at the San Diego Zoo - I forgot to mention the kid show we attended: Creepy Crawly Critters. Now, all the kids were in front, but I was off to the side... There was one participation bit where people were asked whether they thought the walking stick was a boy or a girl.. I didn't answer to either because I just didn't know and didn't want to make an emotional decision... and the presenter lady called me "sleeping guy". Several more times, she picked on "sleeping guy"... and at the end, "sleeping guy" was invited up for a extra special treat: To eat BUGS. You all must know that Bugs are my big phobia. So it was pretty big of me to crunch down those dried mealworms and not hurl and scream and run from the park.
Today, we made it up to Disneyland! And we were supposed to meet Randy, Mae, and Jenny at 4pm or so, but the MAGIC just started right away - they were in the lobby right when we walked in! We did split up though, they had Princess business to start and we needed to unpack.
We Monorailed - wait - I just need to say this. Mom, Dad, I have harbored a secret resentment for years - I always wanted to ride the Disney Monorail, but we never did. Today, I rode the monorail, my dream since youth... and the driver asked if I (we) wanted to ride up front in the pilot's car! Just us and a retarded guy, and that was just fine, because I think ALL of our dreams came true. Ok, back to the story.
We Monorailed into Tomorrowland (which has been redone with a retro Jules Verne look, better than the Gil Gerard Buck Rogers look of the 70s it had last time I was here. I immediately went for Space Mountain, and it was FANTASTIC - A pure thrill ride! And it instantly transformed me back into an 11 year old boy. I was yelling and laughing the whole time!
When I got out, there was a message from Randy - he had some Fastpasses to Space Mountain when I was ready (these are a "reservation" to the front of the line - VERY cool) - so 10 minutes later, I was on the ride AGAIN.
Then we did Star Tours, which was a Star Wars inspired "bumpy movie" ride - which was pretty fun, but it made me a little woozy... The design of the LINE environment was actually better than the ride I think... While we were riding, the girls were hearing a story read by a princess, and got to sit with her and get her autograph. Jenny was in heaven.
I should say that Disneyland was VERY spare today - most rides were a 5 minute wait, and even the hottest were not more than 30.
We went back to the hotel for some Swimming - Bella was a bit timid, but Jenny was a swimming MACHINE - the lifeguard asked her to swim all the way across the pool by herself to prove she could do the waterslide - and she DID - to even Randy's amazement! Good old Foss Swim School!
Dinner was at the Blue Bayou - which is inside of the Pirates of the Carribean ride (???) and the meal was delicious - like good even outside of a Theme park good. Pamela got the Pork Tenderloin, and no kidding, it was well over a pound of meat - the pictures will prove it.
Then off to the big Parade, where we got some great seats on the route just 15 minutes before the show... and lo, we were at one of the "performance stops" - which means they stopped the parade do do a mini show right in front of us. We got some great pictures, and Bella and Jenny got special attention by ALL of the princesses!
Are you getting the picture that the day was about as perfect as you could possibly get? The weather was warm but not hot, no lines, and things just kept falling into place. Little bits of MAGIC kept happening.
We ended with Pirates of the Carribean and the Jungle Adventure. Bella loved Pirates - she said "I liked ALL of the parts of it". She was a bit disappointed to learn that there would be no pirates in the Jungle Adventure. (apparently headhunters and animatronic Hippos weren't exciting enough.. she started nodding off). Time to go home!
On the way back to the hotel, both girls fell asleep in their strollers, and were out by 8pm. We just needed to transfer them into their beds, and our work was DONE.
So the first day of Disney was as good as it gets... wonder what'll happen tomorrow?
Today, we made it up to Disneyland! And we were supposed to meet Randy, Mae, and Jenny at 4pm or so, but the MAGIC just started right away - they were in the lobby right when we walked in! We did split up though, they had Princess business to start and we needed to unpack.
We Monorailed - wait - I just need to say this. Mom, Dad, I have harbored a secret resentment for years - I always wanted to ride the Disney Monorail, but we never did. Today, I rode the monorail, my dream since youth... and the driver asked if I (we) wanted to ride up front in the pilot's car! Just us and a retarded guy, and that was just fine, because I think ALL of our dreams came true. Ok, back to the story.
We Monorailed into Tomorrowland (which has been redone with a retro Jules Verne look, better than the Gil Gerard Buck Rogers look of the 70s it had last time I was here. I immediately went for Space Mountain, and it was FANTASTIC - A pure thrill ride! And it instantly transformed me back into an 11 year old boy. I was yelling and laughing the whole time!
When I got out, there was a message from Randy - he had some Fastpasses to Space Mountain when I was ready (these are a "reservation" to the front of the line - VERY cool) - so 10 minutes later, I was on the ride AGAIN.
Then we did Star Tours, which was a Star Wars inspired "bumpy movie" ride - which was pretty fun, but it made me a little woozy... The design of the LINE environment was actually better than the ride I think... While we were riding, the girls were hearing a story read by a princess, and got to sit with her and get her autograph. Jenny was in heaven.
I should say that Disneyland was VERY spare today - most rides were a 5 minute wait, and even the hottest were not more than 30.
We went back to the hotel for some Swimming - Bella was a bit timid, but Jenny was a swimming MACHINE - the lifeguard asked her to swim all the way across the pool by herself to prove she could do the waterslide - and she DID - to even Randy's amazement! Good old Foss Swim School!
Dinner was at the Blue Bayou - which is inside of the Pirates of the Carribean ride (???) and the meal was delicious - like good even outside of a Theme park good. Pamela got the Pork Tenderloin, and no kidding, it was well over a pound of meat - the pictures will prove it.
Then off to the big Parade, where we got some great seats on the route just 15 minutes before the show... and lo, we were at one of the "performance stops" - which means they stopped the parade do do a mini show right in front of us. We got some great pictures, and Bella and Jenny got special attention by ALL of the princesses!
Are you getting the picture that the day was about as perfect as you could possibly get? The weather was warm but not hot, no lines, and things just kept falling into place. Little bits of MAGIC kept happening.
We ended with Pirates of the Carribean and the Jungle Adventure. Bella loved Pirates - she said "I liked ALL of the parts of it". She was a bit disappointed to learn that there would be no pirates in the Jungle Adventure. (apparently headhunters and animatronic Hippos weren't exciting enough.. she started nodding off). Time to go home!
On the way back to the hotel, both girls fell asleep in their strollers, and were out by 8pm. We just needed to transfer them into their beds, and our work was DONE.
So the first day of Disney was as good as it gets... wonder what'll happen tomorrow?
Sunday, February 05, 2006
First update - ADDENDUM
Dinner tonight at the hotel: A "Footlong Vienna Hot Dog" for me. What I was not prepared for was that it was over 12 inches long, but over 1" in DIAMETER - this thing was MASSIVE. Honestly, it was hard for me to even start it. I didn't even eat half of it.
OOOOF.
OOOOF.
First Update from CA
Allright, this is a blog, so I'll blog about the vacation! The flight went smoothly yesterday, with Bella and Jenny being VERY well behaved on the plane - they only got squirrely at the very very end. Then, two hours by car down to San Diego from LAX. In a Land Rover LR3. I got an upgrade through Hertz Gold (a perk of AMEX - along with the Worldclub permissions too.) But that doesn't explain it all - yes it is ridiculous luxury. But it's fun!
Last night, we were pretty cashed by 5pm, bella was getting loopy, so we just did room service and watched the Wallace and Grommit movie on Pay per View. The resort is "Paradise Point" - owned by the same people who own Little Palm Island that we loved.
On the way down: a sexy sports car with the following BLINGED out license plate holder: "MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST". Only in So-Cal, baby.
Today, breakfast at the marina. A huge Kingfisher sat a table away... looking quite regal, yet surreal.
Then it was the San Diego ZOO, and we had a complete blast. We were there for 6 hours, and saw almost everything. We took the bus tour, two sky rides, saw Elephants, saw a Rhinoceros' willy... ate food.... were harassed by a peacock. Basically, this is the best zoo on earth - such lush greenery too, we were just intoxicated by the environment.
The Hippo gave a good show - running around on the floor of his pool. The Meerkats were adorable, as were the Foosa, which I didn't know actually existed (I thought they were made up for Madagascar).
On the way there and back, the talking GPS-directions unit kept us on the straight and narrow - but every time it says "point five miles ahead" Bella groans "Oh no, FIVE MILES?" Because right now, in her brain, FIVE is the biggest number. So she thinks this unit is telling her to have INFINITE patience!
It was a bit chillier than expected (60s) so swimming is out, as is beach lollygagging. What we'll do this evening is anyone's guess. But tomorrow... DISNEY!!!! Also, we'll meet back up with Randy, JeMae, and Jenny (who are visiting family right now, which is why Bella may be a bit stir crazy).
That's it for now. Pictures will be posted at the end of the trip, superfriends.
Last night, we were pretty cashed by 5pm, bella was getting loopy, so we just did room service and watched the Wallace and Grommit movie on Pay per View. The resort is "Paradise Point" - owned by the same people who own Little Palm Island that we loved.
On the way down: a sexy sports car with the following BLINGED out license plate holder: "MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST". Only in So-Cal, baby.
Today, breakfast at the marina. A huge Kingfisher sat a table away... looking quite regal, yet surreal.
Then it was the San Diego ZOO, and we had a complete blast. We were there for 6 hours, and saw almost everything. We took the bus tour, two sky rides, saw Elephants, saw a Rhinoceros' willy... ate food.... were harassed by a peacock. Basically, this is the best zoo on earth - such lush greenery too, we were just intoxicated by the environment.
The Hippo gave a good show - running around on the floor of his pool. The Meerkats were adorable, as were the Foosa, which I didn't know actually existed (I thought they were made up for Madagascar).
On the way there and back, the talking GPS-directions unit kept us on the straight and narrow - but every time it says "point five miles ahead" Bella groans "Oh no, FIVE MILES?" Because right now, in her brain, FIVE is the biggest number. So she thinks this unit is telling her to have INFINITE patience!
It was a bit chillier than expected (60s) so swimming is out, as is beach lollygagging. What we'll do this evening is anyone's guess. But tomorrow... DISNEY!!!! Also, we'll meet back up with Randy, JeMae, and Jenny (who are visiting family right now, which is why Bella may be a bit stir crazy).
That's it for now. Pictures will be posted at the end of the trip, superfriends.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Off to Disney
Posting will be even less frequent than usual as the family goes to southern California today for a week of Disney, Seaworld, and the San Diego Zoo. I'll post stories as possible, but that's the scoop!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
The Mystery of Squirrels
Bella and her "sister" Jenny are playing upstairs right now. They just came downstairs wearing pajamas, with stuffed animals stuffed into their shirts. They said "I have a double-ditch baby!" "Me TOO!" "Oh no, we've got to go upstairs and get into bed, the baby is going to come out!" "MINE TOO!"
Pamela and I are trying to figure out what a "double ditch baby" could possibly mean.
Right now I'm hearing yelling and running around - it sure sounds like the miracle of life is pretty dynamic.
Reminder: Jenny is 4, Bella is 3.
Pamela and I are trying to figure out what a "double ditch baby" could possibly mean.
Right now I'm hearing yelling and running around - it sure sounds like the miracle of life is pretty dynamic.
Reminder: Jenny is 4, Bella is 3.
Prepare to Disengage
I was having lunch today with my buddy Paulie, and he had recently gone through a pretty rough breakup - after 2 years, they with no real animosity had to concede that things weren't working all that well. When I saw him last, I was a bit worried, but relieved. So today it turns out, he's back in the dating pool, and seems very happy. And he's going to read this and say "dude, what you talking about me for?"
It's actually relevant, because at the same time, I'm starting to break up with a long term client... at not with a bang but a whimper. After a few years, we've decided to start seeing other people. I'll always have fond memories of them, but with every day I spend separating, spending less time over there, the more "in-focus" it's becoming just how strange things had got.
This is a small hospital, and when I started, I was sort of "consultant at large", helping their team where needed. We had some great successes together. But as time went on, the project got bigger, and my time allocation stayed the same, and things just grew past the point where I could really be effective as a project manager. Then they hired a guy to "help me" - and now he's going to do the job.
I should be clear - I've done a great job, and they're a great client - but it's time for them to move forward with their own team for a while, and perhaps they can bring me back in as a "consultant at large" again when things have stabilized a bit.
It's been strange to have this happening - at first I was a bit panicky about losing these billable hours... and there was the fear that "they'd never get along without me". Again with time, I find that they're getting along fine, and my other work is more than compensating with the hours!
So it's a long way around to say that me and my friend both have gone through ending some long term relationships recently, and honestly it made me really happy to see him doing so well today.... because I can see myself turning that corner pretty soon too!
It's actually relevant, because at the same time, I'm starting to break up with a long term client... at not with a bang but a whimper. After a few years, we've decided to start seeing other people. I'll always have fond memories of them, but with every day I spend separating, spending less time over there, the more "in-focus" it's becoming just how strange things had got.
This is a small hospital, and when I started, I was sort of "consultant at large", helping their team where needed. We had some great successes together. But as time went on, the project got bigger, and my time allocation stayed the same, and things just grew past the point where I could really be effective as a project manager. Then they hired a guy to "help me" - and now he's going to do the job.
I should be clear - I've done a great job, and they're a great client - but it's time for them to move forward with their own team for a while, and perhaps they can bring me back in as a "consultant at large" again when things have stabilized a bit.
It's been strange to have this happening - at first I was a bit panicky about losing these billable hours... and there was the fear that "they'd never get along without me". Again with time, I find that they're getting along fine, and my other work is more than compensating with the hours!
So it's a long way around to say that me and my friend both have gone through ending some long term relationships recently, and honestly it made me really happy to see him doing so well today.... because I can see myself turning that corner pretty soon too!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
This month in Keyboard
In my third favorite geek magazine, Keyboard, there are two interviews that rocked my world: Goldfrapp and Imogen Heap. I love them both - Goldfrapp's soon to be released (but inexplicably in my CD player for over a month) album Supernature is superfantastic, and Imogen Heap's solo album is an amazing labor of love.
What's interesting to me is that both of these artists do music that is not that far removed from what I do when I have time - electro-ey dancey stuff with a nod to the 80's and 90's... but reading the interviews, they couldn't have a work style further from mine.
Imogen is an obsessive editor - she records everything as audio and chop chop chops it up and rearranges every note until it's perfect. It took her a full year to create the 11 songs on her album... in her home! She never sequences.
Goldfrapp are PLAYERS - they do take after take to get the performance right, then splice it together. You wouldn't guess it to hear their blippy bloopy stuff, but again, they never sequence!
Both referred to long hours of just noodling on the piano. Imogen said that growing up she would play the piano for 5 hours a day, and when her family traveled, they had to find places with a piano nearby or she'd go nuts.
For both of these groups, they are very engaged in the music making PROCESS - they like to play, to edit, to tweak.
This is compared to ME: I am very engaged in the music making RESULT - I rarely can spend more than 8 hours total on a composition... I need to move on. I don't like to improvise or "noodle" or "jam" - I prefer to direct my efforts toward creating a product. I think that realizing this critical DIFFERENCE in my style from others is sort of a relevation:
For years I've read things like these interviews and said "man, I'm going to TOTALLY work on my scales now - I've got to work up my CHOPS for JAMMING!". And 30 minutes later, I'm done with that idea and reading a book. This time, I read it and realized - the difference is that they love their process in a way I never really did or do. I'm WAY too impatient.
So my resolution is to be more comfortable with how I DO work - I get great results from my own process, and not to feel inferior when reading about total musos and their work styles. It's their bag.
What's interesting to me is that both of these artists do music that is not that far removed from what I do when I have time - electro-ey dancey stuff with a nod to the 80's and 90's... but reading the interviews, they couldn't have a work style further from mine.
Imogen is an obsessive editor - she records everything as audio and chop chop chops it up and rearranges every note until it's perfect. It took her a full year to create the 11 songs on her album... in her home! She never sequences.
Goldfrapp are PLAYERS - they do take after take to get the performance right, then splice it together. You wouldn't guess it to hear their blippy bloopy stuff, but again, they never sequence!
Both referred to long hours of just noodling on the piano. Imogen said that growing up she would play the piano for 5 hours a day, and when her family traveled, they had to find places with a piano nearby or she'd go nuts.
For both of these groups, they are very engaged in the music making PROCESS - they like to play, to edit, to tweak.
This is compared to ME: I am very engaged in the music making RESULT - I rarely can spend more than 8 hours total on a composition... I need to move on. I don't like to improvise or "noodle" or "jam" - I prefer to direct my efforts toward creating a product. I think that realizing this critical DIFFERENCE in my style from others is sort of a relevation:
For years I've read things like these interviews and said "man, I'm going to TOTALLY work on my scales now - I've got to work up my CHOPS for JAMMING!". And 30 minutes later, I'm done with that idea and reading a book. This time, I read it and realized - the difference is that they love their process in a way I never really did or do. I'm WAY too impatient.
So my resolution is to be more comfortable with how I DO work - I get great results from my own process, and not to feel inferior when reading about total musos and their work styles. It's their bag.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Chicago and the Deep Sleep
As I type this, my daughter is asleep 8 feet away in a semi dark hotel room in Palatine Illinois. 20 min earlier, I was catching an allergy break back at the hotel (everybody we see in Chicagoland has a dog, cat or multiples thereof - I am always VERY allergic down here). Pamela and the in-laws were going to swing by to pick me up to go see Grandma B (not the Grandma K for whom we were here celebrating her 90th birthday)
Anyway, I got a call from Pamela - Bella had fallen asleep in the car - I could get a pass on this Grandma night if I took custody. I readily agreed and met the car as it pulled up.
The entryway is as far from our room as you can actually get in this hotel - at the opposite end of an L shape, and four floors up. I wrested the sleeping girl from her car seat, and carried her the entire way up, put her in bed, got her coat off, put pajama bottoms on, and tucked her in, without even a HINT of waking up.
I vaguely remember times when I was a little kid falling asleep in a car, or at a holiday party, and waking up in my own bed, and thinking that something truly magical had occurred... it made me feel safe and small and cared for. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be on the other side of this mystery!
Rolling back a day: We did have that 90th birthday party for Grandma K, who was just thrilled about her gift of the iPhoto book. Pamela's brother Richard did a very nice iMovie to accompany it - nice songs and photos, with video greetings at the end from family who couldn't make it (and some extras from those who did... BELLA!). I was happy to help burn it to DVD, and my laptop pitched in when the DVD player conked out too!
In all, it's been a good trip, and I got to eat lots of evil Chicago food: Lou Mahnati's pizza (where the sausage is a complete LAYER of the pizza), Portillo's burgers, Beefs, Polish.... Mmmmmm!
Anyway, I got a call from Pamela - Bella had fallen asleep in the car - I could get a pass on this Grandma night if I took custody. I readily agreed and met the car as it pulled up.
The entryway is as far from our room as you can actually get in this hotel - at the opposite end of an L shape, and four floors up. I wrested the sleeping girl from her car seat, and carried her the entire way up, put her in bed, got her coat off, put pajama bottoms on, and tucked her in, without even a HINT of waking up.
I vaguely remember times when I was a little kid falling asleep in a car, or at a holiday party, and waking up in my own bed, and thinking that something truly magical had occurred... it made me feel safe and small and cared for. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be on the other side of this mystery!
Rolling back a day: We did have that 90th birthday party for Grandma K, who was just thrilled about her gift of the iPhoto book. Pamela's brother Richard did a very nice iMovie to accompany it - nice songs and photos, with video greetings at the end from family who couldn't make it (and some extras from those who did... BELLA!). I was happy to help burn it to DVD, and my laptop pitched in when the DVD player conked out too!
In all, it's been a good trip, and I got to eat lots of evil Chicago food: Lou Mahnati's pizza (where the sausage is a complete LAYER of the pizza), Portillo's burgers, Beefs, Polish.... Mmmmmm!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Baltimore!
So in real life, I'm a healthcare IT consultant. Most of the time, this means I just manage projects and beat up on underperforming vendors. But sometimes I means I get to be STRATEGIC. Monday was just such a day.
A client in Baltimore engaged the company I subcontract through to help them determine their Vision 2010: Apparently Vision2005 was decided in 2000, and it was very Accounting focused, and the clinical people were adamant that Vision2010 have more of a patient/provider centric view.
No problem. Others from the company went and did current state assessments, looked at their budgets, their issue lists, etc. I was asked to go and help them brainstorm on a few subject areas that I'm pretty good at: Web, Radiology, Labs, Pharmacy, Rehab, Orthopedics.
The gig was I go with the project lead (Glenn, the owner of the company) who would give the presentations and guide the discussion - I was to be a note taker "ringer" who could move the discussion forward. The meetings started at 9am Monday, and we flew out Sunday night.
7am Monday, Glenn called - he got a stomach flu. He would not be able to attend AT ALL, and can I run with it?
So here I was on a gig that I literally had only briefed myself on in the airplane, was only going to be a kibbitzer and stenographer, and now I'm the leader.
Fast forward to 2:30pm, the meetings are done, Glenn was safe to travel, and we took an early flight home - 3 hours earlier than planned, and i was able to tuck Bella into bed!
And the meetings? I TOTALLY KICKED ASS. I think I'll be going back to assist with more of these...
Visioning sessions are such fun because you get to throw out the rule books and talk about what is best for the patients and providers - people really start talking about what would make people's lives easier and better - and they're often surprised to hear that their ideas aren't so crazy, that I've seen it happen elsewhere, that this is POSSIBLE.
And if my sessions do lead to something better happening at this site, I'll be very proud.
A client in Baltimore engaged the company I subcontract through to help them determine their Vision 2010: Apparently Vision2005 was decided in 2000, and it was very Accounting focused, and the clinical people were adamant that Vision2010 have more of a patient/provider centric view.
No problem. Others from the company went and did current state assessments, looked at their budgets, their issue lists, etc. I was asked to go and help them brainstorm on a few subject areas that I'm pretty good at: Web, Radiology, Labs, Pharmacy, Rehab, Orthopedics.
The gig was I go with the project lead (Glenn, the owner of the company) who would give the presentations and guide the discussion - I was to be a note taker "ringer" who could move the discussion forward. The meetings started at 9am Monday, and we flew out Sunday night.
7am Monday, Glenn called - he got a stomach flu. He would not be able to attend AT ALL, and can I run with it?
So here I was on a gig that I literally had only briefed myself on in the airplane, was only going to be a kibbitzer and stenographer, and now I'm the leader.
Fast forward to 2:30pm, the meetings are done, Glenn was safe to travel, and we took an early flight home - 3 hours earlier than planned, and i was able to tuck Bella into bed!
And the meetings? I TOTALLY KICKED ASS. I think I'll be going back to assist with more of these...
Visioning sessions are such fun because you get to throw out the rule books and talk about what is best for the patients and providers - people really start talking about what would make people's lives easier and better - and they're often surprised to hear that their ideas aren't so crazy, that I've seen it happen elsewhere, that this is POSSIBLE.
And if my sessions do lead to something better happening at this site, I'll be very proud.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
KONG!
King Kong was amazing. THE HUMAN MIND was not meant to process such THRILLS I say. The montage of depression-era NYC started it so beautifully. Skull Island was incredible - not so much the natives bit, but more the Brontosaurus LANDSLIDE? Or the scene with Kong and 2 T-Rexes and the girl caught in vines in a ravine? Or the BUGFEST in the crevasse?
But what was most amazing was that Kong really felt REAL - sure there were some moments where he looked a bit CGI, but there were as many moments when the PEOPLE looked CGI too (rag doll effect). But the facial expressions and the hand movements were very organic, and really created a REAL creature for me.
Some comments: First, me and my buddies had a STRONG urge to leave at the end of the Skull Island sequence, because we all know what happens in New York... Secondly, I do think that through some judicious trimming a half hour could have been lopped off... Jack Black was FANTASTIC in his role, as was Naomi Watts.
And finally, this movie owes a debt to Kerry Conran - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow really blazed the trail for this retro-realism and showed us that you CAN make a movie like the good old days, only BETTER. You could argue that Conran and Jackson were playing from the same score, but really, before Sky Captain, nobody had tried to truly recreate the "feel" of an old film quite like this.
But what was most amazing was that Kong really felt REAL - sure there were some moments where he looked a bit CGI, but there were as many moments when the PEOPLE looked CGI too (rag doll effect). But the facial expressions and the hand movements were very organic, and really created a REAL creature for me.
Some comments: First, me and my buddies had a STRONG urge to leave at the end of the Skull Island sequence, because we all know what happens in New York... Secondly, I do think that through some judicious trimming a half hour could have been lopped off... Jack Black was FANTASTIC in his role, as was Naomi Watts.
And finally, this movie owes a debt to Kerry Conran - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow really blazed the trail for this retro-realism and showed us that you CAN make a movie like the good old days, only BETTER. You could argue that Conran and Jackson were playing from the same score, but really, before Sky Captain, nobody had tried to truly recreate the "feel" of an old film quite like this.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Hablo un pocito d'espanol
Today I am a man. I finished the first level of the Pimsleur Spanish lessons this morning - 30 lessons. I can now speak in three tenses and use two dozen verbs... and have the basic rhythm of the language flowing! On Saturday when our househelper Ana came by (Venga de El Salvador) we spoke in spanish (Hemos hablado juntos en espanol) and she was floored. We've agreed to speak for at least 5 minutes just in spanish when we see eachother (Accordamos hablar solamente en espanol para cinco minutos quando veremos).
Of course German remains a love too - I have come up with a "Strategy" for both German and Spanish: I will make a list of words and concepts that are relevant to my life. Music, synthesizer, computer, robot, synthpop, sausage, roast beef, pizza, daughter, laughter, satire, shoes, coffee, espresso, drumming, levitation, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, the future. I'll focus my learning around these concepts... so I can be properly JIMMY should the need arise in any language. (Might as well collect the words in French and Japanese too - you never know.)
Going to see King Kong tomorrow night! To quote George Michael:
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set that monkey free?
Always giving in to it...
do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Of course German remains a love too - I have come up with a "Strategy" for both German and Spanish: I will make a list of words and concepts that are relevant to my life. Music, synthesizer, computer, robot, synthpop, sausage, roast beef, pizza, daughter, laughter, satire, shoes, coffee, espresso, drumming, levitation, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, the future. I'll focus my learning around these concepts... so I can be properly JIMMY should the need arise in any language. (Might as well collect the words in French and Japanese too - you never know.)
Going to see King Kong tomorrow night! To quote George Michael:
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set that monkey free?
Always giving in to it...
do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Ghosts of Gear Past
As we were scanning pictures from Grandma K's history, I came across some old pics from my life too... and this one stopped me COLD. Some may know that I was once the king of the Gear Junkies - I got into collecting old synthesizers in 1990, about the time that a LOT of people were unloading their beautiful synths to get the latest digital beasts from Korg, Roland, and Yamaha.
In this picture from 1993, you can see my TWO PPG Wave 2.3s, and the PRKFD keyboard. Not shown is the Waveterm B "brain". Also in the picture is the Rhodes Chroma that I got for $200 in perfect working order, and a Roland Jupiter 8. Cropped out was a Linndrum.
Around this time, the studio also had visits from... a Yamaha TX816 (8 DX7s in an austere black box), a MemoryMoog (nicknamed "Dr Voltage"), an Arp Odyssey, A Simmons SDS7.
The CABLES were a complete snake pit - there were at least 3 and upwards of 12 cables attached to each unit of the studio (power, MIDI, audio) - the snarls were the stuff of legend. I was uniquely blessed by an absence of ground loops, so my music didn't suffer from hummmmmmm.
Compare and contrast with my current studio... a Mac G5 and a Yamaha ES7, One cable. Bliss.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
You call this UPDATED?
Sorry to both of you who read this that I haven't been updating this past week - the holidays were hectic. A few tidbits:
1) The In-Laws were in town for New Year's and we worked on a secret project for Pamela's Grandma's 90th birthday: a hardbound iPhoto book of her life. 70 pages, and we scanned over 130 old pictures! We hit the limit of my old (3 years) scanner, and I ran off to MicroCenter and I got a new one - WAY better - higher resolution, faster, and with better software for autodetecting documents and cropping - it completely made the task do-able! One button press per picture!
2) My Language Frenzy continues unabated: I just finished lesson 25 of Spanish, and have been working through German Textbook to improve my grasp of grammar: I'm finally "getting" some of the compound constructs. Example - Schlissen is to use a key. Abschlissen is to lock, Aufschlissen is to unlock, Einschlissen is to Lock IN, Ausschlissen is to Lock OUT.... It's a language by and for nerds.
Also, I had fun with Papa - since I'll be going to Tokyo sometime in 2006, I'll be learning Japanese, and I want to know how to do some basic reading. So I got some kiddie books on Kana and Kanji, and am learning them by drawing them. So Papa and I went shopping for Calligraphy pens and Sumi brushes and grid-ruled notebooks... it was a great bonding experience!
3) The MOVIE premiere was Tuesday the 27th, and it was VERY well received. Nick the Chicken and I went together, had dinner at the Loring Pasta bar first, then over to the Varsity, where we sat with over 200 people to watch the 2 hour romantic dramedy that Justin wrote, directed, and starred in. It was inspiring - just the concept of it - and the movie was very good too! Great work Justin, and I was happy to be a part of it!
That's it for right now, but there will be more updates in the coming days...
Jimmy
1) The In-Laws were in town for New Year's and we worked on a secret project for Pamela's Grandma's 90th birthday: a hardbound iPhoto book of her life. 70 pages, and we scanned over 130 old pictures! We hit the limit of my old (3 years) scanner, and I ran off to MicroCenter and I got a new one - WAY better - higher resolution, faster, and with better software for autodetecting documents and cropping - it completely made the task do-able! One button press per picture!
2) My Language Frenzy continues unabated: I just finished lesson 25 of Spanish, and have been working through German Textbook to improve my grasp of grammar: I'm finally "getting" some of the compound constructs. Example - Schlissen is to use a key. Abschlissen is to lock, Aufschlissen is to unlock, Einschlissen is to Lock IN, Ausschlissen is to Lock OUT.... It's a language by and for nerds.
Also, I had fun with Papa - since I'll be going to Tokyo sometime in 2006, I'll be learning Japanese, and I want to know how to do some basic reading. So I got some kiddie books on Kana and Kanji, and am learning them by drawing them. So Papa and I went shopping for Calligraphy pens and Sumi brushes and grid-ruled notebooks... it was a great bonding experience!
3) The MOVIE premiere was Tuesday the 27th, and it was VERY well received. Nick the Chicken and I went together, had dinner at the Loring Pasta bar first, then over to the Varsity, where we sat with over 200 people to watch the 2 hour romantic dramedy that Justin wrote, directed, and starred in. It was inspiring - just the concept of it - and the movie was very good too! Great work Justin, and I was happy to be a part of it!
That's it for right now, but there will be more updates in the coming days...
Jimmy
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