Keebles World

Today is the day! My two years in the Blogiverse has officially come to pass! My Giveaway will stay open until next Friday, September 6th. I've only had a couple of private entries so far and not one has been even close, and I have to say to my beloved T-Boo...dude, you've known me for 15+ years! How could you have gotten so far off?!?! I'm hurt (not really...but you ain't backin out of Disneyland 2015, if I have to drag you kicking and screaming). So everyone have a lovely Labor Day holiday and don't purchase too much junk just because it's on sale (that was more for my benefit than yours). Ha! I just came up with an affirmation...which makes me think of one person...DARREN HAYES! I found this great clip of lyrics, and while not the official video, it's still Darren singing, so I'm willing to compromise! (Oh, and for those that know me...I'm not leaving out Take That's Affirmation song...I just couldn't find a clip I liked of it!)....

I can't believe another year has gone by! I know I've been a crappy blogger lately and an even crappier stitcher, but as long as my head is stuck in Disney World, it's probably gonna stay that way for a while! Plus, I've been having laptop probs of late and I'm in the process of a complete reformat, so I'm sort of off-line for now anyway. Thanks to everyone for your kind comments concerning my scattered brain's hectic Disney obsession! Speaking of my brain...Ferg-id got his annual peek-a-boo this week. I'm still waiting to hear the official word from the doc, but it looks like little dude is hangin in there: Unfortunately, as long as he stays stable, he gets to keep "living off the land", so to speak. I'd much prefer he be unceremoniously ejected from the stadium for bad behavior, but that's not my choice to make (although, since it is my head, it should be). Maybe I'll toss him around a bit on Mission Space! If you can...

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Asperger's kids today are treated a lot differently than in my day (where no one really even knew it existed). Everything that I do today, and everything that I am is because I had to learn all by myself to be that way. No years of meds, no special treatment from family or educators, no real therapy, no nothing. But I do believe that had I had the life that Asper kids have today, I wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as I am. Sure, I still can't do most of the stuff a "normal" person can do, but I can survive on my own doing what I WANT to do and, at least for me, that's a big bonus! It probably seems, to the average person, from all my worries, paranoias, and freak-outs (or from the effort put forth in preventing said fears), that going to Disney is just not worth it for an Asper-Girl. But that is SO not true! Honestly, there is absolutely NO WHERE ELSE ON EARTH I'D RATHER BE THAN DISNEY WORLD! ...

Departure is the time at Disney that can be the absolute hardest. I'd like to be able to stay that while I'm at Disney I'm worrying about home, about work, or even about my pups...but I don't. My Asper brain may be running full speed 24/7 while I'm there, but my life, the life of Keebles, stops completely and I'm able to shut off and not be "me" anymore. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's a breather from my life but, when it comes time to leave, everything comes flooding back a thousand times over! Suddenly, I have to not only deal with the upcoming flying departure (see Part 2: Travel), but I have to be me again. UGH. Knowing I have to look forward to dealing with the whole airport issue has trapped me from leaving the lobby of the resort both times I went solo before. I am so worried and focused on dealing with the upcoming mind scramble, I can't go out and enjoy my last few hours in either the parks or at Downtown Disney. I ...

Other than riding rides (actually being on the ride, not the standing in line part), shopping is the only other time in Disney were my fears and phobias are at a minimum. Very often, going shopping after a finger-wringing experience calms me better than Xanax. I may be bankrupting myself, but hey, I'm happy!! Rarely ever have I even regretted spending so much money...after all, I wouldn't have my very happiest place on earth, my Disney-filled house, without it. It is so much easier to dodge other people in shops. Not a lot of cast members bother you with "Can I help you find something?" or "Are you looking for anything in particular?". It's the best shopping experience ever! I've been through every single shop in Disney World dozens of times, so I'm very familiar and comfortable with them (like the rides). I've always been a quick shopper, even at home. I know what I want and where it's at...no need to read the labels or examin...

This one might throw y'all for a loop...I actually do prefer to have sit-down table service meals solo while at Disney World! Yep, you read that right! But, and here comes the caveat, I don't do it anymore, not because it was hard for me to eat alone, but because the other guests couldn't leave me alone! Every single meal I had, at least one (and in one case, two) families felt the need to "end my loneliness and invite me to join them". Logically, I know they were just being polite, but, as far as my issues are concerned, it doesn't matter much. Sitting at a table alone in Disney World, eating a really good meal in my favorite restaurant, is comparable to riding a ride solo...I'm in my own head, enjoying the atmosphere, and no one else exists but me and Disney. Imagine riding your favorite ride and suddenly it stops. The lights come on, some stranger jumps in your car, says, "hi, noticed you were by yourself and thought I'd join you to keep ...

So, I've made it to Disney World on my own, managed the drive, the arrival, the check-in, and finding my room...now it's time to head to the parks! But here is where I get stuck again...busses. While Disney transport is my friend, it's passengers are my greatest enemy! There is no person on earth more rude than a Disney guest. Throughout the years my super-sonic hearing has picked up thousands comments to the tune of "I paid a fortune to be here, I deserve to be first on the bus, served in a restaurant without a reservation, get things handed to me for free, get the sole attention of every single cast member around me, and nobody else but me and my family matter, etc". They push and shove, run over you with their strollers, bump in front of you in line, leave their food remnants all over the only empty table so you have to clean it off to be able to sit down, not flush the toilets, push in front of you at purchase checkout because they "just have two it...

If you haven't noticed by now, this blog series may seem a bit "scatter-brained". I'm trying to relay my Asperger's related fears and problems in the way I actually feel them...all of which are on overdrive when I'm outside my comfort zone (which is anytime I'm outside my house). My brain runs a million times a minute with all the "what should be's", the "what's actually happenings", as well as the "what ifs". I'm also hyper-aware of my surroundings, clocking everyone and everything around me...making sure no one is too close or that I don't make eye contact with anyone (because they seem to think it's OK to talk to you then). In a way, all this "thinking" is actually a good thing because it keeps me busy and not focusing on being terrified (which I would be if I thought about it). And when I say terrified, I mean terrified to the point of falling in the floor and crying uncontrollably (which...

Travel is the worst part of vacation for me even with my family...solo, it's a total nightmare! Since we live 14 hours away, flying has always been the most viable option, but it's never been my preferred method. The actual flying part I have no trouble with, it's the airport and dealing with security that gets me every.single.time. It's sensory overload on an entirely different scale. You stand in lines, juggling your bags, your i.d., and your boarding pass; you're scrutinized several times by different agents all looking at the same thing (and they always seem to spend an extra long amount of time comparing me to my driver's license for some reason); you have a very miniscule amount of time to get your shoes off, put your bags in a very tiny container while pulling out your liquids, your meds, your electronics, etc; you are forced to walk away from your stuff to walk through a scanner that shows the outline of your naked body (but luckily I've avoid...

In 2006 I went to my happy place all by myself for the first time! A pretty big accomplishment for an Asper-Girl! I was on meds at the time, so I had suppressed (but not entirely diminished) social issues and was feeling a bit braver than my normal state. Surprisingly though, I have always felt almost as comfortable at Disney as my own house, so it's not that shocking I could go alone. Wal-Mart, on the other hand...a completely different beast! But I also wanted to see Disney at Christmas at least once and I figured it was as good a time as any. For the most part, I did a darn good job of handling a solo trip, Asper or not! So much so, that I went again to Disney for Halloween in 2008, without the meds controlling me and still had a blast! It wasn't all chocolate and fairy tales, however, and the issues I ran across during those two trips are what have kept me from doing it since (well, that and lack of funds). Let's start off with the planning phase. In 2006 I k...

Well, I've finally done it! I booked a room for Disney World in October so that I can renew my annual pass! I had the absolute worst time deciding where to stay or even if I should go at all, but the rates we got for December were based on my annual pass, so I have to renew it (although I could actually do that online). October is my favorite time to go and the thought of missing Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or Epcot's Food & Wine Festival was just too much to bear. If I'm completely honest, it's probably more about their respective pin sets, but still, it's a tradition (geez, this honesty thing sucks, it's probably more of a compulsion with a side of obsession than an actual "tradition", but where pins are involved...who cares!). It's a very short trip (only three nights) and I'm driving instead of flying, so spending money is absolutely nada (especially since every dime spent is taking money away from December, which wi...

I must be in a blogging lull...I'd almost completely forgotten about even having a blog until I started going through some old email (another thing left in the dust) and saw reader comments! So, first off, I have to say thank you for being patient with me as well as supportive! My headaches have been a lot better lately, but my pup-kids have had their trials and tribulations. Both are fine, but Zachary sure gave me a fright last week! He's just suffering from old man disease...hip arthritis, spinal disc degeneration, bladder stones, constipation, and cataracts, all of which were kicking off at the same time (poor little fella!). Big news with the new Doctor Who announcement! Still not sure how I feel about it though. I've always had this notion in my head that the Doctor should be a hottie (that's the geeky romantic girl in me), and Peter Capaldi is definitely NOT in the hottie category. He's gonna have big shoes to fill and Matt Smith was nowhere near Davi...