Squeeze

I mentioned the band Squeeze in an answer to one of my Wednesday Hodgepodge questions, and I received a comment from Joyce about not knowing who they were. Well, like I need an excuse to post a video from my favorite generation of music, the 1980's, but I thought I'd help her out a bit! Most people know Squeeze from the song "Tempted". I never liked this song (and still can only barely tolerate it-which is why I don't feel the need to post it). Glenn Tillbrook didn't sing this song, Paul Carrack (who later became the singer for Mike + The Mechanics) did, which is probably why I didn't like it. Like I mentioned in the Hodgepodge question #6, I wasn't a Squeeze fan per-se in the 80's, but, looking back on it, I did love the song "Hourglass" which came out my senior year of high school:


From the early MTV days, I also remember liking "Another Nail In My Heart" and that's when I first thought Glenn Tilbrook was really cute, but didn't pay that much attention to him after that (at least not until my Disney World encounter with him). I also thought that Jools Holland was adorable and even remember seeing his picture in a Smash Hits mag from way back when. Some music television watchers might recognize his name...Jools Holland does a music show called Later with Jools Holland that showcases bands from every genre (including some very big names) and has been on for many years. But here's Nail:


Most early 80's music listeners will know Squeeze from "Black Coffee In Bed":


Here's a live version of "Pulling Mussels From A Shell" (a song that has grown on me over the years):


Granted, the years haven't been kind to Glenn, but I still think he's one of the most sexy men on the planet and, if I'm honest, the years haven't been kind to most of the 80's brood. Unfortunately, I still have tunnel vision and see them as their former selves...Robert Smith probably scares small children now (or so I'm told by my much younger co-workers), but I still think he's one of the hottest men in music, so there you go! You can take the girl out of the 80's, but the 80's will stay with her forever (and the cow-lick in my hair that wants to go the 80's way, proves its more than skin deep-but deep rooted to my very core! HA!).

The day that is today...

Today was that holiday that isn't polite to say in singleton conversation. I think I've mentioned (one or two times) in a very polite manner (yeah, right) how I feel about this day's celebratory practices.

This morning, bright and early ("bright" is never a moniker that will ever be associated with me, no matter the time of day, but I digress), I once again woke up with a headache that has now been present for four days...great, something else to look forward to today. I went about my routine tasks, getting ready for yet another "fun" day at work, but it wasn't long before my phone rang. The ringtone "Parachute" by Cheryl Cole only means one person...my beloved bestest friend in the whole wide world...Tony. My first thought, "Oh my gosh, something has happened! Someone is dead!" (because he is also quite aware of my morning moods). But that's not why he called. He called to wish me a happy today (I still can't bring myself to say the word) since he forgot to email me this morning. Granted, my headache didn't disappear (or even dwindle a bit), but my mood sure improved! Is is true that the kindness of one person can make someone's day!

Later on, after arriving to work, the calls on the overhead pager started coming in..."so and so, come to the front please" and one after the other, loved-up co-workers came prancing back with their V-Day bounty in tow...flowers, candies, more flowers, more candies, etc, etc. Some were obviously bought at the local quick shop and some cost more than my paycheck, but it wasn't long before this place started to smell like an old lady drowned in rose perfume. I did expect this, in our entire building there are only three singletons...me, of course, and a divorced woman close to sixty who still acts married to her ex-husband (although he is married to someone else), and another girl, who's attitude will pretty much guarantee she will never get anyone (well, not without paying for it, and even then she still might have trouble-can you tell I don't like her?).

I went about my daily duties, ignoring the banter of the masses, "Oh, your flowers are so pretty!" "You're man is so wonderful", blaa blaa blaa. I had to step out for a bit (it is payday, afterall, and we don't get to do direct deposit here) and returned to find that I too had received a delivery (and thank god I wasn't here and had to do the walk of shame to the front office). Granted, they weren't from a secret admirer (but I'm still waiting Mark Owen...you know you have a crush on me!) or even a man at all...but from my little sister, Am. Beggars can't be choosers and they were gorgeous!

Thanks sissy! And since you don't EVER respond to my texts - FYI...I still need your Disney memory cards!!! Oh, and please raid your closet for your fat clothes...Mother has taken it upon herself to dump with me her wardrobe and you know how much hers and my tastes differ! I'm in horror at the thought of wearing some of these clothes! I'd rather wear my oversized baggy clothes that spend one second in 95% of what she sent!! S.O.S.!!!

So, in honor of Tony, how about a music video (I haven't posted one in a while)...his ringtone, Cheryl Cole's Parachute


And for Am...the song that I always associate with our relationship, Darren Hayes - Cruel Cruel World. Since Darren hasn't released it as a single, this is a live version, but Darren is often better live than produced, so no worries there!


Am and T...happy you-know-what day back!

Stitching and gaming

I've turned back into a stitching maniac!!


And to top it off, I finished a quickie project that has taken me most of the year so far! This is my fourth of these...I have a ton more in stash and I usually do one after every major project, and this one started out the same, but I was so excited to start my little Highland girl, I couldn't wait. And despite their appearance, these little buggers take forever!


On another front, I have been craving to finish Epic Mickey, but it's been so long since I've played, I'm gonna have to start the game all over again. OCD and gaming are a scary combination and I'm the poster child! That is why I don't game that much, because I have serious complications...lack of sleep, lack of food, and lack of general hygiene...I just play solid through until I HAVE to stop.

For those that don't know what Epic Mickey is, here is the opening sequence:


The upcoming release of Epic Mickey 2 is what has got me in a gaming tizz. Then again, I absolutely HAD to have Disney Universe the second it came out, and the bloody thing is still in the wrapping! But in my defense, I know that the PS3 and XBox versions of the game have downloadable skins and the Wii doesn't. I have a Wii (thanks Am!) because it was the only format for Epic Mickey (then again, I also have a Nintendo 64 still connected, so what does that say about me? I'm more of a cute game gamer than a graphics gamer...give me Mario any day). Epic Mickey 2, however, will be for all formats...which brings my obsession with game playing back in the forefront again because I WILL have to have it the second it comes out and it brings up the question whether I wanna get it for Wii or another format.

Here's the new trailer for EM2:


I've always wanted a PS2 so that I could play the Kingdom Hearts series (are you noticing a Disney pattern here?), but if I get a PS3, it will play Blu-Rays (but not the old PS2 games). Then again, I could get an XBox (which also has the Disneyland Adventure game) and just buy a separate Blu-Ray player. I've been putting off the Blu-Ray change-over simply because I have just finished replacing all my VHS Disney movies with DVD's...I sure as heck don't wanna start replacing again...by the time I finished for the second time, there will be another format and I'll have to start again...it's a never ending cycle aimed at robbing me blind and I keep getting suckered in. I have made a deal with myself though that I'm not buying any new game system until I finish Epic Mickey...so of course I have to finish it immediately because I can't wait to get a new system! Yep, I'm compulsive shopper...shock.

Here is the Disney Universe trailer (or one of them, there are several):


And here is the Disneyland Adventures trailer (I can't help but think it's a matter of time before we get a Disney World one):


I also always buy the game guide to go with the game, just to make sure that I play to the fullest and don't miss anything, but I got told by someone recently that game guides are cheating. Granted, this person runs through a game just to finish it, which I think is just wasteful game playing...what's the use of playing a game unless you can experience all the cool details? It's like going to an art museum just to use the bathroom! Or maybe I'm looking at it wrong.

So my question to you is this...if you are a gamer, what do you think of game guides? Cheating or invaluable directionsl tool?

Darren's got a new vid!!

This one creeped up on me! Usually I'm pretty good at keeping up with D! I loved this song on the album, but the video really brings it home! It's haunting, tortured, and a bit freaky as well (especially if you don't like clowns)!! But at the same time, it's completely different from Said It All by Take That, in that instead of just sad, it's beautifully painful (only Darren can make pain beautiful!).

I've talked about how important Duran and Take That is, but Darren is a different species altogether! I swear sometimes he has this cosmic link to my soul because every single song seemingly is about my life!! I've already discussed this before and his effects on me here, and I think it just gets stronger with age!

But without further ado, bask in the glory that is Darren Hayes!

"H" - A to Z Challenge - Walt Disney World

I'm gonna have to take this one slow...the head is acting up today. Stupid tumor!  So please be patient with me if there are any major typographical errors or run on sentences. I'll stay away from the pain meds as long as possible and hope the headache pills kick in...but I may have to eventually hit the hard stuff and then there is no telling WHAT I will be typing!

So, on to "H" - another letter than is almost as important as "D"..."why?", you ask?

The Haunted Mansion - My sister's favorite ride, my favorite ride, the first place we go to when we get to the Magic Kingdom, and home to some of the best Disney memories I have! It has sites dedicated to it's various incarnations (it's one of the few rides that each Disney park has their own variation on the theme instead of copies of the same thing over and over), it's a Marc Davis classic and, even though some of the effects are very cheesy, it doesn't matter! It's the Haunted Mansion!

During the day it's just as creepy!:

At night the 999 ghosts come out to play, waiting for their thousandth member:

During Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party:

I mentioned Marc Davis's influence (which I do allot because he had such a massive influence of me), but the Haunted Mansion is filled with Disney legends, none more so than the voice work. Madame Leota (the woman in the crystal ball), may sound familiar because she is voiced by Eleanor Audley (aka Maleficent and Lady Tremaine), the ghost host is Paul Frees (Ludwig Von Drake to those of us who worship the Duck and all his relatives), and one of the main singers is Thurl Ravenscroft, whose voice is just associated with Disney things (it's everywhere if you listen - Pirates, Country Bears, Tiki Birds, etc, etc, oh, and the was also the voice of Tony The Tiger - you remember, Frosted Flakes? They're GRRREEAATTT!).

I've mentioned this briefly before, but since I have a headache, and it tends to make my Asperger's come out more and I can't control my mouth, I've got a beef to get out. Parents, before you start filling your kids head with crap that they could repeat to someone else and make them look incredibly stupid...know what you're talking about! Case in point, a couple of years ago, Am and I dumbfoundedly listened to a mother tell her two children in the Haunted Mansion queue all about how the Ghost Host (aka Paul Frees) was Orson Wells and a bunch of other stuff that made her sound like she'd been dropping acid! She went on forever! Had she not been walking out of the ride and us in, she probably would have heard our rant! At least the people around us who heard her, also heard us, so they won't go repeating the stupidity! But now her kids will go off and tell someone else and either look stupid, or spread the stupidity even further! And who knows, maybe the mother got told it by someone else and accepted it as fact. Whatever the reason, if you don't know, don't repeat it (and for that matter, if you hear something that sounds fishy, it probably is)!!

The history to the mansion is utterly fascinating, and for those interested, I highly recommend Jason Surrell's book, The Haunted Mansion:  From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. It's not just about the movie (which, depending on who you ask, couldn't scarcely be called a "movie", but I see it as not an interpretation of the Mansion, but a thing onto itself, so I actually kind of like it...if I thought of it as a dedication to the ride, I would be pissed!), but it's more about the ride and all it's various incarnations and it's history.

Finding decent video of it is damned near impossible, but I did find an OK one. Plus, it gives a good example of how other people's lack of consideration can ruin the ride for you (as evidenced by the loud talking and just general rudeness I saw throughout this whole thing). And just to get it out there..."NO FLASH PICTURES PLEASE"...is important! For those of us with light sensitivity, it hurts, and it's just friggin distracting (this is more prevalent on Pirates, but we'll discuss that when we get to "P"). You can get good pictures of the inside without flash, they just need to be tweaked when you get home (even with a point and shoot camera - which is all I use - preferably Sony in case you were wondering, but I'm a Sony freak, so it's not surprising).

Case in point - the Bride's attic:

And here is the video:


Moving on to Hidden Mickeys - What are they? Where do they come from? Are they done on purpose? Once you get Disney fever, do you see them everywhere? Answers? They are Mickey's head hidden in strategic locations pretty much everywhere brought to you by none other than Disney Magic to involve you in things and cause you to look deeply at areas you probably wouldn't notice before. They not only have their own websites, but they also have books written about them as well!

The Floor in the lobby at the Polynesian:

Wishes fireworks:

A chair cushion in the lobby of the Boardwalk Hotel:

The shrimp tanks on the Living With The Land ride

Dessert at La Hacienda de San Angel in the Mexican Pavilion in Epcot - with a Sorcerer's hat theme:

The dive tanks at The Seas With Nemo and Friends (mine, mine, mine) at Epcot:

And finally...do you see them everywhere? Yes:

The sky above Disney's Hollywood Studios:

Zachary's back:

Okra from a buffet meal at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi:

You also have Holidays Around The World - during Christmastime in the country pavilions in Epcot, they have their version of "Father Christmas" telling his or her story, and how he/she came to life in their country. I'm not a Christmas person, but this was pretty cool and I can say I've seen it once. I'm not going to go into a discussion about it because this has run on long enough and my head is killing me (Stadol, here I come!).

Hope you enjoyed "H"!

"F" - A to Z Challenge - Walt Disney World

"F" was incredibly hard, but not because it was hard to come up with ideas, but because the "F" category is one of the strongest for me!  I'm gonna try to limit the pictures this time, but it will be hard!

Festival Of The Lion King - What can I say about this live show in Animal Kingdom...it's beautiful, amazing, and it brings me to tears every.single.time.  There are really no words to describe it so, you know what that means...VIDEO!  I'm only putting a link up for the ending, so I don't ruin it for anyone who hasn't been and seen the entire show, but the finale is also a pretty good "mix" clip as well!



Then we have Fantasmic!, the water, fire, laser light, dancing, singing extravaganza that also brings me to tears! It is technically a social-phobe's biggest nightmare due to the fact that every single person in the park stands in a huge line (not a queue unfortunately), waits forever to sit in this huge amphitheater, and then once the show is over, you get cattle-hearded back out again! The show is a bit dated because there is a long Pocahontas segment in the middle, but the finale is once again one of those things that makes you forget the little problems!

Next up - the Food And Wine Festival - it happens ever October-November and it's the coolest ever (and no I don't just mean the pins!). There are stands from usually about 20 or so countries with samples of food and wine from each of those countries! Best thing is the Canada booth lets you get the cheddar soup, pretzel bread, and ice wine that you can get in Le Cellier without having the impossible to get Le Cellier reservation! I'm not an adventurous eater, but I have tried some amazing foods I wouldn't have otherwise tried (and some really nasty stuff as well)! But the coolest thing is you can buy a gift card that's on a wrist band and all you have to do is scan your "money bracelet" as I like to call it, and you're all set to experience another country! But I can't forget about the Beers Around The World stand, where you can get a "passport" and they stamp it everytime you drink a specific beer - the goal being to drink one of every beer and fill up your passport (I've never done it because I don't like beer other than Guinness, but Am loves trying different beers and has found some personal favorites!).

Then there is Flame Tree BBQ. Now, I'm from the south, and not just any part of the south, but about 45 minutes from Memphis...so I KNOW BBQ! There is no place in the WORLD that has BBQ like we do! So, when we travel, BBQ is not something we order because I know it's gonna be nasty (those HORRIBLE Coca-Cola ribs at Sci-Fi Cafe come to mind, I'm gagging just thinking about them). But Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom does a pretty good job of simulating good BBQ (at least for Florida standards)! They have amazing onion rings too!

And that's it for the "F"'s! I should also add Frontierland Trading Post, which is my favorite pin store in the Magic Kingdom, but what can you say about a pin store other than, PINS!!!

Bon Voyage "F"!

Wa Wa Wah....but a review instead

Well, I got too excited too quick...I forgot one major necessity in October planning...the release dates for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! I kind of need those so I know which parties we are going to and then everything kind of goes around the parties! That's what I get for skipping a year, my internal Disney planning guide is off!

So instead, and since now MNSSHP is on my mind...how about a review of the absolute best party Disney puts on - Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

MNSSHP is a private ticketed event (thank god...the park would be packed otherwise) that takes place in the Magic Kingdom on selected nights in Sept and Oct (and now even the first couple of days in November!). Basically, the park transforms into a "spooktacular" (I love that word!) place where a lot of characters are out for pictures (one of the few times all seven dwarfs are out together), some even wearing their Halloween costumes. There is trick-or-treating and a lot of guests dress up as well (but like hell we ever would - I stopped doing that at 10...long story for another blog), the absolute best parade and fireworks shows that Disney does, a Villains stage show (it's Halloween-loween everybody!), Stitch has his own dance party, special creepy lighting and music, the rides are all operating, the stores are all open (let the pin frenzy begin) and have special party only merchandise...in a word...awesome!!! There is even an Event Party CD you can buy that has Mickey's Boo To You Parade music, the Villains Dance Mix and Mingle, and, of course, Hallowishes, the fireworks show. I play that all the time!!

I have also been to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and it was wonderful, but, we're not "Christmas" people. I can say I've been and seen it, but there is no need for me to do it again other than for my Mother's sake because she loves Christmas (another reason I question my lineage). But without further ado:

Main Street USA becomes forboding:
2010

2005

The Haunted Mansion gets spookier:
2010

2009

The Hitchhiking Ghosts join in on the fun:
2010

Maleficent takes charge of Cinderella Castle:
2010

And your local "Ghost Host" blows everything out of the sky!:
2010

2007

2005

Those are just a few highlights throughout the years. This upcoming trip will make our 11th and 12th MNSSHP parties (or at least mine...I had one Oct trip up on Am although she's got a Flower and Garden festival up on me) and they will be no less magical and I'm as excited about them as I was the first one!! Seeing the Headless Horseman ride out to start the parade, listening to Madame Carlotta's ghost interacting with visitors outside of the Haunted Mansion (not to be confused with Madame Leota who is inside the mansion), running from store to store trying to get the framed pin set and Am (as per usual) saving the day and keeping me from going postal because she ALWAYS finds them, Am and I singing Halloween-loween everybody out loud, praying that Am doesn't corner another guest (again) and ask for a picture with them (again) because their costume is cool, and best of all...taco salads at Pecos Bills! (ok, one of these things are not like the other ones but explanation coming up!).

So, there you go...Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! If you're ever at Disney World in Sept-Oct, you definitely can't miss this event!

Here's a video of the Villains Dance Mix and Mingle...everyone should have this song stuck in their head! Besides, Maleficent rapping...come on! And I'm not a Cruella DeVille fan, but that chick can boogie!! You gotta love it!! I picked a clip from a couple of years ago simply because they changed the show last year and since I haven't seen it in person yet, I can't review on it.

October WDW schedule is almost out!

I've been a cave lately and completely missed the fact that the October Walt Disney World Park schedule is about to be published! You know what that means...it's time to officially plan days! That gives me the best way to pick restaurants which is definitely the most fun (and most frustrating) of the whole process!

For those of you unfamiliar with WDW, you're probably thinking what's this crazy OCD chick talking about? The plan is to get the most "bang" out of each day and the only way to do that is to know what the schedule is. For example...On Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party days, the Magic Kingdom closes at 7 to non-party guests. We are doing two parties, but there will be more parties happening, so I don't wanna schedule a day in the Magic Kingdom only to be kicked out at 7 since MNSSHP is a private ticketed event! The scheduling process is one of the most delicate dances of the whole trip process!

On top of all that, one of the many perks to staying on Disney property is Extra Magic Hours (and I've had the on-property/off-property debate, so we know where I stand on that issue!), and Extra Magic Hours also have to be factored into the schedule to help maximize the day. But just because it might be Extra Magic Hours in Animal Kingdom, that means that the park still closes at 8 pm if its an evening EMH, meaning there is plenty of time to go Downtown shopping or what not. Or, for example, a normal Animal Kingdom closing night is 5, but a night EMH elsewhere, means another park is open till 11 pm or midnight (the joys of a Park Hopper Pass!!). Unfortunately, we've never made an a.m. EMH, but I have done a park opening ceremony and what an amazing experience that is! It will bring tears to even the hardest of people when at the Magic Kingdom the train pulls up and all the characters arrive (even me!). I can't even imagine what it's like for the random family that gets picked to open the park (and a bit of trivia, it's the only time of the day that the Walt Disney World Railroad train is perfectly centered at the Main Street Station and is the perfect photo op for at least the first 30 minutes of the opening of the park!). The other park openings are not quite as magical, but they have their own appeal just the same.

Other things to consider is the fact that fireworks can be at different times, some nights there can be two firework shows, crowd calendars have to be consulted (because god forbid I want to be in Epcot on a crowded day...the line for Soarin' is already long enough!), several schedules have to be made in case dinner reservations can't work out, it's not as easy as people think it is. Plus, I have to monitor the DisBoards to see which major tour groups are going to be there the same time as us and try to track their movements as well, so that we can stay well away! This is still my reasoning for why most people that go and have a terrible time is because they don't plan. You wouldn't go to Europe without planning! I've said it before and I'll say it again...Disney World is NOT Six Flags!

I usually come up with about 6 to 10 options and then at the 120 day mark when I can make dinner reservations, which ever plan works out best is the one that gets to live! Then, there is a rare occasion when the schedule has to be changed again, and you talk about a nightmare! But, that's why I only go to Disney World once a year (OK, not the only reason, the main reason is down to money), but it takes a whole year to plan a trip!

If someone where to call me and say, "you've won a trip to Disney World but you have to leave tomorrow", believe it or not, I'd probably say no! My nerves couldn't take it! I would have no restaurant ressies (and the food IS part of the experience and you're not going to get them last minute unless you're incredibly lucky, which I'm not). Then there is the weight issue, I've got 30lbs to loose and all my Disney vacation clothes are two sizes smaller than I am right now! Plus, you have to be of a certain physical strength to even manage walking around that place and, even when I am, I still end up in extreme pain by the end of the trip with swollen feet, blisters and it takes me a good month to get over it! I know nothing about the current guest climate (one needs to know these things...don't want a repeat of '99 and waking up to cheerleading squads every morning!). And probably the most important reason of all, I need tons of spending money! I have "I want" syndrome and my house is the showplace of that syndrome and I need new "stuff"!

So, in the coming weeks, I'll give you guys an inside look at what goes into planning a Disney trip, not just from the view of an Asper-girl with the added bonus of OCD, but in the way that makes for the best trip ever because I've had quite a few!!! My Disney mantra is this, if you have a bad time at Disney, it's your fault, not theirs!!

As a parting gift, I've found a clip on YouTube (god bless YouTube) of the opening ceremony, so you guys can get a a taste of what I mean, although it can't do the same justice as being there in person!

TUSAL time

I figure that since any growth in my ORT jar was a figment of my imagination...then what a more fitting location for this months pic than in the corner of my Figment collection!



I made the mistake this week of bragging about a good day and those words have poked me, prodded me, kicked me, and generally made my life a living hell the rest of the week! That's what I get! I would say I won't make that mistake again...but more than likely I probably will!

So, in honor of such a "marvelous" week...and the fact that I'm still having "missing my daddy" issues (yeah, I know Am and T, let it go already!)...here's a vid of my favorite band singing my favorite song in my favorite incarnation to perk me up. Markie has gotten me through many a bad night as well as Howie (in an entirely different way than Mark...sometimes not...sometimes they work together...I better shut up now, this is beginning to sound a bit risque, maybe I should have stopped at two glasses of Malbec! I am, of course, referring to their singing...or at least that's my public line of defense - no comments from the peanut gallery T-boo). I'm just kidding! I'm a kidder! (Who's mind is apparently in the gutter...product of my edu-ma-cation! I may or may not regret this post tomorrow! But without further ado:

Take That - Shine - Take That At Abbey Road Live


And for the Americans who have never heard of Take That...browse through YouTube and check out their catalog...this is how a boy band is SUPPOSED to mature and it's just a shame that this country is deprived of a great band, but hey, it means I don't have to share them!

Hey, while I'm at it, and the "daddy" issues are still plaguing me...how about a little Said It All as well! Yeah...Take That Daddy-O!!

Update and Sissy B-day

I haven't posted in a while and I've had a couple of questions about how I am, so I thought I'd give an update, but there's really nothing to update on. I've had a headache everyday for over a week (well, all but last Friday, my one reprieve which more than got made up for on Saturday). I've done absolutely no stitching. I've been working alot and sleeping not so much. I didn't want to bore ya'll with that info which is why I haven't been posting.

I have been doing a bit of spring cleaning and managed to clean out a ton of old clothes (including the last two pieces of my high school wardrobe), but it's going slow.

But, on a positive note (bet you thought that wasn't possible with me, but trust me, a pessimist I am not, just a realist), today is my Sister's B-day! So everyone wish her a happy B-day and here are my favorite two little guys to help:

Video: Ferg-id dedication

It seems like forever since I posted a video, and I know I'm boring when it comes to videos...it's either Take That or Darren Hayes, but I can't help it! But lately, because of stupid Ferg-id (and for those that don't know...Ferg-id is the name of my menginioma), it's been really hard for me to listen to music because it's just too much sensory overload. So, in light of tomorrow's (or I guess since it's almost 3 am, I should say today's visit to the neurosurgeon), here's a video dedication to little Ferg-id with my most heart-felt love! The lyrics to both fit pretty darn good!!

Darren should ALWAYS be heard live. Period.


And since another song is on my mind and I'm apparently going far back in time...let's add another one...a very young (and probably very stoned) Mark Owen (God, even stoned, he's totally hot!). I would do a Take That song, but theirs tend to be a bit too lovey dovey and Mark's solo stuff is far more in tune with me anyway lyrically (although I swear Darren Hayes sneaks into my head when I'm not looking because that man writes my life!):

Lodge walk thru video and other Disney sites

I can't believe I never noticed these before! All Ears net is definitely the best Disney fan site!

Here is the video for Wilderness Lodge:


I have to tell you, I have tears running down my face right now! I could smell the smells when the doors opened, feel the fire from the fireplace, feel the resin/other people's hand slime from Humphrey's nose, smell the weird chlorine/moldy smell coming from the bridge inside as well as the geyser outside, got itchy in my pockets through the gift shop, got growls in my stomach from the romp through Artist Point, and just got a general feeling of "I want to go home" (when you arrive at a Disney resort, the first thing they say to you is "welcome home").

As a point of note, the music that you hear on both this video and the one I posted for the Polynesian is the actual BGM (Background Music) from these resorts! Most people don't even notice the BGM in Disney, but it's everywhere! It makes the atmosphere and it's changes are what mark your progression from one area to another more than the scenery, people just don't realize it! For those that do go, next time you are in the Magic Kingdom and are walking under the area that transitions from Adventureland to Frontierland or from Adventureland to Liberty Square or even from Liberty Square to Frontierland, see if you can tell the difference in the music, these are the areas where it is most noticeable to me! Wow, off topic again.

All Ears doesn't have a video for the Contemporary. I tried looking on YouTube for a suitable substitution, but alas, none were available. Apparently, people have never heard of image stabilization!

In case you were wondering (probably not), there are several sites I visit when planning a Disney vacation and even daily just for Disney information and I thought I would share these with you.

In the planning sense, I've already told you about All Ears.net, but there is also the Official Disney World site, of course, and The Dis, which I mainly use for their message boards (I don't typically post much, but I do read, and usually get pissed off because people get on my nerves, but that's another story).

For news and general Disney updates, I check, almost everyday, sometimes several times a day, The Official Disney Blog, WDW Magic, Stitch Kingdom, Mouse Steps, and Orlando Theme Park News.

Oh, and I guess I should add, there are two main podcasts I listen to, WDW Today and WDW Radio Podcast, both of which are downloadable on iTunes.

When I just get back from a trip though, I suffer from Post-Disney depression and pretty much stay away from all these sites, but eventually, I find my way back on them. Last year, I rarely got on any of them, just enough to keep updated with the new renovations in Fantasyland (the Magic Kingdom is going through it's largest expansion since it's opening) and any other massive changes, but the day to day stuff I haven't been keeping up with and I've stayed away from the Dis almost entirely! It was really hard not going to Disney World last year and I think, no matter my situation, from now on, I'm not going to miss a year again. It affects me in a way that recharges my "life batteries" enough that I can make it through whatever for at least a year and since I skipped a year, I've been running on dead batteries (which might be my problem) - yes, Disney is THAT powerful (see next blog).

Resorts past - Disney's Polynesian Resort

You thought I'd shut up about WDW didn't you? Just been too busy lately! Plus, this is gonna be a hard blog to do because I still haven't made it up to fixing the 2010 pics yet, so these pics are all raw and it's harder to dig through them! But alas, I'm gonna give it a go!

The second resort review is Disney's Polynesian Resort. We stayed there on my last trip in 2010. It's another one of the three monorail resorts besides The Contemporary and The Indian Burial Ground Resort (ok, Am, I know, The Grand Floridian). But The Poly and The Contemporary have something else in common, they were the only two resorts open when Disney World opened on...anyone...anyone...Bueller...October 1, 1971.

Although it is a deluxe resort and has been upgraded numerous times, it still has that 1971 feel to it, if that makes sense. The rooms decorations may be new, but the room itself feels old...I guess that is what I'm trying to say. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful! The main Ceremonial House is fabulous! Again, like most all the other resorts on property, you have to walk from the building that room is located in to the main house where the restaurants, gift shops, lobby, concierge, etc, are located, and depending on where your building is, than can be a walk and it is out in the elements (another reason why I love the Lodge so much).

Front Desk Main Ceremonial House (feel the 70's?) (again, Am, you don't want your butt in my pics, don't walk so damned fast!):

Lobby at the Main Ceremonial House:

Our favorite Tiki's behind a register:

But, it is a monorail resort, so you have instant access to the monorail, but as an added bonus, you are within walking distance to the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center) where the resort monorail changes over to the Epcot monorail, so instead of riding the resort monorail and switching once you arrive at the TTC like you have to at the Contemporary, you can just walk directly there and hop on an Epcot monorail or, if your room is closer to the TTC than the Ceremonial House, hop on a Magic Kingdom Monorail (the resort monorail loops through the Magic Kingdom if you are closer to the main House). We were about centered between the two, so some days we walked and some days we rode. Good thing Am has an excellent sense of direction! I'd never found my way back and forth through all that foliage!!

Our room:

Beach (and Am's feet - I'm sure she had a reason to take this picture like this, but it turned out good, so I'm posting it!) - oh and a bit of Disney trivia...when Walt first started buying up land for Disney, the land he was buying was all swamp. They dug up a lot of the swamps and made lakes out of them, but at the bottom of the muck, they found sand! White, beautiful sand which now lines the beaches of the water-lined resorts (although, after all this time, I'm sure they ship sand in, but it's a nice story):

Walking daytime and Am butt shot:

Walking at night (yes, it was that dark - Am's pic...she's not comfortable with taking night shots):

I'll eventually be doing a restaurant review of Kona, which is in the Ceremonial House, but we have eaten there several times, and it was what prompted us to stay at the Poly in the first place. But this trip, the meal was sub-par, which was unusual, and it was enough that we won't be eating there this time (even the sticky wings were bad and Kona's sticky wings are heavenly!).

Oh, I guess I should add, for those that don't know, you don't have to be staying in a resort to eat at their restaurants...at Disney, you can eat anywhere you want so long as you have a reservation, and dining reservations at Disney are a must! But more on that at another time.

Oh, I found the best video of a walking tour of the Polynesian at the All Ears site! i ran across this quite by accident! I use the All Ears site probably more than any other Disney site, BTW, particularly the menus. I look at them and decide where we are gonna eat. I am definitely gonna check and see if they have vids for both the Contemporary and the Lodge!



So, that's it! Another review down! I think next time I'll do Port Orleans French Quarter since I seem to be going in a pattern here, which will be my first moderate resort review.

My next WIP

I've decided to work on this one as my Disney project because, well, it's the 35th Anniversary stitch, and since last year was Disney's 40th Anniversary, it's about time I stitched it! Plus, I like the fact that it's not solid, so I don't have to stitch a background! It seems my last few projects have been that way and it's getting tiring! I have to pre-treat the fabric first because apparently there is some bleeding issues with the navy fabric, so I might not get to start on it this weekend, but I can get everything prepared and hopefully at least finish up the first page of A Summer Ball and maybe work on A Walk Through The Highlands a bit.



Another great thing about this project is it has some obscure Disney characters on it, like Pecos Bill and Widowmaker, which is one of my favorite oldie cartoons, as well as the Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion! Pecos Bill is a classic and one of my favorites, but it's also one of those that brings up a sore subject (as well as a controversial one) for me - to make them more "PC" they edited out certain parts. Painting out a cigarette on a 65 year old cartoon is not going to keep kids from smoking today - kids today wouldn't even watch this cartoon! It ruins the integrity of the original artwork! For those of you who don't remember it, I did happen to find the uncut version on YouTube (in pieces since it's about 15 or so minutes long).







Just in case you were wondering (probably not), my absolute favorite Disney short is The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow! Funny how I can go from a stitching post back to Disney again! The power of OCD!

Wilderness Lodge dedication

An extremely horrible day at work calls for a shift in my thinking and what better way to do that than to focus on our upcoming trip!

For those who have been to Disney and who have stayed at the Lodge, you know what I'm talking about, for those that haven't stayed there or have never even been to Disney World, I'm about to give you a taste of what Wilderness Lodge is like (in shortened form, of course - or shortened form for me anyway!).

I've posted a couple of pictures already, and I'm afraid my crappy photo taking cannot do it true justice. Believe it or not, Wilderness Lodge has it's own fan site (told you I was a total Disney geek) and if you'd like to check it out, it's Wilderness Lodge Site and it's got some great history and info as well as great pics.   The official Disney World link also has some great highlights!

The Lobby of the Lodge Oct 2005:

Same Dec 2006 (and yes, the Christmas tree WAS that big):

As an avid fan of Mouse World Radio (and if your a Disney fan and don't listen to Mouse World Radio, what's wrong with you?!  It's free and I can't imagine life without it!), they often have the BGM (background music) for the Lodge and talk about feeling the memories!

But, as most of you know, I'm a Donald Duck freak.  Have been since I was a young'un.  One of the main highlights of the Lodge, is it's totem poles, but one in particular:

Bit of trivia for ya...does anyone know who the bear is at the bottom of the totem? Think back to your childhood and think of this tune "first you stick a rag, put in the bag, bump bump, then you bend your back put in the sack, bump bump...". Anything yet? Maybe this will help:


You got it now right? Well, Humphrey stared in most of his few cartoons with my main Duck-man! Maybe this will help:


Humphrey is kind of the mascot of the Lodge which makes me happy to no end because you get to buy cool stuff like this:

God, I love pins!!

My Wilderness Lodge dedication shelf (and oh, that scent of Yankee Candle smells JUST like the Lodge smells!):

My Wilderness Lodge throw:

I always regretted not getting the Wilderness Lodge lincoln logs because you can't buy them anymore! But the thing with Humphrey and the totem is that you are supposed to rub his nose upon arrival at the Lodge so that your Disney vacation will be extra magical! Disney vacations are always magical, but we rub his nose, just in case!

The rooms have gone through at least one rehab since I've been staying there:

Oct 2005:

Oct 2008:

And I think I've stayed in about every end of the resort! I've been there twice by myself because it's the one I feel most comfortable in and it's one building (unlike the other resorts at Disney which can be spread out over forever...Caribbean Beach, for example, has some buildings that are as far as a 25 minute walk from the Old Port Royale, which contains the food court and gift shops...imagine walking that to breakfast every morning (been there, done that twice!)).

Speaking of Disney by myself...yes, you did hear me correctly. Me, Asperger's, OCD and SAD suffer, who can't go to Wal-Mart by herself most times, actually gets on a plane, flies the 850 some odd miles, takes a car service, checks into the Lodge and spends a week in Disney World ALL BY MYSELF!!! It's the only place, besides my home and work that I am absolutely comfortable. Granted, I do have my moments, but I just sit on a bench, call up Am, rub it in that I'm in Disney and she's not, then I feel better and can move on! I eat in the restaurants by myself, ride the rides by myself, shop by myself (OK, that would NEVER be a problem)...it's a total mystery!

But, anyway, I've bored you enough on the Lodge. But I think I will continue a series of blogs on Disney for those who don't know much about it, maybe focusing on particular rides or parks or restaurants (Le Cellier anyone! ICE WINE!!) and sharing photos of mine from visits past (yes Am, I will do our DVD from the 2010 pics, I promise! And yes Am, I know you want a copy of all the pics and I promise I've got them pulled out to redo and now that I have motivation, it WILL get done!).

A final note, I think I'm gonna add a third WIP, a Disney project, just to keep the other two flowing, and keep my Disney spirits up and in the stitching mood (it's not like I don't have a ton of Disney projects in the wings!).

Beauty And The Beast 3D - A Review, a Rant, and a Video

So last weekend, T and I went and saw B&B in 3D and I have to say, it was pretty good! It wasn't Disney's usual Real 3D and, like I mentioned in a previous post, the Tangled Ever After short film at the beginning of the movie was well worth the 3D ticket price!

Now, here's the rant, and brace yourselves, it may be controversial to some, but bare with me!

As I have mentioned in the past, I have a background in art and I'm a Disney freak and have been since childhood. From that, it's safe to draw only one conclusion really...I'm a Disney purist. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie not only for the storyline, but because it's one of the finest pieces of art ever put on film and every single film cell is a masterpiece in itself. I'm also the only person I know who can watch Fantasia and not only stay awake every single time, but usually end up crying at the shear beauty of the piece!

For those that don't know, let me give you a bit of history of animation and I hope I don't bore you:

Back in those days, they hand drew every single character and hand painted every single background and photographed every single scene. All through the history of Disney films, this was the process. The most talented artists worked at the Disney studios...Marc Davis (my personal favorite) to Mary Blair to Eric Larson to Ward Kimball to Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnson and even Tim Burton.

In the mid to late 80's, the Disney company went through horrible financial trouble and management and board member shifts...some good, and some bad. But new blood in any company means new plans, new ideas, and cuts, and the animation department, which wasn't making much money at that time, was the hardest hit. They were forced to come up with cheaper and faster ways to make animated movies for executives who knew nothing about animation so a very infant Pixar joined with them to create a software program called CAPS (Computer Animation Production Systems) to do just that.

With the creation of CAPS, no longer were animators needed to paint backgrounds or colorize characters. Eventually even animation cels were no longer used for the actual movie productions anymore so that also negated a ton of animators. The Disney company was able to massively dwindle down their animators and the actual talent was replaced with just regular employees. They saved a ton of money and from an artist point of view, put out a ton of mass produced crap.

The average joe didn't notice the difference in this new generation of movies, or Disney's renaissance as most people referred to it, because it was when the most profitable movies the studio ever produced came out...The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc... These are typically the movies everyone loves. But for years, I refused to give them the time of day. "How dare they put out that computer generated trash as art!", I used to say. I was practically militant about it! Sure, the characters were still basically hand-drawn, but even some of those were computer generated. Once a character had been hand created, it was getting easier and easier for the software to manipulate the images into animation without an animators help, just a programmer. The more advanced CAPS got, the more they used it and the less they used artists. It made my blood boil! Especially since as a kid, I wanted to be a Disney animator...if I had become one, today I would be unemployed or would be a computer graphics artist, a much different field.

Then Hercules came out and it was visually different...a larger group of animators worked on it, and some of the characterizations were created using one single line, like ancient Greek drawings. Once I heard about it, my curiosity was peaked and I went and saw it and LOVED it!!! Yes, there was tons of CAPS moments, but it was still a beautiful piece of art in a new way! All of a sudden, I started watching the 2nd gen Disney movies in bulk, starting with The Lion King, then Aladdin, then The Little Mermaid, so on, and so on, till I got to Beauty And The Beast.

Now, as a Disney freak, I am aware of the fact that the idea of doing B&B wasn't a new one, Walt had wanted to do it for many years before he died. So, just from that, it ought to have appealed to me. But other than the music, I found the animation way too much of a distraction to enjoy it and especially the ballroom scene...most people's favorite. The 2D animated characters on the extremely early designed CGI animated ballroom, it's just horrible!! Throughout the film, there are areas where she turns her head and her character face changes so much, you can't recognize her anymore, something that would have never been acceptable in Walt's day. It was obvious they were in a hurry to complete it and massive mistakes were made. I have never watched it again until we went to see it last weekend.

OK, back to my new review now that you've gotten an earful. In 3D, I did find myself not noticing the CAPS so much as I used to, but the ballroom scene was still horribly annoying and I even had to turn my head away at the one part where she puts her hand on a tree and she has toothpicks for fingers because someone wasn't paying attention! But overall, on the big screen, it is still better than TV and the depth of the 3D distracts from the CAPS work considerably.

As far as the 2nd gens, Hercules is still my favorite and much underrated because the music is brilliant and Hades is the best villain since Maleficent hands down! I'm the closest to Megara than any other Disney Princess and I think she's the most easy to relate to. I do love The Lion King and Aladdin, but I'm not too big on the girls Ariel and Belle. And don't even get me started on Pocahontas! What were they thinking! I know that the Hercules story is not accurate either, but come on - could they possibly have gotten history more wrong? And lastly, Hunchback of Notre Dame is just way too dark, even for me!

Nowadays, CAPS and CGI has come a long way. As far as the 3rd gen Disney movies, i.e. The Wild (an underrated Disney film), The Princess And The Toad, and my personal favorite, Tangled, as well as many others, I'm back to being in love with them. Tangled is the closest Disney has come back to the original feel of the classics, which is why it was such a big hit and why it's my favorite of the newbies.

Pixar has become a giant on its own and it also took me awhile to come around to pure CGI animation, but I finally did. Nemo is my favorite, but the others are OK as well, but still better on the big screen than the small. BTW, Nemo is going to be in out in the theaters in 3D this September.

One can only hope that the 4th gen of Disney movie is a return to the originals! That's my hope anyway, but I have learned to accept the 2nd gens for their history and their place in the Disney-verse and that's definitely a step up for me (especially since we have moved on to the 3rd gen and the 2nd gen is now "classic").

But as a parting soapbox dismount, here's Meg singing the best song from Hercules, and possibly one of the best top 5 Disney songs ever (oh, and for the Disney freaks, see if you catch the Haunted Mansion reference and let me know if you found it-that is if you managed to make it through this entire diatribe!):

Jesus and Santa Caroling

Just one final post for the day, with a Duran flair...Jesus and Santa, singing Christmas Carols, South Park style - is there any other way to hear a Christmas carol? That's right - poopity poppin!!

Christmas, Headaches, and Out Clauses

Guess it's not shocking that I've got a migraine building (yep Joysze, I might get to call in sick afterall), so I've gotta type quick, this screen is killing me. I was given an out clause on my Christmas responsibilities and I didn't take it, but now I'm thinking I might have to. I'm still not sure why I didn't take it.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my situation. Honestly, it really is nice to be able to spurt out my problems (to someone other than a therapist) and actually have someone listen. In the real (not cyber) world, I don't speak much except to people I really know and tell even fewer these stories, so thanks again for letting me vent.

I talk a lot about guilt, but technically, I don't actually feel guilt, it's the perception of guilt I feel. It's one of my learned traits...I know I'm supposed to feel guilty and therefore I generate a bad feeling in response to the perception of the supposed emotion, but Asperger's keeps me from feeling the actual emotion. I basically just make myself sick because I think I'm supposed to. I know it's a percepted feeling, because all my percepted feelings feel the exact same way...guilt, empathy, loss, sympathy, compassion, even sometimes love, I can't tell one sick feeling from another. I'm always terrified someone is gonna ask me how I actually feel and I'm gonna give the wrong answer and I'm gonna get found out that I'm faking it (even though I'm feeling something, it's just self-generated). It's not a total lack of emotion, because trust me, I do feel emotion over things I'm obsessed over or passionate about, almost at a painful level, but it's a lack of what I call "normal human emotions". Mine are just super-heightened on things they probably (OK, definitely) shouldn't be super-heightened on.

It's almost a very selfish condition, you don't feel for others, only yourself and things that concern you. I have been accused of being selfish my entire life and, to tell the truth, I can't deny it, I am, but my nature, not like normal selfish people which are usually by creation. I can't help it though and I try really hard not to be, it's a constant struggle. It's what my family would probably say is the reason why I don't want to participate in Christmas (well, most of my family, I will say I think my Sister does understand). HA! Think of it that way...I have a medical condition that makes me selfish! Wow! Gotta use that!!

But anyhoo, now that I've started having migraines, the sickened feeling I generate over the supposed emotions, manifests themselves into headaches, instead of how they used to be, just normal sickened feelings. Yea me.

So, to make a long story short (too late as usual), there may not be a Christmas blog tomorrow because I may be in bed drugged up like a crack addict! Or then again, it may be a daily blitz of blog posts every couple of minutes! We'll just have to wait and see!

But as a parting note for all those that actually enjoy Christmas (God love ya!), here's a little Christmas tidbit from my second favorite little man (next to my Zachary) singing a Christmas classic and going through what Christmas is like for me...getting shocked with a cattle prod! HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Speaking of Videos

After a rather grim negative report from my neurologist concerning my migraines...I decided that today's post should be a word from my own...personal...Jesus....Robert Smith (you thought I was gonna say Dave Gahan, didn't you? I have too many indecent thoughts about him to consider him a holy deity!). So here it is, a song about a girl who keeps blindly handing herself over, even though it's the worst thing in the world for her.

The Cure's From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea:

Video

I haven't posted a video in a while, and this song is a bit of a theme song for me and I've been in a Girls Aloud mood lately. Plus it's an endless source of past hairstyles for me, including my last one (Kimberley's) and the one I'm getting done next week (Cheryl's)...so enjoy!

Girls Aloud - Life Got Cold