19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. (Matt. 28)
"Blow 'em up, baby!"
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Mickeys - Entrance Plaza
So after my last blog entry, I decided it might be time to go with something a little more lighthearted. Disney (what else?)!
So comes the first of my blogs documenting the Mickeys we've found all over the parks.
I figure it best to start at the beginning, with some of the first ones that you can see entering the parks area, and work my way in. These are all found between the Disney Mickey & Friends Parking Structure (where you pick up the tram), through the security checkpoint that let you into the Entrance Plaza, and inside the Plaza itself between the two parks.
Nothing terribly difficult in finding these. They are a large portion of the ones that are in this area. I've intentionally left a few out so I have more to add later as I go back and take more photos. But these are a good many of them. Next time you're at the park, check 'em out!
ºoº
So comes the first of my blogs documenting the Mickeys we've found all over the parks.
I figure it best to start at the beginning, with some of the first ones that you can see entering the parks area, and work my way in. These are all found between the Disney Mickey & Friends Parking Structure (where you pick up the tram), through the security checkpoint that let you into the Entrance Plaza, and inside the Plaza itself between the two parks.
Nothing terribly difficult in finding these. They are a large portion of the ones that are in this area. I've intentionally left a few out so I have more to add later as I go back and take more photos. But these are a good many of them. Next time you're at the park, check 'em out!
ºoº
Monday, August 16, 2010
Feelin' Sappy (sung to the tune of 'Feeling Groovy')
Feeling sappy this morning. Feeling a bit of age this morning.
I say that a lot, but it's usually followed swiftly by someone knocking me down to size. "You're not old!", or "I'm old!", or "Come back and see me in 25 years and then tell me you're old". Okay, so I readily admit in terms of actual years and mileage I have on me, I'm not especially old. But, I refuse to be told how I can feel, and right now I feel old, consarned it all, you whippersnappers!
Truth is, today it was looking at my children that made me feel, well, maybe so not much old, but definitely aging.
I'm truly blessed to be able to spend so much time with them, and to have a wife who wanted one of us home with them so badly that she allows me to do so. We both agreed long ago that it was my job to do so. And I treat it as such. Laundry, vacuuming, mopping, dishes, homework, dinner all fall in the domain of "Chad". And truth is, I have struggled with that a lot over the years. It's not the manliest of jobs, after all. And many a night I've lain awake in bed listening to Stephanie sleeping while the guilt tried to eat me alive.
But over the past year or so I've really tried to slow it down and notice more and pay more attention to the little things. Last week Michael started the 3rd Grade. Nicholas, the 1st. Little Lucas is only a couple of years away from being away from me, too. If time continues to fly like this, they'll graduate tomorrow.
I think that Stephanie and I both realize that our "baby days" may be over. We haven't officially called it quits on them, yet, but we're both older now and both beginning to realize that the "new phase" of our lives we always say we're getting ready to enter just may not involve raising anymore children. It makes me sad. I've enjoyed every minute that I've had with my babies, but I know that it can't last forever. MJ will be a teenager before I know it, and God help me if I'm trying to raise teenagers and babies at the same time.
So I stood in the schoolyard this morning just watching all the children from so many families. I could see Michael at the other end of the blacktop (all by himself in line because he doesn't really need me anymore) and Nicholas on the other, looking small and quiet in his first grade line. He's growing up, too; can't deny it anymore. And just when I thought the feelings couldn't consume me anymore, little Lucas walked up to me and asked me to pick him up, and he put his arms around me, kissed me on the cheek, and laid his head on my shoulder and told me he loved me.
Life may indeed be moving on, but I plan on draining it of every stinking minute that I can.
I say that a lot, but it's usually followed swiftly by someone knocking me down to size. "You're not old!", or "I'm old!", or "Come back and see me in 25 years and then tell me you're old". Okay, so I readily admit in terms of actual years and mileage I have on me, I'm not especially old. But, I refuse to be told how I can feel, and right now I feel old, consarned it all, you whippersnappers!
Truth is, today it was looking at my children that made me feel, well, maybe so not much old, but definitely aging.
I'm truly blessed to be able to spend so much time with them, and to have a wife who wanted one of us home with them so badly that she allows me to do so. We both agreed long ago that it was my job to do so. And I treat it as such. Laundry, vacuuming, mopping, dishes, homework, dinner all fall in the domain of "Chad". And truth is, I have struggled with that a lot over the years. It's not the manliest of jobs, after all. And many a night I've lain awake in bed listening to Stephanie sleeping while the guilt tried to eat me alive.
But over the past year or so I've really tried to slow it down and notice more and pay more attention to the little things. Last week Michael started the 3rd Grade. Nicholas, the 1st. Little Lucas is only a couple of years away from being away from me, too. If time continues to fly like this, they'll graduate tomorrow.
I think that Stephanie and I both realize that our "baby days" may be over. We haven't officially called it quits on them, yet, but we're both older now and both beginning to realize that the "new phase" of our lives we always say we're getting ready to enter just may not involve raising anymore children. It makes me sad. I've enjoyed every minute that I've had with my babies, but I know that it can't last forever. MJ will be a teenager before I know it, and God help me if I'm trying to raise teenagers and babies at the same time.
So I stood in the schoolyard this morning just watching all the children from so many families. I could see Michael at the other end of the blacktop (all by himself in line because he doesn't really need me anymore) and Nicholas on the other, looking small and quiet in his first grade line. He's growing up, too; can't deny it anymore. And just when I thought the feelings couldn't consume me anymore, little Lucas walked up to me and asked me to pick him up, and he put his arms around me, kissed me on the cheek, and laid his head on my shoulder and told me he loved me.
Life may indeed be moving on, but I plan on draining it of every stinking minute that I can.
 |
| Michael right after his birth - 7/24/2002 |
Friday, August 6, 2010
Quite Possibly The World's Greatest 'Hide and Seek'
I've often been accused of having an obsessive-type personality. The people in my life who know me the best would probably have no problem whatsoever confirming this fact to any doubters who may still be out there.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite games in the world to play was 'Hide and Seek'. I've often regaled others (whether they wanted me to or not) with tales of playing differing varieties of the 'Hide and Seek' game into the wee hours of many a summer morning. In point of fact, even now, whenever I can play 'Hide and Seek' I'm more than willing to do so. At our annual youth lock-ins, more often than not, you'll find me in the thick of things with the rest of the teenagers whenever we play 'Hide and Seek' in the sanctuary of the church at roughly 2am. Not many things in this world could ever keep me awake past 2am. 'Hide and Seek' is one of them.
Enter the Wonderful World of Disney. I've always been a HUGE Disney fan. I grew up watching the movies and television shows. I grew up knowing the characters, singing the songs. Basically, I was just one huge Lame-O. To this day, if anyone asks me what my greatest vacation of all time was, I will immediately and without hesitation spew forth, "Disneyworld when I was 17." Try me. On second thought, don't. I don't do well under pressure.
When I met my wife and decided to move to California, I did indeed know that I would be living a scant 40 miles or so from the "original" Disney theme park (and this was before California Adventure existed). However, for the longest time the desire to go remained dormant. It wasn't until I had actually been living in Southern California for several years that I took my first trip into the park. It was roughly the same time that I first heard of the Hidden Mickey.
Without belaboring the point, at some time during last quarter century, workers/Imagineers began placing Hidden Mickeys all over the Disney properties. You can find them everywhere (in all the different parks, hotels, restaurants, etc.) and anywhere (I saw one outside a bathroom once). No place is safe. Anytime a new attraction is built, it's prime real estate for a new Mickey to show up. Some get moved from time to time, and some are removed from to time. You get the idea. There are little Mickey Mouses hidden all over the park, okay? Just gonna have to trust me on this one. ºoº See what I did there? Hid a Mickey right smack in the middle of my blog.
It's generally accepted that there are probably hundreds of the things all over the place, and that there is no "official" list. The closest is probably Hidden Mickeys (available at your friendly neighborhood Disneyland kiosk) by Steven M. Barrett, and even he doesn't have them all. Everyone has their own criteria for what they consider a "true" Hidden Mickey. Many of mine are on his list. Some are on his questionable list. Some aren't on any list at all. That's part of the fun of the game.
I try to answer the following questions when I look for Mickeys:
Even so, they really failed to capture my imagination for the longest time. If I happened to see one, great. If I didn't, well no big deal, either. And for a long time, I didn't. It wasn't until I started going regularly when I began to get an annual pass annually (HA!) that I was bitten by the HM Bug. The Trifecta. My love for Disney, 'Hide and Seek' and my obsessive personality all came together and gave me a whole new outlook on life. Worlds collided. Planets divided. The world was fruitful and multiplied. Well, maybe not all that (except the last one, Google "overpopulation" and shudder) but it did begin to become a part of my Disneyland experiences on a much grander scale.
I "mentally" collected them for quite some time, but one particular day when I got on a roll (spotting several on my own with no clues or tips from anyone or anysite) I decided it might be fun to begin documenting them in photo form. Not just for myself, but for the kids (they love the idea of them, but often can't see them in time when we're on rides or whatever).
So without further ado, I present the first of what will probably be weekly blogs dedicated to the Mickeys in some shape or form.
I can by no means claim that I found all of these on my own. I'll never say that I did. Some of them came from a friend I go with fairly often (Mark, you know who you are!), and some of them came from online lists or other people as I was in the parks (Cast members and other Disney fans). The two websites that I like the best are HiddenMickeysGuide.com and this one from a couple of huge fans, Finding Mickey. However, a great many of them I did find all on my own as I wandered around the Park, and I'm especially proud of those. I'll probably make special note of those as I post them.
I'm not out to argue whether something is hidden or not. I just wander around and look for Mickeys. If you want to deem them hidden that's great, and if not, that's great, too. I'm including pretty much whatever I see, and you can be the judge.
I hope Disney lovers out there will appreciate it. All others, well, we honestly don't care what you think.
Peace.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite games in the world to play was 'Hide and Seek'. I've often regaled others (whether they wanted me to or not) with tales of playing differing varieties of the 'Hide and Seek' game into the wee hours of many a summer morning. In point of fact, even now, whenever I can play 'Hide and Seek' I'm more than willing to do so. At our annual youth lock-ins, more often than not, you'll find me in the thick of things with the rest of the teenagers whenever we play 'Hide and Seek' in the sanctuary of the church at roughly 2am. Not many things in this world could ever keep me awake past 2am. 'Hide and Seek' is one of them.
Enter the Wonderful World of Disney. I've always been a HUGE Disney fan. I grew up watching the movies and television shows. I grew up knowing the characters, singing the songs. Basically, I was just one huge Lame-O. To this day, if anyone asks me what my greatest vacation of all time was, I will immediately and without hesitation spew forth, "Disneyworld when I was 17." Try me. On second thought, don't. I don't do well under pressure.
When I met my wife and decided to move to California, I did indeed know that I would be living a scant 40 miles or so from the "original" Disney theme park (and this was before California Adventure existed). However, for the longest time the desire to go remained dormant. It wasn't until I had actually been living in Southern California for several years that I took my first trip into the park. It was roughly the same time that I first heard of the Hidden Mickey.
Without belaboring the point, at some time during last quarter century, workers/Imagineers began placing Hidden Mickeys all over the Disney properties. You can find them everywhere (in all the different parks, hotels, restaurants, etc.) and anywhere (I saw one outside a bathroom once). No place is safe. Anytime a new attraction is built, it's prime real estate for a new Mickey to show up. Some get moved from time to time, and some are removed from to time. You get the idea. There are little Mickey Mouses hidden all over the park, okay? Just gonna have to trust me on this one. ºoº See what I did there? Hid a Mickey right smack in the middle of my blog.
It's generally accepted that there are probably hundreds of the things all over the place, and that there is no "official" list. The closest is probably Hidden Mickeys (available at your friendly neighborhood Disneyland kiosk) by Steven M. Barrett, and even he doesn't have them all. Everyone has their own criteria for what they consider a "true" Hidden Mickey. Many of mine are on his list. Some are on his questionable list. Some aren't on any list at all. That's part of the fun of the game.
I try to answer the following questions when I look for Mickeys:
- Is it in the general shape of a Mickey head (or in some cases a real picture of Mickey)? Obvious, right?
- Does it seem purposeful?
Even so, they really failed to capture my imagination for the longest time. If I happened to see one, great. If I didn't, well no big deal, either. And for a long time, I didn't. It wasn't until I started going regularly when I began to get an annual pass annually (HA!) that I was bitten by the HM Bug. The Trifecta. My love for Disney, 'Hide and Seek' and my obsessive personality all came together and gave me a whole new outlook on life. Worlds collided. Planets divided. The world was fruitful and multiplied. Well, maybe not all that (except the last one, Google "overpopulation" and shudder) but it did begin to become a part of my Disneyland experiences on a much grander scale.
I "mentally" collected them for quite some time, but one particular day when I got on a roll (spotting several on my own with no clues or tips from anyone or anysite) I decided it might be fun to begin documenting them in photo form. Not just for myself, but for the kids (they love the idea of them, but often can't see them in time when we're on rides or whatever).
So without further ado, I present the first of what will probably be weekly blogs dedicated to the Mickeys in some shape or form.
I can by no means claim that I found all of these on my own. I'll never say that I did. Some of them came from a friend I go with fairly often (Mark, you know who you are!), and some of them came from online lists or other people as I was in the parks (Cast members and other Disney fans). The two websites that I like the best are HiddenMickeysGuide.com and this one from a couple of huge fans, Finding Mickey. However, a great many of them I did find all on my own as I wandered around the Park, and I'm especially proud of those. I'll probably make special note of those as I post them.
I'm not out to argue whether something is hidden or not. I just wander around and look for Mickeys. If you want to deem them hidden that's great, and if not, that's great, too. I'm including pretty much whatever I see, and you can be the judge.
I hope Disney lovers out there will appreciate it. All others, well, we honestly don't care what you think.
Peace.
Inside the loop of Screamin' - Fire Alarm in Tower of Terror Video
Breastplate on Pirates of the Caribbean - Mickey Shadow in Jack's Treasure Room
Riverboat Painting (shot from aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat)
Riverboat Painting (shot from aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Eyes of A Child, or, A Friend Does Not Have To Be a Peer
People have long said that there are two sides to every coin. It's a cliche that's probably been used for about as long as the coin has existed (perhaps I should research that one day). Call the two sides what you will. Heads - Tails. Good - Evil. Yin - Yang. Whatever.
People have also long said that there are two sides to every person. For me, the two sides of the coin most often at war with each other are the Parent - Friend sides. Unfortunately, we live in a time when children seem to, on a more and more frequent basis, be completely bereft of any parental guidance whatsoever. Take a look around you and prove me wrong. I dare you to try. I think that one of the most unfortunate consequences of this cultural shift has been our unwillingness to find any middle ground at all with our children. Another human fallacy seems to be the propensity to take things too far. We either swear that our children "will not behave like that" so we clamp down so much they have little to no freedom whatsoever (often only delaying the inevitable rebellion) or we just depend on them to develop themselves into well-rounded individuals through things like "active-listening" (thanks, Raymond!) or other such philosophical/psychological methods. Not to say that any of these are bad in and of themselves, but again, it's meant to merely make a point: we tend to be one way or the other.
One thing you hear a lot these days (at least in terms of raising children) is that you "are not your child's friend, you are their parent!". It's even popular in Christian circles (and maybe especially so).
Well, I disagree (so what else is new?)!
A friend and I were talking recently about this very topic (no idea how we got on the subject) and the topic of our own childhood came up. Not to belabor a point, I was quick to point out that when it came down to my feelings about my own dad, I had no trouble differentiating between my dad the parent, and my dad the friend. He was ample parts both. My dad the parent ruled the roost, taught me right from wrong, disciplined me, and let me know who was boss. My dad the friend taught me how to ride my bike, how to catch, watched baseball and football with me... well, you get the idea. Was he still my parent while he was doing those things? Of course. But I can still remember the child-like glee in his eyes when he did many of those things. I still see that look now when we're watching certain movies my mom can't stand. My dad knew how to successfully tread the line between being a parent and a friend, and I always knew which he was at any given time.
I want my own sons to know the same thing. I don't want to come down on them like a hammer 24/7 for their own good to keep them out of trouble. I also don't want to be just their friend. I want to be their parent, and their friend. I want to walk the line, and I want to do it successfully like my old man did.
And when we do things together that we both enjoy, I want them to know that the glee they see in my eyes mirrors the glee I see in their eyes, and that it's genuine from a man who is both their parent, and their friend.
I think that my pictures speak for themselves.
People have also long said that there are two sides to every person. For me, the two sides of the coin most often at war with each other are the Parent - Friend sides. Unfortunately, we live in a time when children seem to, on a more and more frequent basis, be completely bereft of any parental guidance whatsoever. Take a look around you and prove me wrong. I dare you to try. I think that one of the most unfortunate consequences of this cultural shift has been our unwillingness to find any middle ground at all with our children. Another human fallacy seems to be the propensity to take things too far. We either swear that our children "will not behave like that" so we clamp down so much they have little to no freedom whatsoever (often only delaying the inevitable rebellion) or we just depend on them to develop themselves into well-rounded individuals through things like "active-listening" (thanks, Raymond!) or other such philosophical/psychological methods. Not to say that any of these are bad in and of themselves, but again, it's meant to merely make a point: we tend to be one way or the other.
One thing you hear a lot these days (at least in terms of raising children) is that you "are not your child's friend, you are their parent!". It's even popular in Christian circles (and maybe especially so).
Well, I disagree (so what else is new?)!
A friend and I were talking recently about this very topic (no idea how we got on the subject) and the topic of our own childhood came up. Not to belabor a point, I was quick to point out that when it came down to my feelings about my own dad, I had no trouble differentiating between my dad the parent, and my dad the friend. He was ample parts both. My dad the parent ruled the roost, taught me right from wrong, disciplined me, and let me know who was boss. My dad the friend taught me how to ride my bike, how to catch, watched baseball and football with me... well, you get the idea. Was he still my parent while he was doing those things? Of course. But I can still remember the child-like glee in his eyes when he did many of those things. I still see that look now when we're watching certain movies my mom can't stand. My dad knew how to successfully tread the line between being a parent and a friend, and I always knew which he was at any given time.
I want my own sons to know the same thing. I don't want to come down on them like a hammer 24/7 for their own good to keep them out of trouble. I also don't want to be just their friend. I want to be their parent, and their friend. I want to walk the line, and I want to do it successfully like my old man did.
And when we do things together that we both enjoy, I want them to know that the glee they see in my eyes mirrors the glee I see in their eyes, and that it's genuine from a man who is both their parent, and their friend.
I think that my pictures speak for themselves.
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