absolute poppycock

hogwarts, a (recent) history

2010-11-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

since HP7.1 comes out this week, i thought i'd share photos from our visit to the wizarding world of harry potter. i haven't been so excited to be in a theme park since...january? : P

i could easily become obsessed with this place. luckily, we bought season passes since this small area of islands of adventure is super fun. and we have to go back to visit our pal hedwig:

ok, and to drink more butterbeer & pumpkin juice:

we're gonna party like it's your birthday

2010-11-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

oct. 25 was my adorable hubby's birthday...

for a month, he's as old as i am...oh, how he LOVES that moment when i turn into the old woman again. i enjoy celebrating him finally "coming of age" every year, and those 30 days when he can't tease me for being older!!

we celebrated at via napoli, the new pizza place in the italy pavillion at epcot. the pizza there is outstanding, and don't even get me started on the dessert. the photo below shows the character of their wood-burning ovens.

and what better way to celebrate a birthday than with fireworks???

block party bash

2010-10-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

i totally love the street parties that disney is creating now, like pixar block party bash at disney's hollywood studios. the stars & cars boring parade is gone, and is replaced by a party in the streets with all of your favorite pixar characters!

yes, i'm still bloggin' it up

2010-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

my sister vanessa reminded me that i haven't blogged in a long time, and i have fun stuff to blog about! let's be honest...i live in the happiest place on earth...i *always* have fun stuff to blog about. lucky me!!

we just got back on sunday from our first cruise. why yes, it WAS a disney cruise..and can i just say that cruising is freakin' awesome. i'm in love. i may be a bit biased because i went with my adorable hubby & my BFF, but we really had a ball. it was so relaxing, even though we did a million things. great restaurants, great shows, great islands. the water is so so so blue & beautiful in the bahamas...

already wishing to be back on castaway cay. who's up for a cruise in january??

exciting times

2010-09-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

you know what's awesome? being excited about your own life. waking up every morning & being thankful that you're where you are, doing what you are doing.

obviously my life isn't perfect. nobody's life is perfect. i make mistakes daily. i catch myself thinking a lot of "what if's," but i don't dwell on them because they are only passing thoughts, like "what if we stayed in chicago with our well-paying jobs? would we have purchased a house by now (like we see our other married friends doing) or started a family (see last note)?" who knows. who knows whether or not we'd be ready for those things, but i DO know that we didn't wake up smiling 6 days out of 7. i know that we spend a lot more time out with friends, new & old, than we do sitting around watching TV. we're rarely too exhausted and stressed to make an effort to go have fun. we have more time to spend together. we spend less time complaining about the weather, and how expensive everything is. we spend less time complaining in general.

i feel so lucky and blessed to be where i am at this moment.

labor day weekend

2010-09-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

labor day kinda snuck up on me this year. typically we go on a little vacation, but we didn't realize it was here until wednesday...so i guess we did a staycation!

friday night we went to buffalo wild wings with some pals to play trivia games. our whole gang did really well, and i think more trivia nights are certainly on the horizon.

on saturday, andy & i both did a little work and i got a lot of housekeeping done (and a little scrapbooking). later that night, we met up with leah and ajay at artist point for an incredible meal.

i had an absolutely incredible salmon dinner, fresh caught from alaska.

sunday we slept in a bit then went to animal kingdom. we went to ride kali river rapids, as we had not ridden it all year...and while we expected to get wet, we ended up getting DRENCHED. soaked. annihilated by a deluge of water. we tried to dry out, and did a few more things in the park, but ended up heading back to the apartment to change into vegging clothes.

between yesterday & today, i was able to finish the scrapbook that i've been working on most recently. it's from my disney internship in 2005 (yeah, 5 years ago, i know) and is finally finished!

Trail's End

2010-08-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

A great, hidden breakfast buffet @ Wilderness Lodge...and less expensive, too!

michigan r+r

2010-08-21T10:34:00.001-07:00

Enjoying some much needed rest & relaxation at my in-laws in Michigan. Will post soon!

maggie & gennady's engagement photos

2010-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Check out www.disneyweddingblog.com to see ADORABLE engagement photos! I've seen some cute "Up" inspired photos before, but these are extra fun since Maggie is a friend. And how cute is that ring box??

back home again in indiana (temporarily)

2010-08-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

we're on vacation this week, and spent the first part in indiana. we got into town just in time to say goodbye to my sister, allison, before she left to study abroad in germany. i was so happy to spend time with my family, especially mom & dad, since i had not seen them in about 7 months!!

my dad threw a party for us with a huge cajun pot boil,

we lounged about the pool in the backyard with vanessa, who took time off while we were in town. she leaves next month to study abroad in england.

andy & i went down to main street to grab sandwiches at one of our favorites, the downtowner.

the whole weekend was filled with good food, as most torline gatherings are. homemade vanilla ice cream and blackberry cobbler, a trip to freezer fresh for berry sherbert, skyline chili.

tuesday evening bill came to pick us to fly us to michigan. he gave my family a ride first; mom, melanie & vanessa LOVED their flight! it was amazing to fly over indiana & recognize towns and landmarks.

bad blogger, part deux

2010-08-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

it's hard to be a good blogger when you're too cheap to buy internet at home. our apt. comes with cable, and we don't use a land line, so we have been saving some money by not adding a utility that isn't strictly necessary.

captain eo!

2010-07-05T14:20:00.001-07:00

this week, captain eo returned to epcot, the original home of this 3D film. i remember it from when i was a kid...but vaguely. i remember him being in space with some funny creatures, but i think that i had some of them confused with the critters in "labryrinth" until watching that film a few years ago.

california grill

2010-06-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

we celebrated our third anniversary this week at california grill, on the top floor of the contemporary resort. it was a fantastic meal with a beautiful view...

mr. pricklepants!

2010-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

meet my new favorite toy story character:

he's a thespian hedgehog with a penchant for cross-dressing & shakespeare. what is not to love?

we went to see TS3 last night in IMAX 3D (worth every penny), and i laughed...i cried...it was better than i hoped it would be. i might also be in love with the adorable bonnie. go see this movie soon!

all the news that's fit to print

2010-06-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

some ups & some downs to report...

* my dad has been in the hospital for two weeks now, but will be going home tomorrow. he's had surgery for some intestinal issues, and we've all had a good scare, but he is on the road to recovery. it was really difficult to be here in florida, when i really just wanted to be with my family in indiana, but it just wasn't feasible to get north. i know we'll enjoy the time together more when he's feeling better.

* our good friends, the whites, were in orlando for a few days & we really enjoyed grabbing dinner with them at sanaa & at libery tree tavern. they invited us to join them at the condo they rented at the beach, and we spent last weekend spending quality time with them at port richey & clearwater, soaking up some rays...i'm still a little lobster-esque.

* other good friends, also known as the whites, are moving to florida! the news came in today & i am super-dee-dooper excited!!! jennafer & i worked together at the great movie ride, and sadly have not been able to get together since finishing our college program in 2006. jennafer is all about making magic & working for the mouse...and will soon be leaving mickey's california estate for his florida plantation. yay friends!!! i can't wait for them to get here! i admire jennafer's perseverance and patience in following her dreams, and am thrilled that her spirit has been rewarded.
(okay, full disclosure: i'm also selfishly thrilled that we'll be neighbors...)

current obsessions

2010-06-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

things i am obsessed with, in no particular order:

1. dr. bronner's magic soap, especially peppermint and lavender scents

2. jane eyre the musical, the original broadway cast recording

3. scrapbooking

4. eco-friendly lifestyle choices

5. planning a trip to europe for 2011

6. smoothies that andy makes

7. spending time with friends

8. helping friends plan disney trips

9. the white rabbit from disney's alice in wonderland animated feature

10. sushi

things i WISH i were obsessed with:

1. eating vegetarian/becoming a vegetarian

2. drinking water instead of diet coke

3. finding a second job within walking distance

(so i have a few lovely mid-year goals to work on...)

pcb

2010-05-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

on saturday afternoon (after the scrapbook expo), andy & i drove to tallahassee to pick up allison from her pre-law summer camp at FSU, and we drove to panama city. we got in late & lazed around the hotel room, then headed out to breakfast and the beach for most of the day on sunday. we all got a little too much sun but we had a great time. it's bizarre to think that i won't see her again for a year or more, since she leaves for germany and her study abroad program in july for 365 days. it was nice to get to spend some quality time together, just the three of us.

scrapbook expo

2010-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

i started out the weekend with a scrapbook expo on friday & saturday, something that i've been looking forward to for a few months now. i've been into scrapping since 2004 or so, but never really attended workshops or anything, but picking it up from visiting stores, reading magazines & blogs, etc.

the expo kicked off on friday, but since i worked during the day, i only went to the crop that evening (which is where people get together in a big room & work on projects, while prizes are given away and shops try to sell you extra goodies). i joined my friend karen, as well as her sister & mother who had flown in from indiana, and a good time was had by all although we didn't win any prizes. we enjoyed our m&m treats & sales on paper, stickers and adhesives.

saturday morning i had three workshops lined up. i was super excited to take some classes from a designer i really like, kelly goree from a manufacturer that i love, basic grey. it was AWESOME. that woman is livin' the dream, from a scrapbooking perspective...she designs layouts using some of the best products in the market, and gets to work from home...plus, she's super nice. both classes used a stunning line called origins, and i walked out of the classes with NINE 12"x12" pages. i also took a workshop from SEI with their "jocelyn" line, which used beautiful papers and had some creative ideas, but all in all the pages were really boring (and this from a simple scrapper) so i'll probably end up re-doing all of them.

waking sleeping beauty

2010-05-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

as part of magic backstage, a program where cast members can win special opportunities and magical moments, i won two tickets to see don hahn's new documentary waking sleeping beauty. the screening was in the feature animation building on the disney studio lot. my buddy jeremy had also won, so we went together with his wife and one of his CMs from disney quest. in this building, where some of the later animated films were made like mulan and lilo and stitch, we watched a great film about the salvation of disney animation by roy disney.

animated was an unwanted and unloved piece of the nearly washed-up disney company in the 1970s & early 80s, but the company still had a stable of incredible artists. this combination created the worst movie in the history of disney films, the black cauldron, and directly led to roy leaving the board of directors in order to reform the failing disney company. the film specifically addresses the decade between 1984-84, when disney was revived by michael eisner, frank wells & animation began a new life under jeffrey katzenberg and peter schneider.

any avid disney animation fan will benefit from seeing the blood, sweat & tears that went into developing every film in that period, from the great mouse detective to the lion king. i laughed...i cried...twice...and i was inspired and honored to be a part of this legacy of creation.

the best part? don hahn himself was there. he introduced the film, and led a Q&A afterwards. he was brutally honest, as he had been when creating this film, and answered the myriad of questions that we CMs put before him. i couldn't believe that i was sitting in the fourth row, just 20 feet away from the man who has directed & produced some of my favorite films like beauty & the beast, the emperor's new groove, hunchback of notre dame and so many more. he was funny, self-deprecating and amazing to chat with. he said something that i'll never forget as long as i am with disney....

when a CM asked about the failure of the princess and the frog from the company's point-of-view, he said there was no such thing as disney "the company." he stated that even executives like bob iger do not talk about "the company," but talk about the cast members, the teams, and the families who watch and love the films as those who determine a film's success. in essence, we, the cast members, are the company. people will see the film, people will buy the merchandise, people will come see princess tiana in the park and the film will be a success regardless of how many people see the film opening weekend.

special guest: kevin

2010-05-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

we spent last sunday with karen & her husband jonathan at epcot. karen's brother kevin is in town for the week, and wanted to visit epcot. we met up and wandered thru the living seas and some of the flower & garden festival topiaries before heading to dinner in the france pavillion at les chefs de france. none of us had dined there before, and we all agreed that it was amazing! gruyere mac & cheese is where it's at. =)

on thursday, we met up with them again for dinner at boma, one of our favorite restaurants on disney property.

we finally have a bedroom!

2010-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

after spending the past 4 months sleeping on an air mattress, we finally selected a mattress and bed. we set them up last weekend and have slept soundly all week!

goofy's magical mystery tour

2010-05-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

last night we went on a scavenger hunt at DHS, and it was a boatload of fun. andy & i joined jeremy & sarah wilcox to form a team of epic capabilities for disney trivia, deciphering clues using logic puzzles, crosswords etc, and hunting down characters who could give us clues to solve the whole shebang.

can i just take a moment & say how DIFFICULT the disney trivia was? oh my gosh. i am normally a rock star at this category, but there were some seriously obscure questions, like the first album released on disneyland records, which word is most used in ludwig von drake's spectrum song, etc. some golden goodies, to be sure...but challenging. i need to step up my game for next year.

we know that we finished in the top 50% of 250 teams, and did not finish in the top 3. we will receive our scores on monday & i can't wait! as competitive as we all were, we still had fun.

did i mention that we were all bungee-corded together & running around the park? =P

locavores

2010-05-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

in theory, orlando is a city & should have some great restaurants, but since it's such a tourist capital it's mostly overrun by chain restaurants. of course, i love the disney restaurants, but sometimes you do not want to battle the parking & slight hassles that visiting disney involves. we've been exploring other areas surrounding the city, and have been to several great local restaurants in the past few weeks.

one of the puerto rican boys from work recommended a hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant on 192 in kissimee, and directed me to it by the instructions "it's next to the indian diner & doesn't have a name." it does, in fact, have a name...el tanampa. it's truly by the big orange sign screaming INDIAN DINER, and is one of the most authentic restaurants i've ever been to. we were two of only five gringos in the place. =) we sampled the inexpensive (by which i mean *cheap* since our bill was under $15) food from taquitos, nachos (with awesomely fresh refried beans) and the best aqua fresca ever...cantaloupe. i think about the aqua fresca daily & can't wait to go back for pineapple or horchata.

on monday, we went to a sushi place near hunter's creek called suki hanna. the lure was half price sushi, and as it was recommended by a few CMs, i felt confident that we could stretch the sushi budget a bit further. i am currently obsessed with sushi, and am so happy that it's so prevalent here...more sushi than chicago for sure! i could eat vegetarian sushi every day (in keeping with my new year's resolution to eat less meat, which for me includes fish). anyway, the sushi was quite good, and most rolls were $2.50. we had (among others) sweet potato tempura, spider, and (the standard) cali rolls. it was certainly worth a trip back, as we paid $20 for the rolls, miso & drinks.

one of our favorite neighborhoods in town is dr. phillips, an upscale neighborhood & the home of whole foods and the previously celebrated menchie's frozen yogurt. we visited last night with friends leah & eric from my office & had dinner at press 101, a fancy panini cafe which was definitely pricier than the last two restaurants described here, but worth the upgraded cost. i had a delicious grown-up grilled cheese with fontina, gruyere, heirloom tomatoes & applewood-smoked bacon, and andy enjoyed a mango chicken concoction with sweet peppers. one of the best perks was that it was next to a PUPPY STORE! delicious food + visiting puppies = three star evening. we went to menchie's for dessert, and they had pineapple dole whip right next to island banana...i was in heaven.

as i've been searching the web for blogs & flogs about the orlando food scene, i realize how many incredible restaurants there are outside of the tourist areas, and i can't wait to visit them all!

expedition adventure

2010-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

this morning, my friend jeremy & i went to disney's animal kingdom to take the "expedition adventure" tour offered by disney university. it was not at all what i thought it would be (backstage magic, imagineering tidbits, up close & personal), but it was a great tour nonetheless. we walked thru the eastern half of DAK, and discussed the stories that were developed to explain animal kingdom. we started in dinoland u.s.a., went to discovery island, and ended in asia (with a fastpass to ride everest!), in about three hours. it was 95 degrees in the shade today, and we still had a great morning. =)

great weekends are easier in florida

2010-05-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

after bailing on our beach plans, we spent saturday in the parks. we started the morning at DHS so we could get photos with the gang from up.

the rest of the day was at typhoon lagoon, floating around the lazy river until a turtle joined the bathing party & we all had to clear the pool. we went snorkeling in the shark tank, zoomed down some flumes, and tried out the new(ish) crush n' gusher water coaster before heading to the wave pool & being pummeled by the powerful waves.

on sunday we got up & went to denny's for a classy breakfast, then headed back to the studios. we haven't spent much time at DHS, and as a result andy had not done toy story mania at all! we were able to see everything we wanted, including a couple of rides on one of my favorite coasters...

bad blogger

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

well, it was a good experiment while it lasted, however i have not done well at keeping it up! i will try to be a better blogger in the future.

graphics fun

2010-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

finally got to work with some graphics at work this week! it took me a bit to switch gears. i've been so involved with phone calls & emails from guests, and completely focused on customer service. it's exciting to work with an amazing graphic catalog...anything that i could think of appears in the appropriate format. i should get CS4 loaded on my work computer this week which will make me a bit more comfortable than using my boss's computer or my own laptop.

sailing away

2010-02-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

last weekend we drove down to stuart, fl to see andy's relations that live there. his uncle allan has lived in florida for around 20 years, and we've typically visited with him, his wife & son when we've come to play in the parks. they usually have a season pass & will meet us at a resort or something. now that we're also fl residents, they invited us to join them for a weekend and to celebrate chinese new year. wendy, allan's wife, is from taiwan and was cooking a celebratory feast for friends. the dinner was delicious, from the dumplings to the jellyfish. thankfully, it wasn't as spicy as i had feared it might be.

the next morning, we got up to see nicholas set up his sailboat & take off for sailing lessons. it was so cool to see nika go off in the small craft & tack back and forth.

fingers are crossed for the umpteenth time

2010-02-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

andy got a call today from a company that he interviewed with last week. he's going to work for them as an AV design engineer on a contract basis this week, and if they like him, he gets a six-month contract. if they like him after that, they'll hire him on full time. since i know how fabulous he is, i feel pretty confident that he'll impress them. YAY!!!

the hollywood brown derby

2010-02-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

last night we were invited to go to the hollywood brown derby at disney's hollywood studios theme park. a new friend from work, leah, asked us to join her and her boyfriend, and i am so, so glad we went. we really enjoyed meeting ajay, and i liked seeing the non-work side of leah. it's great to make new friends.

please note: i totally googled these photos, because i was WAY too excited to remember to pull my camera out of my bag.

the restaurant is an "authentic replica of the famous Brown Derby, a longstanding Hollywood landmark and haunt for Tinseltown's biggest and brightest personalities," according to disneyparks.com. the brown derby is the birthplace of the cobb salad, and the sophisticated environment is amazing to find inside a theme park. the food was outstanding. andy & i shared a blue crab cake with slaw, then i had a perfectly tender filet with roasted fingerling potatoes, cippolini onions & garlic. andy had a split broasted chicken over saffron rice with meyer lemon & ugli tomatoes. the food was intensely flavorful, and we really enjoyed it.

to cap off the magic, the guests at the table next to us BOUGHT OUR DESSERTS! how magical is that! they were on the dining plan (which means their meals were paid for in advance) and were too full for dessert, so they said we could have their desserts. incredibly generous, and i love it when guests can make magic for each other or for cast members. i chose the amazing grapefruit cake, a brown derby original, which is yellow sponge cake with grapefruit cream cheese icing.

when we left the restaurant, we were some of the last guests in the park since it had closed hours ago. we walked down an empty street & had to take photographs.

sunday sunday sunday

2010-02-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

we watched the super bowl at jeremy & sarah's house. before the game, i couldn't decide which team to root for since the colts are from indiana (and i love peyton manning) but drew brees is a boilermaker so half my loyalty lies there. as soon as i voiced aloud that i thought i'd prefer the colts to win, a member of the saints team ran 70+ yards for a touchdown. whoops.

yogurt obsession

2010-02-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

so after reading jennafer's blog about her wonderful yogurt excursions and new friends at work discussing fro yo all the time, we finally caved in to the craving. and boy-oh-boy was it SO worth it!

eric, craig & leah (from work) both mentioned menchies frozen yogurt at separate times. it's in the dr. phillips area up on sand lake road, a trendy area of orlando. what really convinced me that i had to go was the lure of RED VELVET. yes. delicious doesn't even come close to an accurate description.

i like this place because you pay by weight, so you fill the cup with as much (or little) fro yo as you want, then add toppings, then they weigh it at check out. i loved berry chill in chicago, but it was SO expensive...even a small concoction was about $12. in my book that's a major splurge. i was really pleased to find that this place was really reasonable. we got two sizeable dishes for about $9.

playtime

2010-02-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

yesterday was a great day. i met up with a friend from my college program back in '05, shelly, who has stayed with the company. it was interesting to hear about her experiences and current role, as well as future plans. we went to this awesome place (which i had heard of but never been to) called "sweet tomatoes," a chain of all-you-can-eat salad bar, soup, baked potatoes & breads.

afterwards, andy & i went to play in the park with sarah. we went to the magic kingdom and headed straight to big thunder mountain railroad. since jeremy doesn't like coasters, it seemed like a good time to ride. so many things in the park are being re-painted right now; the ice cream parlor, splash mountain, noodle terrace...the crystal palace is behind barricades as well since it's under refurbishment. january & february is not a busy time at all, so it's a great time to be playing around. we waited 30 mins for BTMR, and got fastpasses for space mountain. since we were over in tomorrowland, we got the first cream cheese pretzel of 2010, one of andy's favorite snacks. we dedicated it to my siblings eric & vanessa. =)

sarah took off to go make dinner for her hubby, and we went to the hall of presidents to see president obama. it's now narrated by morgan freeman (nice!), and i really liked the speech they used for obama. afterwards, we took the monorail to epcot center to wander around world showcase & watch illuminations. i love world showcase, especially at night, especially with my husband. it's so lovely & romantic, and we enjoyed our evening. i'd like to say that it was a bit chilly, but since it was still about 50º, i am NOT going to complain!

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba...Sithi uhm ingonyama

2010-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

we went the disney's animal kingdom lodge tonight to eat dinner at boma, which is in my top 5 restaurants of all time list. they have amazing food (none of which i remembered to photograph since i was shoving it in my face) like carrot ginger soup, peanut crusted salmon, various couscous salads, and a dessert bar that is simply. awesome. the best dish of the night? passion fruit panna cotta. yes...it was intensely amazing & totally drool-worthy. we ran into my boss there (who i really like), so andy got to meet craig & vice versa.

i love most of the disney resorts, but the architectural goodies at the ak lodge blow me away everytime. the giant chandeliers are tribal shields from all regions of africa. the thatched roof was done by craftsmen whom wdi brought over (along with their families) when building animal kingdom and the lodge. there is this amazing mask in the back, that is over 20' tall and was given by (or purchased from?) an igbo tribe in nigeria:

i love these crazy, ostrich lamps that are in the back of the lobby, as you look out at the savannah. can you find the hidden mickey in this snapshot?

we had fun touring around the hotel & finding animals out on the savannah. after dark, the staff brings out night-vision binoculars so that guests can find the animals. there are also small porches tucked here & there so you can look out into different sections (and therefore different animals), and we stumbled across one overlooking a zebra herd and some antelope/cow-like creatures. we also sat by the fireside and talked a bit. it was a great night out.

heigh-ho, heigh-ho

2010-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

the work week went by quickly, which is always a nice thing. i know that i'm lucky to have a job, but the most difficult part of my week was receiving my first paycheck...interns aren't paid very highly! the position is an incredible networking & guest service experience, but it's not a position on the board of directors.

it's a reality check for what i'm doing, and why i'm doing it. i liked my paycheck before, but i didn't like my job. i liked the money, but i didn't like myself with the money. i became materialistic (more so than ever before) & caught up in always having the best of everything. keeping up with the jones's. now, i want to get back in touch with why i like something, and not just because it's expensive! =)

cinderella's sweet suite

2010-01-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

i cannot believe how LUCKY i was today!

while touring the parks with some disneyland cast members & vendors today, we were offered the opportunity to go inside cinderella's castle & see the guest suite that was built for the year of a million dreams (2006). i tried to maintain a professional exterior as we waited for our tour guide to arrive, but inside i was jumping for joy! i couldn't believe that we were going inside. best of all, we were allowed to take photos...

weekend adventures

2010-01-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

we decided to explore some of the resorts this weekend, since we're holding off on buying andy's annual pass. there are so many resorts that he hasn't seen yet & some really cool things to do & see at each one. for example, the splendor of the american west...

we started at wilderness lodge, where we went out back to see the geyser explode and check out the pool. then, andy & i rented a sea-raycer and floated around bay lake (wilderness lodge, contemporary resort, and discovery island) & the seven seas lagoon (the magic kingdom, grand floridian, and polynesian resort). they should be quick, light boats...almost like a jet-ski...but since none of the cast members mentioned that two adults might be at or over the weight limit, we didn't exactly zoom across the lake. we still had a great time! =)

afterwards, we took ferry boats across the lagoon to the magic kingdom, then the grand floridian. andy had never been inside, and as one of disney's showcase resorts, i thought it about time to go. entering the resort via the marina, we went by narcoosee's and the heavenly scent of steak floating out of the restaurant let us know we were starving. after exploring the lobby & listening to the 12-piece orchestra playing inside, we went out to gasparilla's to grab a quick dinner. it was a nice, laid-back & inexpensive day...just what we needed.

sunday wasn't nearly as fun, but just as entertaining. our spare bedroom was still filled with stacks of boxes & needed to be dealt with. we made great headway, but still found time to watch some movies on TCM and (of course) some football.

celebration place

2010-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

i started my internship last week. it was a fascinating week, and i alternately felt really excited and completely lost. i am jumping into the world of ticketing after skipping a step in the process. the initial role is a "vacation planner," aka ticket sales, where you learn a lot of software programs and how to work with the ticketing system. this past week, the other interns where learning about the back end of these plans, and i was learning both front & back systems for the first time. thankfully, i'm a quick study, so i feel like i have a good understanding of the system, but thankfully they won't be putting me on the phone or in a booth immediately.

apparently, my role will be more of a "special projects" intern, which i am super excited for. i could be doing anything, and that's interesting...it should be a variety of assignments in addition to working in the ticketing service center.

here's my building...

you want me to do what now?

2010-01-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

we hired a moving team to come help unload our cubes today & WOW! so worth it. we hired them for 3 hours, knowing it would take us more time than that, and figuring that since they were pro's it would be quicker & faster. they finished in 1 hour! it was incredible to watch. they worked their tails off, and we didn't have to injure ourselves hauling a sleeper sofa up three flights. we were left with a maze of boxes & a huge sense of relief.

andy worked on assembling furniture this afternoon, while i went to "traditions" class; a brief history of the disney company as well as an overview of policies that cast members need to be aware of & follow. i remember really enjoying the class the first time around, and was excited to go today. little did i know (when i got dressed) that they added a walkabout around the magic kingdom! dress heels were mandatory, and i unfortunately chose 3" slingbacks. whoops!!! my heels are SO sore from the elastic in the slingbacks, and my toes were pinched into the pointy toes...all of which would have been fine if i had been sitting on my behind for a few hours. you live, you learn.

when i returned home, andy had a lot more done than i expected; shelves were put together, the TV was hooked up (of course) and dinner was ready! i am the luckiest wife ever. =)

checking in

2010-01-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

basically i just had to check-in today, hand over paperwork & get fingerprinted to complete my background check. easy. it was at the casting building, which is the big diamond-covered building across the street from downtown disney (they designed it with that pattern as an homage to walt's penchant for argyle socks). there's more fun to the design than the argyle; the doorknobs on the main entrance are the same as the one in alice in wonderland, and the foyer is surrounded by golden statues of disney characters on pedestals. as you go through the building, murals feature a cavalcade of characters from different classic shorts and feature length animation...from "mickey's trailer" to cinderella's friends gus & jacques.

my team leader invited his interns out for drinks tonight to unofficially meet everyone, and to tell us that he decided to give us monday (mlk day) off & start work on tuesday. NICE. he seems great...everyone who mentions his name respects him...so i'm very excited to start. i learned that i'll be working 5 days a week, 8:30-5. what a great schedule! i feel very lucky. apparently, i'll start out learning ticketing, then move to production design. I AM THRILLED. we'll see how it goes...

we have a hired team arriving in the morning to help us unload the last bit from our moving containers (decided on that after schlepping some stuff up three flights of stairs), then "traditions" class is tomorrow afternoon. traditions is basically a review of the company's history and culture as well as the expectations of the company with regards to behavior.

pack 'em up, load 'em in

2010-01-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

we started loading up our moving containers today! after two really nervous nights (re: sleepless) and some excessive/obsessive planning, we just started throwing things in. my cousin came over this morning to help with our larger case goods and sofas (thanks nick!), then andy & i kept trucking until about 7pm when we were freezing and couldn't get warm. we turned up the heat in the apt. & went to arby's to grab dinner & wait for the apartment to get warm again. i feel like i shivered the entire day...my core muscles are sore! it felt amazing to take a hot shower & get into my flannel PJs!!! tomorrow brings more of the same (and with snow, if i'm to believe weather.com) but a bit warmer at 27º.

resolutions

2010-01-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was surprisingly decent with my resolutions for 2008:

1. Be a responsible consumer: buy eco-friendly products, research why things are "eco" or "green."
2. Read more books BUT try to get them from the library!
3. Try to avoid gaining weight...
4. Keep in touch with friends a bit better than in the past.

Most of my resolutions this year revolve around living a greener lifestyle, as it's become increasingly important to me. The more I learn, the more determined I become to try & be eco-conscience.

1. Meat: Less intake OR more responsible product. I haven't decided exactly how I want to do this, but I'm thinking that I'll only eat meat on the weekends, and any meat I buy for our home needs to be organic or grass-fed. We'll intake more veggies, which leads to...
2. Produce: Local and/or organic. We're making it a priority, as well as prepared organic foods. Last year I focused more on "natural" and foods without preservatives. It was really easy when we shopped at Trader Joe's, as well as affordable, which is not typically the case. By cutting back on meat, the budget will shift from pricier proteins to quality produce. We may save a little, but that will be determined after seeing some of the natural markets and local farmer's markets. If we end up at Whole Foods every time, I doubt we'll see any savings!
*** By the way, if you haven't been to this website, check out www.localharvest.org***
3. Recycle EVERYTHING: I know, it's easy to toss that shampoo bottle in the trash instead of remembering to take it to the recycling bin...or at least, I forget. Still. Our generation has been recycling for decades & I still forget. I am going to do better. I already focus on buying post-consumer products, but I need to get ahold of my laziness.
4. Volunteer: Can't stress this to myself enough. I should have found more time in Chicago to get involved, and I didn't. No excuses this year. There are so many wonderful organizations to give your time to, and we have the blessing of time more often than not. I'd like to get involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation...it's an arduous process, but I think that I would be able to give something & get something from the process.
5. Experiment with digital scrapbooking: I love scrapbooking, but my eco-friendly side just can't cope with all that PAPER! I never let any go to waste (ok, a lot of in turns into confetti...but who doesn't love confetti?!) but still, not good. I downloaded Adobe Creative Suite 4, so between Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign I should be good to go.

It's a big, beautiful, new year...and I want to grab 2010 by the horns! New city, new job, new resolutions to stick to and create habits for the years to come.

12 days til FLORIDA!

2009-12-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

So excited...to get moving. To get in a new place. To start a new job. To find a happier way of life. To keep moving forward. To keep moving onward. To live in sunshine 365 days a year. To visit the beach whenever we feel like it. To see fireworks on a regular basis again. To see precious friends. To make new friends. To see little faces lit up with joy. To see parents as they see their children's faces lit up with joy. To get back to the magic. To be with my husband in a magical place. To do what I love, and love what I do.

christmas carol

2009-12-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

last night we watched "a muppet christmas carol." it's not my favorite version of the story, but it's close. i love the songs in the movie, and michael caine...but firstly, it's the muppets! how can you not love muppets?! kermit is a wonderful bob cratchit, and i love love LOVE bean bunny.

"with an open smile & with open doors

i will bid you welcome, what is mine is yours

with a glass raised to toast your health

and a promise to share the wealth

i will sail a friendly course, file a friendly chart

on a sea of love & a thankful heart"

whenever i watch this version, i think of my friend & college roomate, annelise. i immediately sent her a line from the film on facebook, and she came right back with the next line. she loves this flick, too. i miss her so, & wish we were in the same place to watch it together!

andy & watched it together last night...i love andy for being who he is, and loving all the juvenile films that i love. how can i be anything but thankful that he loves disney & muppet movies as much as i do?

fingers are crossed!

2009-12-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

andy had a great phone interview today, and it went so well that they are flying him down next week for a second interview. i'm crossing my fingers that this works out for him. i want him to find a job that he loves as much as i love working for disney. fingers are definitely crossed!

good food, good friends, good god, let's eat!

2009-11-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving was fun, and my first with andy's family. we always go to indiana, since my birthday is always at thankgiving, but decided that we should change it up a bit. i brought cranberry-wrapped chevre that i found at trader joe's (so yummy) and then made cream cheese mints the night before. my brother-in-law decided that the more appropriate term is "mini frosting bombs," since they basically taste like icing. they were such a hit at our wedding with his family that i knew they would like them. andy ended up making an apple cobbler with a recipe we found on food network's website, from the show 'big daddy's house.' it was good, but there are a few things i'd do differently next time. marianne had everything else covered, so we didn't have much to contribute.

we got up at 4am the next day to deal with black friday. christina & i decided to go shopping at target at 5am, and andy drove me down so he could have breakfast with a friend at 7am. goodness gracious, that is CRAZY hooha there. the line to check out wrapped around the store, then doubled back on itself 3 times. insane! we did get some incredible deals; new digi camera for poppa h. for $50, toddler t-shirts for $3, vaccum for $10. i got andy's gift at a greatly reduced price from what i had originally planned, so i'm glad i went...now i can get him something else.

i've also been shopping online since friday, nabbing deals here & there. i finished our christmas shopping, so now i can shop for me! =P i need new work clothes for disney, since the dress code is so so strict. i don't have any issues with the dress code...i completely understand it...but i don't have a lot of what they prefer their "non-costumed" professional interns dressed in. oh darn. more shopping.

michigan adventure

2009-11-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

we're in andy's lovely home state all week. i truly love michigan; it's giant conifer trees, many lakes and great people. they are just so gosh-darned NICE up here! it's truly midwestern hospitality at it's finest...take that, ohio!

we started at my friend nicole's house this weekend in ypsilanti (pronounced ip-see-lan-tea), just hanging out. nicole and i have been great friends since we both worked at cedar point the summer of 2002. i am so thankful for her friendship, and how we can go days or months without being fully caught up in each others lives and always pick right up where we left off. i always understand a little bit more about myself when i'm with her...our conversations are incredibly deep and revealing of our inner selves. she gets me. =)

yesterday (my birthday), we drove to my wonderful in-laws. marianne baked me one of her famous banana cakes! we learned that andy's cousin kristin had her baby yesterday. mia is a beautiful, healthy girl with the most hair on a newborn that i have ever seen! tonight we went to dinner with another of andy's cousins, scott, and his wife christina and son preston (aka pretzel). love that little man! afterwards we watched home videos of the boys when they were little. my hubby was an adorable kid. i have to be careful around all these babies...i hear they are contagious!

pandora meets the 70s

2009-11-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

"turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher radio
turn it up, that's enough, so you know it's got soul
la la la la la..."
- van morrison

i am on a serious 70s music kick. i've always loved it, as it was the first music i was exposed to, but there are artists that i didn't know as well then that i am LOVING now. james taylor & jackson browne, to name two. and i can't get enough csny. thankfully, i have pandora to get me thru my crushes. there are some amazing songs that i'm not sure would even get noticed in today's synthesizer pop. don't get me wrong...there is some amazing music out now (the killers, jason mraz, and U2 still kicks some serious booty), but most music put out today just can't match my seventies loves.

2009-11-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

great quote on alton brown the other night...

"we are human beings. we have faith, hope, and we can work."
- jacques cousteau

the subject was on sustainable fish; responsible fishing & farming as well as consumption. this is something that i've been trying to focus on in my eating habits, so i felt fairly educated on the topic from various articles i've read and newsletters i subscribe to on sustainability and "being green." the monterey bay aquarium has a great website & a card that you can print & carry in your wallet.

i found out a new fact though, in that large fish (like salmon) tend to not gain weight (or grow) in direct proportion to what they eat. the ratio was something like eating 13 pounds to gain 1 pound. that is a LOT of feeder fish. i've never heard the ratio before, and that idea gave me some serious (pardon the pun) food for thought.

COFFEE

2009-11-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

i went to study at ihop, where they give you the carafe at the table? drank the whole thing. they they gave me a to-go cup (16 oz.) then, on campus they were giving away seattle beanery. don't mind if i do! as a result, i literally couldn't sit still during lecture. i talked to a friend on the phone, and could tell i was talking a mile a minute. when i apologized for the third time, he just laughed & asked what i was on. "caffeine," i answered, "in extreme overdose."

when did this happen? i used to drink a 12-cup pot by myself every day in undergrad. now, i typically drink half a mug in the morning because i get distracted and forget to finish it before it's cold & nasty. on occasion i'll warm it up...then i forget to drink it.

for some reason, coffee & studying go hand in hand for me. i lose track of how much it is if there's not a limited amount. i have NO self control! i also like a lotta bang for my buck, so if i'm going somewhere to study i like to go where you can get refills, like ihop & panera. i suppose i should switch to decaf, but that seems so lame. and makes me feel old. i hate feeling old.

upstairs downstairs

2009-11-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

last time we were in michigan, my mother-in-law & i started watching upstairs downstairs, a british tv series from the 70s. it's set in victorian england & serves a similar purpose to all in the family...social commentary, if a bit more refined than archie bunker.

good weekends always go by faster

2009-11-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

had a wonderful weekend, as my sisters vanessa & allison came up. vanessa & i hung out at the house (mainly because andy's been down with the flu) and watched movies, played games & talked about our disney trip next march. allison popped in & out, as her best friend from home goes to school here, so she would come here to shower & get ready, maybe eat, then go out with jessie. she did stay long enough on saturday to make yummy pumpkin muffins with me. the recipe is from smitten kitchen, my go-to source for new recipes.

on sunday, my in-laws flew in for a few hours. bill has a pilot's license & belongs to a U of M alumni flying club in ann arbor, so most weekends he tries to get some flight time in. it was really awesome to watch them land & take off in this little plane no bigger than a truck. when we took them back to the airport, an F-18 was doing a fly-by & some smart maneuvers over the field. it was definitely an interesting outing to the purdue airport! i can't wait to go flying with them sometime.

home-made apple pie

2009-10-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

andy's favorite dessert is either pie or anything with baked apples, so it stands to reason that his absolute favorite is apple pie. me, not so much. nothing against pie, but i'll choose almost any other dessert (especially if it has chocolate) over most pies. my grandmother's home-made peach pie is an exception to this rule. i guess i'm more of a cake person...

for his birthday, andy wanted a pie. i had some success with a banana cream pie in august, so i was feeling confident that i could pull off a dutch apple pie. i've been using martha stewart's recipe for pie crust (pate brisee) & it has turned out alright on a number of occasions. i used some cortland & honey crisp apples that we got in michigan.

flavor-wise...it's okay, but it seemed very wet to me; maybe too much sugar? the pate brisee melted right into the apple filling. the crumble topping was the best part, IMO. i'm the first to say that i'm not a good judge. andy seemed to really like it & that's what counts.

i think that i've completed all the fall foods on my list! thankfully, there is still fall weather outside & some leaves on the trees. i really want to go hiking. maybe a picnic at the new prophetstown state park?

not a housekeeper

2009-10-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

oh, i try...but i am just not into it lately. i loved cleaning our condo in illinois because everything was new, and when it was squeaky clean it looked brand spankin' new. here, not so much. everything's pretty run down, and even when it's sqeaky clean it just looks tired. it's not like we're living in filth or anything, but it's difficult to motivate myself to keep house at the same standards i had before. part of me doesn't care, and part of me is disgusted with myself for doing things halfway. the part of me that doesn't care tends to win. as long as things are basically picked up & the kitchens, bathroom & sheets are clean, i'm good to go. mopping...well...i'll do that later.

birthday baking

2009-10-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

while andy's away in chicago, i'm gettin' my bake on. his birthday is this weekend, so i'm making his favorites; chili, snickerdoodles, apple pie, banana bread (ok, he really likes banana cake best, but that's his mom's territory). i have these beautiful cortland apples that we got while we were in michigan, and there's a surplus from the pie, so i think i might make applesauce too. of course, the apple peeler is in a box somewhere so i've been tearing up my thumb with the paring knife, but it's worth it. plus, the apartment smells HEAVENLY.

not only is it andy's birthday, but we first started getting to know each other around this time in 2002. it seems so hard to believe that it's been 7 years since we first started out. we were working on a show together, the diviners, and were hanging out in a big group of undergrads that were actually involved in productions. our friends really wanted to set us up, and neither of us were interested at all. a few months later, it was a different story...

banana pancakes

2009-10-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

andy made his amazing banana pancakes this morning. i have the best husband in the world! he got up early to go get eggs, came back & made coffee, and let me sleep in as late as i wanted before starting breakfast.

ps: i got this picture from making banana pancakes bc i forgot to take one myself...but andy's looked just as good!

soup's on!

2009-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

today was the perfect day to make a giant pot of soup. the leaves have changed into their fall costumes, the wind was rattling the panes, and we haven't turned on the heat yet so the apartment is just the slightest bit chilly. nothing like soup, sweatpants & saturdays! i already have the first cold of the year, but consider myself lucky since my brother has the flu & so far i didn't catch that from him. *fingers crossed*

i made potato soup, a hybrid of my mom's and my MIL's recipe. pretty tasty! the biggest difference between the two is that andy's mother adds hot dogs to her soup. sounds silly at first but tastes delicious! i also added shallots (i love them), so i guess i did branch farther & farther away from mom's simple (but good) recipe. my grandmother makes a mean potato/tomato soup that i'll have to make for andy sometime...it's great with grilled cheese.

it feels really fall now, so i keep thinking of soups, breads, winter cookies & all the other markers of the season. i've been compiling a list of all the fall "must bakes":
-- apple pie
-- pumpkin bread
-- snickerdoodles
-- chili
-- grilled cheese & tomato soup
-- tuna melts

blogosphere blast off

2009-10-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

i've had a livejournal for years, but have been delaying the inevitable gravitational pull that is blogger. i actually started one & got rid of it because i didn't really like it. let's call this amber's blog attempt 2.0. i do want someplace to document the day-to-day to share with family & friends. my friends inspire me with their adorable blogs, and it'll be fun to share stories, photos, crafts, recipes (anything) back & forth with them online in a more open format than facebook allows. bring. it. on.

blog, you are go for launch...