December 2011 - Holiday Letter

Another year…another letter.  You may be thrilled to hear that this year I will finally be keeping it brief.  I seem to be running out of time and if I ever what to gets these out on time I better move it!

William is growing daily; at least it feels like he is.  If we have to buy him pants one more time this year, I just might scream.  I think he will be taller than Russel before this year is out.  He is a junior at Coral Academy of Science – a local charter school he has attended since 7^th grade.  He is still into computers, engineering, robotics, legos, and video games.  In May he made his confirmation, using the name of Saint Joseph in honor of his grandfather.  This summer he began working as a cashier at Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse.  He stayed through September when we decided it was best to him to focus on school and just become a back-up cashier when they are in a pinch.  He has been doing very well in school this year although AP Physics has been a bit of a struggle.  They changed the Robotics Club into an actual class and he has been really enjoying himself this year.  He has also made some really good friends.  One of his classes is an SAT prep class that helps the kids understand how to navigate the test plus completing college applications and those dreaded essays.  He wasn’t thrilled but as his mother…I was.  He is still taking summer engineering classes at UNR and plans to attend in the fall of 2013.

Russel’s business is having a fabulous year.  I joke if it has a wire, battery or plug, he can (and will) fix it.  Most days he is running around so much he forgets if he is coming or going.  But his clients love and (who could ask for more).  He still teaches karate and helps at their tournaments and other events.  He is now also teaching the Coral’s junior high robotics team.  It has proven to be taxing…if he had any hair left it would be turning grey.  Regardless, he is having a good year.

I am happy to say I have now been with the District Attorney’s Office for six years.  Being a county employee is tough, between the pay cuts, lay-offs, and budget slashing it’s a wonder… But despite all that negativity I still love my job.  I get to use both my creative and analytical sides, which is fun.  I have few remaining accounting clients on the outside, just enough to keep my skills sharp.  I am trying to be a “good” girl and listen to my doctors.  My arthritis and asthma sometimes contradict each other but I am fortunate to have excellent doctors who care.  I still sing at church but have cut back much of my other volunteer work to focus on the art of relaxation.

We’ve had our ups and downs this year but continue to survive and maybe even (do I dare say it) thrive.  We have been scrimping and saving and couponing our little hearts out.  In January we will spend a few days in Disneyland…the last hurrah before William goes off to college (and bankrupts us).  Then budget season begins anew at the county and my nose will be to grindstone to find new ways to save money.

In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with peace, joy and happiness.  No matter which holiday you celebrate, may if be a happy one.

All of our love,

Vicky, Russ, & Will     

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Blessed Saturnalia, Happy Holidays

The winter holidays seems to bring out the extremes in humanity – both the best and the worst of us.  There is the classic “my holiday is better than your holiday” and the visceral “I must get [fill in the blank hot toy] for my son /niece/grandchild/etc.”  But the spirit of this season can be summed up as celebration – a celebration of life, family, and survival.  There are years (if not centuries) of traditions for Christmas (religious), Kwanza, Solstice, Hanukkah and christmas (secular).  I have to stress that no one holiday or tradition is superior to the other.  I may celebrate Christmas as a Polish Catholic, but that is me and my family.  What you do this time of year is just as valid. 

In my family we enjoy a big meal on Christmas Eve which includes kielbasa, ham, pierogi, cauliflower, homemade applesauce, and oplatek.  Pierogi is a Slavic dumpling most commonly made with potatoes and cheese but can also be filled with meat, sauerkraut, or fruit.  Oplatek is a rectangular wafer similar to modern Christian Eucharistic hosts with pressed religious images.  These wafers are shared with everyone at the table with hugs, kisses and Christmas cheer.  We then attend Midnight Mass which I personally believe is one of the most beautiful services. Christmas day is filled with gifts and leftovers and visiting the homes of our loved ones.  I continue my mother’s tradition of giving three gifts to my son – she used to tell us three gifts were good enough for Jesus so it should be good enough for us. 

I also observe the 12 days of Christmas.  I bet most of you have no clue what the song really means.  Well, over the centuries the Christian celebration of Christmas has evolved. First of all, many of the symbols we now connect with Christmas (such as the decorated tree) began as symbols of other winter celebrations predating Christianity.  Also, traditions from other countries (such as Santa Claus) have become mainstream.  There is of course the whole controversy of moving the celebration to coincide with the Winter Solstice (as we all know Jesus was probably born in the Spring but we already had Easter).  And finally, the gift-giving traditions have changed.  During the Middle Ages, after the four weeks preparation (Advent) Christmas was just day one.  Christmas, and often gift giving, lasted 12 days - until Epiphany, which celebrates the day when the Magi find Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Egypt and present gifts [bit of trivia, the Bible does not tell us how many came nor their names nor from where but because there were three gifts the assumption was born].   So the big gift giving day is January 6^th (in today’s calendar) – the 12^th day of Christmas.  Perhaps in these economic times it is good to not have 12 days of gift-giving…oh well, at least wait until after Epiphany to toss the tree and decorations..

We give gifts to say “Thank you,” or “I love you,” or even “I appreciate you.”  Sometimes the gift giving gets out of hand.  We try to out-do each other, going for the biggest, newest, or coolest.  We are swept up by the images we see on tv, in the ads, and online.  If you recall, the Grinch learned that is isn’t the “stuff” but the love that makes the season (read the original book, and skip the Jim Carrey movie).  The act of giving a gift should be an act of love.  Homemade gifts are the best…even a hug can be the best gift of all.  So stop, breath, and don’t go too nuts this year.  Tell your loved ones what they mean to you.  Do something nice for someone.  If you are blessed this year, give back - contribute to a food bank, donate you gently used items, drop your change in that red bucket, or even adopt a family in need.  If you don’t know anyone personally who needs help this year, the reach out to organizations such at the boys and girls Club – they always have families in need.

So, as I celebrate the last week in Advent, may I wish you peace and joy this season and in the new year.  A heart felt thank you to my friends and family who bless me everyday with their love and support.  I am truly blessed and what you to know how special you are.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Blessed Saturnalia, Happy Holidays

Muppets – They’re back

We watched the new Muppet movie with a bit of apprehension.  Writers Jason Segel and Nicolas Stroller were better known for their bathroom humor in films such as Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Their version of the Rat pack includes Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Judd Apatow.  So you have to wonder how these guys will pull off The Muppets.  However I am not one of those people who mistakenly state that the Muppets are kiddie-fare.  Hensen had quite a sense of humor - watch the first season of Saturday Night Live and you will see.  Even the original Muppet TV show has some subversive humor.  I loved it all.  I have loved everything Hensen and Frank Oz created (even Labrynth).  So, Jason and Nicolas had a hurdle with me.

Jason Segel is a Muppet fanatic and has wanted to do a movie for years.  Having read some of the incarnations over the past few years, I am glad it took a while to get the movie into development.  Everything had to be just right.  Although I had my doubts about his writing, I thought Jason as one of the stars was great.  His character Marshall on How I Met Your Mother is the perfect simpleton and goof-ball.  So we have to problem believing he has a muppet for a brother (Walter).

I was pleasantly surprised – this movie was fabulous.  Amy Adams is the sweet, mechanically-talented grade school teacher who is in love with Segel’s Gary.  They travel to LA for their 10^th dating anniversary.  They bring Walter, Gary’s muppet-obssessed brother with them and they visit the Muppet Studios.  There they discover the studio is in disrepair and a bad guy (Chris Cooper) is about to implement his dastardly scheme.  The rest of the movie is about bringing the Muppets back together and raising the money needed to save their studio.  There is singing, dancing, waka-waka jokes, and a lot of nostalgia.  The songs are often goofy and sometimes bittersweet.  I had a blast.  We all laughed, including my teenage son.  The audience we were with was obvious all having a good time. There are a dozen cameos and several inside jokes which will keep you watching.

Living here in Reno, there are some interesting jokes just for us.  Fozzy Bear is performing in Reno in a bottom-of-the-barrel casino.  His dressing room is the alley behind the casino where you hear gun shots followed by rain (boy, did that bring howls from the audience here).  Then when Fozzy is depressed and says he doesn’t want to go back to Reno there is an unexpected laugh I don’t think the writers planned.  Everyone in our audience had a good sense of humor and there was no offense taken (I think you need to have a certain amount of self-deprecation to survive in Reno).  FYI - the movie makers clearly have not been to Reno (except to get the fabulous shot of our arch).  It was cool though, almost like being in the movie (hee hee).

So, go see this movie.  Those who grew up with the muppets will enjoy the nostalgia and kids today will discover the amazing world of Jim Hensen.  GO!

Once Upon A Time...Maybe

I have been watching ABC's new TV show "Once Upon A Time" with a smidgen of hope and a dash of anticipation.  As a huge fan of Grimm's collection of fairy tales (the real ones not the tamed down versions) I found the premise compelling.  Reminiscent of Brigadoon, there is an enchanted town in Maine filled with story book characters...lost in time and space.  The "fairy tale" story is told in flashbacks to explain the modern-day actions of characters.  There are some familiar names, Snow White, Prince Charming, Wicked Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Grandma, etc.To avoid spoilers, I won't delve deeper.

I really like the fairy land story - more than the modern tale.  In general the acting, writing, and characters are fine but it's taking too long.  I might have liked the story better as a mini series a la "Tin Man" the SciFi channel produced a few years back.  I am finding myself exasperated by the drag factor.  Still, I plan on giving it some more time to grow on me.  I don't often watch episodic TV any more (primarily documentaries and fun stuff like Mythbusters) so maybe I am just not used to waiting for a plot line to finish.

I do hope it gets better. I still like the premise.

The Countdown

Only 56 days until Disney Land.  I don't care what anyone else says...DL is the happiest place on earth.  In the past 10 years I have been lucky enough to go 3 times...2001, 2007, and 2009.  In 2001 I was able to get a sweet deal because no one was travelling after 9-11.  In 2007 and 2009 I saved up and did extra side work to pay for the trips.  This year we saved and saved...I wasn't sure we would make it (I had yet another pay cut and could not work as much after hours due to my health).  But we cut back (a lot) and put every penny aside. Whoo hoo the trip is booked and I am overjoyed.  The boys like DL but not nearly the obsession of mine. Hee hee. I expect this to be our last DL trip for awhile.  William is more important and that boy is going to college!!

I am Number Four...NOT

We rented this sci-fi story based on a novel of the same name.  Aliens hiding on earth, running from an evil oppressor seemed right up our alley.  Alex Pettyfer plays John Smith, a young alien hiding with his guardian (Timothy Olyphant) from Mogadorians - a species who are violent like Klingons and obsessive like Borg (except they seek annihilation not assimilation).  Dianna Aragon plays the John's love interest Sarah; Callan McAuliffe is the geeky buddy Sam.  Teresa Palmer rounds out the cast as Number 6 (another alien).


I wanted to like this movie.  The story itself is fine, some of the dialogue is stilted and over-the-top obvious.  The dramatic pauses between the characters and also within the action are way too long.  Something which could have been accomplished in a glance in stretched out to an awkward moment.  Half of this film could have ended on the cutting room floor and been a much better piece.    I would expected more from director D. J. Caruso.


I liked Alex's John - although he brooded just a tad too much (maybe he should of watched James Dean in A Rebel Without a Cause for some hints on just the right amount).  I couldn't see what John saw in Sarah and Sam's character was a stereotype and should have been developed more (especially since he becomes so crucial).  The Mulder-wannabe is so much more than comic relief.  The character I really enjoyed was Number 6.  She is not on the screen much but has the most to say (figuratively as she barely speaks).  Plus, she really kicks butt!  The ending battle is by far the best part of the movie.


There is so much potential and but not enough is delivered.  I don't recommend this movie.

Broken Silence

So I haven't written anything in a while.  It's that horrid combination of tired and busy.  My health issues and it's medications certainly make "crazy-Vicky" a tad less hyper.  The asthma affected my voice, making it hard to sing and even talk.  Ironically, it seemed to affect even my hands and my ability to write my words.  It truly silenced me.  Hard to believe for I am rarely silent.

Silent no more :)

Good night, sweet prince

Today we lost the king of innovations, Steve Jobs.  Some of us are old enough to remember when he and Steve Wozniak built the first Apple in a garage.  I knew who Jobs and Wozniak were long before I used their products.  In the late 80’s – thanks to my now husband Russ - I entered the world of MUG – Mac User Group.  When we married, we had an Apple II GS.  Actually we still have it…along with the dot matrix printer...and a box of software (and everything in their original boxes). Russ and I worked on the Honolulu MUG magazine – learned desk top publishing on a Mac.  We have a box of “Lisa” stuff (die-hards will know what I mean).  We also have a bit of a shrine to the two Steve’s.  Although forced to also use PCs, we always have a couple of Macs floating around.  No, we don’t have iPhone or iPads, but that has much more to do with funds and dislike of providers.  Regardless, we have drunk the kool-aid and we are Apple fans.

Some of you may remember the fight between Jobs and John Sculley in 1985.  The power struggle led to Jobs resignation.  As sad as that day was, without it we would not have Pixar.  How many of you knew Steve Jobs is the creative genius behind one of the most innovative animation studios?   So we can thank him for the Toy Story and Cars movies.

Apple naturally suffered with one inadequate CEO after another until 1997 when Jobs again helmed his company.  In the last 13 years, Apple has again returned to the front of innovation and become the undisputed leader of technology.  This time Steve seemed to delegate better.  As it became clear a few years ago that he was ill, Jobs has hand-picked successors lined up and found other like him to continue the creative stream Apple had renewed.  His slow decline broke the hearts of millions.  Even if Apple lives on…it will never be the same.

You have given this world much in your short 56 years.   So Steve, rest in peace.  

one woman's thoughts

I use this blog to discuss entertaining issues and prefer to avoid the hard topics.  I prefer to not discuss anything sad or negative.  I have a wonderful therapist with whom I share the traumas of my life so I need not burden others.  Still, I wish to share my thoughts on this day.

I have to start with the fact I am weird.  Most of my friends know I am really weird.  One of my “special powers” is empathy.  I have since been defined are part Betazoid (empathic Star Trek TNG alien).  I don’t have normal empathy…like everything else in my life it is overly sensitive and just plain crazy.  I can tell you everything about the day in grade school when a plan went down into the Potomac River.  I can relive the crash and rescue with the images replaying in my mind as if I was there.  I am not psychic… just overly emotional…or nuts. 

The second part of my background is growing up military.  My family business is the military.  So many of us have been or currently are in the armed forces.   I chose another path, but the military is in my blood and I was acutely aware the danger our solders face. I have studied military history, watch the world events, seen the harsh realities beyond our country’s borders.  Long before moving to Hawai’i and visiting the USS Arizona I understood the events at Pearl Harbor and Hickam AFB.  Later, living on Fort Kamehameha, I passed the bullet holes remaining in the buildings every day.  I recall the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing as if it was yesterday.  The 1989 ambush and murder of the Green Beret in the Philippines shook me to my core.  My father was a Ranger and a Green Beret.  I remember my first thought that day…where was my father? 

So I discovered on 9-11 that I was having a slightly different experience from those around me. Ironically I started the day in an unusual manner…watching cartoons.  Normally I have news on while getting ready for work.  I will flip between the locals and nationals catching me up from the night before.  For some reason I was watching cartoons with William, who was 6, and my husband Russel.  When I got into my car, I put on NPR as usual.  After listening for what felt like an eternity I shut off the car and ran back into the house.  I recall yelling to put the news on…I remember the howl inside my head.  I knew immediately it was terrorism – I had read enough intelligence in my days (non-classified) to know.  I also knew how it would end…

Then I realized I had to get to the office… I worked for a studies abroad program.  I do not remember driving but I remember the chaos.  The next several hours was spent fielding calls from frantic parents, while trying to remain calm myself.  Thousands of families wanted their kids home.  I had to explain they were safer staying put…then explaining there was no way home as all air traffic was grounded…listening to them cry while holding in my own agony.  I had friends in New York - I was sending emails to track down everyone I knew.  The TVs all showed the same images.  I felt the war zone atmosphere; I could feel the panic there and here.  All I could do was pray.  Then there was the Pentagon, for me that was even more emotional …I could only see my family, in uniform, in harm’s way.  The loss was unbearable.

The next day, when the immediate shock had waned, when I had heard the stories of my friends and family, as we learned the full extent of the horror…I discovered how many people in this country truly did not know things like this could happen.  Although most in the world of intelligence and terrorism thought an attack on our soil was a “when” not an “if” scenario most Americans were unaware.  Even military families were not always well-informed.  To this day I meet people who think Black Hawk Down was a cool military movie but not a real tragedy.  Today’s generation could not fathom what it meant to be a POW.  Even the USS Cole, blown up only a year earlier, was barely a blip in American news.  For the first time I understood that I was not merely fanatically empathic …I also knew about the evil lurking on our planet.  It was strange watching the rest of this country talk about losing their innocence…about having their core beliefs and sense of security shaken.  Although I felt excruciating pain that day and the year to follow, especially as I have to watch too many family members go to war, I did not have *that* feeling.  I did not have that innocence to lose or a feeling of security within our borders.  Initially I had a kind of strange anger…how could the rest of this country be shocked, how could they not know the danger out there, how dare they not realize we had already been under attack for year…but then I the anger went away.  Thank God they did not know.  I am glad most people were not news-junkies like me, not obsessed with the wars around us, and not conscience of the growing threat.  The fact that, for a short period of time, our people did have innocence - a peace.  Who wouldn’t want that?

Today the pain is still real.  The families who have lost their loved ones that day, God bless you.  To those who survived, God bless you.  To those who have gone to war, God bless you.  To those who have given of their mind, bodies, and lives…God bless you.  To those who continue to live every day, God bless you.  Simply surviving as a country and as a people means they did not win.  As hard as the last 10 years has been, we are a nation of liberty, freedom, strength and love.  Keep it that way.

Disney Land Helpful Hints

I compiled these suggestions from my own experiences and some fantastic websites...

·        A great website with good information is http://www.mousesavers.com/

·        Join D23 – the official Disney Fan Club - http://d23.disney.go.com/

·        From your smartphone, bookmark http://m.disneyland.go.com/ – This will give you ride wait times, food options, show times, park hours, etc at your fingertips…

·        Lines 13, 20, and 21 move fastest at the front entrance.

·        Kid rides, such as those in A Bug’s Land (California Adventure) have the shortest lines

·        Only kids under 9 may wear costumes (avoid cape as a safety hazard)

·        Birthday guests can get a phone call from Goofy at City Hall and a sticker so everyone knows it's their special day. (After you enter the park, go to the first building on the left.)

·        If it is your first visit, go to the Town Hall” for a free pin that says “First Visit” on it.

·        Wear layers – early morning and after dark can get chilly

·        You may bring in your own bottled water and healthy kid snacks

·        Use FastPass – get yours early

o       You are allowed to use the pass anytime after the “return” time (if it says 1:00-2:00 you may come back any time after 1pm up until closing). 

o       You have to use admission ticket to get the pass and only one fast pass per ride per admission ticket at a time (so one person cannot get fast asses for all 4 people without their entrance tickets).

o       Technically you can have only 1 FastPass at a time.  At the bottom of your FastPass is a note “another FastPass will be available at xx:xx” telling when you may get one from another ride.

o       FastPass rides include (note: not every FastPass is active, especially on “slow” days)

o       Disneyland Park : Autopia, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain

o       Disney California Adventure: Grizzly River Run, Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, California Screamin'

·        Beating the lines

o       Rides with quick moving lines (even when it looks busy): Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, Pirates. Jungle cruise, Indiana Jones & Tower of Terror

o       Toon Town is least busy when the park first opens

o       Adventure Land is least busy at night

o       Matterhorn line facing Tomorrow Land is shortest and fastest

o      

New Orleans Square

is quietest after the Fantasmic show

o       Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the least busiest days of the week

o       Avoid areas around parade routes (check times on your map) and ride lines are shorter during parades and shows

o       Start with Adventure Land and go clockwise around DL

o       Bathrooms behind the Carnation Café on main Street are the shortest

o       Pop over to California Adventure – all of their lines are shorter than DL rides

·        By staying at one of the 3 “on-site” hotels, you can have your purchases delivered to your room

·        Younger Kids

o       Baby Center on

Main Street

at DL has rocking chairs, hot water and supplies

o       Put a label inside younger children’s clothing with name, your name, and cell phone

o       Bring a stroller

·        Fairies & Princesses

o       Line forms fast and early for The Princess Royal Walk (next to Toon Town) where they can meet princesses and hear stories

o       Ariel’s Grotto in California Adventure – meet and talk with the mermaid princess

o       Tinkerbell and others at Fairy Grotto next to the castle

o       Tangles – Rapunzel’s Room between Pinocchio’s ride and the Village Haus restaurant

·        Other characters

o       Mickey and Minnie are sometimes in their houses in Toon Town

o       Winnie and Friends can be found in Critter Country between Splash Mountain and The adventure of Winnie the Pooh.  You can also sometimes see Bre’r Fox and Bre’r Bear

o       Any character dining experience is guaranteed to have plenty

o       Front Gate and

Main Street

often has characters floating in and out

·        Shows (not all show run every day – check your schedule or online for each day)

o       A Bug’s Life 3-D (CA)

o       Aladdin (CA)

o       Disney Junior Live (CA)

o       Disney Parade (DL)

o       Fantasmic (DL)

o       Jedi Training – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Muppets 3-D (CA)

o       Pixar Parade (CA)

o       World of Color (CA)

·        Favorite Teen and Grown Up Rides

o       Big Thunder Mountain – Frontier Land (DL)

o       California Screamin’ (CA)

o       Golden Zephyr (CA)

o       Grizzly River Run  (CA)

o       Indiana Jones – Adventure Land (DL) CLOSES 5/17 FOR REFURB

o       Matterhorn – Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Roger Rabbit – Toon Town (DL)

o       Silly Symphony Swings (CA)

o       Space Mountain – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Splash Mountain – Critter Country (DL)

·        Oldies but goodies

o       Alice–Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Mr. Toad–Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Peter Pan–Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Pinocchio–Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Small World–Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Snow White –Fantasy Land (DL)

·        Fun for everyone

o       Astro Orbitor – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Autopia – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Buzz Lightyear – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Haunted Mansion – New Orleans (DL)

o       Mounsters Inc (CA)

o       Nemo – Tomorrow Land (DL)

o       Pirates – New Orleans (DL)

o       Soaring Over (CA)

o       Toy Story (CA)

·        Perfect kid rides

o       A Bug’s Land (CA)

o       Dumbo – Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Pooh – Critter Country (DL)

o       Jumpin’ Jellyfish (CA)

o       Everything in Toon Town (DL)

o       Tom Sawyer’s Island (DL)

o       Redwood Creek Challenge (next to the Grand California Hotel)

·        Rides to “rest” on

o       Carrousel - Fantasy Land (DL)

o       Enchanted Tiki Room - Adventure Land (DL)

o       Jungle Cruise - Adventure Land (DL)

o       Main Street Cinema

o       Mark Twain Riverboat or the Columbia

o       Railroad or Monorail

·        New/reopened rides

o       Ariel Undersea Adventure

o       Goofy’s Fly School

o       Splash Mountain

o       Star Tours

FUN FACTS

·        Fantasmic lasts about 22 minutes and costs $30,000 to produce. This nighttime fireworks-and-water show is held twice each night during the peak season and on weekends only during the off-season.

·        There was a basketball court in the Matterhorn – now it is used as a storage room.

·        Club 33 is a secret club inside Disneyland. It's at

33 Royal Street

by the Blue Bayou and Pirates of the Caribbean ride. You can see it on the way out of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride-- look at the second level of the Blue Bayou restaurant. Club 33 has about 400 members and waiting time for a membership is about 3 years. Membership fees range from $9,500 to $25,000, with annual fees an additional $3-6,000.

·        When the moat around Sleeping Beauty's Castle is dredged, the money retrieved from it is given to charity.

·        Walt Disney never owned Disneyland. He was the creative genius behind the concept and had stock in the company, but he never owned a controlling share.

·        Having a birthday at Disneyland? Go to City Hall on your way in. They'll give you a personalized sticker to wear which may earn you some special recognition by characters and cast members around the park.

·        The Haunted Mansion is actually located outside of Disneyland. When you walk through the portrait hall on the way to the "stretching" room, you're really walking under Disney's railroad tracks toward a soundstage-like building outside of the park. The stretching room is really an elevator that takes you underground into this soundstage.

·        Splash Mountain has earned the nickname "Flash Mountain" because of women exposing themselves to the cameras in the ride. A camera snaps a photo of each log as it goes over the steepest waterfall, and some women think it's funny to whip up their tops while they say "Cheese". Cheesy!

·        In 1959, the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev wanted to go to Disneyland but wasn't allowed to. Apparently the LAPD thought it would be too risky. Khrushchev was not happy about it.

·        Disneyland used to have its own postmark so when you mailed a postcard on

Main St.

, your recipient knew it had been mailed from Disneyland. (It no longer does.)

Main Street

also used to have a bank you could open an account in and a printing press that published an actual newspaper.

·        Disneyland is open 365 days a year.

·        The Goofy Water in Toon Town at the gas station turns different colors at night

·        There's a Magic Lamp in a store across from the Jungle Cruise. For $1 you can rub the lamp and hear some silly jokes.

·        Downtown Disney has fun bands on the weekend evenings.

·        Catch the mini water-and-light show at the Disneyland Hotel. Go to the Fantasia Fountain way in the back of the grounds, beyond the waterfalls.

·        Ask a monorail conductor if you can sit in the very front car.

Disneyland - My happiest place on earth

I do not know when it began, I don’t know how it began, but I have developed an obsession with Disney Land.  Some people, like my dad thinks I have been every year…I have to keep reminding him that I only *talk* about it all the time and have not been fortunate to go often.  I have been to a Disney park 7 times in 42 years…

 I first went to Disney World back in 1971, shortly after it opened.  Of course back then, you could camp outside the park…which was just swamp land.  We went again a couple years later.  We were stationed in Georgia and then Florida back them, only had 3 of the 5 kids, and got military discounts…  My mother would dress us all in the same outfits and you got special kid cards (I have one in a scrap book).  Back then you bought ticket books, with A, B, C, D, and E tickets.  Rides like the carousel would be an A and Space Mountain would be an E – hence the phrase “e-ticket” meaning the best or great.  Every year we were moving or traveling – we often included a visit to some important site…dad wanted to visit every national park for example.    Often there was some amusement park along the way (with military discounts). I remember visiting Kings Dominion outside of Williamsburg Virginia and Busch Gardens.  In 1985 we went to Disney Land for a day.  The following year we spent a day there as we were moving from Texas to Hawai’i.  I did not go back until 2001…15 years later.

Yes, the tragedy of 9-11 is responsible for giving my family an opportunity to afford Disney Land.  American companies were tanking because initially the nation was paralyzed.  I knew we had to get back on that proverbial horse in order to show the bullies they did not win.  You see, because of my dad’s job (I’d tell you but then I would have to kill you) I grew up with a unique perspective on terrorism and life.  I was also already very aware of the conflicts in this world.  So, my husband and I talked about going somewhere…  I had a couple friends tell me I was crazy, why would you travel after what happened.  But then again, I always have been a bit crazy.  DL slashed their prices – they had just opened the California Adventure Park and were desperate for visitors.  The beauty, it was only an 8-hour drive from Reno.   So for an ungodly cheap price we spent a week at the Paradise Pier and we all had a blast.  It truly was the happiest place on earth and the joy was a part of our healing.   

It was 6 years before we could save enough money to go back.  It helped that we had a good year financially in 2007.  Plus the recession was starting to take hold.  Again Disney was offering some good deals and we were able to go during a “slow” week in mid-December.  This time we stayed at a “good neighbor hotel” across the street.  This trip was especially special because we were able to keep t a secret from William.  He stayed the night with his grandparents as a rouse.  We packed up the car (everything hidden in the trunk) and picked him up for breakfast.  Then we let him know we needed to go to Fry’s in Sacramento to get a special laptop battery for a friend (which was true).  If I had know the monster I would create I am not sure I would have taken that boy to Fry’s – the super store for geeks if you didn’t know – he is now in love and makes us stop EVERY time we go to California now.  But any way, we said it wasn’t at the first so we had to go to another…then another.  By this time we are on Hwy 5 but he was only 12 and not really paying attention.  We stopped for lunch and told him it was just a little further.  He fell asleep, which helped.  When he woke up we were on the north side of LA.  We said since it was getting late we would just find a hotel and go home tomorrow.  There were signs on the freeway for street and locations with names similar to places in Reno, which aided the deception.  It was only 8pm when we made it to the hotel, but he was half asleep.  The Disney Land sign catches his eyes.  Boy, he was awake in a nano-second.  He begged and pleaded to be allowed to visit the next day before we go home.  He promised to be good the rest of his life and would do anything I wanted (I knew it was too good too be true).  Then we told him we were staying a week…he wouldn’t believe me until I showed him the tickets.  We went that evening (it was open until midnight) and began our magical week.  We did spend one day at Legoland as William was in a Lego-robotics club at school (and got in free).  The trip was wonderful.  The best day was the last.  William’s favorite character is Stitch (if you’ve seen his room you’d understand…it looks like a hurricane smashed through)   and every day we tried to find out where Stitch was taking pictures.  Well we finally got a tip on where he was at every day.  We went and waited and waited…the girls with the other characters recognized William as the kid looking for Stitch every day that week.  Unfortunately on that day the character was at a private party and was not expected that day.  We were heart broken.  Then, someone (I don’t know which of the girls was responsible) got someone into the costume and came out to see my kid.  They took several pictures and made William’s day…then said hi to the other kids.  The cast members at Disney Land were simply divine.  I did not have a problem with any of them the whole trip.

We were extremely fortunate to go just two years after that.  This time I wanted to go for William’s actual birthday.  The poor kid has a December 30^th birthday and it can be hard to do anything the day before New Year ’s Eve.  Well, we found a great deal (paying the same price for a premium week that we had two year’s earlier for a slow week).  We stayed at the Ramada across the street – simple, clean, friendly (and a free breakfast).  As soon as we got in, we headed straight to the park (didn’t even unpack).  That night I discovered just how bad my arthritis had become…and only 3 months earlier I had a lung infection which resulted in permanent damage and asthma.  That night I was so sick.  So, my husband (in a rare act of defiance) insisted I rent a wheelchair and then got me one.  It was very hard for me to accept using the chair; I thought with a bit of work I could work without it.  Once, after complaining too much, my husband threatened to show me my x-rays and call my doctor if I didn’t shut up.  He was right – but I couldn’t admit it until the 3^rd day.  Well let me tell you how nice the cast members are at DL…they are amazing.  They made me feel special  and eventually I stopped stressing.  So here it is for the how world to hear RUSS WAS RIGHT.  I would never have had as much fun if I had been stubborn and hadn’t rented the chair.  (Since then we have purchased our own and now we even have a scooter the boys are refurbishing).  That trip was great in so many ways.  DL on your birthday is fabulous.  We had breakfast with Stitch and the whole day he was king.  They give him a button saying it’s his birthday, bring him a birthday brownie and sing.  All day the cast members (seeing the pin) wished him a happy birthday.  The next day was crazy – I had never seen Dl sell out, but it did on New Year’s Eve!  We had fun any way – and can now say we were there in NYE – but I don’t think I would ever do that again.  Now New Year’s Day was funny – with everyone at the Rose Parade few were at DL & it was great.   So another amazing visit to DL, and I am hooked.

Fast forward to 2011…I have been saving all year and it looks like I may have enough saved for a trip in 2012 – during one of the slowest months at DL during the year. So, fingers crossed…

Up next, some helpful tips on planning your own trip to DL.