Comedy...

The following is a true chain of emails. I changed the names for legal reasons:

From: Amazon Employee
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 11:05 AM
Subject: Beer tap for a keg

I need a beer tap for a keg rather urgently near US1/US2. Can I borrow one for about an hour?

Please call me on my cell: 206-xxx-xxxx

Thanks,
--Amazon Employee

From: Another Amazon Employess
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 11:07 AM
Subject: RE: Beer tap for a keg

You’re going to kill an entire keg in an hour, at 11AM?

Is your team hiring?

From: Yet Another Employee
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 11:35 AM
Subject: RE: Beer tap for a keg

Can you be more specific on the location and time? Are glasses provided?

Funny or Ironic?

The book I was reading on Houdini seems to have disappeared.

My desire to work for Amazon.com has been cured

The cure was a simple fact. They pay monthly. *shudders* I've been paid weekly for so long that concept is totally foreign. However, the idea of working for an entire month without pay is what I just can't do especially considering how low they pay. I had the phone interview on Tuesday and it didn't go great. The person interviewing me seemed very hostile saying things like "Explain how you got from one job to the next," "Tell me how you went above and beyond to prepare for today and explain why you deserve to work here" and my favorite "You moved here without a job? What on earth what were you thinking?" Never asked me about what I did or how I work or anything. Very strange.

I'm at stage 3 of 5 of the interviewing process for a position in an IT/Software company. I'd be working for a VP named Kevin. For those unaware, I worked for 5 years for a VP named Kevin and (at the time) a Director named Kevin. At least, I wouldn't have to worry about calling him the wrong name. I've nailed the first 3 stages pretty well and the pay would be comparable to what I was making at Disney. They are a branch off of Microsoft and located in Redmond which would be a pretty commute from my place.

Aside from that, no movement on any of the other jobs. Fun, fun.

Resourcefulness

Today at Amazon reception we had a bit of a problem. There were some special badges needed and they were locked in a metal container. There was no key, but it didn't matter since the lock was broke. I tried to pick it the traditional means, but that was no go. So I went out to the car and looked in my emergency supplies to see if I have anything that would help. So I pulled this out:

I went back in and got the box. Came back outside and bashed the lock in. It was surprisingly sturdy. It took many wacks and several people were watching impressed by the fact that it was holding up to quite a bit of twacking before it finally caved. I then put the ax back in the car and went on about my day.

These things come in hand for opening boxes, killing zombies, you know, whatever the situation calls for.

Turning the Page...

Since I got to Seattle, I've been reading more.

Many moons ago I started reading a comic book series called "Fables." I got behind and stopped picking them up. I mentioned this to my friend Tracy and for Christmas she hooked me up with a bunch of the graphic novels. I haven't had a chance to actually read them until now. Thanks Tracy!

"Fables” written by Bill Willingham and published by Vertigo Comics (subsidiary of DC). It takes place in present day in the real world where all of the fairy tale characters you know and love are forced to take up residence in our world. They were chased from their lands by someone called the "Adversary" and have been living here in exile for generations. They have a community in New York called "Fabletown" and they have a farm upstate for the characters that can't pass as human. The characters are seemingly immortal and gain magical protection from their popularity among non-fairy tale folk. There are tons of references to all kinds of fairy tales. King Cole is running the place, but Snow White is really in charge. The big bad wolf is now reformed and he can take human form and goes by the name Bigby. He also is crushing on Snow. I read up to the part where the Adversary has been revealed, there has been a births, deaths, marriages, battles and just awesome storylines. I recommend highly.

Next up I just finished "Things the Grandchild Should Know" by Mark Oliver Everett. I got this from Amazon for free. It's due to come out in November in hardback. It's autobiography about his life. Mark also known as "E" was raised in an odd family where he used music as his escape and later formed the band the Eels. He lost his dad to a heart attack, his sister to suicide and his mom to cancer. So it's an upbeat story. He's actually surprising stable considering all that he has been through.

That's my reading list so far.

Before and After...

My computer area in my apartment before I got a desk...

And after I put together a cheap desk from Big Lots...

Eventually, I will get a real desk, but this will work for now.

The Front Lines of Job Hunting...

I mini-update of how the search for the permanent job in Seattle is going.

Two of the Microsoft recruiters I have been dealing with and my Disney contact return from vacation on Monday. I have a phone interview for a position at Amazon.com on Tuesday which I got from applying online through their jobsite. I have one temp agency trying to get me interviews for two different positions at Amazon and another temp agency trying to get me in to a position with a company that deals with the Grammys. From my own applying through Craigslist.com, I am at stage 2 of a 5 stage interviewing process for a position in an IT/Software company. I've been told by a few places that I am out of their price range, but they wish me luck. So basically, I have several options all pending and hopefully this week something will come through.

In the meantime, I am temping for Amazon.com as a receptionist at half my usual pay just to have some income and to learn a little bit about Amazon to see if I want to work there. So far, I like it a lot. One of the main buildings is an old hospital that has been converted into office space. It's this old 1923 built brick building on a hill that over looks downtown. They are going to be moving to a six block 11 building campus in 2010, but until then they are in this cool building. Employees are allowed to bring their dogs to work which is odd to see dogs walking the hallways with their owners. They also get tons of book screener copies which they end up giving away so you can get copies of books that aren't out yet way in advance which is pretty cool.

I'm surprised it has taken me this long to find work. I thought I would be at least temping at a decent job by now. The temp agency I set up with way in advance made a whole lot of assurances and have yet to really come through on anything. I was forced to go to another agency that got me the temp position within 2 days and is working on getting me interviews. Very disappointing. I tried to be loyal as the other agency had gotten me my Disney job. C'est la vie.

I hope to have more of an update with better news later in the week.

TED: Lennart Green and his Magic Cards

It has been a while since I have posted a TED video. I'm long overdue. Even though I still have tons to talk about my move and Seattle and all that, I don't want to stop highlighting these videos. TED presentations are something that everyone should be watching.

Lennart Green seems like a bumbling man with a Swedish accent and a deck of cards. He uses comedy as part of his act to do some amazing close up card tricks. He's won the grand prize in close-up magic in 1991 at the International Federation of Magic Societies (aka "Olympics of Magic").



This video was recorded at TED in Feb. 2005 and just recently added to the website for viewing. It is a half an hour, but you can watch just a bit of it to see the amazing things he does with cards.

Two Guys Drinking At A Bar

As some of you know, my good friend, Mike Nichols, has an internet series called "Two Guys Drinking at a Bar." I was the "Beck and Call Girl" for the shoot which meant I did all the little odds and ends Mike would let me and I get to be in the credits. I took a Monday off from work as a personal day and we shot a ton of episodes in a very short amount of time in a bar in Pasadena.

"Two Guys Drinking at a Bar" is available on both YouTube and iTunes. Watch them from the beginning and all the way to the end of the credits. They aren't very long. There is really no excuse not to. Here is the description by Mike's own hand:

Stars comedy veterans Kevin Farley and Paul Preston in a episodic series created by Mike J. Nichols. Featuring original music by Shane Tassart.

Simple, seemingly uncomplicated comedy layered with social commentaries on media, pop culture and some seriously offbeat twists gives "Two Guys Drinking At A Bar" a welcome push for Internet Television that brings back memories of old school Saturday Night Live laughs.


Recently, Mike has been getting some write ups about them. Here are the links to the reviews of "Two Guys Drinking At A Bar":

"'Two Guys,' The Smart Person's Stupid Show" by Jonathan Hludzinski on Tubefilter.tv

"Friday Fun 'Drinking at a Bar'" by Daisy Whitney on TVWeek.com

"More than 'Two Guys Drinking at a Bar'" by Owen Roberts on Tilzy.com

"'Two Guys Drinking at a Bar' Parodies Lost, Galactica" by Jenna Wortham on Wired.com

"'Two Guys Drinking at a Bar' (Galactica style)" by Darth Mojo on Darthmojo.com

I recommend watching the episodes as well as these articles about them. If for no other reason than to see my name in the credits in all the different variations. Now off you go to the Internets to do some reading/watching.

*Trumpet Sound* Charge.....It!

Before the commercial break, I mentioned about going shopping. While we didn't charge much, I felt Wilma and Betty's shopping cry was an appropriate title.

Just down the street from my place is the Northgate mall. Mom and I went to Bath, Bath and Beyond to get what we could with a gift certificate I had gotten from my friend, Cat. I got a few things including a small fan which has been a life saver since my apartment has no air conditioning.

After that we swung over to Target, and picked up some more items using gift certificates I got in my going away gift from my job. Thankfully, it is close enough to back to school that I got some cheap basic stuff like hangers, ironing board, iron, etc. I had to leave all my hangers behind which was probably a good thing since most of them were wire and you know what they say about wire hangers.

We put everything in the car, went to Macaroni Grill for dinner and then walked into the mall to see what store they had. Torrid (a store I mentioned earlier) is there across from one of my favorite places - Eddie Bauer. I picked up two super soft t-shirts there for $20. I spotted a bunch of stuff I want to come back for when I have income.

The next day we went to Costco to pick a few more things up. We got lost and got a nice tour of the shipping yards of Seattle. I got a cushioned folding chair for $15 which is the only chair in my apartment. Mom had never been to Costco so that was cool to show her the deals plus even more fun when I took her to see Wall-e. Since Costco and Buy'N'Large are pretty much the same. It'll be funny when they sell the DVDs there.

After mom left, I went to check out the Sears. The one down the street is the original Sears in Seattle. It is huge. I got a few things. After walking around the lake, I realized I needed some yoga pants and some way better sneakers. I got those and a pair of black pants for interviews and whatnot. I also found a frog bath mat that matched my bathroom.

Aside from some grocery shopping, the only other place I went shopping was Big Lots. I found a cheap $29.99 computer desk so I could be up off the floor while on the computer. It's pretty basic, but it works until I can afford something better.

And thus ends the shopping I have done and will do until I have some sort of income.

A Commerical Break...

When mom and I went shopping, I decided to try a new laundry detergent. I picked up Arm and Hammer's Essentials. I just did two loads of clothes with it. Holy crap, it is awesome. My clothes smell great. They also seem softer, but I think that is my imagination.

I looked it up on the internets and it turns out it's good for the environment or some other tree hugger hippy non-sense. Something about being made from 100% biodegradable plant-based soaps, dye free, has no phosphates/bleaches, is boosted by baking soda, safe for septic systems and the bottle is recyclable.

Whatever. It smells great and got my clothes clean. I recommend. Two thumbs up!

Moving In...

So when we last spoke, dear readers, mom and I were in Green Lake at a Days Inn with a dead car battery.

We got up and decided to take a cab over to meet with the landlady to do the walk through. We got there early and I walked mom around the immediate area so she could see. It was too dark to see anything the night before when we drove by.

We got the walk through and keys at 8:30a. The apartment is on the end and is much bigger than the one I had seen. I wasn't sure if it had a dish washer or not and had mentally prepared myself to actually wash dishes. Thankfully, it does have a dish washer. However, it doesn't have air conditioning. I was a bit freaked, but remembered my friend Linda saying they turn their air on once maybe three times all year. I've had the doors up and a fan and that has been more than enough.

Afterward, we walked over to Friend's cafe for some breakfast before calling another cab to take us back to the Inn. I had "The Works" which was home potatoes, green onions, mushrooms, squash, spinach, veggie sausage topped with jack cheese and sour cream. It was as good as it sounded.

Once we got back at the Inn, we found someone to jump the car and we drove over and found a spot across the street. It was a no parking zone, but the only place to fit the car and trailer. I did end up getting a ticket, but it was worth $38 to park across the street rather than blocks away. I called U-Haul to see if I could rent a dolly and they said they only rent them with trucks. I explained I had a trailer and he said no and he didn't have any dollies anyway. So mom and emptied the truck all on our own. The building had an elevator so that helped and we made sure to take breaks so as not to wear ourselves out. The last thing to take was the mattress. We waited until we knew the fireman (my next door neighbors are the fire dept.) would be outside and then tried moving it. Our damsels in distress moves worked and two of them helped us get it on to the elevator.

Once everything was all done we decided to get rid of the trailer as soon as possible. A nice neighbor lady helped jump our car and we dropped it off. I was hungry and tired again which led to crankiness that was not helped by everyone honking at us as we tried to get the trailer back to it's U-Haul home. Once I got some food and a shower, I was in a much better mood. I feel bad for my mom for having to put up with that, but at least she has had tons of practice because I get this tendencies from my dad.

The next day we started unpacking the kitchen and bathroom since these were the easiest to do. My friend, Linda, came over with her daughter, Emily, and we walked over and had a nice lunch at Green Lake Bar and Grill. I had a steak and blue cheese salad which was great. Then Linda jumped our car and we headed to an Auto Zone.

There is only one Auto Zone in Seattle and it is in the middle of no where. We got a bit lost, but eventually found it. By this point the battery was bubbling and smelling of sulfur, good times. A very nice manager helped up by replacing the battery. The battery was the original one that came with the car and only had a 5 year warranty and it was now 6 and a half years old. When we put all that strain on the car, the battery gave out and decided it wouldn't even hold a charge. The new battery has been more than fine. I'm going to take her to the dealer to get an oil change and a check up soon.

Thus ends the unloading and car drama that ensued from my move and we can now focus on the more fun aspects like shopping and unpacking and the not as fun aspects of jump hunting.

On the road...

Here is a breakdown of my trip with my mom from Los Angeles to Seattle:

Sunday, August 3, 2008:

9:15 am - 53,683 miles - I pulled out from in front of my cousin's house with a full tank of gas and began our trip up Interstate 5.

10:55am - 53,762 miles - We stopped for a bathroom break and mom took over driving. It took this long to get through the grape vine portion of the 5. My poor little car couldn't do that much over 20-25 miles and hour going up hill.

12:27p-1:36p - 53,838 - We stopped for lunch at a roadside Denny's. Mom continued to drive.

3:00p - 53,894 - We stop to fill up on gas. Mom continues to drive.

5:46p - 54,029 - We fill the car up with a half a tank of gas, use the bathrooms and I take over driving. Mom buys some post cards and we seem to be somewhere around Sacramento at this point.

7:50p - 54,120 - Bathroom break and leg stretch. I ask about how far we are to the Oregon border and I get the reply "about 2 hours." I continue to drive.

9:35p - 54,209 - Fill up on gas, bathroom break and leg stretch. I ask about how far we are to the Oregon border and I get the reply "about 2 hours." I continue to drive.

11:00p - 54,248 - We stop for the night and check in to the Comfort Inn. We tried a few other places, but they wanted way too much money and one place didn't have air conditioning. Apparently, a bunch of places were booked up with fireman returning from helping fight a California fire. We run over to Wendy's and we get some food. I didn't realize how hungry and/or tired I was until we stopped. I was a little cranky to say the least. I ask about how far we are to the Oregon border and I get the reply "about 2 hours."

Monday, August 4, 2008:

6:37a-7:20a - 54,248 - We check out of the hotel, load up the car and find that the battery is totally and utterly dead. We don't think we left the lights on or anything, but it is dead. We find two nice gentlemen that jump our car. They want nothing in return, but to ask us if we know about Jesus. I say "Yes" and he says "How?" and I reply "Catholics." I turn at this point and put the jumper cables in the car while mom talks to him. Eventually, they head off and we sit in the car for a bit before taking off. Mom drives.

9:00-9:31a - 54,313 - We stop at McDonald's and get some breakfast. I ask about how far we are to the Oregon border and I get the reply "about 2 hours." I beginning to think no one really knows how far it is to the border. The car starts right up so we figure the battery just need a jump and a bit of recharging.

10:47a - 54,300 - We finally hit the Oregon border.


11:06a - 54,375 - Fill up with gas and bathroom break. I take over driving so mom can enjoy the Oregon scenery. Jill from work had recommended doing this portion of the drive in the morning and now I see why. We would have missed a lot of beautiful scenery otherwise.

1:00p-2:15p - 54,465 - We stop for lunch at a little cafe. I realize that there is no way we are going to be in Seattle by 4:30p to do the walk through on the apartment. I call the landlady and we reschedule for 8:30a the next day. We get back to the car and once again the battery is dead. There is a auto shop, but they won't install it for us or can tell us if it is the battery or the alternator. We end up just getting a jump from a nice family at a gas station. We decide not to turn the car off until we get to Seattle. Mom drives for a bit.

3:59p - 54,572 - Bathroom break and leg stretch. Mom continues to drive.

5:08p - 54,622 - Fill up the car with gas at a Costco that happened to be right off the interstate. I think it was the only time we found gas below $4 and it was only $3.99. Mom's still at the wheel.

I should mention that my car is really liking driving through Oregon. It doesn't have as many hills as California. We were able to go as fast as 55-60 mph for most of the state.

6:53p - 54,689 - Bathroom break at a rest stop. I took over driving at this point.

7:36p-7:52p - 54,717 - We sat in the car (keeping it running) and ate some Burger King so I wouldn't get as cranky as I did before. I keep driving.

At some point during this time we crossed over into Washington. I couldn't get a picture of the sign because it was on a bridge as we were leaving Portland. I didn't realize Portland was so close to the the border.

10:06p - 54,829 - Last fill up of gas on this trip. I kept on driving.

11:22p - 54,855 - We arrive in Green Lake and end up stopping for the night at a Days Inn. As soon as the car is turned off, the battery goes dead so we will need a jump in the morning.

So for those keeping track that is:

1,093 total miles
3 states
2 drivers
2 battery jumps

And thus concludes the hauling of all my stuff from LA to Seattle.

My Last Sunday in LA

We woke up bright an early and I loaded up the car while mom checked out. On my way down, I slipped a goodbye note under the door of Andy, Theresa, Ace and Matt's room.

We made it to my cousin's house around 9a and re-hooked the trailer up. We were on our way by 9:15a with a full tank of gas.

We were officially out of LA by about 10a.

Not really all that exciting.

My Last Saturday in LA

My lease on my LA apartment ended on the 1st and the lease on my Seattle apartment started on the 4th so at this point, I am technically homeless and unemployed.

We slept in for the first time since mom got in. We eventually got up and headed to the mall because I realized the pants I was planning on wearing to James and Weena's wedding that night were sealed in a plastic bag buried in the U-Haul parked at my cousin's house.

We wandered into a Torrid store which is plus size girl store that is a spin off of Hot Topic. Now the wedding request was no black which is pretty much all the store had expect for one cute blue jean skirt which totally worked. After that mom and I went to the Yard House for lunch. We got a server who told us he was being trained by the guy standing next to him. I said "If you're being trained, where is the squirt bottle and rolled up newspaper?" He looked blankly and he said "Dude, that's just not right." His trainer laughed. The food was great.

We headed back to the hotel for showering, prepping and napping. Not necessarily in that order. I got ready first and then headed down to hang out with Andy, Theresa and Ace in their room while mom got ready. They had arranged for a shuttle to take us to the wedding so at 4:45p we all piled in.

We hung out and waited for everyone to show up and the ceremony to start. It was very pretty and totally lovely. Here are some of my favorite photos I was able to take:


The last one is of my little cousin, Sammie. She didn't want to have anything to do with me at first and then she only wanted to play with me for the rest of the wedding. We played a lot in the flower pedals.

The reception was inside at the same location. Mom and I sat with Mike and a few of James and Weena's friends. I didn't spend too much time at the table because Sammie kept taking me outside to play.

Part of the ceremony during the reception was that we each got to take a shell, fill it with blessed water, pour it over both of their hands and give them a blessing or some words of advice. The only thing I could think of to say was "A plague of happiness on both your houses."

Our friend, Tony, was the DJ and spun the tunes. No one wanted to get out on the dance floor until they played "Baby Got Back" and Theresa, Kim, Sammie and I went out there to dance. The tequila sunrises I was drinking helped. Although, they weren't that strong and I was dancing a lot so I barely got a buzz.

The rest of the reception was spent on the dance floor or outside playing with Sammie until cake time. James' mom made the cake and she makes the best cake. While all of her cakes are awesome, it is her carrot cake that makes the best impression. Sooooo goooood.

Everyone had to be out of there at 11p so we left and picked things up at the hotel bar. We hung out there and I was exhausted. Mom went to bed early and I had little Sammie passed out on me. We hung out for a while and eventually I had to say good bye to Mike which was sad. Then I came in and latched on to Andy and Theresa because it dawned on me I would have to say good bye to them at some point too. Eventually, I got too tired and had to force myself to say good bye and go to bed. It was sad. I went up to my room and was sound asleep in a matter of minutes.

My Last Friday in LA

Friday morning started bright and early. My friend, Cat, offered to give us a tour of the Warner Brother's lot, but we needed to be there at 9a. She's a writer for "Supernatural" coming back this fall on the CW - check local listings. Pictured below - she is the one who is not me:



Mom and I met her there and were in the middle of looking at Star's Hollow from the "Gilmore Girls" when Out of the Closet called to say they would be at my apartment in 20 minutes to pick up my remaining furniture.

I left mom with Cat and headed back to my place. They showed up about 5 mins after I got there. They took my matching couch and love seat, my dresser and my end tables. They left behind my sleeper couch and entertainment center.

I met back up with them at Warner's. We wandered over to the museum and on the way found the Buy More store. Buy More is from the series "Chuck" on NBC also coming back this fall - check local listings. It's where they work.


At the museum, I said my goodbyes to Cat who had to go back to work. She wouldn't be coming to the wedding so that would be the last time I would see her until she visits here in Seattle.

The museum had lots of costumes and props of various things on the first floor and the second floor is all Harry Potter stuff. You can get sorted by the sorting hat. It called me a "Weasley" and put me in Griffindor. Mom got Griffindor as well.

After that, we hurried over to my old work and said some goodbyes there. Unfortunately, by the time we got there is was lunchtime and didn't see many people. I did get to say goodbye to Elvie who I will see again when she comes to visit.


After that we headed over to my friend, Jen Chapman, who works for Reelz Channel. Reelz Channel is like ESPN for movies. Ask your cable provider for the channel today! Pictured below - she is also the one that is not me:


We got to see her office and where they shoot and edit their shows. Then headed over to Wokano for some lunch and snuggling as this is where I needed to say goodbye to her until she comes and visits.

After that, we headed back to the apartment around 4p and started packing the remaining items. I grossly underestimated the amount of stuff that needed to be packed and organized. We ended up putting a lot of stuff in a freebie pile in my apartment for my neighbors to pick through. One of them took a bunch of stuff and was all excited about taking my poster of "Miracle." By the time we packed everything up and got out of there it was 11:30p and we hadn't eaten in hours. We grabbed some McDonald's and headed down to Irvine to check into our hotel.

We got a little lost as my dumb ass didn't get directions to the hotel. I just had directions to the wedding which was near the hotel. So mom was driving and was worried we were going to get pulled over for having the car packed to the gills and blocking the rear window. We were pulled over, but not for that. Mom thought she had pulled over to a non-lane when really she was stopped in the middle of the road. We told the policeman we were lost and he got us back on the freeway.

We finally pulled into the hotel around 1:30a. This was a nice hotel and the bed was very soft and I was asleep in a matter of seconds.

My Last Thursday in LA

Having about two hours of sleep, we got up and headed over to the U-Haul. I had reserved a trailer that could be towed by my little 2002 Saturn SL 2 named "Suzy Q." Pictured below.

This is the medium sized trailer and the biggest one my little car could tow. It's 5x8 and can hold 208 cubic feet worth of stuff.

My friend, Mike, met us at the U-Haul and rented a truck for himself. He took my bed frame and helped our friend, Karen, take my china cabinet, dining room table and my bookcase. I had him rent a dolly to make things easier which it did, thankfully. We got their stuff out and then started loading the trailer.

People think that video games are useless. I'm here to tell you that my Tetris skills came in super handy packing things up. I fit my mattress and all my belongings minus any furniture. I left no space in the whole thing. Seriously. No space. Nothing moved at all.


All of this was done between 10a and 9p with about 2 hours of sleep. Mom and I did a majority of it and Mike helped out for the last couple of hours. Throughout the day, I was checking email and more drama came in, but I didn't have the time to address it since I was packing my computer up as well. After all that, the three of us met up with my friend, Cat, do grab some dinner at Studio City Cafe which is where Killer Shrimp used to be and is now run by Jinky's. Jinky's is a great little American cafe type place that serves breakfast all day.

After our tummy's were all full, mom and I drove the trailer out to my cousin's place in Monrovia. That is about 15-20 miles east of where I live. I let mom drive as the lack of sleep and driving with a trailer might be a bad idea for me to do. We got there and I showed off my packing job. Nothing moved after that much driving. See, video games are worth playing!

We unhooked the trailer and mom got a tour of their house. They have been doing major renovations and the place looks great. I left my computer at his place and he hooked his computer up with mine and we exchanged music as a thank you for letting me keep my stuff there. This is why the lack of updates on my blog for so long. After that we drove home and I was able to get about 6 hours of sleep.

My Last Wednesday in L.A.

Mom and I got up and headed down to Disneyland around 11a. We used two of the passes employees get that don't have blackout dates so we didn't have to pay for either park.

I showed mom the awesomeness that is the cream cheese filled pretzels and we headed over to Haunted Mansion. We hit a few rides, grabbed some corn dogs and headed over to California Adventure. Here we ran into Sully from Monster's Inc. and Wall-E:


Hit all the rides we could go on since mom and I don't do roller coasters. Bug's Life was mom's favorite. We got in line for the new Toy Story ride, but after 25 minutes the ride broke down. We waited in line for another 30 minutes, but gave up and headed back to Disneyland.

We took the train over to Toon Town so mom could meet the main Mouse.


My nephew's birthday was coming up so I got him a Cars card and mailed it from Toon Town so it would have a Disneyland postmark.


We hit a few more rides and got a good spot to watch the fireworks display. Afterwards, we finished with Pirates of the Caribbean ride (which was closed for the first half of the day) and then headed to the shops for mom to get souvenirs for everyone back home. We left around midnight.

After an hour of driving home, I checked my email before bed. Unfortunately, it had some personal drama in it that was rather upsetting. I took a shower to calm down, but it didn't do much good and I didn't end up falling asleep until 6a. I'm not going to share the drama here, but the lack of sleep that ensued is relevant to my final Thursday in L.A.