Things in my neck of the woods are pretty crazy these days. Not really out of the ordinary, just lots of stuff going on. It seems people this time of year don’t really plan ahead for their events. For example: Yesterday I recieved requests for a 3 events for the 9th, 12th, and 17th of this month. That, of course, is in addition to my normal load of 10 or 12 larger events.

It’s not the ammount of work that gets interesting, but remembering what project your talking about all the time. I will be talking about a birthday party in Tomorrowland one moment, and the next breathe the conversation has moved on to a major media network hosting 1500 guests next week. You get used to it after a while, but I still have those little snafus where I’m talking about one project and the person on the other end of the phone has moved on to something else. We talk for a good five minutes before realizing we just meshed these events together and it made more sense then if we hadn’t.

Anyway. I better run. Thanks for reading.

It’s the morning of a quick trip to see the family. I’ll be flying out tonight for a fast and furious two day excoursion filled with fun and fancy excitement. …well that’s a bit of an overstatement. I’ll be spending the two days working on projects with my dad (who I miss very much).

We’ll be doing the kind of projects we used to team up on from time to time. We’ll be working on some new cameras down at his carwash, and I’ll be getting their computers in tip-top shape. And I’f I’m really lucky I will get him up for a half day or so up on the ski slopes. But top priority is to get some of the things out of the way that he’s been worrying about.

It’s a little strange to be the only boy in the family and live 600 miles away from your dad. Even after more then a year I’m still adjusting to it. Phone calls are all well and good, but it’s just not the same. I could spend hours on the phone and it just wouldn’t be the same as a 5 min. trip down to the gas station for a drink. I really do wish I made a bit more money so I could take a trip every month or so just for a weekend. In the mean-time I’m really thinking about getting us a pair of iSight cameras. They would be a cool thing. First up though, I’ve got to get all the computers at home replaced with Macs. I’ve got two down, and one to go.

So I’m excited for a trip home, but it’s bitter sweet. I will be traveling alone this trip. My wonderful girlfriend is really the driving force behind the trip, and she really volunteered to stay home. She knew I needed to spend some time with my dad (for both he and my sakes) and she gave me that little push I needed to buy the plane tickets. Since then though she’s been having these strange little bouts of separation anxiety. She gets all sad and starts talking about how its my last day, as if I was on death row. I’ll only be gone a couple of days but she and I have really never spent more then two days apart. Really, since the day we met we’ve never been apart. So I will miss her terrebly, but I’m sure we will talk on the phone quite a bit. …and email, and IM.

Anyway, I better work a bit now since it’s my last day 😉 (I’ve kind of already checked out)

It was quite a day at The Happiest Place On Earth today. I would really love to go into greater detail but I’m just too beat.

Some quick notes from today:

• It’s fun to make big magic on very short notice
• People will laugh at you if you ask for help making a snowstorm in hotel… in 8 hours
• They will stop laughing when they find out you are serious
• People’s kindness will surprise you if you go out on a limb to help them
• Almost any tense situation can be diffused by a simple ‘thank you’
• Event plans should at least be roughly laid out before all 175 guests check into the hotel
• Long periods of time spent away from my girlfriend make me cranky
• I still become weak in the knees when she sounds excited to hear from me

I think that is about it for now. More to come.

Today is my wonderful girlfriend’s birthday. I’m not sure I have the authority to divulge her age since she’s getting freakin’ old! *wink wink*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Kathryn Eller was my 9th grade English teacher, Student-body Office advisor, and a friend that I will remember forever.

Her door was always open to those who needed help, and also to those of us who needed to retaliate for some practical joke she had played on us. I will remember the the laughs we all had while she chased me around her classroom swinging a large french loaf of bread after I had sprayed her with a fire extinguisher. She knew how to have fun like no other adult around us. What was truly amazing was that in the middle of all the fun we somehow got through an entire year curriculum and we never noticed it.

She was an amazingly talented teacher and inspired everyone she came in contact with. I thank God that I had the opportunity to know such a wonderful person.

Kathy passed away suddenly the morning of December 30, 2004 in Salt Lake City after a brief battle with leukemia. A full obituary can be seen at Russon Mortuary.

I just needed to share a little funny chain of events from today.

It’s been many moons since I have had a haircut. It was very much time to visit the deal ‘ol Supercuts down the road. I was looking quite shaggy for every day outings… let alone the important meetings I have next week with some Parks & Resorts big wigs. Anyway, I knew I needed to go today and I let Janey know I was going. She wanted to come along so we decided to make an afternoon of it.

Many things happened that don’t really pertain to the point of my story including (but not limited to):

• finding a 40 min. wait at my local supercuts
• a visit to Boston Market to kill time during out wait
• the friendly Boston Market staff completely forgetting about our order while we wait 30 min.
• to make up for their mistake we were given free desserts in our ‘to go’ bag
• having my hair cut by a large loud woman who liked to talk loudly about video games

*As a side note I would like to point out that she did speak perfect english which is a stark contrast to anyone else that’s cut my hair from the same establishment.

So here is where the fun begins. During the hair cut the large loud woman reaffirmed that my hair was in fact falling out. Not in the sickly, coming out in chunks sort of way… just the standard male pattern baldness sense. I’ve long since come to terms with the fact that the males in my family have little to no hair on the forward portion of their head. I’m quickly following suit with my ever growing forehead. I’m at that really fun stage where there is still hair growing on the front… it’s just super thin so you can kind of see my head through the hair. I like to think of it a bit like the mystery of a forest at dusk. You can see fairly deep into the forest in the light, but at night it’s looks like it should. That may be an over-romanticized version of what is actually happening but give me my crutch eh?
Continue reading No More Questions mode →

Well it’s about 6:00 pm on Dec 31st. The end of this year is fast approaching and I’m sort of just reflecting on this year. So much happened and It’s hard to even begin.

I don’t have any huge plans tonight. Janey and I are just going to hang around my apartment and watch movies and such. I’m not a real big partier as you can imagine.

anyway. this is just alittle note. I’m working up several bits of info to post here. so keep you’re eyes peeled.

Well it’s Dec. 25th as of about 3 min. ago and I’m just up thinking. Nothing in particular really, just kind of up for no reason.

Janey and I went to the grocery store this afternoon to buy a bunch of food to make for tomorrow. I think we will be eating basically all day. I’m kind of excited about it.

My family was in town most of last week and that was a lot of fun. It’s always a lot of energy when they are all here, but it’s good to see everyone.

I think I must be getting tires because all of the things I wanted to blog about are no longer in my head…

so if you are part of my family and reading this… it was wonderful to see you all
if you’re not part of my family then I would just wish you a very happy holiday season and a wonderful christmas.

R.

So Janey and I are really really bad at this whole christmas thing. First I got her a mattress then while I was over at her apartment last night she laid on some major gifts.

• HALO 2!
• XBox Live
• XBox DVD Playback Kit
• and our favorite show “The Office” Box set DVDs

I know I’m a total geek, but I love love love love all of it. she spent way to much money but I can’t get mad at her cause I love her too much. I do have a little surprise up me sleeve…. but she’s just going to have to wait for it.

Seriously, soon I will post about why she made my life better then the very best I thought it could be. (that is without the christmas stuff)

Let me start off by saying that I think the single most magical event regularly hosted by Disneyland is the Candlelight Processional.

Imagine an 800 voice choir, each choir member carrying a single flickering candle walking 6 across all the way up the Disneyland Parade route. All the lights are off and the only sounds you hear are that of pure voices singing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of a pipe organ. When the group reaches Town Square they are met by a full orchestra and a massive stage crowned by a giant lit star. As choir members file into the risers on stage the living Christmas tree center stage takes shape. The backdrop to the entire stage is the main street railroad station, beautifully lit and decorated for the season.

The show begins with a row of fanfare trumpeters in medieval costumes, and banners hanging from each trumpet appearing on the top of the train station. Then all at once the entire night seems to come to life. The trumpeters play an amazing fanfare and the choir sings backed by a full orchestra. It is absolutely magical. Chills running up and down your spine and a tear in your eye kind of magical.
Continue reading Candlelight 2004 →