Monday, May 26, 2008

Call me Clementine/D-Land 2008

Why? 'Cause as of Saturday, I'm a 49'er, that's why.

"Next year's the big one", Dad said on the phone, that morning. "If you say so," says I. Fully aware that it's not halfway - I'm confident that I aint makin' it to a hundred; I figure I'll be lucky if that point passed 9 years ago.

I haven't written much, although there's been stuff to say. I seem to be living in that realm where the news is either too big for the blog, it's info that I don't want others to read for legal reasons (believe it or not - relax, no warrants yet), or it's whining. So I've let it be. Good things are happening. Not so good things have happened. In short, Life is going on, whether I want to play or not. It is the way of things, grasshopper.

We had a really good family day at Disneyland, last Monday. For some reason, I didn't feel that pressing need that has been a part of the 'Disney Magic' since my first childhood visit  - to see and do everything before the park closes. As always, it took us longer to get there, and seemingly forever to get through the gate. That hasn't changed. Now, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing - but it is worth noting -that my son doesn't seem to be as enraptured with the Magic Kingdom as we were when we were 11. Once I'd moved through the five stages - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance - it made the day much easier to take. Learning from past experience, we got the pass that lets us use Emma's stroller (yes, she still barely fits into it, yay!) as a wheelchair, which mostly saves us from major meltdowns in long lines. This time, it seemed even more magical on a day when attendance was light, and we breezed through the major attractions with some real ease. If you realize that sometimes going anywhere with Emma can turn into a major scene, this was truly a blessing, and I'm grateful for it.

Emma had a great time. This was the first time that she could go on the big rides. She held on tight through the dark sections. This, of course, is the carousel.

It cooled off as the day wore on, seemingly boosting our available energy into the evening. Steve and Rita met us in the afternoon, and we left "the happiest place on Earth" to venture into Garden Grove for some great mexican food with them and their son Matthew and his girlfriend. Sprinted home, and made it into bed before the stroke of Midnight.

Maybe, soon, I'll write about my new responsibility at work, the pneumatic tube system. Talk about working in a vacuum.