Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!! To celebrate, here are some pictures from the Disney Parks Blog of all of the parks from around the world ringing in the New Year.

Tokyo Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland

Disneyland Paris

Walt Disney World

Disneyland

I hope you all have a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous 2011. Let's all reach our goals this year!!!

Politics and Disney

So I was going though the news feed from google and came across this story from CBS News. Basically, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is in some hot water for "running off" to Disney while his state has been struck by this freak blizzard. Christie's critics are outraged, saying that the governor should be at his post during a situation such as this. What's caused the biggest mess is that the state's Lt. Governor was also out of the state, leaving the Senate President in charge of relief efforts.

I read some other stories about the backlash against the Governor's vacation, all saying that he should have canceled his vacation and returned to Trenton. First off, Christie was at Disney before the blizzard even struck New Jersey. Second of all, how is he supposed to come back when the airports are shut down? Really, what all this is about is an opportunity for the governor's critics to lash out. They smell blood in the water and attack. So far, it's worked as Christie has dropped 5 points in the polls.

Anyway, the reason why I posted this here instead of the Rant blog is because I was wondering if Disney has any special cancelation policies for situations like this. Like vacation insurance? Governors, Congressmen, Senators, Cabinet Members and other heads of state take vacations to Disney parks all the time. What happens in an emergency? Regardless of who you are, a Disney vacation takes a lot of planning and money to make it work out. Could a vacationing official get some sort of refund from Disney in the event of a state or national emergency? The story just got me thinking. I'm thinking I may email Lou, or WDW Today or even the Cats and see what they can come up with.

Well... I'll stop rambling now. Carry on.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ok... so I realize now that this "Christmas Card" is now late. I meant to post it earlier, but never got around to it until now (1:39 in the morning after Christmas). Mike sent this to me earlier in the season, so y'all will probably find it increadibly offensive, HAHA! But I still found it very funny and thought I'd forward it on to you all.

I hope you guys had an awesome Christmas and are looking forward to a very prospourous New Year!

I'm Back!

Hey guys! So... guess what! I'm back!!!

Santa came last night and left me a brand spankin' new MacBook Pro!!! It even has that "new MacBook" smell! So now I can y'all updated on the blog, and start visiting all of your blogs again. I'm SO glad to be back!

Now that I have a computer, I can start posting pictures from October (assuming that De'Dee remembers to bring her camera to Christmas Dinner tonight). I'm also going to finish up the trip reports this weekend, so stay tuned for that.

I was hoping to go out for a run a little bit later, but it looks like I'm going to be on this thing trying to figure it out. I LOVE IT so far!!! Oh well... Serious dieting starts up tomorrow.

Long Time, No See

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you guys in on what's happened to me over the past few weeks. First off, I haven't been on the blog or on any other blogs because my Compaq P.O.S. finally died. Not just crashed... she dead. I could replace the hard drive in it among other things, but it will inevitably die again. Besides, I was sick of that piece of crap anyway. So I am computerless for now. I'm in the library now just so I can keep up with all those things that I have to do with a computer. Thank God I have the iPhone! Otherwise I'd be totally lost!

In other news, I've had a lot of developments happen in my absence. I'm still on track to graduate in December (Hallelujah, praise Jesus) and I start a new "career" job in January at Sen. Cochran's Jackson office. I'm really excited about that!

I've also had a slight change in my career choice. As of right now, I am not going to law school. The more that I think about it, the less and less that I feel that law is the path that I should go down. I still think it would be exciting and that I would do well with it, but I just don't think that it's "my dream". So, instead, I'm going to work full time in the political field (plenty of opportunities this year since it's a state wide election year) and go to school part time to get a masters, probably in Political Science and/or Communications. Politics was always where I wanted to go so I'm not changing my goals, simply changing how I reach it.

Well that's pretty much it from me. I'm still waiting on De'Dee to send me the pictures from October so when she does, I'll get on to my picture post and reviews of Not So Scary, Whispering Canyon and the Brown Derby. In the mean time, I'm going to try my best to finish up the trip reports and Club 8 updates.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Day 3 - The Studios and Race Day

Basically everything went off without a hitch on Saturday. We got up and hit the Studios at rope drop since it was early entry that day. The park was more or less empty when we got there. We did our normal thing and got a fastpass for Rockin' Roller Coaster and then headed straight to Tower of Terror.

There was some different things about Tower of Terror this time. First off, the wait time was 5 minutes instead of the usual 13 minutes. And for a good reason. There was NO ONE there! It was really creepy. There were the CMs, but no other guests. Finally a family of 3 came in and joined us in the Library. It was really kind of neat because I was able to get some pictures of the empty Lobby and really got to look at some cool stuff in the Library. After the preshow, we went through and decided to go straight ahead while the other family turned right. I'm glad they did because we walked right on the elevator and had NO ONE with us! We were totally alone in the thing! I got our photopass picture that I'll post later on in a separate photo post.

After that we did what few things we cared to do, but there really isn't much there that I must do there. The Studios is more of a stop and look park than anything for me. Sure there are some cool rides, but I don't have to see them. We walked around, looked at all the detail of the buildings, did some shopping and such before going over to the Great Movie Ride.

I like the Great Movie Ride. It's really just a nice place to sit for a long time and enjoy the air conditioning, but this time was really neat. My aunt and I with about 10 or so other people were the only ones in our car and our tour guide... Jack, I believe was really one of the best ones I've had. GMR can be a great experience if the Cast Members do their job.

After GMR, it was time for our reservation at the Brown Derby. Let me just say that this was probably one of the best meals I've EVER had at Walt Disney World. Superb service and excellent food. So good in fact that I'm going to do a separate review of the Brown Derby in an up coming Restaurant Review, so stay tuned! I do want to say that one of the Cast Members there really made our lunch special. Usually, the first people with reservations get special treatment through the restaurant. There is a ribbon cutting ceremony and a little parade through the restaurant with the "first family". After it's all over with, a CM takes their picture and they get a special little memento. Well after the first few families were seated it was our turn and as we were walking to our table, I was stopping and taking pictures when the picture taking CM (I think was named Bill) asked me what the special occasion was. Well I said that it was my first time at the Brown Derby. He got real excited and ran off. Right as we sat down, he ran up to us and took our picture and later on after the meal, he comes back to us and hands us a folder with our picture in it. I thought it was really cool and it just made our meal even that much more special.

I had intended on going to Guest Relations and giving Jack and Bill (?) a positive review but never got around it. So... I was wondering if you guys know of anyway that I can still do it. Is there a way to email Disney with CM reviews? They really made our day that much more special and I'd like to acknowledge them for it.

Anyway, after lunch we decided to go back to the resort and rest for a while. I had intended on meeting up with Justin at Epcot for a little while and do some Food and Wine, but I figured that I may as well go back and rest. I really needed it. Food and Wine would have to wait again...

So we get back to the room around 1 and I lay down and I'm zonked out. I think I slept heavily for almost 5 hours. I remember it being about 4:45 by the time I woke up. All the while I'm getting texts from Rae asking if I was ready. I freaked out because I thought it was past time! Ha ha!

We both slowly got ready. Went and got us some caffeine and a little bit of food and continued getting ready. By the time we were both dressed up in our chef's outfits, it was time to get on the bus.

At the time I could not understand why we had to be on the bus so frickin early for a race that started so frickin late... that is until I saw the C.F. of a mess the buses were at Wide World of Sports! That was the very definition of a cluster "mess"! Ugh... and to think that the Relayers had to take a connecting bus to Animal Kingdom! That was just a mess all together. But we finally got there and it is VERY crowded. But De'Dee and I are still looking for the Team Voice shirts, but all I could find were W.I.S.H. shirts (seriously... we need Florescent Orange or Blue or something). And for some reason, AT&T's service went out on me so I had no way of contacting any body. But we kept trying and I finally able to get some texts out to Eric and we eventually rendezvoused with Team Voice.

The spot where they were at was kinda cool because it was right beside Mickey. While De'Dee and I sat there a race official pointed to her and talked her into coming up to see Mickey. When she did, he let both of us run up, break in front of everyone in line and let us get our picture taken! That was really cool! Then a little while later, Jeff Galloway came off the stage and we all got our picture taken with him too. At the time I didn't know who he was, but pretty cool now!

It's at this point that I'm going to stop because after the trip reports will be a race report. I'm trying to have a separate category for race reports so we won't have to dig through everything else to find it, so again, stay tuned!

After the race, we are both tired and in a great deal of pain. Thankfully we did not check any bags. And it's a good thing too because that was another gigantic cluster "mess"! Did any TVer's check anything? I'm curious to know how that went and if they got everything.

Anyway, we get out into World Showcase and it is a MADHOUSE! I mean, just insane. I cannot believe people were forced to pay to go to that after party. Just ridiculous. We worked our way around to Japan and found a bench and sat our behinds right there and did not move the entire night. Thankfully Justin and Mike R. were willing to come see us there. We had a good visit and I'm glad we got to finally meet them! Apparently there was some other drama going on within Team Voice, but as I was not there, I'll let those involved talk about it.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Day 2 - The Eluding of Food and Wine

Friday was supposed to be a big day for us. We had intended on arriving at Epcot at rope drop and get some of our Future World favorites out of the way before heading over to World Showcase at opening and work our way around half the world before leaving for the expo. That was the plan anyway because it sounded smart at the time, but that's not how it happened.

So, Friday morning comes and I was told to meet Rae and Eric out front of the All-Stars for a morning wog. I thought that sounded good, so I did it and had fun with them. But, in doing so, it made us late for Epcot and really aggravated my foot. But it's all good, we had fun.

So we make it to Epcot about 45 minutes late, run over to Soarin' and get a fastpass and stand in line for it. We ride it once, the head out toward Figment and Captain EO and see them. (WARNING! SIDE TANGENT! What the hell does everyone see in Captain EO? That had to be the cheesiest piece of crap I've ever seen. Sweet Jesus! Is that the best Disney can do? If so, I'd rather have Honey, I Shrunk the Audience back!). After that, we head over to the Festival Center.

Now, going into the festival center was really kind of fun to me. It was being held in the old Wonders of Life Pavilion and it had been a very long time since I've been in there, so that brought back some fun memories for me. There was also some really cool stuff in there too. Lots of shopping, seminars, etc. in there, so we had fun... too much fun. By the time we were through shopping, looking, strolling down memory lane and taking pictures, we were in there for about an hour. So, we left out of the Festival Center and decided to go ahead and leave Epcot to head back to the resort to get our stuff for the expo. Food and Wine would just have to wait for another day.

So we arrive at the hotel and I start having issues. Started out with some recurring problems that give me trouble from time to time, but I always manage to handle it. So were at the resort trying to take care of this when I do it. I step funny in the store and I sprain my foot. It was like a bolt of lightning going from my foot and up my back. I remember screaming out and everyone looking at me... so embarrassing. So now I have two issues to deal with. I limp over to the room and take care of my foot. It got better rather quickly, but I did wrap it up and such. After all that, we head out to the expo.

The expo is always the part of the race that I hate. First off, it's always just so damned inconvenient. I have to take away park time to go to this stupid thing that is just so damned difficult to get too. Then once I'm there, I'm surrounded by people and as you all know, I don't do well in crowds. The quicker I'm done, the better off I am. But my Aunt always likes too look around. Granted there is some pretty cool stuff in there, but I'm always so bitter about having to take away park time for this that I really could careless. Of course as soon as we enter the shopping area, a panic attack hits me. The chaos of thousands of runners snatching, grabbing, pushing and shoving got to me, so I had to get the hell out of there. Thankfully Jeff, Amanda, Rae, and Eric were at the little store at the exit so I could have someone to talk to take my mind off of it, so I was fine. After everyone left I went and sat down and waited on De'Dee to come out which wasn't much later. I know why we have to go to that thing, but couldn't they think of something better? Maybe have a packet pickup at the resorts or something. There's no where in the laws of racing that demand that there be a chaotic hoard of insane athletes peddling crap to unsuspecting novice runners, is there? I'm just bitter.

We get to the resort and look through our goodie bags and try to decide what to do next. We know that Animal Kingdom is having their evening extra magic hours that night, but we also still want to hit some of food and wine. We decided to do both, until we're standing in line for the Epcot bus and realize that it's 4:15. As much as we hated to do it, we backed out and got in the Animal Kingdom line. We think we made the right decision though. I knew that we wouldn't make it back to Animal Kingdom this trip if we didn't go that night, so no worries. Food and Wine would still have to wait.

I really don't care for Animal Kingdom. Don't get me wrong, it is very well done and you actually believe that you are deep in the jungles of Africa and Asia, but it's still a park that I really could careless about. However, if I have the chance to go at night, I jump at it! Animal Kingdom is so mysterious at night. I'm guessing it's because it's usually closed at sun down, but it's still really cool. We did everything there that we cared to see except Finding Nemo, but that's ok. We chose Lion King instead, which is just fine. I like Lion King better anyway. The music is what makes the show for me. We also met up with Jeff and Amanda at Everest and attempted to ride with them, but the CM got messed up so we didn't get too. After the ride, we wanted to go see Dinosaur, so we left them intending to meet up later. But we got side tracked.

After Dinoland, we saw Goofy and Pluto and decided to get our picture take with them. Character interaction was something that I just didn't do when I was younger. I guess I was either too shy or too "grown up" for it then, but now I try my best to make up for it. So we pretty much waited 30 minutes to see them. And it was worth every second. Seeing the kids interact with the characters is what makes it so special to me. But when it was our turn it was that much more special. De'Dee ran up to Goofy and he started dancing with her! It was just too great! Then he turned around and started dancing with me! Really just too cool! I've never had a character do that before! After all that, I get my phone to check in with everyone but of course the damn is dead, so we decided to get a ride on Triceratops Spin and then head out.

But on our way out we see this popcorn stand that is selling these Ghost Mickey Popcorn Buckets. I kinda wanted one, but decided against it. But then again, I think my mom would really REALLY like him, so I turn around and get one. No popcorn, just the bucket. Really kinda funny. More on the Ghost Mickey Bucket later on.

We're leaving the park and we're both totally exhausted. My foot is giving me some severe trouble by this point and I just want to get back to the resort. But as we're leaving, we decide that it would be best to go over to Downtown Disney and get our shopping done as we doubted that we would make it back again. So we start looking for the Downtown bus at Animal Kingdom. I could have sworn that there was one, but apparently there isn't. That means that we have to get on a resort bus and transfer. And of course, the only two buses that are there are for the Poly and Wilderness Lodge. Ugh... We just get on the WL bus... what a mistake.

We get to the Wilderness Lodge and we sit... and we sit... and we sit... for almost 30 minutes we're sitting until the damn bus comes. We get on and of course we have the slowest driver in the entire Disney fleet. Not only that, we have to go that totally ridiculous route that seems to take you to Downtown Disney by way of Timbuktu. Totally crazy. By the time we get there, it's 10:00 (we left a little after 8). So, we get in get our crap and leave. We didn't get into the bed until 1 am. What an exhausting day. And we really didn't have anything to show for it! I hate Disney days like that! Seems like a total waste. Damn expo...

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Trip - Day 1 - Digging Myself Out

Last week pretty much started out crappy. I spent all weekend trying to get caught up on school work and work work, but to no avail. It seemed that no matter how much I got done, no matter how hard I worked, assignments just piled on top of me. It was just crazy. But I worked harder and harder to get it done. Most of it was finished by Thursday mid morning though. What made this week even crappier was the fact that two of my professors decided to give a test on Thursday, the day I was leaving. I was really pissed about that and pleaded with them to allow me to reschedule. One was very accommodating, the other was not. Finally, I was able to convince him to allow me to take the test at 8 am on Thursday. It wasn't exactly the best plan, but it was the best I was able to get.

Thursday comes and I'm at my professor's office right on time. He, of course, isn't. I wait and I wait and he finally shows up at 8:45. Apparently he forgot that he was going to let me take the test. I was livid and he knew it. I basically snatched the test from him, went into an empty class room and took the test the best I could. I probably flunked the damn thing, but I didn't care. I was on vacation!

With all that crap behind me, I leave campus and arrived at the airport with very little time to spare. I meet my aunt in the parking lot and make our way through security. Once through, we look at the departure list and see that our flight has been delayed... figures. So, we go over to a little restaurant and get some breakfast. While there, we decide to welcome our vacation with one of the best damn margaritas I've ever had! That sucker was great!

After brunch, we wait around, board the plane, take off and yada, yada, yada we land at MCO with little problems. Now, this was the first time that I had ever flown into MCO before. I've only flown from there, so this was a new experience for me. Now, the original plan was to have me fly into MCO by myself as Aunt De'Dee was going to fly down with my Uncle earlier in the day. So, to keep things interesting she decided to let me figure things out for myself. I did pretty well. I got a little lost having to deal with baggage claim (I still don't know why we didn't just let Disney take care of it), but I think I did pretty well. So, the next time I go down, I'll know exactly what to do.

We go through Magical Express with out any issues and make it to the All-Star Sports and check in and rendezvous with my uncle whose been in on business. Uncle Jodie wasn't supposed to be coming down on this trip, but decided to come on for a night just to take care of some business he had in the area. Since he was there (he isn't the biggest Disney person out there) we decided to skip the Halloween party for the night. I decided to let them do their own thing, so I went out and rode the monorail.

Riding the monorail on the day of arrival is just something I like to do. I don't know why, but I've done it for the past few years and really enjoy it. Since I've started taking the buses recently, I rarely get to use the monorail anymore and I've always kind of considered it to be one of those must do's at Walt Disney World, so this is just a little tradition that I've started doing. Everyone else in my family usually goes to Downtown Disney during that time, so I'm usually by myself, which is another aspect that I enjoy. Sometimes I'll get off and tour the resorts, but not always. I didn't do that this time. Just decided to take in the sites around the Seven Seas Lagoon, then change trains and see Epcot. This is kind of like a "preview of coming attractions" if you will. It's a great thing to do if you don't have time to use a day to see the parks, but want to do something anyway. I just really enjoy it as it gives me proof that I'm actually there.

After the Epcot loop, I got off the monorail and walked around the Epcot entrance area and looked around before hopping on the bus and returning to my resort. It was a good day.

Side thought: It still amazes me that I can be in an empty class room taking a test and in just a few hours riding around on the Monorail at Disney. It makes me wonder why it took me nearly 19 years to discover that airplanes can get you places a lot faster than a car. It's just that my family hates airplanes. Only my aunt will fly and now that I've discovered it, I won't ride again. It's SOOO much easier! Hell... it took 5 hours to get from Jackson to Atlanta to Anaheim. In just 6 hours from leaving my front door, I can be in freaking Disneyland! And yet my family still insists on taking a 16 hour drive to Orlando. Stupid! Oh well... they can take the car, but I'm still taking advantage of that direct flight from Jackson to Orlando!

Withdrawal Sucks

Mongello! First off, let me apologize for not posting a Pre-Trip Report. I like to start out a vacation by putting down a tentative schedule, mostly to get myself really excited about the trip and to have some idea of what is going on. I did that this trip, but I never posted it. I don't know what happened.

But as you can tell, I'm back from Wine and Dine Weekend and I'm entering some serious withdrawals. So... I'm frantically getting caught up on blogs, podcasts, and message boards. But also in the next few days, I'm going to be posting a day by day report for the trip. This will be the first time I've really done this, so I think it will be fun. Some of the events are fuzzy (right Amanda?) but I think it will be fun to do and will gently bring me down from my Disney high.

This withdrawal period is especially hard for me because I don't know when I'll make it back down. I know I will... but it's just really hard for me to cope with the fact that I may not make it back for several years. Hopefully that's not the case, but with law school and the start of a new career, I just don't know. Oh well... I'll have you guys to help keep the magic flowing! I hope you're all doing well and that those of you who have been traveling have made it home safely. See you around!

Time to Vent

Mongello guys! Just thought I'd let you guys know what's been going on in my world since I last posted. I've just sucked as a TVer for the past few months. I've got a race this week and what have I done? Not a damn thing! Yes, weight watchers has been working wonders for me... I feel like I've lost a good deal of weight. I feel lighter and even look lighter a little bit... but I haven't trained at all for this thing. In the past month, I've gone to the gym twice and to the park 3 times. That's it. Last week I had every intention of going to the gym and doing something everyday. I went Monday and got a kick ass workout in. Literally, I did great but I kicked my ass. The next day, I couldn't move. I pulled something in my back. I'm just now to the point that I can half way bend over.

This week is just go go go. I leave Thursday for the World, but I also have two tests (both were scheduled for Thursday... Why does that always happen to me? Got all semester for a test, and two professors choose THAT particular Thursday to have a test?!) I've also got a boat load of papers, memos, research, book work, summaries, etc. etc. etc. to do in the next two days. Thankfully I have Wednesday off, so I'll have a little time to finish everything.

I'm going to do my best as far as exercise this week. Nothing much I can do at this point. But I'll do fine. I always do. I'll manage some how. Even if I just suck during this race, at least I'll be in Disney! Less than 3 days!!!

A Major Award

I won! I won! I WON! Ok, well I didn't win a Leg Lamp but I did win the cool little bloggy thingy over there. I think it's kinda cool! I totally wasn't expecting this and to beat out some really popular Disney blogs and all of my other team voicers on the list (sorry but I have to brag!!!), I'm really proud and honored to be considered one of the Top 50 Disney Blogs!

Look Familiar?

Watch this clip from "The Andy Griffith Show" starting at 3:35. Does this scene look familiar to you?



I was watching "Barney's Bloodhound" today on TV Land with my family and saw this. I just started laughing and said "Hey! They totally ripped this off from Pirates!". Of course my Disney cynic dad had to point out "Well, they probably ripped that off from this." So, I had to prove him wrong. But, I couldn't.

Pirates of the Caribbean debuted at Disneyland in 1967, placing true development probably in the early 60s. "Barney's Bloodhound" came out in late 1964, which means the episode was probably written in early to mid '64. So.. I didn't know what to say. What do you guys think? Mere coincidence? Or a little idea swapping?

What the Duck?!

I call this segment "They Report, We Decide". It was originally meant to be for the ranting blog, but with Fox News doing a segment on the latest Disney lawsuit, I figured it would be appropriate to feature it over here.

Here's a link to the "Kelly's Court" segement on today's edition of "America Live":

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4310658/donald-duck-accused-of-groping-woman

As much as it pains me, I'm going to hold off on my opinion for now. Watch the video and tell me what you think.

Just Checking In

Hi guys! Nothing really going on here, but I thought I'd check in anyway. Don't want to lose any momentum in my posting.

Well lets see... I've gone for a wog every day this week. I'm actually quite proud of myself. I've gone everyday and did two personal bests this week.

On Tuesday, I went for a 6 mile wog. I did some jogging and some super fast speed walking, but I was only able to make it to 5 miles before the deluge began. At that point, I was still feeling good. Had the storm stayed away, I know I could have made it to 6... maybe more. The fact that I felt so good kinda made me feel better about not making it to my goal, so I was happy.

While I was telling Justin about it that night(I'm loving this buddy system, it's really working for me!), he mentioned that he needed to do a 10k for yesterday. Now, I had only planned on doing a 5k, but I figured that if he was doing one, I could do one too. So yesterday morning I did a 10k. Not including the Renaissance (because that race sucked!), this is the farthest I've gone since January. I'm really happy with that and I'm hoping to plus it a little next week.

Today, there won't be any training because I'm hitting the road and going to the Neshoba County Fair up in the northern part of the state. It's a big deal here where lots of political speeches and campaign rallies are held. I'm going with the Lincoln County Teenage Republicans group (I'm a chaperon... how funny!). I think it will be a lot of fun and it's right up my alley. I'll post a "Non Disney Trip Report" when I get back. Maybe something interesting will happen.

Well, that's it for me. How's everyone else doing? Things seem to be getting a little quite again. Where is everyone? Let's not backslide! Oh, and don't forget about our Virtual 5k this Saturday! "See" you all there!!

A Leisurely Stroll Through the Country

Mongello! Well this week sucked as far as Club 8 is concerned. I only got in two workouts, if you can even call them that. I did do a ton of "manual labor" (yard work mostly), but I don't count that. The first workout was only a brisk 2 mile walk on Wednesday. The only good thing about this "workout" was the fact that I got up at 6 am and did it. It's a start!

The second workout really wasn't a workout at all. It was just a nice leisure stroll through the country. Over the weekend, I went up and stayed with Aunt De'Dee, out in the middle of Madison County. Nothing but farmland and woods for about 20 miles and my aunts house is right in the middle. Perfect place to go for an escape. Well this morning, I decided to go out for a little stroll. Nothing big. Nothing strenuous. Just get out and enjoy the countryside. Here's some pictures to show you what I'm talking about.

Other than drive way, This was the first leg of my stroll. I turned down onto the main road for a few feet then found this path through a Sunflower field. This was just beautiful to me! It's almost like what a perfect painting would look like. But, as you can see, this is certainly not the ideal area to run on!

I just love sunflowers. They're such a happy flower. What's interesting about this field is that the owner doesn't grow them for any commercial purpose. He just grows them because he thinks they're pretty and for the seeds. After the flowers die, the seeds will be left for the deer and whatever to come eat. Makes for a perfect viewing area of the wildlife in the area.

This was the next leg of the stroll. Just a gravel road that winds through the woods. It's not very apparent here, but there are these gigantic ditches on either side of the road. Fall in there and break your neck! Again, a very senic area but no good for running or speedwalking.

These next few pictures are back on Aunt De'Dee's land at her pond. I just thought the water lilies were nice.

Isn't that just gorgous?! I've always been a bit of a flower lover, but I can never get mine to look like this. I guess nature knows best. That flower was as big as my head and smelled heavenly!

After the pond, I went in. I have no idea how far I went, but I was gone for about an hour. My pace was only a stroll pace so probably no more than 2 miles. MAYBE 3. I didn't measure or really keep track of the time. The point of this walk was simply to enjoy myself and take it all in. I'm glad I took the time to do it, but back to work tomorrow!!!

Bathroom Magic

Well.... ok, that title really REALLY doesn't sound right, but still... I found this while cleaning the cabinets in my bathroom.

It's just a group of wormholes in the wood, but apparently the woodwork in the bathroom has been "Disneyfied". This hidden Mickey is only about the size of the head of a pin. I had never noticed it before, it's that small. Kinda cool.

Race Report - Watermelon Classic 5K

Where: Jackson, MS

When: July 3, 2010

Length: 3.1 miles

Running Buddy: Aunt De'Dee and Ashley

Time: 42:34

Level of Preparedness: Fair

The Watermelon Classic 5K is sponsored by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and has been a Fourth of July tradition in Central Mississippi for years. When I first heard about this race on the news back when I was a kid, I remember wondering out loud "Why are those people running?" My dad answered "They're running for fun." to which I replied "For FUN?! They crazy!". Yes, I was a couch potato even at that age. Little did I realized that I'd be running that very race 20 some odd years later.

When I was staying with Aunt De'Dee the weekend of the Renaissance Half, she brought up the notion of running the Watermelon Classic. She thought it would be a good way to jump start our training after the Renaissance (Yes, we don't train until after races.... That's how we roll.) I said sure, why not. But after our dreadful performance at the Renaissance, I wrote it off since we had both more or less swore that we'd never do another summer race again.

Then, about a week before the Watermelon, De'Dee sends me a text saying that she signed me up for the race. I was like "What the hell! I'm not ready for this!" So, I hit the pavement in a last ditch effort to train. I had about a week, so I figured I could be somewhat prepared.

Race Day: Get up around 5:30 so we could be at the Sports Hall of Fame at 7 (De'Dee lives a good 45 minute drive from where we needed to be). It's a nice morning, not too hot but it is very muggy. We get there and there are already a ton of people there. I never got an estimate, but There had to be at least a thousand people there. This race really is a big deal. Apparently it's the biggest running event in the state.

Anyway, we get there and meet my cousin Ryan and his girlfriend Ashley, who is running the race with us. We sit and talk and cut up for a little while. We even came up for a new segment for the blog (People at the Race - Think the runners version of "People of Walmart"). I mean, seriously people, What the hell were you thinking when you put on those short, skin tight running shorts? Seriously... I REALLY didn't need to see ANY of that! Thanks but no thanks...

After we were scarred for life, we walked over to the finish line. It was a good mile walk to the start, which never makes sense to me... I guess that's the warm up. Anyway, The race starts and we're off. The first leg of the race was on the frontage road next to the Interstate. The cars there saw us and almost every car honked their horn. I guess I'm easily amused, but I found that kind of cool.

De'Dee, Ashley and I were together for about the first mile, but eventually Aunt De'Dee took off and left us and it was just Ashley and I. We stayed together, mentally pulling each other along. We began a system where we would start running anytime the ground was flat or downhill for as long as we could then walk the rest. That seemed to work, but neither of us were as prepared as we thought we were. But it was all good. We both finished and crossed the finish line together, with De'Dee waiting for us. Ashley got me through this race and I hope she's with us for many more!

Overall, this isn't a bad race. Terrible time of year, but most of the route is in a wooded park area so it's pretty well shaded. Only thing is the hills. For some reason, Jackson (especially Downtown and Lakeland Drive) is very hilly. So, hills were to be expected, but still, hills aren't fun when you aren't prepared for them. The end of the race festivities went over pretty smoothly. Plenty of food and drink, and watermelon of course. Only thing I have to say something about is "tag removal". I think this race is probably the only race left that still uses a "ChampionChip" type system. I really wish they would switch to D-Tags. That is so much easier and you don't have to wait in line while two old ladies attempt to cut off your chip. I waited in that line for probably a good 5 minutes and another 2 while she tried to cut the damn thing off.

But other than that, things went very well. Though I'm not big on 5K races, if I just need some sort of event, I know that this race is a good one to do and I would definitely do it again.

Magical Discovery

Found this shortly after the "attack of the falling log" incident:

It's a rain poncho! Long before the yellow Mickey ones that we're so used to. Obviously from the 80s (1982-1989) as there are only two park emblems, but I think it's from the early 80s just based on the graphics and such. I could be wrong though. They're still in great shape. Been stuck in that box for nearly 30 years, I'm sure. My grandparents were going to just throw them away! I HAD to stop them! It's just awesome to find a piece of Disney history like that. It made my day!

I'm still waiting to hear back from my Aunt, but if she doesn't want it, I have an extra. Let me know if you'd like to have it. I don't need two of them.

Also, I've been playing around with the font color. How does everyone like the gray on black? Is it easier to read?

Welcoming a New Member!

I want to give a special shout out to my fabulous Aunt Tereasa (Aunt is a little too formal. I just call her T). She has decided that she wants to be a member of the Team!

She's just started a new blog, http://missteresad.blogspot.com/. I don't know what she has in store for it, but I'm sure it will be entertaining, to say the least.

So, I want everyone to go over, introduce themselves and give her a great big Team Voice welcome!

Welcome aboard Miss T!

Race Report - 2010 Renaissance Half Marathon

I've been meaning to get these up sooner, but I've done two races in recent months that need to be reported on. Neither were spectacular performances or anything, but they should be reported anyway. So here it goes.

Where: Ridgeland, MS

When: June 12, 2010

Length: 13.3 miles

Running Buddy: Aunt De'Dee

Time: 3:30:31

Level of Preparedness: Not at all Prepared!

So far, this has been the year of terrible racing. Granted, for the two halfs I've done this year, I was not prepared for them, but still... conditions have been terrible. Remember how cold January was? Well this race was the total opposite extreme. After the race the car thermometer said 109 degrees! God knows what the humidity was. It was so bad, that the NWS issued a Heat Advisory starting at 6 am and the Governor issued a "near" state of an emergency asking everyone to stay indoors. All of this, and we're out running a half.

We knew it was going to be hot. The "hellish onslaught of Mississippi Summer" was in full force. But, we had NO idea that it would be this unbearable! We left my aunts house at 5am and it was already 90 degrees. We knew that wasn't a good sign!

Anyway, Neither my Aunt or I were prepared to do this race, at all. I guess we were just cocky. We ran this race last year at a decent time and after the WDW half and it's terrible conditions we thought we'd be ok. We planned on walking most of the way with a little jogging anyway, so we figured we had this one down... We learned quick!

Pre-race stuff went along without a hitch. There were only about 1500 runners, so there isn't too much of a stress on the facilities. We were both fine up until mile 4. That's when my aunts knees began hurting and when my right foot began to give me some trouble. It felt like it was on fire! I had to stop and take a look. It was at that point that I had on the wrong socks! I was wearing the "great and wonderful" socks that we bought at the Expo in January and not my Dri-max. (Sidenote: Those expo socks are terrible. I think they're scam socks made out of cotton with a little polyester to give them a stretch feel. If I ever see the guy that sold them to me, I'll ring his neck!)After figuring out what happened, I knew there wasn't anything I could do. These socks were going to kill me, but I decided to press on and make due the best I could.

By mile 7, I had to go to the medical tent my feet were so bad. They put on some blister stuff(that works wonders) and wrapped my foot. It felt a little better, but my feet were still hot.

By mile 11, I had to stop again. This time from near heat exhaustion and both of my feet. They put stuff on my feet again and gave me some cold ice water and some frozen grapes. That seemed to help me out a lot, so I decided to keep going. Hell, I was at mile 11... I ain't about to stop now! So I got up and limped closer to the finish line.

By the time I got to mile 13, I was really limping. I mean seriously limping. Pedestrian old ladies who were walking on the sidewalk next to me were walking faster than me! But I didn't care. I was determined to finish. And I did... barely, but I did. It was the worst time yet at 3:30:31, but I did it.

Post race went along fairly well. Medal and food distribution went off great, unlike WDW. And thankfully I parked about 50 feet from the finish line, so I was able to hop in my car and drive home to a cold bath and take care of my feet. (Sidenote: reason why they were burning? Three quarter sized blisters on my left foot, one silver dollar sized blister topped with a nickle sized blister and two quarter sized blisters on the right... Ouch!!!)

Here's a picture of the medal... I was very disappointed in it this year. Take a look...

The front is ok. Design is just a little to "frilly" for me, but since the Renaissance is an upscale shopping area, I'm ok with it.

Here's my problem! Look how thick the damn thing is! A dime is thicker than that! I feel cheated!

Here's another thing I'm disappointed with. The "professional" race grading people screwed up again this year. Last year, they extended the race by a tenth of a mile. That's a long way really. Well, they mucked it up again when they extended it by not one... but THREE tenths of a mile! Yeah... not happy.

We've said that we're not doing this race again next year. I have no intention on doing it, but who knows... I'm sure we will. Give us something to complain about, anyway.

Special Kudos to a random runner at this race. This guy was dedicated and determined to finish. I saw him at both of my stops at the medical tent. He was definitely suffering from heat exhaustion when I saw him at mile 11. He looked faint, he was vomiting, and practically about to fall out. Did he stop? No. Race officials were following, pleading with him to stop. He wouldn't. EMTs then began to plead with him. He still wouldn't. Finally, they had to get the police after him and force him to stop. At that point, they took him away in an ambulance. But, for the downright refusal to give up, this guy gets special Kudos from me.

An Index to the Index

So, I finally finished those upgrades I was talking about. Just finished tonight. What do y'all think? The old color scheme had gotten a little too boring I thought. I kinda like the black though. Looks more professional to me.

I wanted to change the logo for the blog, but lack of proper equipment, no how, and overwhelming desire kept me from doing it. Besides, it goes with the black motif, and I kinda like it. It has represented the blog well and I still find it relevant. Maybe I'll change it eventually, but for now, it stays.

Anywho, I also finished the Index feature that I was talking about way back when. I'm so proud of myself! No I can reminisce any time I want. But, in order to explain the Index's labels, I thought I'd post an "Index to the Index". Some labels are self explanatory, but I've addressed them anyway, so it may be a bit redundant. But anyway, here it goes:

Breaking News- These posts contain news regarding this blog, Team Voice, the overall Disney community, and news from the Parks and the Company.

Club 8- All posts referring to my current Club 8 plan and goals. This includes all race training.

Coolness- Just random videos, pictures, links, etc. that I find cool. These posts may or may not be relevant to Disney... I just find them full of coolness.

Discussion- Just like it sounds... I pose a question to you guys and you discuss it.

Disney Humor- These can vary. Posts may be funny Disney created media to outside forces making fun of Disney. If I find it funny and it's even remotely related to Disney, I'll posted it under this label.

Disney Trip Reports- My adventures in the Disney Parks. Includes all Pre and Post trip reports and reports from the parks.

Disney Trivia- In the past and hopefully in future posts, I've asked various forms of Disney trivia. I think it's fun!

Everyday Magic- These are the "Everyday Magic" series posts. I'm hoping to expand this one a bit in the coming weeks.

Kudos- When Disney or anyone else does something right and good, I'll sing their praises in this section. I'll also post shout outs to other Team Voicers and Community members here as well.

Non-Disney Humor- Just things that I find amusing that have nothing to do with Disney.

Non-Disney Trip Reports- Yes, I am forced to go places that are not located within the Disney Parks. I'll bore you with those reports here.

Non-Disney Trivia- I'm a trivia junkie, so general knowledge, non-Disney trivia is bound to emerge at some point.

Old Training Days- These are posts from days gone by. Most of this stuff is irrelevant to the blog today, but there is a lot of history in these posts. Many of the old training posts were deleted back when I first started the overhaul, but I decided to keep some just to document my triumphs and my mistakes.

Racing- Anything and everything involving racing goes here, including race reports, results, and other cool stuff.

Ramblings- Quite simply, the ramblings of a mad man.

Rant- You all know I go on tirades some times. Many of you find them entertaining. So, go back and check out my rants from the old days.

I'm going to try to keep all posts with in these labels, but as I come up and debut new segments and series, I'll make new labels. The index is mostly for me. I lost track with the near 300 posts on the blog, and I kind of wanted to see what I had and such. But, if there is something that was said on this blog that you want to go back and find, maybe the index will help you out.

First day of the new Club 8 starts tomorrow. Y'all ready?

Captain EO

Hi guys! I hope you all had a great fourth of July weekend (regardless of citizenship). With the spirit of the season, I figured I'd make some fireworks. Yes, it is time for a Disney Rant!



Ok, maybe that was a little over the top, but I'm fed up. Let it be known that I am 100 percent against the return of Captain EO to the Disney Parks. I know, I know, I'm stepping on some toes here but so be it! I'm as mad as hell!

I'm against it for a number of reasons. I'm going to be rambling a bit, so bear with me.

First of all, I feel like this is Disney simply trying to capitalize on MJ's death. Sure, that's what corporations do. I get it. But still, I find the fact that Disney would have never entertained the idea of Captain EO's return had it not been for MJ's sudden death just a little morbid. But sure, I'll give Disney a little leeway here as they are simply doing what a corporation does and "moonwalking straight to the bank".

My second grievance is the fact that the show is so damn cheesy! Ok, sure, I've only seen the show via YouTube... but that's all I needed! What really pisses me off? They took out one of my favorite attractions (Honey I Shrunk the Audience) and replaced it with something that should have died (and did) years ago! Let's face it, Captain EO was taken out for a reason. It was old, hokey, and really had no place in the "new" Epcot. Yes it was time for Honey I Shrunk the Audience to go, but seriously? Let's move forward, not backward!

And, I know that 1993 and 2005 are eons in the entertainment world, but the man was an accused child molester. Sure he was acquitted of the charges, but the fact remains. I could go on here, but that is beside the point. Yes, MJ was an excellent entertainer and was very talented, but he still had those charges. Let's say that Disney brought back an old attraction that starred OJ Simpson. There would be outrage, as there should be. OJ was a very talented football player and he was acquitted of his charges too. But his name can't be spoken without thoughts of his crimes. So why? Why does MJ get a free pass and not OJ? I don't know... I just feel like we're glorifying someone who maybe shouldn't be. Maybe I'm wrong for even bringing that point up, but there it is.

Again, I just feel like Disney has gone about this all wrong. Disney says that the show is only temporary. Well, if this is only temporary, while imagineering thinks up something else to replace it, then great. I'm all for it. Moral objections aside, Captain EO will bring people in and that's what Disney is in business to do. However, let us recall what "temporary" means to Disney:

• Mickey's Toontown Fair was only supposed to be a temporary land for Mickey's Birthday Celebration in 1988. It's been temporary ever since.
• The dreadful Wand over Spaceship Earth was built as a temporary decoration in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration. It wasn't taken down until 2007.
• Camp Minnie-Mickey was supposedly a temporary land for Animal Kingdom while Imagineering came up with something better. The land opened with the park in 1998 and yet it still remains.

I could go on, but you get my point. I have a feeling that Captain EO will be with Epcot and Disneyland for a lot longer than the implied "temporary" label Disney has given us. If this happens, Disney is cheating their guests. They've replaced an aged attraction with an even older, cheaper alternative and that just isn't right to us fans.

I could be over-reacting. I tend to do that a lot, but I get so mad when an opportunity like this is squandered. They had the perfect opportunity to give us an awesome new 3D attraction and they screwed it up. It PISSES me off!!! But, if I'm wrong, and I hope I am, I'll retract this post and apologize to Disney. Hell, if they out do themselves, I'll even give them a kudos... and those are hard to get from me!

Ok, my blood pressure is too high. I must stop. What do you guys think? Are you happy to see Captain EO return? Or are you as pissed off as I am? Maybe you don't care.

Virtual Team Voice Meets?

Ok, I know I'm totally ripping this off, but here it goes...

I was reading over at Byron's blog earlier this week. There he talked about Team AllEars holding a Skype call every so often. I think that is awesome and that we need to adopt this! So, I figured I'd pose the question to you guys here. Is this something that would interest you?

The blogs do alot to keep the team going, but I think something like this, even for just a few minutes a week, would really bring us back together and keep us going. Though I'm not sure of the logistics behind something like this (can Skype handle more than 10 people talking at once and would we be able to handle that, when is a good time for everyone, etc, etc...) I think it would be interesting to say the least.

So, I'm going to open the issue up for debate. Do you think this is a good idea and are you interested? Post your thoughts in the comments and we'll get a dialogue going.

A Moment of Weak Strength

Hi guys! Just wanted to boast about my most recent victory. As I've mentioned before, I've been struggling over the past few months. I've been giving in to my old habits (or as I call them, demons) of over eating and laziness. No excuse for it at all. But, the past few weeks have been different. I've slowly begun wogging again and I've been doing excellent as far as diet is concerned. I've run another half marathon recently (Race Report coming tomorrow, I promise) and will be running a 5K this weekend, so I think I'm back with it.

That being said, I had a weak day today. I gave into my craving for Chinese, which is one of my biggest weaknesses. I didn't do too terrible. A friend and I split a small order of sesame chicken and fried rice, but I still felt guilty afterward. That stuff just isn't healthy, even in small portions, but I love it! Then came tonight, which was a moment of both strength and weakness.

Just about an hour ago, I went to walmart to pick up some supplies (for my last day of summer school! WOOT!). Along with those supplies, I got a pack of cinnamon rolls. I get to my car and before I know it, I'm already taking the first bite. I'm driving home, attempting to wolf down as much as I can before I get home, knowing that I can't bring them in. That's when I think, "What the hell am I doing? I'm ruining everything that I've done just over the past few month!" What's really sad is that the rolls weren't even good... I was just eating them because they were there. It was at that moment, just about 45 minutes ago, that I realized that I have an honest to God food addiction. I've always known, but I've never had the "Come to Jesus" moment that I've just had.

It's embarrassing to admit this in such a public forum, but it is what it is. Thankfully, I only ate one of the rolls before I through them out the window (don't worry, pastries are biodegradable). I'm actually kinda proud of myself right now. I stopped myself from doing the self destructive behavior that has gotten me into some pretty serious trouble.

So, hello guys. My name is Matt and I am a recovering food addict!

All Good Things...

I just got some very sad news. Our beloved All About the Mouse is ending. I'm SO sad about this. Here is the press release that Jonathan issued over at the forums.

__________________________________________________

AATM - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Celebrate the Finale of AATM!

Wednesday June 30th, 2010 will be the final show for All About the Mouse. Bryan Ripper and Jonathan Dichter have decided together to end the weekly podcast effective this week. This decision did not come easily - and it is very important that you understand the reasons. Both Bryan and Jonathan have had increasing pressures in their lives, including work, family, and health stressors. As such, a decision point was reached where either our lives would suffer, or the show would. Neither was acceptable to us. We refuse to put out less than the best quality show we can for you, our listeners. Therefore, it is with sadness, that we close this chapter together. We made this decision as a team with no animosity or bad feelings between us. It was the only logical choice we could make.

Our final show will be a LIVE CALL IN SHOW starting at 8PM EST. Our live show on June 30th is designed to give you the opportunity to share in the memories of magic and mayhem. We will be hosting a live call in show for our listeners, colleagues, and friends. We will keep the lines open as long as we can, and Mouseworld Radio has graciously allowed us to do so. We want to hear from ALL of you. Call in to remember, laugh, cry, and celebrate this three year journey with us. It will be a fun journey through the wonderful experience that has been All About the Mouse.

The show will begin with Bryan and Jonathan explaining why the show is being retired in detail, followed by a tribute piece of audio put together by some of our favorite friends, and then - open phone lines for you as long as we can manage it. We want to make sure the show ends as it has always been - with YOU, our listeners and friends.

Join us at 8pm EST on June 30th - at http://www.allaboutthemouse.com/ - for the Finale of the All About the Mouse Disney Podcast.

Thank you for being our loyal legions. We can't wait to talk to you all.

__________________________________________________

After reading this, I became rather upset with myself. It made me realize just how much our little community means to me and that I've been taking it for granted lately. Now, my favorite podcast is over and I haven't been the loyal listener like I should have been. I will greatly miss this show. All good things must come to an end. Bryan and Jonathan, it's been real!

P.S. AATM may be gone, but Team Voice lives strong! Lets keep this going!

Ramblings of an Insomniac

Ok... I'm on my third sleepless night this week. I don't know what the deal is. It's like I just cannot shut my brain off and go to sleep. On the nights that I do actually get to sleep, it doesn't happen until around 2 or 3, which means I'm either asleep til noon or pass out at some point the next day. I know that the sleeping late is causing the problem, but I just can't fix it. I thought I had yesterday though. I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night, and managed to stay awake most of the day Thursday. That night around 8:30, I took a sleeping pill and crashed. Slept soundly until about 7, then got up and got some stuff done. It was very nice, and I thought I'd be able to keep it up. But, of course, here I sit, wide awake! This is SO annoying! I love getting up early and getting a fresh start to the day, but I can't do that when I'm still awake at 3:20 in the morning! I've tried everything! Warm milk, white noise on the radio, relaxing music, watching PBS... hell, I even counted sheep, but nothing! I know the sleeping pill will work, but I don't like taking them. I'm afraid I'll get addicted to them, and will never sleep naturally again. What do you guys do when you can't sleep? I'm desperate for advice!

In my futile attempts to sleep, I've thought about a few goals I want to accomplish this summer. Most are fitness goals, but I have a few others.

1) I really want to be able to jog 3 miles in 30 minutes by the time Fall Semester begins. I know this is doable, I just have to focus on that goal and probably lose a few pounds in the process. Next semester (if all goes well), I will only have a limited amount of time to get my workouts in and 30 minutes for a run is about all I can spare. Otherwise, I'll have to do the runs at night, and I don't like doing that, mostly because of increased pedestrian traffic around campus and the fact that I think these late afternoon runs is what is causing my insomnia. Anyway, I know that I can do this.

2) Also, by the time the Fall begins, I'd like to be down to 200 pounds. Currently, I'm hovering between 235 and 245 (I don't know if it's the scale, water weight, or what), but I really can tell in my face and belly that I am losing though it may not be showing up on the scale.

3) This is more for academic purposes, but I really want to increase the rate at which I can read. It takes me forever to read a book, if I even finish it. I don't know why, but I've never really had an interest in reading for long periods of time. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy reading. So long as what I am reading is in a short form like articles and blogs. I could do that all day! And when studying, I can focus on text books and notes, so long as I'm in an absolutely quite room free of distractions. But as far as actually sitting down and reading a book just for the fun of it, cover to cover in a reasonable amount of time, I just can't do it. I don't know if I'm ADD and can't focus, if I just lose interest, or what. But, I'd really like to be able to read one book every one to two weeks (depending on the size and how much reading is involved in my summer classes). I'm thinking that if I take the book and divide the number of chapters the chapters up, say one chapter a day, or whatever, I'll be able to do it. I literally have an entire library of half read books, that I'd like to finish someday.

Well anyway, that's it from me today. I'm hoping to have the Club 8, Weekly Running Report, and a Running to Disney update and hopefully an AZ immigration law (Amanda? Hello?)/Gulf Oil Spill (ugh...)/Sestak (hee hee!) rant over on the Rant blog up by the end of the weekend.

Alright... back to bed. Goodnight!

Magic from Boredom

Hi guys! This post is the first in a recurring series I'm calling "Everyday Magic". The idea behind this series is basically an everyday "Hidden Mickey's Guide". You know when you see things in your everyday life that reminds you of Disney and you get that brief Disney feeling? Well that is what these posts are about.

The other day I was cleaning out my old notes from this past year and I found this. I guess in my boredom in Con Law I drew him to distract me from the pain. Nonetheless, it made me smile when I found it!

Apologies

My God... has it really been nearly two months since I last posted? Jeez...

Well, I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you guys know that I am still alive. Things have been INSANE over those past two months. School took a lot of time and energy from me and away from training and Disney things, so I had to give up on the blogs for a while. They're still a little crazy this week with my sisters graduation, but I'm hoping to have some time to catch up on everyone's blogs, podcasts, etc... I'm SOOOO far behind and I feel clueless.

I'm picking up where I left off on the revamp. Nothing big is happening, but I'm going through and deleting old irrelevant posts and will start introducing different segments over the next few weeks. I think they'll be fun and maybe you'll enjoy them.

Also, I have decided to abandon my run to Disneyland for this year. My training thus far has sucked and since half the year is over, Disneyland is totally out of reach by December 31. However, Walt Disney World is totally with in reach. So, I'm running to Disney World instead.

That's it for now... I'm back!!!

Pardon Our Dust...

This Blog is Being Refurbished for Your Future Enjoyment

Have a Magical Day!

Well maybe not a full blown overhaul (like I would kinda like to do), but I am doing some Spring Cleaning to the blog. I'm going back and deleting old posts that really have no long term relevance to me or anyone else.

I'm also re tagging the remaining posts in an attempt to create an index so that they'll be easier to find. I've got a new plan for this blog, so this will make it easier for me and hopefully for you too!

I Just Had a Grand Idea

Hi guys! While looking around on the internet looking for races and such I just had a thought. I know for a fact that I am doing the Wine and Dine (or Wine and Cheese as my grandmother calls it). Well, about two weeks later there should be a full marathon here in Jackson. They had it last year but they haven't posted anything about a new one this year. Assuming that they have it, I'm thinking about doing it. That would be the perfect test to see if the Goofy is something I can do. The two races aren't back to back per se, but they are pretty damn close. If I can't do this, I know I can't do the Goofy.

Speaking of the Goofy, I'm still unsure about the Goofy in January. I'm not even sure I'll be able to make it down. I'm seriously considering skipping this January and going all out in 2012. I still haven't decided, but I just wanted to let you guys know that there is more than a 50% chance that I won't be there this year. The reason is simply finances. I just don't think I can afford a trip in October and turn right around and go again in January. I've thought about a quick trip, but that just won't work for me. If I'm in Disney, I have to GO to Disney. There is no way around that!

There is another full marathon in Downtown Jackson that is usually held the same weekend as the WDW half. If I don't go to Disney, then I will for sure do that race and then do a lone half marathon the next day, that way I can still do "a Goofy", even if it's not "THE Goofy".

How's everyone doing? I'm holding in there... Diet has been doing pretty well but training sucks. Should be getting to the gym here in a little while so hopefully I can get something in today.

Hiatus

I posted this over on the fitness blog, but I figured that I may as well post it over here as well since this deals with all aspects of my life, not just fitness:

Wow. Has it really been over a week since I last posted? A lot can happen in that time, and boy has it! To be frank, this last week sucked. Everything about it sucked. Diet, life, everything... I just feel like I have failed in the past few months and it all just got to me. So, I took a little break from everything for a while to give myself time to think and regroup. I just didn't know I had been gone for over a week!

Things are finally seeming to settle down a bit here... or at least I'm adjusting to the increased stress. Now that I'm finally getting a pay check from work, grades so far seem good and I've lost a couple of pounds, I'm starting to see that I'm doing some good and seeing some results. And I have a few more little plans that I've worked up for all areas of life that seem to be helping me cope with the stress.

So, it seems like I'm back again. Let's hope I can stay.

Thanks for the Video

Rae posted this video on her blog yesterday and I thought I'd just post it here as well.



This video really spoke to me. I feel like it was made just for me. Because making excuses is all I have done for the past 2 months and I have excused myself right back to 230lbs. I have been lazy, plain and simple and I've been making these stupid damn excuses to justify it.

Just Random Thoughts

Hey guys! Just thought I'd post some random things that have been going on in my mind.

First off, the job is going pretty well. Being a cashier is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. If I could just get the damn produce codes memorized and remember how to do food stamps, I'd be set!

Training has been shot to hell this week, as it has every week since WDW. I'm still trying to get into the swing of things, but it seems like there is just one thing after another that is keeping me from running or going to the gym. Some times its an excuse, sometimes its not. Since snowmaggedon is coming tonight, and my night class will more than likely be canceled because the entire state is freaked out, I should have time this evening to make it over to the gym. I hope so...

The "Marathon Makeover" people here in Jackson have finally announced the date of this year's Renaissance Half, which will be June 12. Even though this race is very dull, it is local and my aunt and I are almost positive that we're doing this one. If anything, it will be good practice for the Wine and Dine (which I am also almost positive I'm doing). We haven't registered for either, but should be soon.

Well, I think that's it for now. How's everyone else doing?

A Day of Firsts... sorta

Hey guys! I finally got my computer fixed! Huzzah! No more viruses (knock on wood). Now, I'm in the process of adding all of your blogs back into my "feeds" so I can keep checking in on you all. I'm pretty sure everyone's blogs are on my blog list, but I'm not sure. So check and make sure so I'll remember to "follow" you again. I had about 30 something blogs in my feed and now I can't remember where they are. Oh well... you guys are the important ones.

Today kind of feels surreal. I don't know why, but it does. I guess it has to do with the fact that I start my first "real and official" job today. That means that Uncle Sam knows about it and it's not a work-study. Its not what I wanted as I'm just a cashier at a local supermarket, but its a job so I'm happy about it.

What I'm not happy about is my performance this morning. Yes, I did get my lazy butt out of the bed at 5:30 am and went walking, but that's all I did. I walked. No running, no jogging, not even any wogging... just walking. And I only went 2 miles at that! And I am SORE! I shouldn't be like this... I feel like I did when I went for my first 2 miler about 3 years ago, except then I was happy and amazed I went 2 miles. Now I'm disappointed. I have got to fix this. I'm headed over to the gym in a few minutes to get some extra miles in on the bike and elliptical. At least I know I can do something on there.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to get to all of your blogs at some point today. If I don't post something, that means I haven't "found" your blog, so be sure to send me a link!

The Bet

Hey guys! First of all, let me apologize for my very few, short posts. My computer has been infected with a really bad virus and I have yet to be able to fix it. Until I can, posts will be very few and far between. I am hoping that soon I can get rid of this Microsoft POS and go Apple. Only time will tell...

Anyway, on to today's topic...

Since I can't participate in this year's Princess Half, my aunt and I have come up with a bit of a contest. At 5:00 am CST on March 7th, I will be running 13.1 miles around my hometown. At the same time, my aunt will be running the Princess. In a since, we will be racing each other. If I win, she has to buy me a new pair of running shoes. If she wins, I have to prep and plant her flowerbeds and yard for the spring. Although I do enjoy yard work, I really really want those running shoes!

I have to prove that I did run that morning, so I'll have to get pictures.

I think this will be fun. Yeah, I'll be in boring Redneck Hell, and she'll be in WDW but it'll be fun none the less. I figure there will be taunting along the way so that should be amusing.

Would any of you like to do this with me? You don't have to get up as early as I am, but for those of you on the East Coast, it wouldn't be too hard I wouldn't think. I think it would be kinda cool if all of us are out running a half "virtually" together.

Just Some Announcements

Hey guys, I've had some things on my mind so I thought I would share them with you.

The Princess Half Marathon- Let's recap on what was going on here. My cousin is signed up to run this race, but she is getting married the next week, so she has decided not to participate in it. That left her entry open and she offered it to me (yes we realize that's not exactly legal, but in today's PC world, I doubt seriously they would say anything...). I would have to find a way to get down there and get a room and of course, any park tickets I chose to buy. It seemed like a good, fun thing to do, but due to some conflicts and finances, I will NOT be doing the Princess this year. The race is not during my Spring Break, so I would have to fly down Friday night, run the race on Sunday and then fly out as soon as the race was over. Just seems very tiring and the cost is crazy just for a 2 day trip.

Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon- Why is this race start with "Disney" when the others start with "Disney's"? I just found that interesting. Anyway... As long as finances hold out, I will be doing this race. This race is more practical because, it should take place during my Fall Break, which will allow me to turn this into a mini vacation, which I'm excited about. Also, did you know that (from my research) the rooms for this race actually cost less than the same rooms during the Princess? I found that interesting. I just found this race more doable, so why not?

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge- As of now, I've started training for the Goofy. However, I'm still unsure as to whether or not I will actually be able to make it down for marathon weekend (I've explained why before). But I am still serious about at least doing the training for it. I'm also seriously thinking about turning this into a Dopey. Still not sure, but since I'm training to do 39.3 miles, why not tack on an extra 3.1?