"For an occurrence to become an adventure, it is necessary and sufficient for one to recount it." ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

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Sunday, September 21, 2008

Disneyworld (Space Mountain)


The first week in September we all went to Disney world. We had the best time ever. We rode the MetroLink to the airport and then flew nonstop to Orlando where we boarded buses that brought us to the Fort Wilderness Campground where we had a cabin.
The flight to Orlando was fun because Megan was so little the last time we flew that she couldn't really remember. I think she was a bit nervous. Other than that the flight was pretty uneventful. We didn't check any bags so we didn't have to worry about lost luggage. Only bringing carry-ons worked great and I think if I do anymore flying I'll stick to the plan.
When we finally got to the cabin everyone was pretty tired since it had been a long day. We got settled in, the girls took the bedroom that had bunk beds and a full size bed, Beth and I took the Murphy bed in the living room. We were trying to decide whether to go to the Magic Kingdom for a while or stay at the cabin and rest up for what would be a busy week. Nic and Sarah decided to stay behind while Beth, Megan, and I went to the Park. We left the cabin and caught the bus to the settlement where we boarded a boat to take us to the Magic Kingdom (we traveled in almost every form of conveyance you can think of). The Park wasn't very crowded so that meant there weren't very long lines for anythingg. The shops along main street were more crowded than the attractions. You could spend a large fortune in the shops. We stopped outside Cinderella's castle and watched a performance with the disney characters. I was impressed with how well the character's masks articulated. There was way more movement and expression than I expected. The Magic Kingdom is divided into different sections. We decided to visit Tomorrow Land. The highlight for me was Space Mountain, and the lowlight was the Carousel of Progress.
We rode the Tomorrow Land Transportation Authority which brings you around that area of the park on an elevated tram while it tells you a bit about each attraction as you pass by. As we passed by Space Mountain we could see the people loading onto the ride but that was all since it is in the dark. Beth, who doesn't like rides, good ones anyway turns to Megan, who falls into the same category, and I and says "we should go on Space Mountain." Clearly she had no idea what Space Mountain was. Now the last time we went to Six Flags I got motion sick from the roller coasters. I decided to take one for the team and agreed that we should definitely ride. Megan was unsure and Beth did a great job of convincing her that the ride couldn't be that bad. We walked by two signs that said some to the effect of ' WARNING this is a thrilling high speed roller coaster type ride with sudden drops, turns' etc. and once they announced the same warning over the PA system. Beth and Megan were oblivious to all of the warnings. I had trouble keeping a straight face. I wished Nic and Sarah were there to enjoy this with me. As the cars came in Megan voiced her last concern regarding being nervous about the ride, a smallish child got out of the car having completed his ride looking none the worse for wear, and Beth said "Look Meg, if they let a little kid like that on the ride it can't be that bad". So we got on the ride and it was great Beth and Megan were totally unprepared for what was about to happen. I sat behind Megan and I think she had her hands over her face the whole time. Afterward I asked them how it was and they both said that they couldn't see anything and all they could hear was me laughing like a crazy person. I think they enoyed it though because they rode it again the next day with Nic and Sarah. We decided that was enough fun for one day and headed back to the cabin. I was surprised to find that I wasn't experiencing any motion sickness from the ride. I guess all those years ago at Six Flags it was the heat not the motion. I could tell that this vacation was going to be a lot of fun.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Megan's 16th Birthday

On August 25th Megan turned 16. I can't believe how fast time goes by. Soon she will be driving, and she has already started a job hunt. Well as seems the tradition in our family when girls turn 16 they get a party. I personally don't get the reasoning behind it since the really is no rite of passage type event at that age, but I minored in Anthropology so there are many elements of our culture that have me puzzled. Beth told me none of this mattered because we were going to throw Megan a party anyway.
The party was held at the local KC hall and Megan's friends had a good time with the Karaoke machine. We had snacks and cake. I was the DJ. You can do a lot with Itunes and a laptop.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

...

So much has gone on since I last posted.
-Vacation
-Lewis and Clark Hurricane Marathon 10 miler
-Birthdays
-Sick dogs
I am not sure where to start.