Let's Celebrate, It's All Right!

Off we go - oh! - who could ask for anything more!

Last post until I make it to probably Disney Property. Though I hear MCO has free net access, so depending how long we have to wait for DME...

I'm packed. Gotta dress. Gaylord needs the computer room. So... I'm outta here! WAGON!

Oh that Magic Kingdom in the sky!
We will all be there together by and by!
All religions there are practiced
Except for Southern Baptist!
When we reach that Magic Kingdom in the sky!

I'm going to pack up my computer tonight after I get off in a couple of hours, so this is my last post on this journal until I get back (Jan. 22 - AT THE EARLIEST). I am planning to check in online occassionally tomorrow on facebook and email, but from my aunt's computer. I am so excited it isn't even funny, as you can imagine.

Anyway, I will have net access most days when I'm down at Disney but I cannot promise any sort of chat or email exchange. We're basically going to get online to update our journal which can be found here - http://wdwbaby.insanejournal.com - and you don't have to be a member to read it (but friend us anyway!).

It would be really awesome of people following US Nationals could email me with results of Dance and Mens... but most IMPORTANTLY JUNIOR MENS... I want to know how Keegan is doing, and since I don't have text messaging email is the best way to go *HINT*.

So I hope everyone has a wonderful two weeks. I will see you when I get back! *hugs* I'm going to miss the Nationals gang... but I'll make it up eventually (I have gotten guilt trips from several people and Spokane has been calling... *sigh*).

TTFN - Ta Ta For Now!
-Toni

Now... bring me that horizon.

Good morning people who have nothing better to do than read our journal! You must be as bored - if not more so - than I am! For that I am sorry!

Today marks THREE DAYS till we're on a plane headed for Orlando. As of this moment our plane in Seattle would be ready to taxi out to the runway... we'd still have six plus hours before landing and getting that first bit of Disney Magic by meeting up with the Magical Express. lol.

Day Nine: EPCOT Day 3
07:00a - Wake Up
08:15a - Head to EPCOT
09:00a - Watch Opening of Park
09:15a - Breakfast @ Sunshine Seasons
09:30a - Tour Future World
12:30p - Head for Germany
01:00a - Lunch @ The Biergarten
02:00p - Tour World Showcase
08:00p - Dinner @ Yakitori Counter Service
09:00p - Illuminations
10:00p - Pack. :'(

Saturday night cannot get here fast enough!

Hope you all had a safe and happy new year. I made it to midnight in New York and Ohio but then I went to bed. ha ha. I'm a wimp. I've never really thought midnight ws something all that special anyway.

Now I'm watching the Rose Parade. From what I understand Alaska has a float in the parade this year celebrating FIFTY YEARS OF STATEHOOD.

Today also marks the 10 day mark! I'm not excited about that at all. Nope. In fact, I don't even want to go anymore! ha ha! I've packed my clothes, gotta move a few things around, and then I just have a few things after that and I'll be set.

Got a call from Janine Seavey two nights ago asking if I could help cook up some food for the three Seavey's running the Iditarod to leave at food drops, so I get to make lasagna for them... and have it done by the sixth!

I also have my make up interview test thing with the Census Bureau on Monday, so busy busy busy.

Gonna go watch the flowers roll down the street...

So, my Disney World obsession has taken a whole new level of pathetic. I'm watching TV tonight and one of those DTV ads came on reminding us we have only so much time before TV goes digital and analog tvs will be obsolete (except for Alaska where the transmitters still broadcast in analog so we're exempt) and the guy that's doing these "interviews" with people is none other than lazy/recreation man Dave from the Happiest Celebration on Earth Travel DVD and CD Rom freebie that WDW sent out when you inquired about a vacation.

It also happens to be my FAVORITE planning DVD. So I got all fan girly! haha.

so, yes, I recognize I have a massive problem lol

God is so amazing, and He shows Himself in the most wonderful of ways. I am loving getting to watch Him work in the lives of my friends. Casey and Dan got to bring Zoe home the other day and the pictures are beautiful. Zoe is all smiles (granted at this age she has no control but still, I don't remember Haille smiling so much as that little one does lol). Asher's baby sister fits so well with them, it will be neat to see how she grows up.

I have to take the dogs to the vet today, and I need to pick up stamps to mail all my Christmas cards with... oh and I almost forgot I need to call WDW right now! ack!

and I'm off!

I've been doing my best to not get sick, but last night I was defeated. I don't have a full blown cold but I just feel incredibly run down. The three day migraine hasn't helped, either. It's managable today, though. Which is good, because I don't want to miss another one of Edgar's classes. haha!

We're currently watching Salvador in class, it is not a very good film, if you ask me. Personally if a film only uses the same three swear words and very little else, it's not worth watching. My paper on the film will probably not be very good. Then again neither was my paper on Outfoxed. And before you think I just defended FoxNews, I didn't. I can't stand the program either, but I hate that the people on the movie said that Fox is the only biased network out there. It's like the kettle calling the pot black. That the press tries to say they don't push one candidate or agenda over another is absurd. In a perfect world journalism would stay neutral but it NEVER HAS. Look at how the Revolution was started, or just about every war we learn about in school. It starts with some big wig deciding to take a side. Why else would celebrities keep pushing in the news about Darfur? Duh! The news influences people to think whatever way the news wants. We're just dumb enough to take them as truth.

That was the gist of my paper, I have a feeling I'm going to get a poor grade for the first time in his class because we don't agree on that. I have come to the conclusion that in order to get a good grade in journalism courses you have to blindly follow and agree with the prof or you won't get far. So it won't surprise me if Edgar is the same as just about every other prof I've had in that department. The only one I didn't have to worry about was Prof. Dillehey, but I haven't taken from him since that one class (I don't even know if he's still in the program!).


I also have no doubt the main topic of class will be Ted Stevens' concession yesterday allowing Begich to become our newly elected senator. Personally I am disappointed in my state's voters for two reasons. 1. we voted in Begich who is a moron (and I don't base that on his politics. the man is a moronic jerk who is only in it for the spotlight) and 2. we almost voted in a convicted felon. There was a perfectly acceptable third choice, IMO, and he was the one I voted for. Bob Bird would stand for Alaska and was not backed by a party or cause. Unlike Begich who allowed the very people he's promising Alaskans he will stand up against. Yeah. Right. Like they're going to pay for you to disagree with them. Fat chance of that.


Oh well. Six years from now we'll be sick of him (save for the church of Begich known as Anchorage) and we'll have someone replace him. Who it will be, who knows, but this is the first time in 40 years we've had two weak senators... Murkowski's just as big a joke IMHO and she's a "Republican". I quit! lol


I just called down to WDW this morning and paid off our balance. You may be thinking that we'd already did that, and we had, but with the new promotion they've got out (buy 4 nights at a resort and 4 days worth of park admission get 3 free) we were holding out hope for getting a Moderate resort - specifically the Coronado Springs. As you might have read in my last journal update. I am so very excited to be going there again. I told Erin she has to take a picture of me giving the resort a big hug. I've missed it. I could stay there every time and not feel like I was missing out on a thing!

Gaylord is home. Not sure why. Either he is checking up on me to see if I actually leave the house, or he keeps peeing his pants because he keeps having to come home to "change". I'm not sure that that is all about, but it annoys me.

It also annoys me that Judy borrowed a few of my CDs and I haven't gotten them back even though I've asked her about them. Then I get woken up at midnight last night because Gaylord is working on a stupid slide show or something and what's playing? Josh GROBAN... and it's MY CD. All you have to do is ASK, but it's really annoying that she leant MY cd to him without even asking me when she knows I've been looking for my CDs. I have use for those disks too! BLAH.


Yes, I'm a selfish little brat, but I'm just asking for a little bit of respect. Though, I haven't been the best of buddies with either of them as of late. I'm getting really tired of Gaylord trying to be the "man of his domain" and telling Judy and I what to do. He hit the roof the other night when Judy snow blowed the drive way. He said he'd do it. Yeah, well, it'd been four days since it snowed and you still hadn't gotten off your fat duff so sit down and shut up. He started yelling at me that I should have done it before Judy did. Um. I was in class when she did it. And YOU kept saying that it was YOUR job. So I stayed out of it.

Apparently he doesn't get enough jollies or something or he'd shut up and leave me alone.

He also decided it was his duty to tell me I was spending my money unwisely and that I was an ungrateful person to use my parents money in the way I was. Meaning - I shouldn't go on this Disney trip (Judy wants to go on one with him and he isn't into the idea). I got REALLY snotty with him and told him that it was MY money and ONLY my money that I was using on this trip. I worked VERY hard this summer to get it (ok so not VERY) and I saved it FOR THIS PURPOSE. I also got permission from my PARENTS (even though I am 23 and therefore an adult that does not NEED it, I still ask for it) and JUDY (whom I still owe for the last trip). I paid off a vet bill, a dentist bill, and a couple of other things before I booked the trip. AND then there's the check that came in September from the State of Alaska that was over 2,000 big ones (plus 1200 energy check). That was MY money, not my parents. I'm not using money from school or anything. I said if anything Judy was the only one who had right to say I needed to give HER the money and not go on the trip.

Then he tried to be her proxy and suggest that's what I needed to do. Considering JUDY was the one who said I should do it if I could afford it at the beginning of the summer, I knew that was crap. And if she DOES truly feel that way she should come out and say it. She's looking forward to 12 days of just her and Gaylord in the house with the dogs. She hasn't been this excited to be rid of me in a while (which kinda hurts), so I somehow doubt she'd be happy if we canceled this trip and I gave her the money.


Then Gaylord plays the wounded dog card about how he doesn't know how to get me to like him and sends Judy to make things right. How about stay out of my buisness and stop trying to be all controlling? I'm a bull headed REITTER. We don't take other people's crap lying down. You are not the one that is 'over me'. I am not your daughter, nor am I your wife (EW). I don't need to be submissive to you. so stuff it.


Isn't it amazing that I can make such a long entry when I have nothing of interest to say. I should just stop talking. ha ha. so I will. Have a nice week everyone (since it's almost over!)

01. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Star Wars, Big Fish, The Producers, Pirates, Forrest Gump, Sleeping Beauty, and many others.

02. Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
Big Fish, Pirates, Finding Nemo, Revenge of the Sith

03. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Hugh Laurie. Keira Knightly, Ewan McGregor... ok I'll stop lol

04. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
LINDSAY LOHAN, George Clooney (unless it's an Ocean's movie), Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Will Ferrel, Cate Blanchett, Shia LeBouf, Hayden Christensen... just to name a few

05. Name a movie that you can quote from.
Just about all of them! LOL Pirates, Star Wars, Nemo, The Producers

06. Name a movie musical that you know all the lyrics to all the songs.
The Producers.

07. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
The Producers, Meet Me In St. Louis, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

08. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
WALL-E (gonna watch it before bed tonight!)

09. Name a movie that you own.
According to my excell spreadsheet I have over two hundred films here in Anchorage, and I'm sure I have close to that at home in Kenai... first one to come to my head - Sleeping Beauty

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Dame Julie Andrews - singing/vaudville, Martin Short - comedian, Robin Williams - comedian

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?
Unfortunately that's not a cost effective medium up here.

12. Ever made out in a movie?
Um. That'd be NO.

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t gotten around to it.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (because my best friend tells me I have to see it, not because I want to.)

14. Ever walked out of a movie?
No, though I wanted to during Mean Girls and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
Revenge of the Sith (yes, really), At World's End (the second time, the first time I was shocked and ticked off), Wall-E

16. Popcorn?
I'm not allowed - it makes me hyper. Nachos or Cinnibon!

17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Now that Gaylord's here, I don't get to go to the movies. Stupid fat man.

18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Wall-E

19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Action Adventure, Disney

20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
It was a double feature of The Land Before Time and Oliver & Company.

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Just about every movie I've watched for my movies class this semester, and every Lindsay Lohan movie I've ever been suckered into seeing.

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
I guess Elizabethtown since it's not your typical feel good movie... or Dan In Real Life.

23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte

24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Father of the Bride (Remake) 1 & 2, Home Alone 2, The Producers (the Musical), Pirates, and THE THREE AMIGOS!



in other news - Erin and I were able to get the resort upgrade that we wanted for 8 nights of our trip! We're going to be staying at the Coronado Springs resort from Jan 11 through to the 19th, then we switch over to the Pop Century for the 19th through the 22nd. I stayed at the Coronado last summer with the family and I can't wait to go back, I'm so glad Erin picked it! hee hee! It has the biggest hot tub which I think was a big ticket item for her! ;)

I think I'm tryin to come down with a cold, I've been feeling really crappy as of late. I hope I'm wrong, I don't want to be sick for the holidays again.

...that is all.

Erin wrote a song 2 years ago on our road trip to the tune of on the road again to celebrate the end of our adventure...

now we've once again taken a song and run with it. The following is the longest song in the world (we think anyway lol took long enough to write!). I can't take much credit, aside for a couple of verses and a few grammatical/spelling corrections I didn't do much work. This is all Erin!

So here it is, in all of it's glory!

"We Want Disney"
(To the Tune of "I Got Rythym")

Oh the countdown's -
Finally ended!
Off we go, oh!
Who could ask for anything more

I am flying -
To Seattle!
To see Toni!
Who could ask for anything more!

Look there’s Toni! She looks angry!
Should not ask questions anymore!

( Way more under here! )

PFD Could Come Next Month!!!!

I am so happy. I will be paying off the WDW trip that much sooner!

...I can hardly believe we're at the closing of Summer. Three weeks left until work is over, two till school starts, and what do I have to show for it? An uneven sunburn, and a lot of good work memories.

It still feels like I was anticipating when work would start. Waiting for that first phone call where Jake or Dallas would be all in a panic because they needed me RIGHT NOW (which I did get in May lol gotta love Jake and Dallas waiting until the last minute!). I was anticipating the frustration of working with them, and anticipating hanging out with the crew.

I could lie and say it was an easy summer, but with all of the rain and the added stresses of things going badly, I can't. There were times when I wanted to throttle one person or the other, and then there were times I just wanted to curl up and hide from the world, but all in all I've loved my second year at Wildride.

I'm not sure what the future holds as far as working, I know I am still going to get my business license and start working as a photog in earnest. I really feel like that is my calling and it works well with my school schedule. I'm taking a full load for the first time in a long time at college, and I have a good feeling on how I will do. I've got the pressure to do well, which I know will kill me later in the semester, but I feel ready. Of course, we'll see if I still feel like that when school starts and I see what is going to be required of me, right?

Talking with Becky and David the last few weeks, I've pretty much decided that if I return to work for the Seavey's next year, it will be part time. It's time I become the pinch hitter for the show. It's not that I don't love the job, I do, it's just that I want the freedom to travel down to see the family once in a while, or just have a day to myself. I haven't been to Seward in over two years, I haven't really had a chance to go fishing (I refuse to do it by myself down at ship creek), and I am always worried that I'll get called into work. So everyone else gets to enjoy my state, but I'm stuck in Anchorage.

I also want to concentrate on photography, and I can't do that if I am working 5+ days a week. I had a couple of photo shoots this summer right after working all day and I just wasn't at my best. My brain shuts down after 8+ hours outside. LOL.

My tune could change around March or April when we see if I even have a job in photography. I might have to dive in for a full time Wildride position. I hate to think about what they will do next year, though, considering Becky and David are both planning to not return full time (if at all) and who knows if Hannah will be back. I don't want to abandon them fully, I really want to see them to continue to succeed. So I might blackmail myself into working. Who knows.

I do know that this month will probably either make or break my love for the job. No breaks from the guys is going to be tough lol. Dallas has been pretty good about giving me breaks in the schedule, but I do need the hours and funds that they bring, but at the same time... whew! At least I've kept my humor for the most part. I love that I get to work and laugh every day.

Like Thursday, during the four pm show a thunder and hail shower happened right in the middle of the show. I jumped into my sound booth and closed the door trying to protect myself (the hail was decent size) and then the wind picked up and blew it in through the window of the booth! I couldn't win! Watching Jen and Dallas and Jake drown out there in the arena was great too. I mean one minute it's bright sun and the next it's dark, rainy and hailing! Jake even made a comment like "Is it raining out? I can't tell" which cracked the audience and the cast up. It was GREAT!

So I don't know. I just thank God that I was blessed with this job last year when I had such a crappy experience with Sears. Yes, Wildride has its moments and I sometimes wish we were more organized, but at the end of the day I much prefer the honesty and the friendship that I get there to the backstabbing and the lying of a corporate group. It feels like home... like family... and I can't begin to describe how much I appreciate it.

So that's basically life. Erin and I have 156 days until we're down in Florida, which I cannot wait for. We have all of it booked, and paid for (well, I will as soon as October rolls around), and all of the sit down meals are reserved. So now it's just waiting for it to happen. And it's killing me!

Erin is counting down to the double digit countdown. Yes, we are sad. We know, and we don't care.

Other thing I'm looking forward to is the PFD in October. Palin got her wish and we're getting the $1200 energy check, as well as a nice bit of cash from the oil revenue (2000 something!), so it's gonna be a good fall. I hope.

Oh, and is it sad that I've already started Christmas shopping? I have my grandparents' gift already bought and put away. I had to! The place that I got it from closes Sept 1! hee hee.

Alrighty, this thing is getting long, and I have to start getting ready for work (I go in at 11:30 to be at work by Noon). So I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

I so feel bipolar this summer, which I know I shouldn't joke about, and I'm not. But I've been all over the map today.

Started off great, Erin called to get my Airmiles Info for Alaska Air so that she could book our tickets and she got us airfare for $55 to Orlando. How? By transferring miles to make it so that we could both go on free tickets ha ha! She is awesome for more on that and the trip go here, please ;) - wdwbaby. Needless to say I am uber excited that the trip feels REAL now. And I have no doubt I will be able to afford it...

Then I get to work and Heather is there to train everyone on the gift shop stuff - which I am pretty good at, but it's always nice to see Mary Poppins at Wildride ;) I was tired and then extremely BORED when I was at work because EVERYONE left and I was the onliest one there and it was DEAD phone wise. Blah.

Then the show happened and it was uber fun and everything went well save for my minor detail of muting Dallas instead of Hannah during the first race. But he didn't notice and I would have gotten off scott free had I not been stupid and told him! LOL

Things were pretty much GREAT save for my screwing up basic words when talking - I am just so TIRED this week - and snapping at Jake. He's just rubbing me wrong and I know it's because we're both over worked and over stressed and it's just coming to a head. But I just chalked that up to not having a day off since I started work a week and a half ago.

Then Dallas and I got to talking about how Matthew did yesterday on the cues, and lets just say Dallas is not happy or confident in Matthew's ability to do the show by himself on Sunday. He's basically hinted that I will probably be coming in AGAIN on Sunday. Which I am not all that happy about. Yes it does mean more $$ in my pocket, and therefore that helps with bills and school and Disneyworld and all of that... but I really need a break. I am tired, cranky, and I'm just not able to handle it!

The one thing that I am glad about is IF it comes down to that I know all he'll ask of me is two and a half hours tops. Tomorrow I work 3 to about 5:30... and if I work Sunday I suspect I won't even be needed for that amount of time. Just basically from 4-5. I hope anyway.

Dallas is wanting to have Matthew come in tomorrow for the Sat. show so that he can work it with me watching him so I can have a day off (which it won't be much of one because I will have church, and I want so bad to call in sick for church but it's the first day of the new kids in my sunday school class and that just does not work). I'll just take what I get, but they are going to owe me big if I don't get a real day off soon.

ok i am really not impressed with this years group of singers. granted we only see a select few of the ones who get through, but so far there really haven't been really talented. (Though Lauren "Daddy's Girl" from Atlanta and John Steven's from New York were cool!)

Maybe Hawaii has more talent. *crosses fingers*

Though I did miss San Fran, my tape ran out *SIGH*

In better news, Aunt Judy is still figuring out all of the nifty details of our November trip to WALT DISNEY WORLD!!! *claps* 4 days of the park and 2 days to visit Sea World and Universal Studios!!! WOOT WOOT! I'm so psyched for this trip! :)

anyway just had to get that all out. Mom's being a real tool today so :p UGH!