All together now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc
TRADITION!
TRADITION!
TRADITION!
I know, I know, I need to finish writing about everything that went on for my first day. But I've got to interject my writing with more writing because today I had Traditions.
Traditions, just so you know, is essentially a "welcome to Disney" class. It's an overview of the Company, as well as a business presentation on practices and standards, and since we get paid for it, it's our official start date too.
Today's fun began early for me. Very early. I had to catch a 6:45am bus for a class that started at 8am and lasted through noon. I'm not really a morning person. I like mornings, don't get me wrong, I just happen to like sleep a heck of a lot more. And since last night was the last my family and I would spend together for a couple of months, I got a bit of a late start on trying to go to bed.
Morning seemed to come all too quick, and before I knew it, my cell alarm was going off. I turned it off, and proceeded to stumble around the apartment in the most awkward of manners, trying to recall why I was up so early and what it was I needed to do. By myself, getting up early isn't too bad, but this morning I had a roommate to contend with and respect. I tried to be as quiet as I could, although I discovered we have a door that squeaks right before it's fully shut. Breakfast was a piece of bread with some peanut butter smeared on it. I would've had more, but I figured I should give myself fifteen minutes' worth of time to get out the door and to the bus stop, and time was just ticking by. Back through the squeaky door and into the room as quietly as I could. Brushing my teeth never sounded so loud. A quick change in the closet (why? I have no idea), and I grabbed my stuff and was on my way, only a minute or so behind.
As I rounded the corner, I noticed the Chatham fountain had soap bubbles in it.
Ah, the little things that remind you of home...
Three buses were waiting to take all of us smartly-dressed interns to wherever it was we were going. I boarded the second and soon we were on our way. Along the route, I switched from gym shoes to fancy shoes, figuring I wouldn't have made the walk to the bus stop otherwise.
I'm still new to the area, or at least new to paying attention to the area around Disney, but eventually I figured out where we were. Okay, so the giant sign welcoming us to Walt Disney World helped. I won't say exactly which park we were headed to, just in case Disney throws a fit, but I will say that while we were heading towards it, we ended up going around the side of it and into the back areas. There's space back there, no surprise, but it does seem a bit more normal as opposed to the rides and theme lands we'd just previously passed. There was a parking lot that was either under construction or is home to construction machines. To the left of the bus, tall barbed wire stands tall, keeping people out of the park unlike the first day Disneyland opened. To the right, the monorail lines disappear into a service bay. I saw a one or two-story building titled "Holiday Services" and figured that that was probably Halloween and Christmas central, to say the least.
Eventually we wound our way into the Cast Member lot, where I spotted another building (this called "Textile Services") before noticing we had arrived at a building with the words "Disney University" affixed to the front. The buses parked at a ninty degree angle to the building (so they could turn around) and we were told this was were we'd be picked up at the end.
At 7:09am, I stepped into Disney University and my first day of work.
The first thing I really noticed was that there was a quote from Walt on one of the walls to the left. It's the one that's at the end of Meet The Robinsons (go watch the movie, it's cute). The lot of us, a rather large group, were then immediately directed to the left and into the commissary. Vending machines and low seats were the norm, but I seem to remember some Disney artwork on the walls. Those of us who could get seats, did (I did), and everyone else was told to stand. After a few minutes, a Cast Member stood up and began separating the group. First, those going on a walk-through of the Magic Kingdom were sent out, then we were put into groups depending on the numbers on the back of our program booklets. I followed a guy named Ty out into the rest of the building. It's designed as a typical office building, with many little rooms behind doors, overhead spot lights shining on the walls and floor, which are neutral business colors of course.
But all along the walls were pictures: movie stills from animated and live action alike, blown-up copies of Walt's diagram for Disneyland, one entire wall was even dedicated to Beauty and The Beast, showing the synergy of the animated movie, tv shows, characters in parks, finally showing the Broadway show. Rounding the corner to the left, we stopped and were told to wait in line, while before us was a small table with two Cast Members. One was standing and taking your driver's license or other photo id. He'd find you on his list, and presuming you met the Disney Look standards (for this is what this was), he'd pass the license to the girl next to him, who would find you an ID. A few people weren't on the list and had to go back to the front desk to see if they were in the right place. One of them was told that while he was on his way, if he could please stop in the bathroom and wet his hair down a little. It was a little fluffed up.
Nervously I traveled down the line, but when I got up there, the guy took my driver's license, found me on the list, and proceeded to hand things over to his fellow Cast Member. But she'd spotted someone she knew and was in the middle of a hug-fest. Thus he handed me the items, and I headed inside Studio (classroom) 104. There, a guy was waiting next to a table, and I was instructed to find my name and then take a seat wherever I wanted. I looked down, and there before me were four or five rows of neatly-printed name tags. It took me a moment, but I found mine.
I was a little worried, since my tag listed my school instead of my town, and even then, it listed the school I had graduated from, not the school I had applied for the internship with. The guy had asked me if I had any problems, and when I mentioned this, he opened a little book, preparing to make corrections. But I asked if it really mattered, and when he said it didn't, I kept the tag and sat down.
The room was full of a handful of tables with chairs around them scattered through out the rooms. I took a seat, put on my pin, and lookd at the walls. One side was covered with line drawings of Disney animated characters, but in random places, a box covered a section of them, and within these boxes there was color. I saw characters such as Flik and the Circus Bugs, Chip, Dale, Turk, Tarzan, the cows from Home On The Range (never saw), Buzz and Woody, Jim and B.E.N. from Treasure Planet, and, I'm pretty sure, at least Goofy and Donald, although the presentatios we watched had characters featured too, so it's kind of a blend.
Eventually our group was all seated, and Traditions began. We were welcomed profusely by our Cast Member instructors: Jami and Kellee. I was a little amused when they introduced themselves, because Kellee's from Kansas City, MO, and Jami's from Orlando. Disney runs in locations too apparently. We began by discovering that participation in today's class would earn us little prizes, little plastic Disney figurines to be exactly. People were awarded Donalds and Goofys and Plutos which, my Mom informs me, is a management thing to do, but it did catch people's interest. The icebreaker was first, of course, and the workbooks we were provided had a page to write down the names, hometowns, and roles of each of the people sitting at our tables. I met Tiffany - working Quick Service in Adventureland, David - Custodial in Epcot, and Heidi - Lifeguarding at the All Star Resorts. Then it was learning time.
Traditions covered three areas of the Disney Company: past, present, and future. We worked our way along a power point, watching videos in-between. Cast Members were invited to share Disney memories with each other at one point, and Tiffany told her story of being four and waiting in line for over an hour to meet Beast. When she finally met him, he was so huge, his hug engulfed her. She came back to her parents absolutely amazed.
I enjoyed the video on the history of the Company, especially when they glossed over Eisner and how he eventually got voted out. No mention of his leaving, just "In xxxx year, Bob Iger became the new C.E.O...."
It was pretty neat to hear that this was now part of our history too. I mean, all this stuff is already a part of my history, but it's nice to hear the Company officially acknowledge it.
I also had a proud Hermione moment or two. One of the instructors asked us where Walt was born. My hand shot up and I said Chicago. "Good! VERY good! Most people think it's Marceline, MO" was the reply. And later, "Animal Kingdom opened on April 28, 1999. What else is special about this day?" I waited a moment, then my hand went up, "It's Earth Day."
I know, I know, I'm such a dork :P
Breaks were scheduled between the segments, which was good because I was starving. I went back to the commissary and got myself some vending machine Sun Chips for $.95. Guess Disney pricing follows you everywhere too. I also found the Company D store, which is a place for Cast Members to shop for discounts. I wanted to take a look, but we had more to do. Plus, I spotted Yankee Candles, so I figured maybe I could wait a bit. I can find those in my mall, and arranged them at Hallmark...plus we can't have them at the apartments anyway. But I still want to check out the store.
The "present" portion was all business stuff. Disney's equal opportunity, they have guidelines, they don't want you to be harrassed... actually, the harrassement video was pretty funny. I know it's a serious subject, even the Cast Members acknowledged it, but the video's just so poorly done. Delivery men hitting on secretaries to pose nude for magazines, one guy insulting another's sexuality, a guy doing WAY too much of an over-share, talking about his wife wearing ratty t-shirts, nothing fun any more.
Future was about Disney standards and practices, since we're the future of the Company. They also went into a little more detail about what an opportunity this internship is. We can network with people, we have stuff to put on our resumes, plus we get into the parks...wait for it...for free!
All in all, a very awesome class.
There's more to tell, but it's definitely time for bed. Now I've got the first day AND the after-Traditions updates. And the day in-between! But first...sleep.
Why did the song "Bet On It" pop into my head?
Maybe it's all that Disney promotional material we watched.
It's sinking in...
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
On-boarding
Disney.
I'm sitting in my new apartment, lights off, watching Man Versus Wild and listening to my roommate talk to her boyfriend and my other roommates chat in the kitchen.
It's like living at college all over again.
I don't have much time to write, as usual, but since today was a rather big day, I feel you're owed at least something of an entry. So let's begin...
This morning, I was the second one up, which is amazing because it usually takes a sonic boom to get me out of bed. Wait, scratch that, I've slept through a sonic boom. Of course, it took a half hour of rolling around and listening to jabbering morning television, but eventually I got up. While I dressed, my Mom, who seems to always be the first one up, managed to rouse the rest of my family. Sleepily, we headed downstairs to the Holiday Inn Express' continentental breakfast. Nothing too amazing, but I had delicious sausage and had a yogurt spit at me when I opened it.
I found myself amused watching the people around me. Behind me was a tv with the Disney Channel playing (of course). Special Agent Oso was on and I couldn't help but watch as people randomly became entranced with the show. Even my family was swept in, my Dad wondering why Oso was teaching three year olds how to make pancakes and my Mom wondering why Oso is yellow and green. My Dad said it was jaundice from all the drinking.
We headed back upstairs and I tried to grab all my items scattered around the room. I left the food, and Mom and I headed out toward the car, Dad and my sister following soon after. Although I was tired and would've rather gone back to bed, it was beginning to dawn on me what was going to happen today: I was going to become a Disney Cast Member. I was starting to feel a little nervous.
My roommate Alex had called me earlier in the morning to tell me she was going to arrive by 8:30am. I had aimed to live a little early too, so as to make the nine o'clock starting time. Needless to say, the drive to Vista Way had taken just a little longer than usual (traffic). We arrived, my Mom and I in one car, my Dad and sister behind us, and found ourselves having to navigate around the unfamiliar complex. There were signs, of course, and Cast Members directing traffic. I was a little worried about one Cast Member: with my window open, I could hear her directing the car in front of us, and when we pulled up, she repeated the directions in the exact same voice. And then did it again to my Dad and sister. It was like being in the queue for a ride and hearing the same sound track repeated over and over again. Creepy.
I wonder if they train you to do that.
Winding our way on the roads through the close beige complexes, we finally found parking spaces, mine opening up when a nice guy removed a yellow cone blocking a space. From there, my family retraced our path, walking together in the humidity, already building in the early morning. I called Alex trying to figure out where she was waiting for me. We had spotted a white tent full of people that I had presumed was the check-in area, but it turned out to be a tent for family and friends. Proceeding onward, we went around a gentle curve in the road and found a building swarming with teens. I kept walking, past a slow moving family, and turned just in time to hear a Cast Member tell my family they couldn't go any further and would have to go back to the tent. "Bye Kate!" my Mom called, and I was off.
Walking up to the building, which was one story and had "Welcome!" posters featuring classic-style Disney characters, I encountered three or four Cast Members, two standing, the others sitting at a table. I waited behind a person who had walked up before me, and heard her being asked her name. We were getting name tags, but not the officially official Disney ones. Just white oval stickers upon which our first names were written in black sharpie. We were told to put them on our left side, turn to the left, and follow the red carpet. I didn't quite notice the carpet until I was almost off of it. I was busy being distracted by the large group of people I saw before me. It was an outdoor area in the shape of half a hexagon. There was a low metal divider guiding newcomers to the left side, past what looked like a giant postcard featuring the classic characters and welcoming us to Disney (near Donald was the phrase "I'm here and you're not". To my right, beneath a celing of fans, were tables where small groups of people stood, grabbing pens laying in the center and filling out paperwork. Beyond them, in typical Disney fashion, lay a huge line of people winding its way into a building. Over the din of chatter, a dj pumped loud beats.
At the end of the divider, a Cast Member stood, greeting people, answering questions, and handing out thick paper books. She spotted me, said hello and smiled (in Disney fashion), and handed me one of the books. I was instructed to fill it out and the paperwork within. On-boarding had begun.
And that's where I've got to leave it for tonight. More tomorrow, hopefully, but for now, sleep once again is definitely a good idea.
I'm sitting in my new apartment, lights off, watching Man Versus Wild and listening to my roommate talk to her boyfriend and my other roommates chat in the kitchen.
It's like living at college all over again.
I don't have much time to write, as usual, but since today was a rather big day, I feel you're owed at least something of an entry. So let's begin...
This morning, I was the second one up, which is amazing because it usually takes a sonic boom to get me out of bed. Wait, scratch that, I've slept through a sonic boom. Of course, it took a half hour of rolling around and listening to jabbering morning television, but eventually I got up. While I dressed, my Mom, who seems to always be the first one up, managed to rouse the rest of my family. Sleepily, we headed downstairs to the Holiday Inn Express' continentental breakfast. Nothing too amazing, but I had delicious sausage and had a yogurt spit at me when I opened it.
I found myself amused watching the people around me. Behind me was a tv with the Disney Channel playing (of course). Special Agent Oso was on and I couldn't help but watch as people randomly became entranced with the show. Even my family was swept in, my Dad wondering why Oso was teaching three year olds how to make pancakes and my Mom wondering why Oso is yellow and green. My Dad said it was jaundice from all the drinking.
We headed back upstairs and I tried to grab all my items scattered around the room. I left the food, and Mom and I headed out toward the car, Dad and my sister following soon after. Although I was tired and would've rather gone back to bed, it was beginning to dawn on me what was going to happen today: I was going to become a Disney Cast Member. I was starting to feel a little nervous.
My roommate Alex had called me earlier in the morning to tell me she was going to arrive by 8:30am. I had aimed to live a little early too, so as to make the nine o'clock starting time. Needless to say, the drive to Vista Way had taken just a little longer than usual (traffic). We arrived, my Mom and I in one car, my Dad and sister behind us, and found ourselves having to navigate around the unfamiliar complex. There were signs, of course, and Cast Members directing traffic. I was a little worried about one Cast Member: with my window open, I could hear her directing the car in front of us, and when we pulled up, she repeated the directions in the exact same voice. And then did it again to my Dad and sister. It was like being in the queue for a ride and hearing the same sound track repeated over and over again. Creepy.
I wonder if they train you to do that.
Winding our way on the roads through the close beige complexes, we finally found parking spaces, mine opening up when a nice guy removed a yellow cone blocking a space. From there, my family retraced our path, walking together in the humidity, already building in the early morning. I called Alex trying to figure out where she was waiting for me. We had spotted a white tent full of people that I had presumed was the check-in area, but it turned out to be a tent for family and friends. Proceeding onward, we went around a gentle curve in the road and found a building swarming with teens. I kept walking, past a slow moving family, and turned just in time to hear a Cast Member tell my family they couldn't go any further and would have to go back to the tent. "Bye Kate!" my Mom called, and I was off.
Walking up to the building, which was one story and had "Welcome!" posters featuring classic-style Disney characters, I encountered three or four Cast Members, two standing, the others sitting at a table. I waited behind a person who had walked up before me, and heard her being asked her name. We were getting name tags, but not the officially official Disney ones. Just white oval stickers upon which our first names were written in black sharpie. We were told to put them on our left side, turn to the left, and follow the red carpet. I didn't quite notice the carpet until I was almost off of it. I was busy being distracted by the large group of people I saw before me. It was an outdoor area in the shape of half a hexagon. There was a low metal divider guiding newcomers to the left side, past what looked like a giant postcard featuring the classic characters and welcoming us to Disney (near Donald was the phrase "I'm here and you're not". To my right, beneath a celing of fans, were tables where small groups of people stood, grabbing pens laying in the center and filling out paperwork. Beyond them, in typical Disney fashion, lay a huge line of people winding its way into a building. Over the din of chatter, a dj pumped loud beats.
At the end of the divider, a Cast Member stood, greeting people, answering questions, and handing out thick paper books. She spotted me, said hello and smiled (in Disney fashion), and handed me one of the books. I was instructed to fill it out and the paperwork within. On-boarding had begun.
And that's where I've got to leave it for tonight. More tomorrow, hopefully, but for now, sleep once again is definitely a good idea.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Disney
I made it!
And I got free chocolate!
Tomorrow's the check-in day. More information then. For now, sleep definitely seems like a good idea.
But if you're looking for something to read...
Man Convicted of Groping Minnie Mouse
AP
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 11) - A 60-year-old man has been convicted of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.
John William Moyer of Cressona, Pa., told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman.
He was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.
The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
2009-08-11 16:26:18
And the caption beneath the picture of Minnie:
A 60-year-old tourist has been convicted of groping Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The cherished cartoon character is seen here in happier days.
...
Good night.
And I got free chocolate!
Tomorrow's the check-in day. More information then. For now, sleep definitely seems like a good idea.
But if you're looking for something to read...
Man Convicted of Groping Minnie Mouse
AP
ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 11) - A 60-year-old man has been convicted of groping a woman in a Minnie Mouse costume at Walt Disney World.
John William Moyer of Cressona, Pa., told the judge he is innocent. His son said before sentencing that his father would never inappropriately touch a woman.
He was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor battery and sentenced to write the victim an apology, serve 180 days probation and complete 50 hours of community service. Moyer must also pay $1,000 in court costs and possibly undergo a mental evaluation.
The victim says she had to do everything possible to keep Moyer's hands off her breasts.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
2009-08-11 16:26:18
And the caption beneath the picture of Minnie:
A 60-year-old tourist has been convicted of groping Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. The cherished cartoon character is seen here in happier days.
...
Good night.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cordele or bust
Time for another postcard post!
Last one up this morning. Went to Waffle House. OMG happiness. Started driving around 9:50am. Sky cloudy with humid shades of white, grey, blue. Drive through Nashville and just keep going. Attempted to find Bug Scuffle this time around. Still no luck. Maybe too far south? Hit the mountains in Tennessee. Rest stop had bug-infested tables, but beautiful lake/mountain view. Had a sweet tea and a salad from Wendy's. Stopped by a Truett's and learned the origins of Chick-Fil-A. Baptism by fire into Atlanta's rush hour traffic. Nothing but driving after that, with more-than-occassional construction. Saw signs for Orlando Discount Tickets right along with Adult Superstores. Finally made it to Cordele. Ate at Captain D's. Sweet employee gave my sister and I some food. At hotel, trying to finish Disney on-boarding paperwork. Dad was watching show about baboons, now we're on to the space program.
As with yesterday's post, I'll write more later. I do have another question that needs answering. While my family and I were eating dinner, we began to wonder how it is that Disney gets all of its Guests out of the park at the end of a long day. Another thing to learn!
Last one up this morning. Went to Waffle House. OMG happiness. Started driving around 9:50am. Sky cloudy with humid shades of white, grey, blue. Drive through Nashville and just keep going. Attempted to find Bug Scuffle this time around. Still no luck. Maybe too far south? Hit the mountains in Tennessee. Rest stop had bug-infested tables, but beautiful lake/mountain view. Had a sweet tea and a salad from Wendy's. Stopped by a Truett's and learned the origins of Chick-Fil-A. Baptism by fire into Atlanta's rush hour traffic. Nothing but driving after that, with more-than-occassional construction. Saw signs for Orlando Discount Tickets right along with Adult Superstores. Finally made it to Cordele. Ate at Captain D's. Sweet employee gave my sister and I some food. At hotel, trying to finish Disney on-boarding paperwork. Dad was watching show about baboons, now we're on to the space program.
As with yesterday's post, I'll write more later. I do have another question that needs answering. While my family and I were eating dinner, we began to wonder how it is that Disney gets all of its Guests out of the park at the end of a long day. Another thing to learn!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Bowling Green or bust
It's late. 12:40am Central to be exact, which is kind of funny since we were in Eastern for a while. Guess Days Inn offers many of the amenities of home, ne?
Anyway, since there is a leftover KFC biscuit to be had and some stretching out to do, I'll give the shortened version of today. Call it a postcard post:
Left late. Came home from last night's wedding and fell asleep instead of packing. Left at 11:43pm. Went to library, post office, then friend's house. Had to pick up shoes left there from yesterday. Pair of sneakers, really needed, Disney not foot friendly. Great amounts of driving. Great amounts of construction. Drove through/around big city for first time. Lunch at McDonalds, dinner at KFC in Kentucky. Reached Bowling Green after 9:30pm. Family and car taking a well-deserved rest.
When I have a little more time, I'll write a more complete post about the day. Or at least as much as one can write about a ten hour day consisting mostly of driving.
But there's one more thing before I go.
A month ago I had wondered where I would be today at 8:04pm. Although I was on Eastern time (so it sorta counts), at 8:04pm today I was just minutes south from the boundaries of Louisville and had run into yet another section of road construction. The shoulder of the road had become the left lane, and as we sped over the safety ridges, the resulting noise could only be equated to a rather large dog in an empty, echoing house, barking through a window. The safety barks carried through the frame of my car, immersing me in surround sound, and for a split second I was convinced there was a Doberman outside my door.
Yes, a dog outside my car at 70mph. That makes sense :P
But it was pitch perfect, which was pretty impressive. And interestingly enough, I Dream Of Jeanne's on right now, and it's an episode featuring dogs. Perhaps we've reached the Dog Days of summer?
Boo.
As for 8:04pm Central time? Unfortunately, my phone was in my pocket at the time, so I didn't quite note where I was, but I'm very sure I was driving, and possibly singing along with the radio.
And on that note, I'm off to finish that KFC biscuit and to go stretch out.
Anyway, since there is a leftover KFC biscuit to be had and some stretching out to do, I'll give the shortened version of today. Call it a postcard post:
Left late. Came home from last night's wedding and fell asleep instead of packing. Left at 11:43pm. Went to library, post office, then friend's house. Had to pick up shoes left there from yesterday. Pair of sneakers, really needed, Disney not foot friendly. Great amounts of driving. Great amounts of construction. Drove through/around big city for first time. Lunch at McDonalds, dinner at KFC in Kentucky. Reached Bowling Green after 9:30pm. Family and car taking a well-deserved rest.
When I have a little more time, I'll write a more complete post about the day. Or at least as much as one can write about a ten hour day consisting mostly of driving.
But there's one more thing before I go.
A month ago I had wondered where I would be today at 8:04pm. Although I was on Eastern time (so it sorta counts), at 8:04pm today I was just minutes south from the boundaries of Louisville and had run into yet another section of road construction. The shoulder of the road had become the left lane, and as we sped over the safety ridges, the resulting noise could only be equated to a rather large dog in an empty, echoing house, barking through a window. The safety barks carried through the frame of my car, immersing me in surround sound, and for a split second I was convinced there was a Doberman outside my door.
Yes, a dog outside my car at 70mph. That makes sense :P
But it was pitch perfect, which was pretty impressive. And interestingly enough, I Dream Of Jeanne's on right now, and it's an episode featuring dogs. Perhaps we've reached the Dog Days of summer?
Boo.
As for 8:04pm Central time? Unfortunately, my phone was in my pocket at the time, so I didn't quite note where I was, but I'm very sure I was driving, and possibly singing along with the radio.
And on that note, I'm off to finish that KFC biscuit and to go stretch out.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Two weeks to Disney!!
Two weeks until Disney.
Is it me, or did this happen sort of quickly?
In my defense, I have been more than a little occupied these days. There's weddings afoot, which means I've been trying to go through library books on being a bridesmaid just so I have some clue as to what it is I'm supposed to do. I've also been trying to figure out where to buy a gold chain. Just a simple gold chain, nothing else. This is for my friend Anjali's wedding which is coming up in just a week and a half. Though the ceremony's going to be Catholic and held in a Church, Anjali and us bridesmaids will be wearing saris, and it has been requested that if the bridesmaids are going to wear jewelry, it's going to have to be gold.
I'm a silver person. Not that I have anything against gold, I just prefer silver more. Thus, I'm on a hunt for something gold to wear. Not so surprisingly, a lot of the stuff I've seen in Claire's and After Thoughts isn't necessarily going to work for the wedding. Too...teenage clubish? And anywhere else I've gone tends to charge a little on the higher side, even for a plain chain.
But this doesn't have much to do with Disney...
What DOES have to do with Disney, and has also been a time-waster, has been my hunt for a netbook. I've weighed the options (ok, thought about them...a little), and determined that it would be in my best interest to bring a computer with me to Disney. The desktop won't be going, no way do I want to lug it down there, and as I learned from my year dorming at college, computers in a computer lab are great to have, but are also for public use, not in a private location, not yours to mess around with, etc etc.
I have a laptop, but it's in a weird Zombiefyed (or perhaps, more popularly, Vampirefyed) state where it won't recognize the operating system and won't turn on, but if you leave it alone for a month and a half and don't touch it, it'll work fine. Is it living? Is it dead? It's not gonna work for Disney, that's for sure. So I need a computer to bring with me.
Back in October, once I had gotten back from my Disney trip, I had talked to my friend Dan and told him how I'd tried to send myself text messages to keep track of what I had done each day in the parks (I DID mention I was a Disney dork, right?). I felt the text messages worked well as little outlines, but didn't really suffice as a way to write about all that I was experiencing. Dan then suggested a neat little contraption called a netbook, which is portable like a laptop, but smaller, lighter, and not meant to be the most amazingly powerful computer around (i.e. cheaper!).
That caught my interest, and when I finally agreed to head down to Disney, I figured a netbook'd be the right thing to bring with me. I could keep in contact with home, do work for classes, and even entertain myself with the internet (may I humbly suggest http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec or http://www.youtube.com/user/JeepersMedia for your time-eating pleasure?).
But alas, the hunt for the right one has been "difficult" as I've mentioned to Dan. Mostly, it's been the price. I won't go into all the little details, but let's just say weddings + Disney + college loans = where'd my money go? I was thisclose to buying one yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, Best Buy was out of stock. In an even bigger twist, three other stores in the area maybe had one left in stock, but otherwise everyone was sold out, and there was nothing being sent out from the warehouse for the next couple of weeks at least.
Perhaps I'm rushing in to this just a little bit. The guy at Best Buy did suggest that maybe I go with a laptop instead, and found me one for roughly the same price as the netbook. And while I appreciated that, I guess I was just a little more set on the netbook, although now I've got to look at other options. My Mom's also asked me why I don't just wait a little while until funds pick up and get it then. But the way I'm seeing it, if I go to Disney without a computer, I'll learn to adapt to the sans computer lifestyle. Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, especially seeing as Disney does provide computer labs for people to use. That was what I did back in college. But I was also going home every weekend in college, and had many of my friends living on campus too. I also had a single with my own tv, so entertainment was all of my own choosing.
One thing's for sure though - in two weeks, I'll know whether or not I brought a computer to Disney.
Dan's actually got a roommate who's leaving for a 6 month deployment soon, and I couldn't help but think of the slight similarity between his roommate and myself. When I asked how his roommate's reacting, Dan replied:
Dan: the same wayone prepares for dissappearing on a ship for 6 months
Dan: he's pretty much left emotions behind and is going through the motions
Dan: he's distant depressed and withdrawn
Oh boy.
It's funny, in a way, because as opposed to Steve the roommate, here I am pondering over netbooks and gold chains, and not really giving any thought as to where I'll been soon. I mean, I know I'll be an absolute emotional basket case the day I leave home; it's just my way. And today I went with Ralph to the zoo, and once I got home, I felt a slight twinge of sadness, thinking that today may have been the last time we'll spend time together before I leave. But obviously there's a HUGE difference between being deployed for the protection and safety of the nation, and doing a college internship at Disney.
Dan's response to my less-than-thrilled reaction to what potentially could be me in any number of days?
Dan: you'll be fine
Dan: just look forward and keep your head high, y'know
Simple. And it works so well.
In any case, two weeks from now, I should be somewhere on Disney property. Will I be getting settled in? Perhaps still at the meet and greet dinner? Who knows? In the mean time, I really should get back to attempting to start to clean my room. I did manage unearth a bit of floor yesterday, which was promptly covered up when I unloaded everything off my bed to get some sleep. And my To-Disney pile downstairs has grown a little, although the selection of items is growing tentacle-like outward from the tub base like some weird garage sale octopus. Packing, by way of using my mad Tetris skillz, should soon be up next.
Maybe I'll just go read for a bit :P
Is it me, or did this happen sort of quickly?
In my defense, I have been more than a little occupied these days. There's weddings afoot, which means I've been trying to go through library books on being a bridesmaid just so I have some clue as to what it is I'm supposed to do. I've also been trying to figure out where to buy a gold chain. Just a simple gold chain, nothing else. This is for my friend Anjali's wedding which is coming up in just a week and a half. Though the ceremony's going to be Catholic and held in a Church, Anjali and us bridesmaids will be wearing saris, and it has been requested that if the bridesmaids are going to wear jewelry, it's going to have to be gold.
I'm a silver person. Not that I have anything against gold, I just prefer silver more. Thus, I'm on a hunt for something gold to wear. Not so surprisingly, a lot of the stuff I've seen in Claire's and After Thoughts isn't necessarily going to work for the wedding. Too...teenage clubish? And anywhere else I've gone tends to charge a little on the higher side, even for a plain chain.
But this doesn't have much to do with Disney...
What DOES have to do with Disney, and has also been a time-waster, has been my hunt for a netbook. I've weighed the options (ok, thought about them...a little), and determined that it would be in my best interest to bring a computer with me to Disney. The desktop won't be going, no way do I want to lug it down there, and as I learned from my year dorming at college, computers in a computer lab are great to have, but are also for public use, not in a private location, not yours to mess around with, etc etc.
I have a laptop, but it's in a weird Zombiefyed (or perhaps, more popularly, Vampirefyed) state where it won't recognize the operating system and won't turn on, but if you leave it alone for a month and a half and don't touch it, it'll work fine. Is it living? Is it dead? It's not gonna work for Disney, that's for sure. So I need a computer to bring with me.
Back in October, once I had gotten back from my Disney trip, I had talked to my friend Dan and told him how I'd tried to send myself text messages to keep track of what I had done each day in the parks (I DID mention I was a Disney dork, right?). I felt the text messages worked well as little outlines, but didn't really suffice as a way to write about all that I was experiencing. Dan then suggested a neat little contraption called a netbook, which is portable like a laptop, but smaller, lighter, and not meant to be the most amazingly powerful computer around (i.e. cheaper!).
That caught my interest, and when I finally agreed to head down to Disney, I figured a netbook'd be the right thing to bring with me. I could keep in contact with home, do work for classes, and even entertain myself with the internet (may I humbly suggest http://www.youtube.com/user/Blendtec or http://www.youtube.com/user/JeepersMedia for your time-eating pleasure?).
But alas, the hunt for the right one has been "difficult" as I've mentioned to Dan. Mostly, it's been the price. I won't go into all the little details, but let's just say weddings + Disney + college loans = where'd my money go? I was thisclose to buying one yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, Best Buy was out of stock. In an even bigger twist, three other stores in the area maybe had one left in stock, but otherwise everyone was sold out, and there was nothing being sent out from the warehouse for the next couple of weeks at least.
Perhaps I'm rushing in to this just a little bit. The guy at Best Buy did suggest that maybe I go with a laptop instead, and found me one for roughly the same price as the netbook. And while I appreciated that, I guess I was just a little more set on the netbook, although now I've got to look at other options. My Mom's also asked me why I don't just wait a little while until funds pick up and get it then. But the way I'm seeing it, if I go to Disney without a computer, I'll learn to adapt to the sans computer lifestyle. Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing, especially seeing as Disney does provide computer labs for people to use. That was what I did back in college. But I was also going home every weekend in college, and had many of my friends living on campus too. I also had a single with my own tv, so entertainment was all of my own choosing.
One thing's for sure though - in two weeks, I'll know whether or not I brought a computer to Disney.
Dan's actually got a roommate who's leaving for a 6 month deployment soon, and I couldn't help but think of the slight similarity between his roommate and myself. When I asked how his roommate's reacting, Dan replied:
Dan: the same wayone prepares for dissappearing on a ship for 6 months
Dan: he's pretty much left emotions behind and is going through the motions
Dan: he's distant depressed and withdrawn
Oh boy.
It's funny, in a way, because as opposed to Steve the roommate, here I am pondering over netbooks and gold chains, and not really giving any thought as to where I'll been soon. I mean, I know I'll be an absolute emotional basket case the day I leave home; it's just my way. And today I went with Ralph to the zoo, and once I got home, I felt a slight twinge of sadness, thinking that today may have been the last time we'll spend time together before I leave. But obviously there's a HUGE difference between being deployed for the protection and safety of the nation, and doing a college internship at Disney.
Dan's response to my less-than-thrilled reaction to what potentially could be me in any number of days?
Dan: you'll be fine
Dan: just look forward and keep your head high, y'know
Simple. And it works so well.
In any case, two weeks from now, I should be somewhere on Disney property. Will I be getting settled in? Perhaps still at the meet and greet dinner? Who knows? In the mean time, I really should get back to attempting to start to clean my room. I did manage unearth a bit of floor yesterday, which was promptly covered up when I unloaded everything off my bed to get some sleep. And my To-Disney pile downstairs has grown a little, although the selection of items is growing tentacle-like outward from the tub base like some weird garage sale octopus. Packing, by way of using my mad Tetris skillz, should soon be up next.
Maybe I'll just go read for a bit :P
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