My Happy Place

I have decided that this week is a good time to write about my happy place… Disneyland.  I have been asked on more than one occasion why I love spending so much time at Disneyland.  The answer to that is really difficult to put into words, but I will give it a try. 

There are the easy answers of course.  Disneyland is a beautiful place that is incredibly clean and well kept. The Cast Members are some of the most incredible, kind, and courteous people on the planet.  (to this day I am amazed at the level of guest service provided by the cast on each visit)  There are attractions that range from exciting and thrilling to quaint and classic.  There is great food and wonderful desserts.  Amazing shows, beautiful parades, and the most incredible fireworks are all part of a normal day.  There is also a sense of history and nostalgia; after all this was Walt’s park.  And on top of all of that, who doesn’t love the Disney characters?

All of that is only part of what makes Disneyland so special to me though.  It’s the things you can’t see.  Disneyland is about making memories and sharing the magic that is always present.  Part of what makes it so incredible is going there with the people I love.  Sharing that treasured time in such a wonderful place with friends and family is a feeling that cannot be explained.  Whether it was when my parents would put us in the car in the middle of the night and then wake us up when the Matterhorn was visible from the car, or enjoying a frozen banana with my Aunt Sarah on Main Street, or riding the new Little Mermaid attraction for the first time with my best friend; every visit I treasure and will remember my entire life because of the special “moments” that just magically happen at Disneyland.

When I am spending a day at Disneyland, the outside world fades away.  It is a complete escape from reality.  I don’t have to be a grown up.  It’s just pure fun, filled with wonderful moments and magical memories.  That’s why I love going to Disneyland.

Only in California

The state of California is an amazing place.  Those of you who know me know just how much this native Californian loves his state.  There is so much beauty, diversity, and acceptance; it truly is incredible.  Sometimes though I know that I take for granted just how special this place is and today I was reminded of that. 

Today my friend Marty and I took the drive up to Mt. Baldy.  Mt. Baldy is an hour drive and a world away.  Where else but California can you travel one hour and go from the Ocean to the top of a mountain reaching up to 10,000 feet that is covered with snow in the winter time, while at the same time overlooking the desert?

With that short drive we were taken to a whole other world.  We were one of only a few people on the mountain today and the only thing you could hear was the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.  A feeling of complete peace comes over you standing on top of the mountain listening to silence. 

Besides Mt. Baldy we have so many of these wonderful places of beauty in our state.  I hope everyone takes some time to get out and go to these places every once in a while to truly appreciate how lucky we are here.  I've included some pictures in the blog.  Enjoy. 

Patience Pays Off

When I was in the orchid business, I made my own orchid cross.  This is not an easy process.  Once you pollinate the flowers you have to wait as long as 6 months for the seed pod to develop.  Then the seeds have to be sent off to a laboratory to be germinated in a sterile agar solution in a sealed flask which takes another 6 months to a year.  Then the seedlings have to come out of the flask into community pots, then finally into individual pots where they will grow for a number of years before they are old enough to flower. 

Anyway, my grandmother held onto one of those seedlings from my cross.  She has been nurturing it on her windowsill in the kitchen all these years.  Last week, after 15 years of looking after that orchid, it bloomed for the first time.  I must say it is really beautiful.  Unfortunately over the years the name of the cross got lost.  My grandmother is so excited to see it bloom and she has been showing it off to everyone.  It makes me so happy to see her get so excited about this.  She is so proud of that orchid.  I am so proud of her.  Way to go Bama and thank you.  Here is the picture of the Cattleya orchid that I crossed and my Bama so lovingly raised over the last 15 years.  Enjoy. 

The Movie Going Experience

I am sure that some of you have heard about the theater in Texas that kicked a woman out for text messaging during the film and she called the theater and left them an angry (and crazy) voicemail.  The theater, The Alamo Drafthouse, has used her message as a PSA for not texting in theaters.  If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L3eeC2lJZs  (warning this is the uncensored version)

I say way to go Alamo Drafthouse!  Those of you who know me well know that I love going to the movies.  Going to see a film in a theater is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere.  It really does not get much better than enjoying some popcorn and Red Vines while allowing yourself to escape into another world for a couple of hours while watching a great film.  (although anymore great film is becoming rare but that is a topic for another blog post)  That being said however, I am finding it increasingly frustrating to go to the theater to see a movie.  Almost always now there are people in the auditorium talking and text messaging.  This distraction is not only rude, but it completely ruins the movie going experience. 

I really hope that the major theater chains learn from the example Alamo Drafthouse has set and begin enforcing zero tolerance policies for guests that disrupt the movie going experience.  In the meantime try to patronize theaters that do enforce no talking and text messaging policies such as ArcLight Cinemas here in Southern California.  I am also making a personal commitment that if someone is text messaging while I am watching a movie, that I not only say something to that individual, but I am also going to let theater management know so that they can become aware how frustrated their guests are becoming with this disruptive trend.  Maybe going to the movies can once again become an incredible distraction free experience. 

Welcome!

Thank you for checking out my new blog.  The last year has definitely been one of the most challenging that I have had emotionally and I have found myself at times really needing to express how I am feeling.  So I decided to start this blog. 

The topics on this blog will be completely random.  They might be about my feelings, politics, current events, places I've visited, things I've done, or anything else that pops into my mind. 

I hope that you will follow my blog and will enjoy reading it.  I also encourage lots of comments!