Blog Archives
Happy Monday!
It would be nice if life was drawn on pieces of paper in a notebook, where we controlled the pencil and its eraser.
Here’s to finding that pencil this Monday.
Happy Monday and Draw Yourself a Great Week!
Fun, USA
It’s summer, which means one thing: when are we going to Disney World and Universal Studios!?
My childhood experiences of flying down to Orlando, Florida for a family vacation or national sports competitions are memories I will cherish forever. Disney World and Universal Studios are truly magical places. From Mickey Mouse to Goofy to Cinderella and her iconic castle to “The Haunted Mansion” to “Space Mountain” to “ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter” to “Jurassic Park” to “The Incredible Hulk” (thank Mom) to “The Terminator” to “Jaws” to “Twister” to “ET” to “King King” to “It’s a Small World” to “Nickelodeon” to “Splash Mountain” to “Big Thunder Mountain” to “Peter Pan” to “Harry Potter” to “Back to the Future” to countless other rides and characteristics, theme parks in and around Orlando, Florida are unequivocally some of the best attractions in the world.
The atmospheres are unparalleled and are overwhelmingly amazing whether walking, running, eating, shopping, standing and sleeping. Simply the best.
Imaginations are deliberately intended to run wild and the smiles on the faces of the children and the adults prove the magic is captured inside everyone. As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing!”
Yes, it’s hot and the lines are long. However, it’s all part of the unforgettable experience and the notion that we’re all enjoying this together with our family, friends and joyous people from all across the country and the world.
While my schedule and monetary resources have restricted my chances of going to these amazing theme parks this summer, I do hope to make a glorious return soon.
I just love the omnipresent inspiration for a kid to be a kid and for adults to once again act like kids.
Visiting these theme parks like Disney World/Disney Land and Universal Studios (plus Islands of Adventure) provides us all with one of those rare moments in life when parents and children see the pure wonderment of the world through the same lens.
It’s okay to get older, just as long as you stay young at heart.
In certain circumstances though, it may require a $20 wager.
Top of the Eighth
“As a celebration of the magic of movies involving baseball, at least one scene from a different film will be posted each day for the next nine days…”
—From “Top of the First” March 28th
Imagine being back in middle school, one of the most uncomfortable phases in life. Your name is Henry Rowengartner. While hanging around the baseball field at school, one of the kids publicly makes fun of you for embarrassingly throwing a ball over the fence for a home run…for the other team! (tunnel vision can be a killer). He then instantaneously challenges you to catch a high soaring fly ball he hits into the sky in your direction. The girl of your dreams is watching in anticipation to see if you’ll redeem yourself. You start sprinting to make the heroic catch, but instead wildly trip on a stray baseball in the grass and land awkwardly, breaking your arm.
Ouch! In more ways than one…
This is the beginning of the movie, “Rookie of the Year.” After having a cast on into the beginning of summer, the day has arrived to remove the white hot compression box (speaking from personal experience).
“I’m looking for Henry Rulenfurter.
Henry Rowengartner?
Yeah.”
When I broke my arm and had to wear a cast during the summer of 1996, I didn’t subsequently pitch for the Chicago Cubs. Instead, I got the entire Mexican Olympic soccer team’s autographs, along with several other Olympians while in Atlanta for the XXVI Olympiad. However, the most treasured signing of all was “Carl the Scalper.” Why? He sold my Dad and me Dream Team tickets versus Lithuania!
“Starting at guard, number 6, Penny Hardaway!”
The lesson from all of this: Awkwardly break your arm, wear a cast in the summertime and amazing things will happen!
(Just kidding, but only kind of…)
We’re a Little Bit Normal…& A Lot Griswold
From a very young age this became a tradition,
exploring foreign lands became our mission
Christmas vacations with the family led us to thrilling locations,
and exposed us to new and different cultures of various nations
My Mom, Dad, two older sisters and I did this together,
and made the trek no matter the weather
These trips started with a cruise in the Caribbean on a boat so grand,
that gave us the joy of feeling the heat of the Christmas sun firsthand
Kauai was a beautiful place that was like heaven,
we even met Pierce Brosnan, that’s right, 007!
Alaska, Iceland, Norway and Sweden gave us all wintry chills,
riding into snow covered adventures over those magical hills
Some of our trips were to places surprisingly pretty,
like Ushuaia, also known as the world’s southern most city
One part of the world had a special kind of allure and power,
unknown to most, including, at this point, Matt Lauer
It was a hotel made completely of ice,
including the bed, which was a definite roll of the dice
Here I tasted lingonberry juice for the first time while standing in snow,
in a block made of, well, you know
But alas, there is more to our journeys than snowmobiles and a sleigh ride,
like the wonderful food we excitedly tried
There was that night we broke bread with some Norwegians,
whilst getting a crash course in eating tendencies of the Scandinavian regions
One dish, two dish, three dish four-five and six,
together we desperately wondered, “how much more will they fix?”
Yet if you think this was a crazy dinner to be at,
wait until you read what, or who, I’ve kept hidden under the vacation meal hat…
There was one dinner I will never forget that ended with an uncomfortable recognition,
the main course was reindeer…I think you will excuse the following omission
Some hilariously inappropriate jokes have been told and a few you wouldn’t believe,
Like my Dad once telling a customs agent about where we were all conce—
Nevertheless, traveling is a bit of an art for my family, oh my,
Like strolling through freezing Beijing for eight hours that left me pleading, “but why?”
The answer was not found in the worn soles of my shoes,
but instead right in front of me with countless breathtaking views
Whether by car, train, plane or walking a long street,
How we arrived on time at these places was always a feat
Egypt, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Bali and Dubai,
each celebrating with festive spirit as majestic as Versailles
A good deal of our family’s traveling occurred during this time of year,
which always got us inspired and full of cheer
This family tradition led us into multiple passports with stamps galore,
with continents at 7 and thirty to forty countries we’ve come to adore
Memories were created that will last forever,
and when I have a family, I hope they too will enjoy this yearly endeavor!
Merry Christmas!!!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 