WDW 9/7/07 - Day 2

With Day 1 behind me, I now head into Day 2.

For several reasons I slept in and got up around 10. After getting up and getting ready I jumped in the car and headed off towards the Magic Kingdom. My first intended destination was the Contemporary, so I had to decided just where to park. Since I was able to get park in the row closest to the TTC (at 11:00, no less!!!), I just stayed there.

As I was headed to the Contemporary, I made the very short walk to the resort monorail. As we arrived at the Contemporary, I got a couple photos of the “already known as-but yet to be officially confirmed by Disney” Contemporary DVC construction. As it had been awhile since I spent much time in the Contemporary, I decided to take the opportunity to look around and take a few photos. In addition to the DVC construction, there were several other projects going on inside. The biggest is a new gift store location on the 4th floor. One of the other projects was a temporary (well, temporary, as in for a year or so) quick service food location near the Concourse Steakhouse and Chef Mickeys.


Soon the time arrived for the real reason why I was at the Contemporary…lunch with Steve Barrett. Steve is one of several Disney authors donating book to our wish kids. Since it was time to start receiving books, I thought it a good idea to meet up with Steve to save the shipping costs. Steve had “secured” an ADR for 1:00pm at the Concourse Steakhouse for 5. Why 5, you ask? Well, in addition to Steve and myself, was Bill from mickeynews.com and his wife Donna.

***I want to pause for a moment to give a shout out to Steve and his blog over at All Ears. His most recent entry includes our lunch and time at the Magic Kingdom. He also plugs my weight loss and fund-raising efforts for Make-A-Wish. THANKS STEVE!!!!***

The restaurant was literally empty so we pretty much could take as long as we wanted; which was good because the food and service was sometimes slow. Bill is doing some of Steve’s investigative work for reported Hidden Mickeys so they had plenty to discuss over lunch. At one point Steve left the table. We were starting to get worried at the amount of time he had been gone when he comes back with 3 brand new copies of his recent 3rd edition Hidden Mickeys book…that he just bought. Think about that for a second.

After a long lunch, it was time to do something else. We decided to walk to the Magic Kingdom since Bill was wanting to get some photos of the newly opened Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Cinderella Castle and, for me, Night of Joy was only a few hours away. We walked down Main Street looking at a few things and then made our way to the Liberty Square bridge from the hub. We took the “out of the way” walkway up by the Cinderella fountain to get to the back side of the Castle. While Bill was getting his photos, Steve and I talked about Hidden Mickeysand FL vs CA differences. After Bill was done I asked Steve if he could show me the Hidden Mickey in the Peter Pan’s Flight sign. It’s one of those that can take a minute or two to actually see it.


In the stack of reported Hidden Mickeys was one during the second lift hill in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. As we made our way to BTMR, Steve pointed out a couple of HMs in Liberty Square, one of which may be the smallest HM I’ve ever seen…1/8 of an inch at the most. The photo doesn’t do it justice. As we got close to BTMR we got to see the interesting sight of Splash Mountain with no water coming down the drop. There were a couple of Cast Members “on the mountain” looking serious about what they were doing. I was looking forward to riding Splash after dark, but oh well? We get to BTMR and are surprised that the wait is only 10 minutes (most of which is the time it takes to walk the queue line). We are soon on the train with cameras in hand to try to capture the reported HM. None of us saw any sign of the HM (including the 3 other times I rode). But Steve did show us the Hidden Tinkerbell in the rocks along the exit.


After BTMR Donna met back up with us as they needed to head off somewhere else. It was also getting close to closing time (6pm, with Night of Joy starting at 7:30) so I walked with Steve back towards Main Street. As we got to Casey’s we wished each other well and parted ways. I made a quick pit stop and made it to Laugh Floor just in time to catch the “last” show of the day (It was not listed in the open attractions for Night of Joy, but was open during both nights of NoJ). This was my first time seeing Laugh Floor and enjoyed the show but could still see a couple of technical areas that need some work.

After Laugh Floor, I took a shot break with a spicy cheese pretzel and Coke from The Launching Pad. At this point the sequence of events gets fuzzy as the numerous trip aboard the many rides run together. While I don’t remember the sequence I did ride the following…. Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, TTA, Pooh, Snow White, Peter Pan, Dumbo (yes! Dumbo!!), Mickey’s Philarmagic, Splash Mountain (yes, it was back open….in full super soaker mode!!), BTMR and Pirates….and walked on ALL OF THEM!!! :-D Speaking of Pirates…as many of you know Pirates has two queue lines (left & right). Pirates is always an interesting study in human behavior. Even though both sides may be open, people just seem to follow the person in front of them. This was one of those times. I saw the 20-30 people in front of me all go to the right side. I asked if the left side was open (which it was), and made my into the left side queue. All the while I’m expecting to catch up with the line, but I get to the loading station and was greeted with cheers from the Cast Members. ( Seems like it had been a few minutes since they had seen anyone on their side.) I get the first row and wait for others to board…but no one. I had the boat to myself. Meanwhile, the boat in front and behind me (both from the right queue line) were packed!!

At this point the focus shifts to the Night of Joy activities. I started off the night with a few minutes of the David Crowder Band on the Castle Forecourt stage. I then make my way over to the Fantasyland stage for Barlow Girl. After Barlow Girl’s first set I have a few minutes to do a couple attractions before the next performances start. I catch little bit more of Barlow Girl at the beginning of their second set at 8:45 then make a quick stop in at Cosmic Ray’s for a minute or two of Jessie Daniels then head back over to the Castle stage to catch a little of Chris Tomlin. At this point there is a break before the next performances start at 10:20 & 10:30. I take the opportunity to do most of the Fantasyland rides.


As I exit Snow White, Jaci Velasquez had just started her 10:20 set. I catch a good 30 minutes of Jaci. Now, at this point I have say a few words about Jaci. I can remember when Jaci come on the Contemporary Christian scene at just 15 years old. It’s hard to believe that she is now 27!! So, not only is she 27, she was VERY pregnant….30+ weeks pregnant. For those that don’t know Jaci, she has a deep Latin heritage and has released several Spanish albums. With that Latin influence, she does a lot a dancing on stage. Think about that for sec….a woman 30+ weeks pregnant dancing around a stage!! But, she didn't miss a beat and performed both of her 2 sets of the night. For me, Jaci’s performance was the highlight of the night.


After Jaci I headed over to the Galaxy Palace Theater for a quick minute of Brian Littrell. Until recently, I had no idea who Brian was, but let’s say the thousands crammed in to see him knew exactly who he is. Ever heard of the Backstreet Boys? Yes, those Backstreet Boys!! My chuckle of the night came when he started to sing the “old” Backstreet Boys song “I Want it That Way!!”. Oh…teenybopper heaven!!


About this point my feet are really starting to talk to me, so I start to make my way back to the car. I empty out the locker and turn in the key for my $2 deposit. Speaking of locker, I was surprised to find out that locker rental is “included” with special events. Instead of the normal $7 for a locker (with 2 of the 7 considered a deposit that is refunded when you return the key), I only had to pay the $2 deposit. Who knew?? Anyway, as I exit I am handed a free CD of artists performing at NoJ.

So, how do I get back to the car…choices, choices. When the crowds are bad, I’ll normally head to the resort monorail. But, since I was leaving before the mass exit it didn’t really matter. So, as I like to do when I want to feel “alone” in a crowd, I picked the top deck of the ferry for the trip back to the TTC. It just seems to give me a peaceful end to a wonderful day...after 7 miles of walking!

Monday Update - 24 SEP 2007

305.5

This Week: +2.0 lb
September Total: 1.0 lb
Total: 35.0 lb

Hmmmm.....up 2 this week? I'm not real sure what to make of it. I would like to say it's a water issue and will be back down tomorrow, but I don't have that feeling today. If I had to give some sort of reason for it I would say that I didn't make the best food choices and didn't adjust my eating considering the reduction in exercise. Because, believe it or not, you can't continue to eat the same way, stop exercising and expect to not gain weight.

52:23

That, my friends is my time in the School House 5k on Saturday. Well, at least the "recorded" time. As I expected I was at the back of the pack. But, I wasn't last!!!

After just the first 1/2 mile I watch the dust of all the ones in front of me run out of sight believing that I was bringing up the rear in last. As I approached the 1 mi mark I "knew" I was last, but didn't get down about it, mainly because I expected it and was just focused on doing the best I could do and finish under my goal of 55 minutes. When I reached the 1 mi mark the volunteer called out the split time at the same time my Garmin hit the 1 mi auto-lap. And that split time...14:59!!! Yes, a sub 15 minute mile! That sounds like a big improvement over my fastest mile but there is an explanation for it I will get to in another post.

About 5 minutes after I passes the 1 mi mark a woman started to pass me and I thought she was just somebody just out walking but as she got next to me I saw her race bib. At first I thought "WOW, I wasn't last, But I am now." She then told me there were 2 more behind her. "Yeah, I'm still not last!"

At one point those 2 got to within 30 yards of me....especially after I took a wrong turn. Yes, you read that right, I took a wrong turn in a race with the course marked on the road. However, some of the arrows were hard to see unless you were on top of them, and they were not always on the same side of the road. When I made the wrong turn I looked for the arrow on the right side of the road (as were all the other arrows), but in this case it was a left hand turn so the arrow was on the left side of the road. It didn't take me long to have that "this isn't right" feeling as I knew there was supposed to be a hill right after I turned onto that road. It was when I turned around and saw the hill that I knew what I had done wrong. That and seeing Mike (mgreene in the comments) coming down the hill from his 2mi mark outpost.

I make my way back on course and up the hill to the 2 mile mark. Ah, finally the 2 mile mark!! The best thing about the 2 mi mark is not that it marks the almost 2/3 point but because it is right at the highest elevation on the course and is all down hill for the final 1.11 mi. I took advantage of the down hill and ran for a couple minutes to cushion my "lead". Soon after I went back to walking, Mike caught up with me for the trip back to the finish line. Even though the last mile is down hill, it was almost the hardest. Not because of being tired or sore, but because the last 1/2-3/4 mi wasn't shaded and the heat was starting to become an issue (it was in the mid 80s at the finish).

So, I've now done my first race. I haven't yet gone back to the GPS log to figure out my real time...minus the wrong turn...and forgetting to hit stop when I finished. I actually think my real time might be sub 50:00. On top of the 5k, we had our company picnic Saturday. So, my legs are a little stiff and sore today, but will be back to normal soon. I am actually looking forward to tomorrow morning when I plan to get out and truly train for the next race. I now have something to go by as a comparison as I train. While improving my overtime is obviously a goal my real goal right now is to increase my running stamina. I have this 2-2.5 minute wall I hit in my running segments when I just feel like I have to stop and go back to walking. There no pain involved, just some fatigue. After a few minutes walk I can do another 2 minute run. I just need to push down the wall and start to increase my running segments.

And finally....this week is setting up to be something magical. The most exciting thing is the wish party this Friday. (Wow, its hard to believe its already here!!) Also this week I should be getting a check from Trideum for the employee match from August donations. That check will put us over the $5,000 mark in received donations!!!! Then, on top of that, I hope to finish the month with a good week and ultimately good results. I so much want to finish under 300 and hit the 40 pound mark!!! And speaking of a little magic, my wife and I are getting excited about our upcoming trip to WDW on Oct 6th. This trip will be pure vacation as we are staying in a cabin at Fort Wilderness.

Till Next Time...Take Care!!!

On the Road Again!!

Well, after almost 3 weeks, I finally got out last night for a "run". I did 1.76mi in 30min for a 17:02 average pace. I did my first mile in 15:41!

After my first running segment I had that "cold weather" buring feeling. No, it was definately not cold (around 80). Since I'm still not 100% percent recovered from my head funk (and a 3 week layoff), breathing that hard was not fun...at first. But, after a couple minutes, I was fine and didn't have any other issues after any of my other running segments.

Now, the decision is whether or not to run the School House 5k tomorrow morning. After doing what I did last night, I have no reservations about doing 5k tomorrow. However, being my first race, I do have reservations about how long it will take and the whole idea of likely being the last to finish and finishing so far behind the person in front of me. But, at the same time, I've got to start somewhere! Argh...decisions, decisions.

Till Next Time...Take Care!!!

It’s Tough!!

Yes, what I’m doing (trying to “lose” 140 pounds) is tough. But, it is the “little things” that really make it tough.
       It’s tough to get up at 5:00am and run.
       It’s tough to get to bed at decent time.
       It’s tough to make the right food choices.
       It’s tough to get off the couch and exercise.
       It’s tough to come home from work and exercise.
       It’s tough to not make excuses.
       It’s tough to just suck it up and do it.
       It’s tough to press on even if we’re “tired”.
       It’s tough to plan for the unexpected.
       And on, and on, and on……

But there’s one thing to be said for all these things…..TOUGH!!!! Deal with it!!!

With all the things that are tough, it’s amazing just how easy is it for us to just accept it and do nothing about it. It is as if we don’t want some things to get easier, so that we always have our scapegoats to fall back on. “I didn’t take my lunch to work today so I HAD to have Chinese (in which I drove right by Subway to get there).”

One way I look at all that I’m doing, is in terms of habits….
       The habit of emotional eating
       The habit of comfort eating
       The habit of going to bed late
       The habit of sleeping in
       The habit of not exercising
       The habit of looking for the easy way out
       The habit of making excuses
       And on, and on, and on……

Some people say it takes 21 days to break a habit. Well, I’m not so sure about that number, but I do know what will determine if we do break a habit….for the answer just look in the mirror. OUCH!!! Some of you didn’t like that answer. If you didn’t, then join the club and, to repeat myself….TOUGH!!! DEAL WITH IT!!!

To me a habit is just a result of continually making the same decisions and taking the same actions. Change the decisions and actions, break the habit. Simple? Yes! Easy? No! What’s that you say? Yes, it’s tough!! But tough is also relative. For some breaking par at golf is tough, if not “impossible”. But, we see hundreds of people every weekend on TV breaking par. It isn’t so tough for them. So, what’s the difference? They work endless hours to perfect their golf swing and their bodies to ultimately shoot lower scores. I guess you could say….it’s a determination and commitment to continue to change ones self to the point where what was once hard, tough or impossible becomes easy, a habit and a way of life.

We must take personal responsibility for our self, our decisions, our actions, the results and ultimately, the consequences. Only then will we see progress. Only then will the tough become easier. Only then will habits change.

Only then will I SUCCEED!!!

Till Next Time…Take Care!!!

Monday Update - 17 SEP 2007

303.5

This Week (Actually 2 weeks): 3.0 lb
September Total: 3.0 lb
Total: 37.0 lb

Considering how the last 2 weeks have gone, I will most definately be glad with the results for today. I had the free dining plan while at WDW. So, that made for some interesting and tough food choices. I guess the easiest part about having the dining plan what that since it was free, I didn't really care how much food I left behind. When you pay for the dining plan, you sometimes feel "obligated" to eat everything put in front of you.

I'm still not over this sickness. I am doing exponentially better, but still not yet 100%. I am going to try to get back to the training in the next day or two. I know I will need to be careful to not overdo it in the beginning. My fearless side says to just get back out there, pickup where I left off and push right from the start. But, my realistic side says to do what I can, listen to my body and not over do it. Right now I think its going to be more of an issue of time spent. Can I pick back up at 75 minutes? Some of it will depend on the pace.

As Mike posted in the comments to WDW Day 1, my pre-ToT race opportunites are quickly dwindling. I had hopped to do the School House 5K this Saturday, but at this point I'm just not sure what I can do. But, I think I can be ready for a 5K the week after. Since I've never participated IN a race before, I think it is important to get at least 1 under my belt before I try to do the ToT 6.5k at the end of October.

Ok sponsors, I need your feedback. Since it is already the 17th, I have yet to get the sponsor emails out...should I just wait till October and combine Aug & Sept or go ahead and send out Aug now and Sept in 2 weeks?

Till Next Time...Take Care!!!

WDW 9/6/07 – Day 1

This is my first attempt at any sort of trip report, so please bear with me.

This was a solo trip mainly to attend the Night of Joy festivities. I stayed at Pop Century, taking advantage of the free dining offer instead of using the discounted Annual Passholder rate.

We start off early in the morning of Thursday, September 6. By early, I mean 2:30am early!! Although Huntsville offers plenty of flights to MCO, including direct flights, but right now it is much cheaper to make the 2 hour drive to either Birmingham or Nashville. So, the alarm clock sounds at 2:30am, and contrary to my normal beating of the snooze button, I’m up at first sound (the wife thanks me later). One hour later and I’m pulling out of the driveway at exactly 3:30. If only traffic were always this light. I make 1 quick “pit stop” in Gardendale then pull in the parking deck at Birmingham at 5:17.

This was my first time flying out of BHM, so I wasn’t exactly sure how easy or hard it would be. Thankfully, it is a short walk from the parking deck to ticketing, and an even shorter (barely 30 feet) walk to security. There were about 30 people in line to go through security so I was on the other side in about 10 minutes. As short as the walk from check-in to security, the walk from security to my gate (C2) is even shorter. At 5:45 I’m sitting comfortably at gate 2 in the C concourse. Since I had plenty of time, I walked down to the end of C concourse where the Southwest gates are. We are flying Southwest, out of BHM, next month to WDW and will be our first time flying Southwest (Southwest doesn’t fly in/out of HSV). I wanted to get an idea of the gate/boarding madness that is Southwest to hopefully make our October trip a little easier.

At 6:45 the gate agent makes the call to board all rows/zones and we push-back 2 minutes late at 7:02. Just 6 quick minutes to startup and taxi and we’re in the air (I love “small” airports). The flight is uneventful and after 1 hour 13 minutes and change to Eastern time we land at 9:21. Again, a quick 5 minute taxi to the gate and only 10 minutes after landing I’m on the train to the terminal. Other quick “pit stop” before making my way to baggage claim makes for no wait for my bags. For another first, I used National Rental Car for this trip and used the Emerald Aisle service. I reserved a mid-size, but with Emerald Aisle, I chose a Toyota Highlander for this trip. I pull out of the parking deck at 9:52 and into the Pop Century check-in lot at 10:17. Not bad, less than an hour from landing to arrival at Pop Century.

The good thing about checking in so early is there is usually very little line. This time was no exception. I was able to get a room that was already ready (in the 50s yet again). I finished with check-in, made a quick stop at “concierge”, and then took my bags up to the room (2362). I unpacked a few things and change from my big (and heavy thanks to my 3.5 lb monster lens) camera bag to a new smaller bag I got the day before. I gather my lanyard with wallet containing tickets, ID and other items, grab a hat and head out the door for the quick drive over to Epcot.

Even though it is almost noon, the parking lot seems empty (definitely no trams running today). I make the short walk to bag check, stopping along the way to get my first glimpses and photos of the now wandless Spaceship Earth. I get to back check and have my choice of security guards. In no time I’m through bag check and walking through the turnstiles. I stop by the camera store to get a locker to store my tripod for use later during Illuminations.


As I start my journey over to The Land I notice that the “sculpted trees” beside Spaceship Earth have been removed overnight. I get to The Land a grab a Fastpass to Sorin’ even though the wait is only 30 minutes. My Fastpass return time is only 20 minutes out (more about this in the days to come) so I grab a quick bite to eat at Sunshine Seasons, keeping in mind that I have 2:50 ADR at Le Cellier. After I’m done it’s time for my Fastpass at Soarin, B1 yet again (it pays to ask). I grab yet another Fastpass for Soarin’ and then start my trek over to The Seas when I see that The Jamitors have just started their performance. After the Jamitors I make my way to The Seas with Nemo ride and try to take a few photos along the way. It’s quickly time for my second Fastpass to Soarin’….yes, B1 again!!


By now, I need to start making my way to World Showcase. But first I needed to stop at Club Cool and get my Beverly fix. YIKES!! I wanted to catch The Voices of Liberty, so I catch a friendship boat to Morocco instead of walking. I get some photos of Belle and The Beast and then Aladdin and Jasmine before making my way to the American Adventure. I arrive about 20 minutes early for Voice so I look at the paintings when I hear the Fife and Drum Corp outside. I head back outside for photos and a listen then claim my front and center spot back inside for The Voice of Liberty. As usual, they are awesome. However, this time was something special that I had not previously experienced. They finished the performance with the Star Spangled Banner. I walked out with goose bumps and could have easily ended my trip right then. The next time you’re in the American Adventure take a look at the two paintings below for some interesting illusions, and don’t forget the Hidden Mickeys!


It’s time to start the trek over to Canada. I grab a few photos along the way and before I know it I’m checking in at Le Cellier. It’s my first time dining at Le Cellier and I have to have the “Scopa Special”. I start out with the wonderful Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, water and a Mango Smoothie followed by the 10 oz. New York Strip Steak and finish up with the Chocolate Whiskey Cake. After I finish I decide to stay in Canada and catch the newly updated O Canda CircleVision film, now hosted by Martin Short.



I make my way back over to Future World East for the grand tour of Test Track, Mission: SPACE (spin me please) and Universe of Energy (first time in 20+ years). After my nap in UoE (well, not exactly) I make my way over to the Imagination Pavillion. I ride Journey Into Imagination twice (second time for photos) and then barely caught the last showing of Honey I Shrunk the Audience.


I head to my locker to get the tripod and then make the journey to Mexico for my first time through Gran Fiesta Tour. I jump back in line (well, I wouldn’t call it a line) to ride it again for photos and Hidden Mickeys. Soon I head next door to Norway and Maelstrom. By now it’s almost 8:30 so I claim my spot for Illuminations. There was a pretty good breeze out of the east so I setup along the railing between Norway and Mexico. After another awesome showing of Illumnations I’m making my way back to the car. With the east walkway around Spaceship Earth closed off for the wand removal, it was slow going as I got to Spaceship Earth. Soon, though, I was out the exit, and thanks to the close parking place, quickly in the car for the trip back to Pop Century.


I get back to the room and start dumping the photos onto the laptop. As the photos copy I head down to Everything Pop to grab a late bite to eat. I finish the photos, eat and then get ready for bed. It’s now after midnight and day 1 is over….after 10+ miles of walking!!