Fantasmic! From All Sides...

 

Fantasmic! is 30 years old!  How crazy is that!? The show started May 13, 1992 in Disneyland.  I don't know when I first saw the show, but it was enchantment at first sight.  The Electrical Parade is 50 years old. That's kinda crazy.

 

In High School I bought a cassette tape from the Pirates of the Caribbean store.  On side A was Fantasmic! and side B was the Electrical Parade.  This tape was played on loop, side A over and over, constantly rewound at the end. (The Electrical Parade is nice and all... but that music without the visuals... 0_0).

 

On this last trip I saw Fantasmic! about 8 times, all from different spots.  And I discovered something new!

 

So one evening my Mom and I were having a late dinner at the Hungry Bear in Critter Country.  (Honestly not my favorite food as the cheeseburger in Tomorrowland is far superior), but the Hungry Bear is in a nice little spot.  We were eating past nine from the top deck overlooking the rivers of America.  The fun part of this area was being able to see some of the the "backstage" stuff.  Watching rafts get into place. Seeing Pirates, Flynn, and Rapunzel run across Tom Sawyers Island to the Mark Twain.

But this was the greatest part of all!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh!!!!!!!

After the pirates left the ship, some remained.  I saw the silhouette of Jack Sparrow ready himself on the plank.  Elizabeth and a few pirates standing a little ways down, right next to the side facing our shore.  And when they passed, the Columbia getting into position for the next show, they all waved completely in character!

 

When the Mark Twain passed us at the end of the show, all the characters waved, in character, as they passed.  A great way to see so many characters up close.  And with both ships this happened during both shows.

 

Now, You really can't see the show from Hungry Bear.  The music is faint and muffled.  No dialogue heard.  Everything is just really distant.  But after the first show there's fireworks, and a spot with a tree clearing for the aerials. Though the fireworks are quite loud in this area for those sensitive to loud bangs.

 

During one show I watched the backstage area on the other side of the river, a little bench area next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Some of the characters waved to kids who shouted their names, so that was fun.

My favorite spot was Pelicans Landing near the Haunted mansion.  I saw two shows here.  One right next to the food shack booth thingy (heh, what is it called?), and the other at the end closest to the show. It was this second show that was just so much fun.  Everything is seen from the side. For a lot of it we can only see the back of Mickey, but other parts were enjoyable, like watching the monkey's dance as their rafts come out.  The Pirate ship so close and in full motion.  The princess rafts drifting by.  

 

Now, watching Fantasmic! from the front is in many ways the absolute best, because that's how the show is staged.  Twice I saw the show from this angle, though from a distance.  Once from the French Market and the other from Cafe Orleans which is only for those who ate at this restaurant just before the show. The French Market is open to all, though there's trees.

 

I was also in the stand by spot next to the Haunted Mansion.  Not once did I do a paid spot or a dining package, so the show can be enjoyed by those not wanting to spend the extra money.

 

 Funny enough I saw World of Color only once and the Electrical Parade one and a quarter times, so needless to say Fantasmic! is my favorite show. :D

 

Sarah

A Summer Storm, Pokemon... and other whatnot's...

It's after midnight. I'm wide awake. Started getting a migraine this afternoon, took my regimen which involves dramimine, which led to a nap. My mind and nausea are better... but sleep is the last thing I want to do right now.

So I'm watching Uncle Roger food vids as I write this, a tiny screen within this phone screen that I knock around when it gets in the way of these words. Efficient. But it also means my focus is distracted, which means I'm not focused... this paragraph is remarkably coherent...

I've been buying pokemon cards off ebay for the kiddos. It's their birthday and Christmas rolled into one, and I'm just giving the cards to them at the same time. When starting the purchases I knew very little about what the game has developed into. After getting carried away *sigh* (the kids will be happy... but... yeah, repenting... -_-;; I didn't go thaaaat crazy, just... hmmmm).

Technically I still don't know much about the card game, never learned to play, and I don't know what cards are the coolest.... but I'm getting their favorite pokemons. Those pokemon cards from the trainer gallery are so much fun. But, yeah, Birthdays and Christmas in one. I can't wait to give them the cards. :D But no more cards... and I may have gotten myself the Eevee and Vaporeon trainer holo cards.... :/ They're so cute!!! But no more.

(I want Ramen...)

We had an amazing Summer storm come through today. So many of the storms that have come through recently also involved wind, kicking up all the dirt in the valley, leaving splattered dirt all over the place. My car was attacked by such splattered dirt, which made looking out the back windows a little dangerous. Today I was going to get it washed, but the migraine stopped me, but then the storm came through. Downpour! Thunder and Lightening!! My car is now clean. :0)

Then this evening I went to the store, and while checking out another downpour happened, thundering overhead. As the storm passed the lightning moved up through the canyon. Just magical to watch. The air is so fresh. 

But with the storm going up the canyon, this would have been a terrible night to go camping. It would have been a little scary. 

(As it's after midnight I'm going to watch some Midnight Mormons. Probably shouldn't mention this channel as their topics are a little crazy at times, but I really enjoy it.)

But camping, my brother and nephew went camping recently, and to keep up tradition my brother brought laptops and a battery so they could play games. That's what my dad would do with my brothers growing up. We'd be in the beautiful Sierra Nevada's! Tall sequoias everywhere!! And they were playing games. :/ I'd hang out by the lake or river trying not to get eaten alive by mosquitos. -_-;; *sigh* 

I probably shouldn't stay up so late. It's just so hard sometimes.

Night all!!

Sarah

The Dog I Can't Stop Thinking About

Yesterday evening I got back from Disneyland with my Mom. It was a good trip, but as we were leaving for California last week something strange happened: A dog was sitting at the end of our street.  At first I thought it was a cat! (And I just got new glasses! :P ) But the little cream colored chihuahua was sitting dead center at the end of the road, watching us as we slowly approached, the dog's collar indicating it had a home.

When we reached the dog and stopped, it ran and hid in some bushes, peaking shyly to look at us.  I craned my neck to see it and the dog did the same before running off!  This dog running to the right, looking over it's shoulder, knowing we weren't following, and speeding out of sight.  We then turned left.

That sort of thing has never happened to me, which is why this event keeps running through my brain.  Did the dog want us to follow?  Was it in trouble? Lost? Did my Mom and I fail in not pursuing?

Or were we protected from an accident?  Driving through Utah on the I-15 tends to be pretty calm for the most part, but around Las Vegas and Primm the highway gets congested and drivers reckless.  There were a couple cars in particular that swerved within tight margins around people, ourselves included.  Then many, many miles down the road there was a crash involving these two cars and a family van. Could being slowed down by the dog, and therefore creating a chain of different events, allowed us to miss this crash?  

Oh, it's hard to say.  And in the end it could have simply been a coincidence.  Nothing special.  An ordinary moment at six in the morning... so ordinary it's the first time it's happened to me. :P

I don't know! I just hope the dog is okay and with their family. And I need to calm my overactive imagination. :\ But I am glad my Mom and I are safe, and I hope the cars involved in the accident are okay.

 

Sarah

 

A Tour Around O'ahu, Hawaii

 Below is what I wrote in a journal. Heh, easier to copy paste than rewrite anew. :P

"What a wonderful, whirlwind day touring the entire island of O'ahu. The day started bright and early before 6 am, a quick visit for peanut butter sandwiches at the ABC store, and then patiently waiting for our bus.

 

We were picked up at 7:30 and sat in the front row, right in front of the big window, so we had an incredible view the whole drive.

 

"Our first stop was at the Halona blow hole. We were here the other day on the blue line, only this time we actually saw the water fly up when waves crashed. Must be a tide thing. Drove through really rich areas and areas populated by Latter-Day Saints.

 

"Stopped at the Japanese Byodo-In Temple where Mom and I rang the giant bell, saw the Buddha, and did seriously fast souvenir shopping. We stopped in the Waimea Valley for lunch. I had the amazingly tasty shrimp while Mom had the beef patty covered in gravy. After this we walked to the Wailele Waterfall, 3/4 miles each way. We didn't swim, though the last time Mom visited she did go into the water. We got Dole whip at the Dole Plantation. And then enjoyed grand vistas at a lookout."

 

There's so many tours by different companies that go around O'ahu, some going to the same spots, and some different.  We went through Polynesian Adventure.

This was such a beautiful, wonderful day. :0)

  

Mahalo,

Sarah

Pictures by Sarah and Robin Stufflebeam

Happy 20th Anniversary Stitch!!

Okay, so technically the anniversary was on the 21st, so I'm a couple days late, but the movie was released nationwide on a Friday, so I'm sorta in between these dates.

Lilo and Stitch is my favorite Disney movie. Somewhere on here I know I've told this story, perhaps twice, but this memory is etched.

I didn't want to see the movie, at all. The commercial campaign of Stitch invading other movies wasn't appealing.

My family lived in Utah, but we were visiting my grandparents. Our planned week trip turned into a month as my great-grandfather passed on June 17th in Paso Robles. A lot was going on at this time emotionally. 

My youngest brother Robbie really wanted to see the movie, and my Mom had other priorities at the moment and lacked the interest, so I borrowed the car and took my brother.

I remember this part so vividly!! When Star Wars episode I, the Phantom Menace came to theaters Lucas Film had all these special requirements for the movie to be shown, including top notch film projection, THX surround sound, etc. Porterville's newly built theater wasn't up to these standards, so the theater built a new, large theater to accommodate. 

This theater room was large, and it was on this screen Lilo and Stitch was shown. The theater was packed. So many kids. But as soon as the movie started I was enchanted. From moment to moment I loved the characters, they're growth, and the story's progression. I've been in love with the movie ever since.

Pleasant surprises like this are always nice, and what makes going to the movies and watching entertainment a thrill.

Thank you Stitch. Happy late birthday.

Sarah 

P.S. The first Cars movie is still my favorite Pixar film. :D

A Matter of Perception...

Several weeks ago I was visiting with one of my Sister-in-laws. Out of nowhere Krista said, super paraphrasing: "Everyone we meet, even those right next to us, are living in different realities." An interesting conversation followed, talking about perspective, knowledge, and how even the news we watch influences the world we live, and how we interpret those worlds.

Everything may seem clear to us, but the value system of a stranger will take the same information and view it differently. Or simply not having a piece of news can shape the dimensions we each live.

In this world I think we sometimes forget this. Someone does something that bothers us, and we get frustrated, not taking a step back to understand. It's something I forget at times.

But thinking about this has made me realize the power we have over our reality. How we view and see things, and how these things make us feel and react, positive or negative.

I'm guilty of being a half glass empty cynic. My code word justification for this is simply being a "realist." But imagining and predicting the worst has its affects. (Heh, though... it does have its benefits, and I've gotten a few things right, including telling my Mom to stock up on toilet paper before that fiasco happened back in 2020.)

*sigh* yeah...

But I've been working on being more positive. If I recognize something negative I try to find a good perspective, or.... oh my freak I'm turning into Pollyanna!!!!

Scratch that!! :P

Anywho, it is good to find things to be positive about, and they do influence us. My health feels it. My mood feels it.

This will be my mission, working on my perspective. It's like they say, "if you want to find the good, you'll see the good. If you want to find the bad, you'll see the bad." My foot is still grounded in reality, my version of it, and I'm a truth seeker, but I'm looking for the good.

(Though facts are facts, truth is truth, and regardless of our personal realities these things don't change, so it's important we don't let our reality hide us from the truth.)

Sarah

The Charming Trolley's of Waikiki

What's more tourist than doing a hop off/hop on bus?  I love them. They're a great way to see city and sights, and an easy way to get around for a flat fee, stopping at important/fun places.  Waikiki has a trolley, simply called the Waikiki Trolley, which has three routes.

The Blue Line: “Coastline / Diamond Head”

 

"The Blue Line is called “Coastline / Diamond Head” Line for a reason: It takes you to Diamond Head, one of the most iconic natural landmarks of Hawaii and through Kalanianaole Highway which is famous for its rugged cliffs and dramatic ocean-scapes."

 

Some of the stops are Duke Kahanamoku Statue, Diamond Head, Halona Blow Hole, and the Sea Life Park.

Going down the interstate highway (ha ha ha ha) in an open air trolley is really fun. :D

 

 

Red Line: "Heroes and Legends"

"Hawaii has its own story to tell those who are interested in listening. This is where the Red Line shines. This line takes you through Hawaii’s cultural and historical past, from the time of kings and queens through its importance in WWII and even the cultures that influence it to this day. Truly, a Hawaiian vacation is incomplete without jumping aboard the Red Line."

 

Stops include: Honolulu Museum of Art, State Capitol / ‘Iolani Palace, Punchbowl Crater, Chinatown, Downtown Honolulu, and Hawaii Theatre.

 

A really cool Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building. :D

 

Notable buildings around Honolulu plus a view point overlooking Waikiki.

It was raining so the view was a little misty.

 

Pink Line: Ala Moana Shopping

"Hawaii is the epicenter of the Pacific, and it shows: Asian cuisine mingling with popular American comfort food, high-end fashion alongside popular streetwear that suit everyone’s comfort and style. You can find all these throughout Waikiki, but your Hawaiian vacation isn’t complete without a visit to Ala Moana Center–Hawaii’s Center–where all things shopping and dining collide into a truly Hawaiian experience. So much so that Ala Moana isn’t just for visitors–it’s a popular shopping mall for locals as well."

 

This route goes around Waikiki, stopping near hotels and looping to Ala Moana, the largest open air mall in the world.

 

I found Harajuku style crepes!  I totally had one. Yum.

Where Gilligan's Island voyage started.

If they only knew what their three hour tour would turn into. :\

Mahalo,

Sarah

My Mom's Jewelry Booth, Take 2

A couple months or so ago my Mom put her jewelry into a store.  Well, they haven't sold well. Apart of that is the fact that a lot of the sellers are retailers, buying from China and selling with a slight markup. How many of the booths are like this? Not quite sure, only this is what the store's owner told my Mom a few weeks after getting set up.  How can one compete?  

Well, she's spent the last few weeks creating more jewelry pieces at a cheaper price.  Before all the jewelry in the booth were in clear boxes with a cleaning cloth and nice pouch, and though this was a nice setup, we felt it might deter buyers. Though our concern with jewelry being in the open would inspire theft.  Funny enough when one of the workers came by to see how my Mom and I were rearranging everything yesterday, she expressed the same worry of theft.  The store has this problem.

Also, with the economy and everything crazy in the world, it's hard to know what to expect or hope.  The contract is for six months, and Mom want's to give it her all.  If after six months there isn't any improvement, then it is what it is, and we'll leave with head held high.  For my Mom's sake I hope the sells improve, as she loves making the jewelry and it brings her so much joy.  But we both agree that this isn't the best time to try starting a business like this, especially with gas prices and so forth.  But dreams are worth dreaming.  Always.

 

 
The set up is more welcoming.  I'm proud of my Mom.