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Happy to Be Home
28/3/08 23:09Avocado and I had a lovely trip...moments of rocky (when your feet really hurt and you've forgotten to eat dinner, FUN is curiously unsatisfying) but also moments of delight. The trip down, especially, the girl was a delightful traveling companion, manning Sheila (the GPS) and dolling out cookies and dried fruit, singing Beatles songs and generally being fun. We got down to Anaheim about 4:30 after shouldering our way through the ugly traffic, checked into our spartan motel (actually, we had a tiny private garden outside our window, and the room was spacious enough) and went over to Disneyland for the evening. This was when I realized I'd left my walking shoes at home. So by the end of the evening my feet were unbelievably sore, but we had managed to do a number of rides, eat dinner, and see most of the fireworks. Avocado really wants the job of playing Tinkerbell during the parade: flying on a wire from the top of the Matterhorn to the castle. The thought makes my liver turn to water.
Next morning I discovered that we had no hot water. A tepid shower is not my idea of a good way to start the morning. Still, we headed back to the parks. Had a very good, slightly soggy, time (two secrets of a happy life, Disneyland-wise: Fastpass and getting there first thing) and left Disneyland before noon, heading over to California Adventures. This is where Avocado began to be testy: couldn't decide what she wanted to eat, obviously needed to eat, and had sore feet. (Hah! I say. My feet were more sore than hers.) So I made an executive decision: we went back to the hotel, ordered a pizza, and Avocado watched Full House while I went out and bought a new pair of sneakers. Feet much happier. We then returned to the parks, where we rode many rides and saw Muppets 3-D (I am a sucker for Muppets) and wandered around. We eventually returned to Disneyland for a little last-minute gift-buying and the fireworks, then back to the hotel to fall over.
Thursday morning, more or less bright and early, we went to IHop for breakfast. Found that one breakfast, split between two people, was more than adequate. Also noticed that IHop has the promotional tie-in for Horton Hears a Who and had, as a result, the most revolting looking kid's breakfast I have ever seen: a ziggurat of pancakes with pink and blue sauce and a pink lollipop. **shudder**. After eating our unpink sausage and eggs, we headed north to Los Angeles to spend the day with my favoritest aunt, Julie. She had, among other things, gotten us a room for the night at the UCLA Guest House, where (as Avocado and I kept saying) the Smart People stay. Visiting doctors and Nobel laureates and such like. However, we didn't see anyone who seemed to be a rocket scientist. We had a lovely time with Julie and her husband Carmine (who fed us more Chinese food than one should be able to fit into a human body) and laughed a whole lot. And this morning, after breakfast among the Smart People, we turned our sites north and came home.
Emily, liberated from her stay at the Dog Spa (aka Fog City Dogs), was Happy to See Us. Jumped. Jumped again. Full of joy and licking and by the way, did we have a bone or a bag of kibble or maybe a squirrel for her? Silly dog.
This evening Avocado had skating practice for her Sunday synch competition. And then she had a Girl Scout sleepover event, which is where she is right now. I am in my own bed, with my own spouse nearby. It's good to be home.
I should add two things:
1) the floor is in in the kitchen and is gorgeous. Srsly. However, the electrical work didn't pass inspection, so an electrician is coming tomorrow to make it all right (on the contractor's dime, happily). The appliances are due on Wednesday.
2) other than a call from the phone tree on Tuesday morning to say that the kids arrived in Paris and all are having a swell time, we have heard nothing from Sarcasm Girl. Nothing. Needless to say, our sense is that no news is fabulous. I suspect the girl is having an excellent time. She'll be home on Sunday, doubtless up to her hips in stories.
Good to be home.
Next morning I discovered that we had no hot water. A tepid shower is not my idea of a good way to start the morning. Still, we headed back to the parks. Had a very good, slightly soggy, time (two secrets of a happy life, Disneyland-wise: Fastpass and getting there first thing) and left Disneyland before noon, heading over to California Adventures. This is where Avocado began to be testy: couldn't decide what she wanted to eat, obviously needed to eat, and had sore feet. (Hah! I say. My feet were more sore than hers.) So I made an executive decision: we went back to the hotel, ordered a pizza, and Avocado watched Full House while I went out and bought a new pair of sneakers. Feet much happier. We then returned to the parks, where we rode many rides and saw Muppets 3-D (I am a sucker for Muppets) and wandered around. We eventually returned to Disneyland for a little last-minute gift-buying and the fireworks, then back to the hotel to fall over.
Thursday morning, more or less bright and early, we went to IHop for breakfast. Found that one breakfast, split between two people, was more than adequate. Also noticed that IHop has the promotional tie-in for Horton Hears a Who and had, as a result, the most revolting looking kid's breakfast I have ever seen: a ziggurat of pancakes with pink and blue sauce and a pink lollipop. **shudder**. After eating our unpink sausage and eggs, we headed north to Los Angeles to spend the day with my favoritest aunt, Julie. She had, among other things, gotten us a room for the night at the UCLA Guest House, where (as Avocado and I kept saying) the Smart People stay. Visiting doctors and Nobel laureates and such like. However, we didn't see anyone who seemed to be a rocket scientist. We had a lovely time with Julie and her husband Carmine (who fed us more Chinese food than one should be able to fit into a human body) and laughed a whole lot. And this morning, after breakfast among the Smart People, we turned our sites north and came home.
Emily, liberated from her stay at the Dog Spa (aka Fog City Dogs), was Happy to See Us. Jumped. Jumped again. Full of joy and licking and by the way, did we have a bone or a bag of kibble or maybe a squirrel for her? Silly dog.
This evening Avocado had skating practice for her Sunday synch competition. And then she had a Girl Scout sleepover event, which is where she is right now. I am in my own bed, with my own spouse nearby. It's good to be home.
I should add two things:
1) the floor is in in the kitchen and is gorgeous. Srsly. However, the electrical work didn't pass inspection, so an electrician is coming tomorrow to make it all right (on the contractor's dime, happily). The appliances are due on Wednesday.
2) other than a call from the phone tree on Tuesday morning to say that the kids arrived in Paris and all are having a swell time, we have heard nothing from Sarcasm Girl. Nothing. Needless to say, our sense is that no news is fabulous. I suspect the girl is having an excellent time. She'll be home on Sunday, doubtless up to her hips in stories.
Good to be home.