Hello all! First, let me thank whoever is reading this for taking the time out of their lives to listen to what I wish to share.
Now. I call myself a Christian…by MY definition, this means I believe in God and believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. My knowledge does not go so far as to where I can quote from The Bible, but I do adore God with all of my heart.
I occasionally curse. I tend to have a dirty mind and will say things not exactly pure of soul. This does not mean I love God any less. I AM NOT A PERFECT CHRISTIAN. As all human beings do, I sin. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for our sins. This does not mean when I do sin, I think ‘oh well’, all is fine. No way. OF COURSE I apologize to The Lord. But I do sin.
Some friends have asked me in the past how I can call myself a Christian when I lie/lead others on. Yes, I do admit that in the past I have lied to family and friends. And I am so completely ashamed of that. However, I am working on that. As I mentioned in capital letters above, I am not a perfect Christian. Should I even call myself a Christian? Maybe not at this point. But I can tell you all one thing: I am a God-fearing individual who is trying my very best to do what is right in this world. When I say dirty things or curse, it does not change who I am.
And to reiterate what many of my Disney pals have said, you cannot judge a person by how much they curse. That is prejudice and disgusting. My pal Jim Garth made mention in his blog of how Disney is a big part of who he is BUT, and I quote, ‘it does not define who I am.’ THAT RIGHT THERE explains so much. Yes, some of us curse and do not have a completely pure mind. This does not mean we are not true Disney fans. We can NOT let others tell us who we are. NO ONE in this entire world should judge us. That is completely up to God. Being human beings, we of course make judgments about people. That is another thing I am working on with my religion.
So to my friends who wonder how I call myself a Christian…I’m working on my beliefs. Remember something: I’m 21. I’m still figuring out who I truly am. Not to sound cliché, but this is part of the reason I’m taking a solo trip. Self-discovery is a very important thing, especially in today’s society. You need to figure out for yourself who you are and what your values are.
Sidenote: For the love of all that is kind and good in this world, please do not discriminate. Do not hate people who are black, Hispanic, gay, bisexual, etc etc. I repeat…you have no right to judge anyone. Jesus says something in The Bible similar to not judging anyone, as you yourself have many faults.
Thank you all for reading this, my friends. I'm proud of who I am. Yes, I still make many mistakes and am trying to change that bit by bit.
And to DF – yes, I myself have unfollowed you too. I cannot respect someone who discriminates based on cursing. It is immature.
Thank you all for accepting me for who I am.
All the love in the world,
Brie
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Film Review: Gone With the Wind
The first hour of it was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Packed with snap and spark, I knew I was in for a good ride. The remaining approximate two and a half hours were great, but left me with such a sad feeling. A happy moment was so rare, that it became joyous when one did occur.
As I mentioned when I watched this, I soaked about five tissues during this film. One of the times being when Ashley returned from the war and Melanie could see him in the distance. I love Olivia deHavilland anyway, but the look of progressed joy on her face was such a brilliant moment of acting, that I basically started weeping. Also, when Melanie died and her child was crying, ‘Why can’t I go where Mommy is going?’
The one thing I HATED…and I rarely use the word…is how the African-Americans were treated. I know it’s the way the South was in that time and it was a way of life, but it was very uncomfortable for me to watch. Especially the scene where Scarlett slaps Prissy across the face.
The scene where Scarlett kisses Ashley (after his already set engagement with Melanie), I gasped and shouted at the television screen. Sadly, I cannot remember my exact words but it went something like, ‘Oh no you didn’t!’
Miss Scarlett O’Hara. That eyebrow just says it all, doesn’t it? Love this dress, by the way.
The first hour of it was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Packed with snap and spark, I knew I was in for a good ride. The remaining approximate two and a half hours were great, but left me with such a sad feeling. A happy moment was so rare, that it became joyous when one did occur.
As I mentioned when I watched this, I soaked about five tissues during this film. One of the times being when Ashley returned from the war and Melanie could see him in the distance. I love Olivia deHavilland anyway, but the look of progressed joy on her face was such a brilliant moment of acting, that I basically started weeping. Also, when Melanie died and her child was crying, ‘Why can’t I go where Mommy is going?’
The one thing I HATED…and I rarely use the word…is how the African-Americans were treated. I know it’s the way the South was in that time and it was a way of life, but it was very uncomfortable for me to watch. Especially the scene where Scarlett slaps Prissy across the face.
The scene where Scarlett kisses Ashley (after his already set engagement with Melanie), I gasped and shouted at the television screen. Sadly, I cannot remember my exact words but it went something like, ‘Oh no you didn’t!’
Miss Scarlett O’Hara. That eyebrow just says it all, doesn’t it? Love this dress, by the way.
Rhett Butler. He is officially in my list of Top 10 favorite film characters. He’s exactly the type of character that I love. Kind of like Errol Flynn in “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” Epically memorable.
Melanie Hamilton. As I have said, Olivia deHavilland is amazing. If any of you have not seen “Snake Pit”, I suggest you do that. Like right now. That is sheer beauty in acting right there, just as her performance as Melanie was. She was my second favorite character in this film (Rhett being the first).
Ashley Wilkes. Ok I’m kind of biased about this because I have a little crush on Leslie Howard. I’ve never been the type to go for the obviously handsome actors such as Paul Newman or Cary Grant. I go towards the less obvious ones such as Howard and Joseph Cotton. That being said, I immediately fell for his character. Aside from my being biased though…he did a great job.
Get away from me, you vile man! That isn’t actually what she said, but doesn’t that fit this picture?
The cast was ginormous, and it would be impossible to post a picture of everyone and describe my love for their performances. But let me give quick props to Hattie McDaniel who played the lovingly strict Mammy and Thomas Mitchell who portrayed Scarlett’s lovable father. When he started to lose his bearings and began speaking as though his wife were still alive, I cried. That was such a heartbreaking, real moment.
As for quotes….there are so many wonderful quotes in this film, but this one is my favorite:
Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
As for quotes….there are so many wonderful quotes in this film, but this one is my favorite:
Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
Rhett: And you, miss, are no lady...Don't think that I hold that against you. Ladies have never held any charm for me.
I know many will disagree with what I’m about to say, but I need to say it. Her last line of “Tomorrow’s another day!” is a sore spot with me. Who would actually say that after everything she experienced? Although she did not love Bonnie as much as Rhett did, she also lost her parents as well as Melanie. And what about the love of Ashley that she will never have?
All in all, I’m happy I watched this film. Because of this being the emotional powerhouse it is, I most likely not watch it again for a long time. But to experience this once in your life is a must! And to those who do not appreciate the epic quality of this film…frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Retro Disney
The House of Mouse. Steamboat Willie (1928) . The Wonderful World of Disney. How To Play Baseball (1942). The Baby-Sitters Club. The Original Mickey Mouse Club. These are some personal favorite “retro” Disney shows/shorts of mine.
Many of us on Twitter have agreed that Phineas and Ferb is the only top-notch Disney cartoon which currently airs. (I also personally enjoy Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse as well.) Sure, you have the cute appeal of Wizards on Waverly Place and the innocent faces of Zack and Cody…but do their shows really stand against the power of the Mouse?
I don’t want to criticize Disney, because the corporation is basically who I am, but I want to say that I do not watch High School Musical or Hannah Montana, or any other current show. And as much as I enjoy Phineas and Ferb, I don’t make the time to watch an episode like I would with a classic Donald Duck short.
In the 1990s, I adored Boy Meets World (1993-2000) & Sister Sister. When I have children, I want them to grow up on The Goof Troop (1992-1996) and The Little Mermaid series (1992-1995), among many others.
Uncle Walt believed in the simplicity of magic. When he began the Wonderful World of Disney, he had big dreams in mind, dreams for his children (us!) to feed off of. "You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." Our very own Uncle Walt said this. We need to take heed of this and bring back the true meaning of imagination.
@yourcuppycake and @tiggerlover75 “I miss Dumbo’s Circus (1985), & the tv series "Alice in Wonderland" & "Darkwing Duck" & "Gummi Bears.”
@maryspixiemagic “My favorite is Peter and the Wolf. Love Sasha the duck.”
@sezcluvswdw “I used to adore Kids Inc. (1984-1992), MMC, (1989-1995) and Avonlea.”
@DisneyDean “The Wonderful World of Disney, especially their nature shows. I am all of a sudden really loving the MMC serial Annette – very cool series.”
@hatboxfiend “MMC, House of Mouse, Disney Afternoon. All the Wonderful World of Disney stuff. Don’t forget Lonesome Ghosts.”
@DanceBratz23 “I luv the one with Mickey and Donald and Goofy in the camper all inside with no driver classic.” (Camping Out – 1934)
@VertigoDawn “Bongo and Lambert the Sheepish Lion J.”
@chipfoods “Buzz Lightyear’s show!” (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command – 2000)
@EPCOTPluto “Alien Encounters New Tomorrowland Parts I and II (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2851108648044545655), Innoventions Parts I, II, and III (http://youtu.be/2JhSnrFTUpc http://youtu.be/1zsP3WlB-8o http://youtu.be/4o0_bzuxoJ8), and some Vault Disney videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/VAULTDISNEYreturns).”
@sweetaleisha “MMC...that was classic. I miss it to this day!”
@SusieNotSusan "Disney Sing Along Songs - Disneyland Fun (Part 1 of 3)."
@ara_kay “The Original Mickey Mouse Club circa 1950s.
@Debs7777 “any Mickey Mouse Club episode with Annette Funicello are my favs!”
@RyanKilpatrick “Zorro! Zorro! Zorro! Did I mention Zorro?”
@shaene_o_mite “KIDS Incorporated, Mousercise, Dtv, Gummie Bears , The Wuzzles, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin.”
@MrsMcDrew “DuckTales!”
@IlluminatEpcot “I loved WDW Inside Out. JD Roth was the host if i remember & Flash Forward had @JewelStaite in it. (Who later did Firefly).”
@pattie81 “I loved The Wuzzles!”
@dd_indy “I always loved watching the original MMC reruns and of course Uncle Walt on Sunday evenings while growing up in the 60s.”
@jillybeaner21 “KIDS Incorporated, Mousercise, Dtv.”
@Eweaver6405 “Ducktales!!!!”
@heatherw25 “The New Mickey Mouse Club in the 90s.”
I ask you all now to please take the time to watch some of these shorts/TV episodes. Please leave comments on this blog, or tweet me at @BufferflyBrie on Twitter. We need to let Disney know how important these classics are. We want back what Uncle Walt gave us – the original magic!
Here are some links:
The Original Mickey Mouse Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOBlXZyKC6A
Gummi Bears http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7043953
The Wuzzles http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7099204
Dumbo’s Circus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W-P8btNVc4
The Little Mermaid show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBUbNTujvGg
Darkwing Duck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XbUl4ldRoE
Steamboat Willie (1928) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RexXDDA8RoI
TaleSpin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2-hz0YGjxA
Zorro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhu1s-gsRg
The Goof Troop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oYRSE-L4hw
Kids Incorporated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5Ar0qO_VY
House of Mouse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6VjJqPXR3I
Aladdin show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaFAmKOMV8&p=D5790996689C21E0&playnext=1&index=3
The Skeleton Dance (1929) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h03QBNVwX8Q
Lonesome Ghosts (1937) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVJOqRCZBE
How to Play Baseball (1942 – a personal favorite of mine!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DydQa3WBo8k
Peter and the Wolf (1946) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtns6R757i8
The Baby-Sitters Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXrAUkPVHwI
Disney Afternoon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqOE5SmtwT0
Camping Out (1934) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHLHQypWgdc
Bongo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFCuZC-qIFU
Lambert the Sheepish Lion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KI_zRwdzy4
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Disneyland Fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHwrNRIVP-o
Mousercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSzA8EFS0U
Dtv http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vua5E-_X0p4&feature=fvst
Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScxR_2KQRQ
DuckTales http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8QErsFhe0g
WDW Inside Out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htd4pbWaNmg
Flash Forward http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwA1HL4Wb4I
Many of us on Twitter have agreed that Phineas and Ferb is the only top-notch Disney cartoon which currently airs. (I also personally enjoy Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse as well.) Sure, you have the cute appeal of Wizards on Waverly Place and the innocent faces of Zack and Cody…but do their shows really stand against the power of the Mouse?
I don’t want to criticize Disney, because the corporation is basically who I am, but I want to say that I do not watch High School Musical or Hannah Montana, or any other current show. And as much as I enjoy Phineas and Ferb, I don’t make the time to watch an episode like I would with a classic Donald Duck short.
In the 1990s, I adored Boy Meets World (1993-2000) & Sister Sister. When I have children, I want them to grow up on The Goof Troop (1992-1996) and The Little Mermaid series (1992-1995), among many others.
Uncle Walt believed in the simplicity of magic. When he began the Wonderful World of Disney, he had big dreams in mind, dreams for his children (us!) to feed off of. "You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." Our very own Uncle Walt said this. We need to take heed of this and bring back the true meaning of imagination.
@yourcuppycake and @tiggerlover75 “I miss Dumbo’s Circus (1985), & the tv series "Alice in Wonderland" & "Darkwing Duck" & "Gummi Bears.”
@maryspixiemagic “My favorite is Peter and the Wolf. Love Sasha the duck.”
@sezcluvswdw “I used to adore Kids Inc. (1984-1992), MMC, (1989-1995) and Avonlea.”
@DisneyDean “The Wonderful World of Disney, especially their nature shows. I am all of a sudden really loving the MMC serial Annette – very cool series.”
@hatboxfiend “MMC, House of Mouse, Disney Afternoon. All the Wonderful World of Disney stuff. Don’t forget Lonesome Ghosts.”
@DanceBratz23 “I luv the one with Mickey and Donald and Goofy in the camper all inside with no driver classic.” (Camping Out – 1934)
@VertigoDawn “Bongo and Lambert the Sheepish Lion J.”
@chipfoods “Buzz Lightyear’s show!” (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command – 2000)
@EPCOTPluto “Alien Encounters New Tomorrowland Parts I and II (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2851108648044545655), Innoventions Parts I, II, and III (http://youtu.be/2JhSnrFTUpc http://youtu.be/1zsP3WlB-8o http://youtu.be/4o0_bzuxoJ8), and some Vault Disney videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/VAULTDISNEYreturns).”
@sweetaleisha “MMC...that was classic. I miss it to this day!”
@SusieNotSusan "Disney Sing Along Songs - Disneyland Fun (Part 1 of 3)."
@ara_kay “The Original Mickey Mouse Club circa 1950s.
@Debs7777 “any Mickey Mouse Club episode with Annette Funicello are my favs!”
@RyanKilpatrick “Zorro! Zorro! Zorro! Did I mention Zorro?”
@shaene_o_mite “KIDS Incorporated, Mousercise, Dtv, Gummie Bears , The Wuzzles, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin.”
@MrsMcDrew “DuckTales!”
@IlluminatEpcot “I loved WDW Inside Out. JD Roth was the host if i remember & Flash Forward had @JewelStaite in it. (Who later did Firefly).”
@pattie81 “I loved The Wuzzles!”
@dd_indy “I always loved watching the original MMC reruns and of course Uncle Walt on Sunday evenings while growing up in the 60s.”
@jillybeaner21 “KIDS Incorporated, Mousercise, Dtv.”
@Eweaver6405 “Ducktales!!!!”
@heatherw25 “The New Mickey Mouse Club in the 90s.”
I ask you all now to please take the time to watch some of these shorts/TV episodes. Please leave comments on this blog, or tweet me at @BufferflyBrie on Twitter. We need to let Disney know how important these classics are. We want back what Uncle Walt gave us – the original magic!
Here are some links:
The Original Mickey Mouse Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOBlXZyKC6A
Gummi Bears http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7043953
The Wuzzles http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7099204
Dumbo’s Circus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W-P8btNVc4
The Little Mermaid show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBUbNTujvGg
Darkwing Duck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XbUl4ldRoE
Steamboat Willie (1928) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RexXDDA8RoI
TaleSpin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2-hz0YGjxA
Zorro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhu1s-gsRg
The Goof Troop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oYRSE-L4hw
Kids Incorporated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5Ar0qO_VY
House of Mouse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6VjJqPXR3I
Aladdin show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaFAmKOMV8&p=D5790996689C21E0&playnext=1&index=3
The Skeleton Dance (1929) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h03QBNVwX8Q
Lonesome Ghosts (1937) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVJOqRCZBE
How to Play Baseball (1942 – a personal favorite of mine!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DydQa3WBo8k
Peter and the Wolf (1946) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtns6R757i8
The Baby-Sitters Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXrAUkPVHwI
Disney Afternoon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqOE5SmtwT0
Camping Out (1934) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHLHQypWgdc
Bongo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFCuZC-qIFU
Lambert the Sheepish Lion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KI_zRwdzy4
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Disneyland Fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHwrNRIVP-o
Mousercise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSzA8EFS0U
Dtv http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vua5E-_X0p4&feature=fvst
Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScxR_2KQRQ
DuckTales http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8QErsFhe0g
WDW Inside Out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htd4pbWaNmg
Flash Forward http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwA1HL4Wb4I
Walt's Plan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffnSTfBN1lU
“I hope we never lose sight of one thing – it was all started by a mouse." – Walter Elias Disney
“I hope we never lose sight of one thing – it was all started by a mouse." – Walter Elias Disney
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Sweet Taste of Hersheypark
7/26/2010
My parents and I decided to spend a one-night vacation in Pennsylvania. We left the house at 7:30a, and drove about four hours to the Comfort Suites in Grantville, PA. Our room was in the midst of being cleaned, so we had a bite to eat in the lobby. My cell phone started to ring at that point, and I saw it was from the Hampton Inn & Suites, the one I applied to back in New York. I took a deep breath and answered the phone….then I just about dropped the phone when the assistant manager said to me, “I would like to go ahead and offer you the job.” AAAAAH!!! While on the phone, I was facing the window, away from my parents, standing on the opposite end of the room. I whipped around and gave them the thumbs-up. After speaking to him, I ran over and hugged them. They are so happy for me. That right there was a sign that this day would be AMAZING. And I do want to add that I had a dream the previous night that I would get a call from Hampton Inn. Strange! Before long, our room was ready, so we put all our stuff down, got ready, and headed to the park.
It’s only a 15-minute drive from the hotel; we got there around 1:45p and got my mom’s wheelchair. They only had manual ones; since it was late in the day, they were out of ECV’s. #FAIL! We actually entered the park and started our day around 2p. First, Dad went on SooperDooperLooper. I think it’s the loop that intimidates me, but I just cannot fathom the thought of going on that ride. I know I will someday, but I just can’t. Mom and I waited by the nearby Whack-a-Mole, happily watching kids play. When he returned, we went to Coal Cracker. Dad and I went on that. That’s my favorite ride there!! It’s almost the equivalent of Splash Mountain in WDW, minus the furry creatures and smoothness of the drop. Only my socks were soaking wet, which is what happened last time. But because Dad was in the back, his shirt and shorts were drenched. Haha! We then went to game called Goblet Toss, where you have to get the balls in colored cups. I was trying to win a minion!! When I saw they had minions, I just about had an attack. But unfortunately, although all three of us tried, I couldn’t get one. Oh well and moving on.
Next was the Kissing Tower, which I call “The Mothership.” It’s a huge pole with a circular seating device that slowly rotates up the pole, giving you a birds-eye view of everything. It was gorgeous! We all went on that one. Then Dad and I went on Twin Turnpike, which is similar to the Indy Speedway in Tomorrowland at MK, only a much shorter ride. Dad really relaxed me when he said, “Think of this as your road test.” Thanks, Dad! I responded with, “Oh, is there parallel parking included?” I actually did a great job fake-driving!
Mom and I went to the Garden Grille place to just sit in the air conditioning for a while, while Dad rode the leg-hanging, corkscrew & loop-crazy rollercoaster, Great Bear. We were going to do Trailblazer next, but the line was too long, so we went to Subway instead. Dad didn’t want Subway, so we went to the Boardwalk area next, where he had a Nathans hot dog. I absolutely love the Boardwalk area. They do a great job with the Atlantic City vibe; piped-in seagull sounds, water rides, and the Boardwalk-esque games. So I went to the changing room and put on my bathing suit with capris over it. We headed to Midway America next for some shopping. Mom called the front of the park and they had ECV’s in, so they brought her one. Yay! We all then went on another one of my favorite rides, The Whip! Mom and I rode together, and Dad hopped in the other one. We had a wonderful time on that.
I was planning on doing Tidal Force, but the line was ridiculously long, so we stood in the ‘splash zone’ area. Dad and I got pretty drenched! That was awesome. We headed out of that area then to ride Trailblazer. We were able to hop right on that time. It’s SO much like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! Except I prefer BTMR, of course. Next was Dry Gulch Railroad, an easy train ride. The breeze felt wonderful. We took the Monorail around the park after that for another cooling-off adventure. God gave us such a beautiful sunset to end such a beautiful day!
When we got off of the Monorail, I hopped onto the Reeses Xtreme Cup Challenge, which I’m assuming is similar to Buzz’s ride in Tomorrowland at MK. You shoot at targets as your ride moves along a track and there are two attached vehicles, peanut butter vs. chocolate. I think I got about 25,000 points. Go me! Our team still lost, unfortunately LOL. We did some shopping then; Mom got some chocolate-nut fudge & Dad got a couple of collectible pins. Hmmm I wonder where Hershey got the idea for pin collecting/trading?? I will have to ponder this question for a while. We then returned to the hotel. An awesome day!!
7/27/2010:
We checked out of our hotel and headed to Chocolate World. We went on the ride, then shopped. I bought an adorable baby pink shirt that says “Kisses” with one Hershey Kiss made out of multi-colored flowers. I also bought a Hershey plush squeak toy for my dog, Daisie. While Mom had a bite to eat, Dad and I went on the ride again. We made ghetto poses for the picture they snap at the end LOL. We met up with Mom, then made the 4-hour car ride home. ‘Twas a lovely mini-vacation!!
My parents and I decided to spend a one-night vacation in Pennsylvania. We left the house at 7:30a, and drove about four hours to the Comfort Suites in Grantville, PA. Our room was in the midst of being cleaned, so we had a bite to eat in the lobby. My cell phone started to ring at that point, and I saw it was from the Hampton Inn & Suites, the one I applied to back in New York. I took a deep breath and answered the phone….then I just about dropped the phone when the assistant manager said to me, “I would like to go ahead and offer you the job.” AAAAAH!!! While on the phone, I was facing the window, away from my parents, standing on the opposite end of the room. I whipped around and gave them the thumbs-up. After speaking to him, I ran over and hugged them. They are so happy for me. That right there was a sign that this day would be AMAZING. And I do want to add that I had a dream the previous night that I would get a call from Hampton Inn. Strange! Before long, our room was ready, so we put all our stuff down, got ready, and headed to the park.
It’s only a 15-minute drive from the hotel; we got there around 1:45p and got my mom’s wheelchair. They only had manual ones; since it was late in the day, they were out of ECV’s. #FAIL! We actually entered the park and started our day around 2p. First, Dad went on SooperDooperLooper. I think it’s the loop that intimidates me, but I just cannot fathom the thought of going on that ride. I know I will someday, but I just can’t. Mom and I waited by the nearby Whack-a-Mole, happily watching kids play. When he returned, we went to Coal Cracker. Dad and I went on that. That’s my favorite ride there!! It’s almost the equivalent of Splash Mountain in WDW, minus the furry creatures and smoothness of the drop. Only my socks were soaking wet, which is what happened last time. But because Dad was in the back, his shirt and shorts were drenched. Haha! We then went to game called Goblet Toss, where you have to get the balls in colored cups. I was trying to win a minion!! When I saw they had minions, I just about had an attack. But unfortunately, although all three of us tried, I couldn’t get one. Oh well and moving on.
Next was the Kissing Tower, which I call “The Mothership.” It’s a huge pole with a circular seating device that slowly rotates up the pole, giving you a birds-eye view of everything. It was gorgeous! We all went on that one. Then Dad and I went on Twin Turnpike, which is similar to the Indy Speedway in Tomorrowland at MK, only a much shorter ride. Dad really relaxed me when he said, “Think of this as your road test.” Thanks, Dad! I responded with, “Oh, is there parallel parking included?” I actually did a great job fake-driving!
Mom and I went to the Garden Grille place to just sit in the air conditioning for a while, while Dad rode the leg-hanging, corkscrew & loop-crazy rollercoaster, Great Bear. We were going to do Trailblazer next, but the line was too long, so we went to Subway instead. Dad didn’t want Subway, so we went to the Boardwalk area next, where he had a Nathans hot dog. I absolutely love the Boardwalk area. They do a great job with the Atlantic City vibe; piped-in seagull sounds, water rides, and the Boardwalk-esque games. So I went to the changing room and put on my bathing suit with capris over it. We headed to Midway America next for some shopping. Mom called the front of the park and they had ECV’s in, so they brought her one. Yay! We all then went on another one of my favorite rides, The Whip! Mom and I rode together, and Dad hopped in the other one. We had a wonderful time on that.
I was planning on doing Tidal Force, but the line was ridiculously long, so we stood in the ‘splash zone’ area. Dad and I got pretty drenched! That was awesome. We headed out of that area then to ride Trailblazer. We were able to hop right on that time. It’s SO much like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! Except I prefer BTMR, of course. Next was Dry Gulch Railroad, an easy train ride. The breeze felt wonderful. We took the Monorail around the park after that for another cooling-off adventure. God gave us such a beautiful sunset to end such a beautiful day!
When we got off of the Monorail, I hopped onto the Reeses Xtreme Cup Challenge, which I’m assuming is similar to Buzz’s ride in Tomorrowland at MK. You shoot at targets as your ride moves along a track and there are two attached vehicles, peanut butter vs. chocolate. I think I got about 25,000 points. Go me! Our team still lost, unfortunately LOL. We did some shopping then; Mom got some chocolate-nut fudge & Dad got a couple of collectible pins. Hmmm I wonder where Hershey got the idea for pin collecting/trading?? I will have to ponder this question for a while. We then returned to the hotel. An awesome day!!
7/27/2010:
We checked out of our hotel and headed to Chocolate World. We went on the ride, then shopped. I bought an adorable baby pink shirt that says “Kisses” with one Hershey Kiss made out of multi-colored flowers. I also bought a Hershey plush squeak toy for my dog, Daisie. While Mom had a bite to eat, Dad and I went on the ride again. We made ghetto poses for the picture they snap at the end LOL. We met up with Mom, then made the 4-hour car ride home. ‘Twas a lovely mini-vacation!!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Insect Respect
I love butterflies. I always have since I was a kid…hence my Twitter username (@BufferflyBrie). Of course, when I was little, they were taken in as more of a “Oooh, look how pretty!” instead of seriously considering the beauty of nature. Now that I’m 21, God’s creations mean more to me than I ever thought they possibly could. I’m not going to say that I adore all of the insects of the world…I could definitely do without spiders and centipedes…but in the last couple of years, I’ve grown to view the meaning of insects in a whole new light. I’m about to share a story with you of something that happened to me today. Depending on the level of emotion you possess, this may strike you as a little sad/bittersweet. Just a word of caution.
This afternoon I drove my mom to our local greenhouse so she could take a look around at the plants. Mom has a newfound love for hanging plants. While she looked around, I noticed something wriggling near the ground. As I looked closer, I could make out the shape of a fly caught in a web. Now insects in webs have always upset me. Whether this stems from a general hate of spiders or purely the agonizing pain which the insect is being putting through, I don’t know. So I took my foot and lightly pushed him out of the web. He was grateful for this, and thanked me by flying up my skirt. This did not impress me, so after doing an uncomfortable shaky dance for a minute, he flew away, much to my happiness. Then I saw a butterfly. I could feel a smile come over my face as I watched her happily land on flowers and fly beautifully past me. I followed her outside and continued to watch her for a minute.
Then as my mom talked to the store’s owner, I felt something land on my shoulder. A bit frightened, I took a peek and saw an insect’s head staring at me. I panicked and smacked it, causing it to fall to the ground. When I got up the courage to look at what it was…there was a dying dragonfly. Its wings were trying to move as it lay on its back. As tears filled my eyes, my mom came over and saw it. She tried to gently put it on its stomach to give it strength. As she did this, you could see it start to regain a bit of energy, much to my relief. However, it still did not look like it could ever recover to a normalcy of flying. The owner came over and brought it outside to put on a plant. Whether it survived this, I don’t know. And I don’t think I would want to know. But I don’t think I will ever forget doing that. My heart hurt for it as we exited the store, but I felt a sense of lightness when the butterfly from before came and circled around me, almost to let me know that everything was okay. To me, it was a sign from God that He wasn’t upset with me. After all, it was an accident.
To see that dragonfly wriggling in pain that I myself caused was one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced in the entire world. I hate causing pain in people; I’ve damaged someone’s feelings before and I made a vow to myself to never do it again. Thankfully, I’ve kept my promise thus far. I hate causing pain in animals; I’ve stepped on my dog’s paw before accidentally and listened to her cry. The hurt you cause in others is absolutely painstaking. This pain that I feel inside of me whenever I cause the pain in others, is something that I never thought would affect me this badly when it happened to insects. But I’ve grown and realized the importance of preserving nature.
We have all stepped on insects, whether on purpose or by mistake, but we rarely sit and think about what we’re doing. Some of you may not believe in God, which is fine…I will not judge you. So please don’t judge me and accept that I’m a God-fearing individual who believes that He put everything on this planet for a particular reason. Whichever reason that is, I can’t say that I know. But there is a purpose to everything.
The purpose of this blog post is to beg you all to stop and smell the roses…literally. Nature is to be cherished, not destroyed. You all must know that I’m not a “going green” type of person. There are many things I should be doing to help the environment, which I don’t. However, I do what I can right now, which includes turning off lights to preserve electricity, recycling, and when I can, saving insects. I had a discussion recently with some Twitter friends about insects and how I try to save as many as I can, including ants. Have you ever watched the determination of an ant before? They are hard little workers and have much to do in life.
I want to share an anonymously-written poem that was sent by a friend of mine, Shirley (@irishgirl127). She is recovering from back surgery at this time, so please say an extra prayer for her. Shirley, this poem is for you.
"The Oak Tree"
A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree's leaves away.
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark.
But still the oak tree held its ground while other trees fell all around...
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing, Oak?"
The oak tree said, "I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth, growing stronger since my birth.
You'll never touch them, for you see,
They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew.
Especially now, try to remember that you're stronger than any problem you encounter.”
There are too many awful things going on in this world to not care. The oil spills, the natural disasters, continued wars and killings. While many of these cannot be prevented, we need to take action to save our insects. Whether or not you want to believe it, they help this world to be as beautiful as it is today. So please…if you happen to find an insect on its back in need of a hand, please turn it over. They are grateful for our assistance. They need our help to survive this world.
Your friend,
Brie
This afternoon I drove my mom to our local greenhouse so she could take a look around at the plants. Mom has a newfound love for hanging plants. While she looked around, I noticed something wriggling near the ground. As I looked closer, I could make out the shape of a fly caught in a web. Now insects in webs have always upset me. Whether this stems from a general hate of spiders or purely the agonizing pain which the insect is being putting through, I don’t know. So I took my foot and lightly pushed him out of the web. He was grateful for this, and thanked me by flying up my skirt. This did not impress me, so after doing an uncomfortable shaky dance for a minute, he flew away, much to my happiness. Then I saw a butterfly. I could feel a smile come over my face as I watched her happily land on flowers and fly beautifully past me. I followed her outside and continued to watch her for a minute.
Then as my mom talked to the store’s owner, I felt something land on my shoulder. A bit frightened, I took a peek and saw an insect’s head staring at me. I panicked and smacked it, causing it to fall to the ground. When I got up the courage to look at what it was…there was a dying dragonfly. Its wings were trying to move as it lay on its back. As tears filled my eyes, my mom came over and saw it. She tried to gently put it on its stomach to give it strength. As she did this, you could see it start to regain a bit of energy, much to my relief. However, it still did not look like it could ever recover to a normalcy of flying. The owner came over and brought it outside to put on a plant. Whether it survived this, I don’t know. And I don’t think I would want to know. But I don’t think I will ever forget doing that. My heart hurt for it as we exited the store, but I felt a sense of lightness when the butterfly from before came and circled around me, almost to let me know that everything was okay. To me, it was a sign from God that He wasn’t upset with me. After all, it was an accident.
To see that dragonfly wriggling in pain that I myself caused was one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced in the entire world. I hate causing pain in people; I’ve damaged someone’s feelings before and I made a vow to myself to never do it again. Thankfully, I’ve kept my promise thus far. I hate causing pain in animals; I’ve stepped on my dog’s paw before accidentally and listened to her cry. The hurt you cause in others is absolutely painstaking. This pain that I feel inside of me whenever I cause the pain in others, is something that I never thought would affect me this badly when it happened to insects. But I’ve grown and realized the importance of preserving nature.
We have all stepped on insects, whether on purpose or by mistake, but we rarely sit and think about what we’re doing. Some of you may not believe in God, which is fine…I will not judge you. So please don’t judge me and accept that I’m a God-fearing individual who believes that He put everything on this planet for a particular reason. Whichever reason that is, I can’t say that I know. But there is a purpose to everything.
The purpose of this blog post is to beg you all to stop and smell the roses…literally. Nature is to be cherished, not destroyed. You all must know that I’m not a “going green” type of person. There are many things I should be doing to help the environment, which I don’t. However, I do what I can right now, which includes turning off lights to preserve electricity, recycling, and when I can, saving insects. I had a discussion recently with some Twitter friends about insects and how I try to save as many as I can, including ants. Have you ever watched the determination of an ant before? They are hard little workers and have much to do in life.
I want to share an anonymously-written poem that was sent by a friend of mine, Shirley (@irishgirl127). She is recovering from back surgery at this time, so please say an extra prayer for her. Shirley, this poem is for you.
"The Oak Tree"
A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree's leaves away.
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark.
But still the oak tree held its ground while other trees fell all around...
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing, Oak?"
The oak tree said, "I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth, growing stronger since my birth.
You'll never touch them, for you see,
They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn't sure
Of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found, with thanks to you
I'm stronger than I ever knew.
Especially now, try to remember that you're stronger than any problem you encounter.”
There are too many awful things going on in this world to not care. The oil spills, the natural disasters, continued wars and killings. While many of these cannot be prevented, we need to take action to save our insects. Whether or not you want to believe it, they help this world to be as beautiful as it is today. So please…if you happen to find an insect on its back in need of a hand, please turn it over. They are grateful for our assistance. They need our help to survive this world.
Your friend,
Brie
Thursday, June 3, 2010
WDW 2010 Trip Day 5
Friday, May 28:
Our day to go home. Boo. I realized I hadn’t yet bought my pin for the year, so I went downstairs to the Fantasia shop and bought a Test Track one. I also got my very first Vinylmation!! He’s adorable! I got a plain pink one and bought stickers to go with him. I put kooky eyes on him, a Mickey ice cream bar on his tummy, wings on his back, fireworks in his ears, and flowers on the back of his head. He’s awesome. Oh and I wore a very appropriate shirt for the kind of day it was – Alice in Wonderland that said “It Was All a Dream.” Makes me feel bittersweet just to type that. We had a bumpy flight but thank God, we arrived home safely. And I’m still mad to be back home, by the way. But I thank God we were able to go.
I love you, Uncle Walt. Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
Our day to go home. Boo. I realized I hadn’t yet bought my pin for the year, so I went downstairs to the Fantasia shop and bought a Test Track one. I also got my very first Vinylmation!! He’s adorable! I got a plain pink one and bought stickers to go with him. I put kooky eyes on him, a Mickey ice cream bar on his tummy, wings on his back, fireworks in his ears, and flowers on the back of his head. He’s awesome. Oh and I wore a very appropriate shirt for the kind of day it was – Alice in Wonderland that said “It Was All a Dream.” Makes me feel bittersweet just to type that. We had a bumpy flight but thank God, we arrived home safely. And I’m still mad to be back home, by the way. But I thank God we were able to go.
I love you, Uncle Walt. Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
WDW 2010 Trip Day 4
Thursday, May 27:
This was our last full day the Magic Kingdom. I honestly cannot remember everything about this day or in what order we did things in. So I will just randomly talk about moments of the day, starting with the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. This was my first ever time on it! I absolutely loved it. My dad and I went on – he let me drive – the CM looked at him as we climbed in and said, ‘You look nervous.’ Dad said, ‘Nah, I’m not nervous.’ So I looked at the CM and replied, ‘Well, he should be!’ The CM cracked up and off I flew (once I asked the poor man about a zillion questions about the vehicle). It was great fun; I lost control of the direction a couple times and I caught Dad clutching the side of the automobile. HA! When the ride ended, the same CM said to Dad, ‘Wow, you were ready to get out of the car fast. You look scared.’ I laughed and said, ‘I think I frightened him!’ He said, ‘Yeah, I can see that!’ LOL!
We also saw the Carousel of Progress. Love that! I got emotional a couple times watching it, wishing that Uncle Walt had seen this dream come alive. Of course, I sang along to the catchy tune. A really cool part of the day was when we were getting FastPasses for Peter Pan, and another piece of paper popped out. I didn’t even see it; another guest actually had the decency to say, ‘Oh, maam? You missed something?’ and handed it to me. It was a Surprise FP for Mickey’s Philharmagic! I was ecstatic!! Both attractions were phenomenal, of course. Philharmagic was incredible. No matter how old you are, it’s beautiful. And you still find yourself reaching for objects that you know are not there, but seem so real anyhow. My favorite scenes are with Ariel and Aladdin – so gorgeous! And Peter Pan is always lovely (I always have to holler ‘HI NANA!’ when we pass her doghouse).
We had lunch for the first time at Columbia Harbor House. I was quite impressed with the place – will definitely return there. One of the CM’s is from Wappingers, a town about a half hour away from me! We sat with a lady and her grandson, who she said was autistic. I’m gonna go off-topic for a second: she was a nice and good-hearted lady and all, but she treated this 16 year-old boy like he was four. I HATE that. He could obviously speak for himself, feed himself, etc. And yet she’s wiping his mouth with a napkin and such. I’m one of those who believes that those stricken with autism are smarter than those who aren’t; they just can’t express themselves the way those without autism can. If you have a close friend or relative over 14 (give or take a year) with autism…watch over them, but please don’t treat them like a child. Sorry folks, but I had to get that out there.
Time for the Haunted Mansion! We didn’t get stuck that time. Next was Pirates, then the Jungle Cruise, followed by the Wedway. I talked to a sweet CM for a long time in the Art of Disney store about Imagineers and he told me a lot of things I didn’t know. He had the privilege to meet some of the head Imagineers as well.
Anyway, we had a scrumptious dinner at Tony’s; rode Small World, then watched SpectroMagic. Returned to our room & watched Wishes from the balcony. Mom got me a precious Minnie Mouse keychain and a Cinderella coach antennae topper. I found the first “Kingdom Keepers” book (huzzah!) and purchased it at the Art of the Disney store. Back at our resort, in the BVG store, I bought an adorable white Mickey, Minnie & Pluto purse that I absolutely love, as well as a cute yellow v-neck blouse w/ an image of Mickey & Minnie having lunch on what appears to be Main Street USA. ‘Twas a lovely day. But I really didn't wanna go home the next day.
This was our last full day the Magic Kingdom. I honestly cannot remember everything about this day or in what order we did things in. So I will just randomly talk about moments of the day, starting with the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. This was my first ever time on it! I absolutely loved it. My dad and I went on – he let me drive – the CM looked at him as we climbed in and said, ‘You look nervous.’ Dad said, ‘Nah, I’m not nervous.’ So I looked at the CM and replied, ‘Well, he should be!’ The CM cracked up and off I flew (once I asked the poor man about a zillion questions about the vehicle). It was great fun; I lost control of the direction a couple times and I caught Dad clutching the side of the automobile. HA! When the ride ended, the same CM said to Dad, ‘Wow, you were ready to get out of the car fast. You look scared.’ I laughed and said, ‘I think I frightened him!’ He said, ‘Yeah, I can see that!’ LOL!
We also saw the Carousel of Progress. Love that! I got emotional a couple times watching it, wishing that Uncle Walt had seen this dream come alive. Of course, I sang along to the catchy tune. A really cool part of the day was when we were getting FastPasses for Peter Pan, and another piece of paper popped out. I didn’t even see it; another guest actually had the decency to say, ‘Oh, maam? You missed something?’ and handed it to me. It was a Surprise FP for Mickey’s Philharmagic! I was ecstatic!! Both attractions were phenomenal, of course. Philharmagic was incredible. No matter how old you are, it’s beautiful. And you still find yourself reaching for objects that you know are not there, but seem so real anyhow. My favorite scenes are with Ariel and Aladdin – so gorgeous! And Peter Pan is always lovely (I always have to holler ‘HI NANA!’ when we pass her doghouse).
We had lunch for the first time at Columbia Harbor House. I was quite impressed with the place – will definitely return there. One of the CM’s is from Wappingers, a town about a half hour away from me! We sat with a lady and her grandson, who she said was autistic. I’m gonna go off-topic for a second: she was a nice and good-hearted lady and all, but she treated this 16 year-old boy like he was four. I HATE that. He could obviously speak for himself, feed himself, etc. And yet she’s wiping his mouth with a napkin and such. I’m one of those who believes that those stricken with autism are smarter than those who aren’t; they just can’t express themselves the way those without autism can. If you have a close friend or relative over 14 (give or take a year) with autism…watch over them, but please don’t treat them like a child. Sorry folks, but I had to get that out there.
Time for the Haunted Mansion! We didn’t get stuck that time. Next was Pirates, then the Jungle Cruise, followed by the Wedway. I talked to a sweet CM for a long time in the Art of Disney store about Imagineers and he told me a lot of things I didn’t know. He had the privilege to meet some of the head Imagineers as well.
Anyway, we had a scrumptious dinner at Tony’s; rode Small World, then watched SpectroMagic. Returned to our room & watched Wishes from the balcony. Mom got me a precious Minnie Mouse keychain and a Cinderella coach antennae topper. I found the first “Kingdom Keepers” book (huzzah!) and purchased it at the Art of the Disney store. Back at our resort, in the BVG store, I bought an adorable white Mickey, Minnie & Pluto purse that I absolutely love, as well as a cute yellow v-neck blouse w/ an image of Mickey & Minnie having lunch on what appears to be Main Street USA. ‘Twas a lovely day. But I really didn't wanna go home the next day.
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