uh, one month later...

Sorry it's been so long! I've been busy!!!

Here's some pics from Thanksgiving at the Gallos! Christmas pics, coming soon... ;-)

Helping in the kitchen!

I'm getting full...

Potatoes!

Cheers!
Carly, Barb and I!

Lil' bit-o-good news!

I got an 83 on my Mass Communications Law test! Woo hoo!

Trust me, that's a good grade for that class!

And I got an internship with The Orlando Business Journal for next fall!

Need sleep, will post more tomorrow!

<3

Journalism Major

I got an email from the Journalism Area Coordinator today that said

Congratulations. You have been accepted as a major into the Journalism program at UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication.

Yay! :-)

Grandpa's Birthday

Make a Smilebox greeting

Halloween Horror Nights

Last night was the first night I went in as active backup to work Horror Nights. I got picked as a school kid in a scare zone, which means we are just on the streets scaring people, not in a haunted house where guests have to wait in line to get in.
The scenario is that we are a second grade class on our way to a Halloween party when our school bus crashed and we all died, including our teacher, and now are demented little kids who are left to celebrate Halloween every night for the rest of eternity.
Its pretty messed up.
Here are some pics!

First, we come out in line and get into the school bus. Then, when they turn on the lights we slam our hands against the windows... it scares the crap out of people.

When we come out of the bus, we get in line, half of us turn left and half turn right, and the teacher reads a poem. On the last word, which is usually either hell, die, blood, or something along those lines, we yell it out loud with him and run like mad into the crowd.

Last night I had this costume, it was just this dress, which went to my knees and was kinda torn at the bottom, and I had on black knee high stockings and black shoes. The mask is a fox mask. When we got into the bus we grabbed random props, like a pumpkin or cauldron for trick-or-treating, a noise maker, or a body part prop... on the last set I had a foot and a cauldron, and I would go up to people and in a sweet voice say "Trick-or-Treat" and I'd hold out my cauldron, then I'd shove the bloody foot in their face and in a creepy voice yell "smell my feet!"
Some people laughed but some got pretty freaked out. It was awesome.

Pug-A-Day

Abbey is the Pug of the Day on the Pug-A-Day blog!!!

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Saturday, Joel and I went to Disney's Halloween Party! I used to work during the event last year and I was in withdrawal! Here are some pics. We went as Dorothy and the Scarecrow.


This little girl came up to us with her dad, and he said she wanted to be Dorothy for Halloween too, and asked if she could take her picture with us! It was so cute! this happens all the time at events like this because so many people dress up, and some of them look like the real things.

We kept hearing people comment on our costumes, we were the hit of the night I'd say.

Outside the Haunted Mansion!

Condom Hairbands

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/hairband.asp

Grandma sent me this, it is pretty much one of the weirdest articles I've seen.

Entertainment Budget

So, having taken personal finance (twice, ha! big surprise I failed it the first time) (but I got an A the second time, whoo hoo!) I know that I should have a budget and that part of that budget can be for entertainment. I haven't completely settled my budget yet because my hours and pay are not consistent each month, but lately I've been wanting to spend all this money on entertainment. Like magazines, Netflix, DVR, DVDs, concerts, theme parks... I've never noticed me doing that before til now. I have a subscription to two magazines, Harper's Bazaar and Teen Vogue and I will often buy Cosmopolitan. Harper's Bazaar is my favorite magazine (the best fashion magazine there is!) and I typically hate Cosmo and Teen Vogue. To be honest, I only got the Teen Vogue subscription for a free poster of the Harry Potter cast that came with it, that is now framed in my room! So when that subscription runs out I will not be renewing it. Cosmo, I don't respect as a magazine at ALL, but I do get dragged into reading it anyway, so I feel like I should subscribe to it because it is usually about %75 cheaper to subscribe to a magazine than to buy it off the shelves. Then, as I was looking into getting a subscription for Cosmo (for only $15, that is the price of 3 magazines, and your getting 12 I was offered to subscribe to Marie Clare and Harper's Bazaar for only $5 each! So, the deal is that I get the first issue of each of those 3 magazines for free, and if i don't want to continue the subscription, I cancel it with no harm done. Or, I pay the $25 in all and now have 3 magazine subscriptions, which can also serve as research and educational material considering I would like work for such magazines someday!
Then, there is the movie/ DVR/ Netflix situation. I used to but DVDs all the time, none more than $15 (unless they were new release must-haves!) but I've stopped doing that because it got expensive and I have Netflix, which I pay $9.95 a month to use. I get one DVD shipped to me at a time and have no late fees. I can trade for another movie as many times as I want to. I have almost 200 movies in my queue and there are quite a few benefits to it. I don't have late fees, they ship back and forth usually next day, they have literally every movie ever, movies you'd never see in stores, and some movies you can watch online instantly from your computer. Now, I have my cable and Internet to pay for too through Brighthouse Cable, and it's actually not too expensive, because my apartment complex pays for basic cable, so I pay the little difference for digital cable, with the guide and on demand movies (they don't have on demand TV shows like Comcast though) so now I would like to watch all these TV shows that are playing; House, The Office, Project Runway, Ellen, Conan... shows I normally am not home to see and when I am home there is nothing on! It's only a $10 upgrade to get the DVR added, but don't know if that's pushing it, when I already have Netflix, and magazine subscriptions, and randomly buy new movies and books.
On top of all that, VERY rarely I will pay to see a concert or go into Disney for they're parties (like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) which can be pricey but I don't do very often. And I've really cut back on going to the movies.
Maybe I should just win the lottery and be able to have everything!

Short Story

This is the short story I turned in today in my creative writing class. I've never written fiction before and I really appreciate all of your advice! It was very helpful and i certainly went with something I know. This is still a rough draft, our professor will grade them and next week we will get them back with his notes and we will have the rest of the semester to finalize the story. Here it is:

Note:

The names I used were of people that I know or have known but they are not necessarily based on those people!

Innocence
By Megan VanWaus

As Alyssa swept the last bit of pink powder over her ivory complexion, she glanced down quickly at the digital clock on the screen of her cell phone and let out a sigh of relief. This would be her last meet and greet of the day.
Alyssa continued to apply her lipstick in the small, humid greenroom where she also got changed into the top half of her costume, and had her half hour breaks each hour. It was located between the back of the Grotto and a restaurant for guests, which she could never remember the name of, something to do with Pinocchio. There was a blue couch which desperately needed cleaning, a small round table pushed up against the only window in the room, an average sized television that only picked up eight channels with a VCR hooked up to it and a small refrigerator packed with the various people’s lunches, who also used that break room. The entire space was also covered in pictures of the girls on set, coloring book pages taped to the wall with crayon-written messages from children given to their favorite princess, and various stickers and posters of the character that reigned over that particular greenroom.
She had been told by her attendant earlier that this last set was a “special” meet and greet, but that was all she knew. Usually that meant that it was a Give Kids the World child, a tour group or the attendant had pissed someone off and the manager compensated with a “special” meet and greet. Either way, she had done a hundred of each type and was just ready for it to be over.
With her bejeweled purple shell-bra securely fastened and her short brown hair tightly hidden under a long red wig with a starfish clipped to the side, Alyssa headed out to the Grotto.
She first knocked and alerted the attendant that she was stepping out.
“You’re fine sweetie, she’s all clear,” replied her attendant, Albert. Alyssa was fond of Albert in the way she was fond of her uncle Ted, she knew him to be a bit creep but well intentioned all the same.
She continued out onto the set and sat down on the fake purple rock that was meant to look like a coral reef at the bottom of the sea. The walls were a mossy blue, and the room was the size of a typical living room, but scarce of any furniture, aside from her under-the-sea inspired chair. The ground was a mixture purple and green and made of the rubber material that playgrounds are sometimes floored with, making the floor feel squishy and bouncy under your feet. The set was meant to seem as if you were in the ocean, and Alyssa supposed this was as good as it was going to get without making guests jump into a swimming pool.
After she pulled her long, shiny green fin over her short, slender legs, she fidgeted with her wig and made sure her stomach wasn’t sticking out too much.
The Grotto was fairly new, but she had always thought that had this place been here when she was a little girl she would have been in heaven. Her favorite place in the whole world had always been Disney, and she loved the princesses most of all. They seemed like real-life royalty to her. She would dress up everyday in her mother’s longest dresses and scarves she had bought Alyssa at consignment stores and pretend to be a princess in distress, waiting for her prince to come.
Now that she worked at the place where dreams came true, much of the magic had been lost, the illusion unveiled. She knew now that behind Mickey Mouse’s familiar and loving face was often a very short girl getting paid practically minimum wage to sweat her ass off in a mouse costume. She knew that the castle, which seemed like the biggest, most amazing thing in the entire world to her as a child, held not one brick, but consisted of steel covered with fiberglass, secured to a concrete foundation, and designed specifically to appear much taller than it actually was (a typical staging trick). She also knew that the next child to come visit her would think she was Ariel, the little mermaid, a real live princess, when in fact she was just one of many Ariels, none of which looked alike.
“They should be arriving any minute now,” said Albert, checking his watch. He pulled out a piece of paper and seemed to be going over its contents, as if to remind him where he was and why he was there.
“Good, I’m ready to get this over with and go home! Is that whose coming?” Alyssa asked, pointing to the piece of paper Albert was reviewing. When there were details to be known about a “special” meet and greet, it usually meant the guest was a big deal. “Is it a celebrity?” Alyssa added hopefully.
“Not today. Make-a-wish kid,” Albert replied and proceeded to read the information to her the way one would read a grocery list.
“Melanie. 9 years old. She’s had Leukemia for 3 years and has stopped responding to treatment. The family’s here because her last wish was to come to Disney World and Ariel is her favorite. Doctors told her she’s got about two more weeks left.”
This shocked Alyssa. She had seen tons of sick kids at work before, but she never really knew their history or how long they had left to live. Usually a family with a very ill child would get a pass to cut the line for rides and to see characters, but the process of the meet and greet was still the same; you ask their name, say something like “your hair is so lovely! I did mine with a dingle-hopper today” or “say bubbles,” sign their autograph books, pose for the picture and tell them you hope to see them under the sea again soon! The subject of their lifespan was not something that was ever discussed.
Alyssa suddenly felt very uncomfortable about meeting the family. She wondered what would happen if her family brought it up in front of her, or worse, Melanie herself mentioned it. What would she say back to her? What if Melanie got sick or fainted right in front of her? Alyssa was sure she couldn’t handle that, and had no idea what she’d do if such an awful event occurred right in front of her.
“Roberts family? Welcome to Ariel’s Grotto!” Albert’s greeting to the family snapped Alyssa out of her fear. She quickly concluded that she was an actress, a professional, and she would just have to act and react the way Ariel would in whatever situation confronted her. She was, after all, the little mermaid to this little girl.
“Hi,” said the little girl with the biggest smile she’d ever seen and a collection of teeth that was typical of a second grader with larger jagged projections forcing themselves into the company of tiny baby teeth. She may have been nine years old but she looked to be the size of a six year old and a ninety-six year old at the same time. She was pale, thin and fragile sitting in a wheelchair that could fit a two hundred pound man. Her shoes, jeans and shirt all looked too big for her, as if she were wearing her own hand-me-downs from a time when she rightfully fit into young girl’s clothes.
“Hello, Melanie! I’m so happy to meet you! Scuttle has told me so much about you,” replied Ariel, in her upbeat, songlike tone, which is similar to the way most people talk to dogs or babies, but without the shortening and simplifying of words.
As she spoke to Melanie, she noticed most of all two distinct aspects of the little girl’s appearance; her perfect blue eyes set in dark and tired lids, like the shrinking patch of clear sky as a storm rolls in. The other was her hat. She recognized that hat. She remembered that hat. That was the very same hat that a girl she went to middle school had worn every single day; an awful, pumpkin-orange bucket hat, practically identical to hers. The girl’s name was Eleanor Carrigan and she sat right in front of Alyssa in almost every class. Eleanor was not part of the “cool” group, as Alyssa was. In fact, she wasn’t really part of any group, and as Alyssa reflected on her memory of Eleanor, she realized that she never noticed Eleanor ever having a friend around. She was always by herself; ate lunch by herself, walked through the halls by herself, did her work by herself, but that wasn’t why she remembered Eleanor so well after several years. She remembered Eleanor Carrigan because of her hat.
Alyssa and her friends would make fun of Eleanor and her hat. It was not in style and made Eleanor seem even weirder than they had already perceived her. Eleanor did not fit in, they had decided, and her hat made her stand out even more. She was a sitting duck in the social war that was the seventh grade, and Alyssa held the gun.
Once, to impress her friends, Alyssa taped a piece of paper that read, “If found please return this ugly hat to good will” to the back of Eleanor’s orange hat. Her teacher noticed her reaching towards Eleanor, mid-act, and asked her what she was doing. Eleanor never turned around so Alyssa just excused herself for dropping her pencil on the floor. While she got away with the prank, she knew Eleanor would later find the piece of paper stuck to her cherished hat and know it had been Alyssa who had put it there to embarrass her. She wondered if Eleanor would tell her teacher what she had done, but Alyssa never got in trouble for it, and everyone caught on to the prank, calling her names like “Elea-poor” and “suck-it bucket.”
As Alyssa stared at this weak, ill-fated little girl with her orange bucket hat covering her now hairless scalp, she thought of how incredibly stupid and malicious kids are, and how cruel she had been to Eleanor. She had never done anything to Alyssa, if she even ever spoke to her at all, and certainly didn’t deserve the abuse Alyssa had put her through, much like this fragile little girl sitting in front of her did not deserve the pain and suffering she was going through.
She continued to stare into Melanie’s eyes and realized she had seen those eyes before as well. Eleanor’s eyes always had that same look, like she knew she was there, existing and living, but she wasn’t sure why or how.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” said Melanie, timidly.
Alyssa noticed that she was a bit shy by the way she fidgeted with her hands and kept tucked into the corner of her wheelchair, but her serrated yet gleaming smile allowed Alyssa to continue her conversation.
“Have you had a good day so far?” asked Ariel.
“Yeah, it’s been good,” replied Melanie.
“Well, I would love for you to come sit by me if you’d like and tell me all about it!”
“Mom, can I?” whispered Melanie to her mother who was standing right by her the entire time. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“Sure sweetie, but let me help you and you let us know if you’re not feeling well or you can’t make it, okay,” said her mother. She then, with the assistance of a tall, middle-aged man Alyssa assumed to be her husband, helped her nine year old daughter stand up, step away from her wheelchair, and gradually walk to the “coral” chair where Ariel waited to be joined by her guest. When she reached the seat, her father lifted her with the care of a father holding his newborn daughter for the very first time, fearful he might break something but knowing he’d protect her from anything that would hurt her.
As Alyssa noticed the concern Melanie’s parents had for their daughter, she become conscious to the fact that they treasured these few moments with Ariel just as much as Melanie did, but for reasons very different from Melanie’s.
“There, now you can tell me all about your day!” said Ariel, once Melanie was situated beside her. “Did you go on any rides?”
“Yeah, we got to ride a lot of them,” said Melanie.
“Oh, that’s so exciting, which one was your favorite?”
“I really liked Peter Pans Flight, only I was afraid I might drop my hat when we flew over the crocodile!”
“Oh no! Well I’m certainly glad tick-tock didn’t get it, it’s a very nice hat!”
“Would you sign it?”
“Oh of course!”
Melanie then removed her hat that had served as more than just an unfortunate fashion choice. It was as revealing as Alyssa removing her wig to expose a hidden truth. Melanie had lost all of her hair and used that hat to protect herself. Alyssa knew she was protecting herself from the stares of people, the comments, the whispering. She was protecting herself from the fact that she was not like most other nine year olds and she would give anything to be treated like every other healthy, average nine year old. Melanie was treated special, and while she appreciated it, all she wanted was to fit in.
Alyssa took Melanie’s hat and the marker and signed “Ariel,” complete with the usual curvy font and bubbles surrounding the name.
“I wish I had hair like yours,” said Melanie. “I used to have long blonde hair, all the way down to here.” She laid her flat hand, perpendicular to her body, just below her collarbone.
“Wow that’s really long!”
“Yeah, it was.”
“I think your beautiful, and I’m so happy we’re friends now,” said Ariel decidedly. Alyssa had chosen her words very carefully and delivered them with pure honesty.
A flash of light erupted as Alyssa held Melanie’s delicate hands and the two looked at each other, a moment filled with polarized emotions, captured forever.
…
Two months later, Alyssa is sweeping the last bit of pink powder over her ivory complexion, she glancing down at a new picture taped to the mirror that she used to transform herself each day into a little mermaid. It was a photo of her and a little girl in an orange hat becoming friends. It was filled with grief, love, sympathy, guilt and honesty. On the back of the picture was a message in magic marker with a little girl’s handwriting, thanking Ariel for her visit and wishing her well. Underneath Melanie’s crooked signature was another message, this time in black pen and perfect penmanship:
“Dear Ariel,
Thank you so very much for meeting with my daughter just a few months ago. Ariel has always been her favorite princess and it was truly a dream come true for her. She really believed she had made a friend with the little mermaid that day, and I know it brought her immense joy in her last days. Melanie lost her battle with leukemia just nine days after that meeting with you, and I just needed to let you know how much you touched our daughter, and how much it meant to her father and me to see Melanie with a smile and a friend.
Thank you and god bless,
The Roberts”
Ever since that day, the castle seemed to be grand and mysterious again, Mickey was more alive than ever, and Ariel was a real mermaid. The magic existed once again.

UCF

OK I have to write a ten page short story for my creative writing class by the end of September and I have NO IDEA what or how to write it.

Any ideas?

Short stories always seem almost boring, until you realize it has some underlying message, I feel. I've never written like this before, I've always written news, or at least "nonfiction."

I also have to take the Grammar Proficiency Test on Tuesday. It's a test you have to take (and pass) as part of the requirements to get into the Journalism program at UCF. Right now I'm just Journalism Pending with an English Writing minor. So, I bought an English Grammar Workbook for Dummies to prepare for it and make sure I pass it, because if I don't get at least at 75% I have to take some remedial grammar class for an entire semester, which would also postpone my acceptance into the school.

School is going great though! I love UCF! I love my classes! I'm taking Journalism Ethics, Communications Law and Creative Writing for English Majors and Minors (part of the reason I declared my minor so soon). When you're a Journalism major you actually have to declare a minor that is outside of the School of Communication. I thought about Political Science or Computer Science but both were a bit more complicated than I intended when I looked into them more, and English Writing is general and related to what I want to do.
So, I will be applying for the Journalism program by October 1st in order to begin in the Spring. If I don't get in, I can reapply but I would only have my minor classes to take, because I'm already taking all of the journalism classes that a journalism pending student can take.

I am also going to go to a Central Florida Future meeting on Monday.
http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/home/generalinformation/
The Central Florida Future is the UCF newspaper, but it isn't produced on campus, it's actually run by an outside company. If I submit enough stories as a contributor, they will add me on as staff and then I'd get paid for my stories! I also joined a group called the Society of Professional Journalists. It's a national, or maybe international, organization and I think this is just a student chapter type of thing. They didn't say much at the first meeting, but there are a few workshops you can go to when you're a member and most of all there's a big internship/job fair just for students in the organization of tons of magazines and newspapers and other publications around Orlando and Florida that are there to hire us!

:-)

A Happy Delivery!

When I stepped outside tonight to walk Abbey, there was a square package under my rug, which was weird because the package could have fit a pair of shoes in it. I hadn't ordered anything and wasn't expecting a delivery, so I was a bit curious.

I opened it up after our walk and it is by far the best delivery I've ever gotten!

It reads:

Megan,

It is hard for me to believe

that in just a little while

Danny and I will be

walking down the aisle.

And nothing would give

me more joy and pride

than to have you

right there by my side.

Will you be my Bridesmaid?

I started to tear up when I read it! I love Megan and Danny so much (Megan is my best friend Carly's older sister. She is why Carly and I are friends, and she's like the big sister I never had! Danny has been her boyfriend for years. They went to high school together and then to Florida State University, where they started dating. They have both graduated now and are living in Washington D.C. and just got engaged on August 8, 2008), I'm so happy for them and so excited to see them get married, and I don't think they realize how much it means to me to be a bridesmaid for Megan. I've never been a bridesmaid before, but I have always wanted to, and since I don't have any siblings, I've always known the chances to be one were slim. I can't wait to be there for her, to see her gown, and what dresses we will wear, and to find out when the date will be and where it will be at. I'm so happy for them!!!

Where Danny proposed to Megan!

PARADES by Megan VanWaus

Here's the link to my newest article for the Walt Disney World with Disabilities book and website.

http://www.diz-abled.com/Disney-Resources/Articles/Disney-PARADES.htm

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Mom came to visit me this weekend, and got to see me at work! Here the pics!

Dora the Explorer getting a makeover?

Grandma sent me this article, asking me what I think about it.

by Sandy Maple Aug 24th 2008 1:00PM

Dora the Explorer may be one of Nickelodeon's most popular characters, but she's no Hannah Montana. Some of us would say that's a good thing, since she is designed to appeal to much younger audience. But, according to a source, the powers that be over at Nickelodeon want to give the bilingual cutie a makeover in an attempt to draw in the older kids.First up for the Dora transformation is a new, feminine look. Maybe put her in a skirt and fix her hair up a little? Add some bows to the backpack and color the map pink? Next, get the girl some human friends. The source says they are considering adding a group of "Explorer Girls" to the animated cast. If these Explorer Girls follow the typical kid's show formula, you can expect a smart one, a pretty one and maybe a prissy one who doesn't like to get dirty.If all that goes well, Dora may soon find herself featured on the big screen. Nickelodeon isn't commenting, but the source says they are considering a full-length feature film featuring Dora as an older kid. "Dora is as popular as she's ever been, and now has a second generation of viewers that we would love to serve," the company said.I sure hope they don't ruin Dora. Sure, my 7-year-old has zero interest in that "baby show" now, but she loved it when she was younger. As do lots of little kids today. Does everything have to be about appealing to the tween audience these days?

I think that it's very typical business. It's not the first time Nickelodeon will have their character "grow up," The Rugrats had an entire spin-off about them in junior high or something. It came after I had grown out of The Rugrats, but too late for me to watch them even as older characters.

Everyone loves Dora at the park, but it is mostly Hispanic preschool age girls that are in love to see me, I mean her. :-)

The Royal Knighting, Tropical Storm Fay-ker, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes!

I'm finally a UCF Knight! It took 2 years of crappy community college, but it all worked out! I just had orientation yesterday, and somehow got into the 2 classes I needed/ wanted to take this semester. I'm gonna try to add maybe on more this semester during the add/drop period, but I don't want to over do it this semester. UCF is about 45 minutes away from my apartment and I am really aiming at a 4.0 this semester so I can raise my overall GPA. Right now my major is Journalism Pending, because I haven't applied for the Nicholson School of Communication yet. They only accept 25 students a semester and they look at your GPA, admission essay, and 3 writing samples. At first I was sure I was never going to get in a I'd have to change my major, but I think I'll be OK in the end. Only 50 students applied in the fall, which is a lot less than I thought, and those numbers go down in the spring and summer semesters. The fact that they don't look at just GPA is in my favor, as well. The professor we spoke to said they admitted a student with only a 2.8 because he had great samples and an awesome essay, and they denied a girl with a 4.0 because she had no experience and her essay was terrible.
So I'm happy! We also got a $1.25 raise at work last week which will be nice, too!
One more month and Halloween will be here, well at least for the theme parks, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights starts the last week of September and runs til then end of October. I auditioned for (and got) active back-up for HHN, so I'll just show up the night of one the events and fill in where they need me, and hopefully I'll get to work with Joel (this boy. That I like.)
:-)

Tropical Storm Fay was so freaking stupid. Everyone freaked out because its the first storm to come to Florida, it wasn't even a Hurricane level winds and rain, it's a Tropical Storm! It's just a larger, longer rain cloud, which we've had hundreds of this summer, hello! It's Florida! It rains! A lot! So, all the storm did was close schools, got rid of tolls, cancelled my orientation originally scheduled for Tuesday, and it was rainy and windy. That's it. I went to lunch with Joel and went shopping with Leah. Then, the storm stayed around for a few days, so the next day at work I literally didn't have one set. I stayed inside for 8 hours and got paid to watch movies and take a nap in the break room. It was pretty sweet!
So I'm really looking forward to fall. Mom is visiting next weekend, I'm going to visit Joel sometime during September, HHN will be in October, then the nice weather will come for winter and the holidays and I can't! I'll be drinkin' pumpkin spice lattes in no time! :-D

Abbey loves her Animal Planet!

This is what Abbey and I do in our free time. She watches Animal Planet (Animal Cops is her favorite) and I film her!

CAUTION! Keep Your Eye on the Road

Here's the link to the website that I'm doing an internship with. It's a Disney Guidebook (unofficial) that helps guests with disabilities. This is my first article, and they lady liked it so much she wanted to post it on their website!

http://www.diz-abled.com/Disney-Resources/Articles/Disney-Driving-Walking-Cautions.htm

A Pet's Ten Commandments

A PET'S TENCOMMANDMENTS...
1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It iscrucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, yourentertainment, but I have only you.5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, rememberthat I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative,ask yourself if something might be bothering me.Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have beenin the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too,will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with meplease. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don'tmake me face this alone. Everything is easier for meif you are there, because I love you so. ALWAYS!

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets.Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would bea much dull ER, less joyful experience withoutGod's critters~
Now please pass this on to other pet owners. Wedo not have to wait for Heaven, to be surroundedby hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earthand has four legs!

Weight It Out!

Today, a girl at work was having people sign up for a really cool event. It's called "Weight It Out" and its a 12 week contest to see who can lose the most body fat percentage. It costs $25 each, and whoever wins gets to have the money go to the charity of their choice (mine is either the Dachshund Rescue that Ruby and Roxy went to, a pug rescue, or the ASPCA). So I joined because I've been thinking about trying to lose some weight anyway, and this will be a good motivator!
So, I went and weighed in with Lori, the fitness manager at Universal, and tomorrow she is gonna show me some exercises and workout routines to help me!
Some other good news is that I found a home for Sake! The SPCA called yesterday because I'm on the last resort lost for adopters for her, and I said I'd take her. Then, I immediately asked out loud at work "does anyone want a cat?" and my lead Jen said yes! So she is going to take her, and I'm so happy for Sake and Jen!
I also got some interesting news from my mom today... apparently its not exactly a secret but I'm gong to wait for her approval before I say anymore... but I will let you know ASAP!

Confessions of a Bookaholic

I recently finished a book and bought a couple new ones. Confessions of a Shopaholic was awful, I thought. The girl who got me into blogging recommended it, and she's very smart, but the book was not. Apparently, its part of a new genre that i just recently found out about. "Chick Lit" is not for me. It's the Bridget Jones' Diary, Devil Wears Prada type of books, with a clumsy, sympathetic of a heroine, trying to get through her mess of a life. Makes for good movies, not books. But, I guess they all can't be Harry Potter.
I wish.
So, I bought Skinny Bitch, which is a book about how to eat healthy and lose weight! I also bought A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. I've since heard that there was/is quite a bit of controversy over the book, because the author originally labeled it nonfiction, then come-to-find-out, his "memoirs" were somewhat altered, exaggerated, false...? I dunno, but I read about the book in Entertainment Weekly's top 50 books of the past 25 years issue, and then when I read the summary of the book and the author's introduction, I kinda teared up in Barnes & Noble.
I know I probably shouldn't read it, but I'm gonna try, and see how it goes.

I've Got Mail!

So, I just checked my mail a little bit ago and it was one of the best batches of mail I've ever had! Only one bill (that I pay online anyway), the newest Harper's Bazaar (my favorite magazine), 2 packages from Aunt Kathy (she got me an Audrey Hepburn card, a pink feather pen, new 42¢ stamps (so I can mail her back, of course!) and the cutest pug notebook! I have no clue where she found it but I love all of it!
I also got an invitation from my cousin Lisa to a party they are having soon, coupons for Domino's (my favorite pizza), and.............
My acceptance into UCF!!!
Even though I already know I'm going there, it's still nice to see on paper, all official and black & white. I love mail!☺
Anyway, work has been brutal! 100°, (should the degree sign be outside the comma, like an apostrophe?) Brazilian tour groups EVERYWHERE! I've got 41.33 hours this week, and 3 tests to worry about, quizzes, projects...ugh! But, only one more week and no more Art History, Valencia, community college... I'll be movin' on up! I just hope I can get a job involving intelligence and air conditioning soon (...most importantly, the air conditioning)!

Pugslife

View my page on Pugslife

Sake it to me!

SO much has happened in the past couple weeks, and at the same time, not much.

First, last week I was feeling... well it's like I work hard at school and Universal and used to work hard at Disney (see "Wishes!"), but none of it has to do with what I want to be doing (anything remotely journalism related). I mean once I'm done with school it'll help a lot, obviously, and next semester when I'm at UCF I will be able to take classes related to it, but right now I'm still taking my general education classes. Art History II is a required class and my last one thank God!

So I went on Craigslist Orlando and looked up writing/ editing jobs in the area, and I found one! It's actually an internship (so no money) but it's pretty cool and I' kind of perfect for it. Here's the ad:

Writers and aspiring writers are needed to create articles and info for our website and/or for our guide book. The subject is managing at Walt Disney World with health issues. At this time we need volunteers to write, BUT in the near future will have paid fact checking/writing projects for current Disney employees with extensive Disney experience and detailed Disney knowledge. Please contact us if you feel you qualify for either type of work. A Disney vacation can make a big difference by allowing rest and joy into an otherwise challenged life. You can help! You'll be supporting those with physical challenges have a restful, safe and fun vacation. This is also a great opportunity for those who are trying to build up their writing credits and experience. Students, if you need internship credit, we would be happy to participate with your school. Although we are looking for experienced writers who can research and dig out a story, that's not necessary if you have other experience that will enable you to create useful and helpful articles. We can take care of the grammar, etc. Here are some things that would be major pluses: - If you're a Disney World employee. - If you have an annual pass. - If you have knowledge about handling health conditions at Disney. - If you have research and writing experience.

Perfect right?! So now I am sending in articles about how to help guests going to Disney with health issues or disabilities. Any articles I want published on the website, they can put up with my byline, and everything I send will go to the author and he will use it to help write his book. There's also a possibility I could be featured in the book as a contributor! Here's the website of the book.
http://www.diz-abled.com/

Other than that the past couple weeks have been slow and boring. I put up all of my artwork and pictures in my apartment... I'll take some pictures when I'm 100% satisfied with how it looks soon!

Then, last night I had a bit of a dilemma. See, my old roommate, Morgan, who is the most irresponsible person in the world by the way, used to have 2 cats, Sushi & Sake. Part of the reason I couldn't live with her anymore was because she wouldn't take care of them. Then, she decided to take an Au pair job in Italy watching some people's kid! Like she's qualified for that! So she just up and left out of nowhere, and left her friends with all of her stuff, including her cats. Well, apparently, her friends moved a month ago and either couldn't have cats in their new apartment or didn't want to pay the deposit, and gave away Sushi, but couldn't get rid of Sake, who is the cuter, much sweeter of the two. So they left her for a month in their old apartment, by herself with no electricity or anything!

Then, they called me last night and asked me if I could help. Being a huge push over and an animal lover, I had them bring the cat over. The cat had to stay in my garage because she has fleas (still) and I already dealt with that when we all lived together and have kept Abbey flea free since.

So, today I took her to the SPCA, and they said they'd keep her for 7 days and try to adopt her out. If they couldn't they have to euthanize her, so I put my name down as a last resort. So, if the week goes by, and no adoption, I will adopt her and can then either take her to the humane society myself, where they won't euthanize her, or find her a home myself, or as a last resort keep her. She really is the sweetest cat!



So that's my lovely week. I wrote Morgan a really evil email about the whole thing too. :-)

Oh! And I've been running into ALL of these animals! Abbey met her first armadillo last week, lol. And today and turtle knocked on my door!

This is my front porch. (Up) and this is the turtle. (Down)

4th of July!

Things have been getting better the past couple weeks. I finished rehearsals for both shows at Universal, and my ankle is almost completely back to normal and I'm already back on regular duty. Universal has been so great with everything, I can't wait to start doing the shows in the parks!
Abbey has been very good lately too! I love her she's so cute!
For the 4th of July I worked in the morning til noon then helped my friend Alyssa move some stuff to her new apartment. She's been staying with me this week until it's ready. Then I packed Abbey and I up and we drove to my cousin Jennifer's house in Mulberry for a 4th of July Dinner/ party. She, her husband Joe, my aunt Vicky, and Steve, Jacie and Cade were all there and a lot of Joe's family were there. They made some AMAZING food too so I pigged out while Abbey ate Jennifer's chihuahua Skeeter's food and played with him all night. Then, we drove the rest of the 3 hours to Fort Myers for the weekend. Today I went to the pool at the Hyatt with Carly, her friend Jordan and my friend Kyle, then mom and I went to dinner at the Gallos. I've been getting a lot of good food the past couple days! And there's a Harry Potter marathon on! :-)
I've been hanging out with my new friend Corey a lot lately too. He is my mom's old principal, Carol Bromby's son. He's in his mid 20s and lives in Winter Park (which is just on the other side of Orlando) and works for Lockheed Martin. He's really nice and has a very sarcastic sense of humor, we like a lot of the same shows and movies. He had me borrow his DVD of the first season of a show from HBO called Flight of the Conchords and it's hilarious! Definately one of my new favorite shows!
Well my favorite part of my favorite Harry Potter movie is on so I'm going to finish watching it! Good night! <3

Wishes!

I am no longer a Disney Cast Member.
I self terminated today after talking to a manager. After my tonsillectomy, there was a ton of paperwork, miscommunication, rules & regulations, more miscommunication... it just wasn't good. Then, on top of everything else in my life, during a dance rehearsal at my other job at Universal, I severely sprained my right ankle and can't walk or stand for more than 5 minutes an hour. This means no work, for at least a week, which could have gotten me involuntarily terminated. So, by quitting myself, I can be rehired with the company in 6 months, given a check with my manager.
So, what this means now is I cannot go to the parks for free anymore and I cannot get anyone else in for free either. I still have a job at Universal, making more money actually and doing what I want to be doing at Disney, so I'm happy with that.
Anyway, my leg should be fine soon and I will be able to get back to work, unfortunately I won't be able to rehearse for the Seuss on the Loose Show though, which was supposed to start Sunday for a whole week. But I should be able to still be approved for the 80s Kidzone Show that I was rehearsing for when I got hurt.
It has not been my year so far. :-(
I also think my air conditioner is broken and can't seem to get a hold of my landlord's property management company to have someone fix it.
My last class needed for my Associates in Arts degree (Art History II) started last night also. I missed it because I was at the workers compensation clinic, but I sent my professor an email and he said he'd see me Monday! I also plan on going to UCF this week (since I won't have much else to do!) and figure out everything for the fall.
Mom will be coming up after work tomorrow for the weekend to visit and help me while my foot is still in a splint. Thankfully I have Abbey peepee pad trained as well as used to going potty on walks around the lake outside, so since the walks are out she's been very good about using her pads!
It's sort of sad about Disney, I can hear the Wishes fireworks going off at the Magic Kingdom while I'm typing this, and I can't just go see them if I felt like it anymore. But it'll be fine! I've been there, and seen those fireworks, more times than I can count, and will live for 6 months Disneyless! And hopefully when I do go back it'll be as a character or an internship, two things I'd love to do there!
Until then I'm definitely going to concentrate on school and keeping my job (which I love) at Universal! And I'm also hoping I won't have anymore bad luck, or else I'm going to need to concentrate on not losing my mind as well.

The Simpsons...doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo, doo, do-do-do-do-do!

Yesterday I got to become "good friends" with Lisa Simpson! Here's a couple pics!

Happy is Universal

I just recently started working at Universal Studios Florida (USF) this past month... and I love it! I still work at Disney World, in fact my 1 year anniversary with the company is June 16th, as a character attendant (I'm in the pool for character) but there are pros and cons with each.

Anyway, I've met a lot of cool new people already, mostly thanks to my friend Alyssa*

who just started working there a few months ago also. She used to work with my old roommate Morgan,*

and now her and I are better friends than either of us are with Morgan at this point (long story, drama, distance... but we all still get along though!). So here are some pictures of Alyssa's "good friend" Princess Fiona from Shrek. I'll be putting up more of my "good friends;" Lisa Simpson, Winnie the Woodpecker, Curious George, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Dora the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, and Private & Skipper (2 penguins from Madagascar) soon!