The Magic of Disneyland

As you may have read on Carrie's blog, we took the family to Disneyland this weekend. Wes, Wyatt, Carrie, my mom, and my grandpa all spent three days in the Magic Kingdom.
I have so many memories of Disneyland as a kid. We would go twice a year...once on Labor Day and again around Christmas. I remember the first time I went on Matterhorn the first Electrical Parade I saw, the first time I met Mickey Mouse, and the first time I spit on people from the skyway. What was great this weekend was experiencing some of those "firsts" from a dad's perspective.
We've been to Disneyland many times in the past, but it was different this time. I think it was different because there were four generations of my family present. My grandpa talked about the things he remembered the first time he went: the stagecoach ride, Autopia, and the tea cups. My mom talked about the things she remembered as a child: riding the tea cups on my grandpa's knee, E-tickets, and running free on Tom Sawyer's Island. We thorougly enjoyed ourselves!
One of my favorite moments came on Saturday night. I remember as a kid sitting on Main Street waiting for the parades to begin. I would dance with the Disney characters in the middle of the street then plop down next to my mom and wrap up in a blanket. The lights would go down and the music of the Electric Parade would come on. That cheezy, synthtic music that you had to clap with. Wes and Wyatt got to experience that for the first time. I absolutely LOVED watching Wes' eyes light up when he first saw Mickey and the gang on the first lit up float. Then came the blue fairy, the train, those weird catepillars and mushrooms, the cheshire cat, Pete and his Dragon (remember that movie?), and, of course, the salute to America float. Wes was in awe of the technological advances of the 1970's, especially the way the turtles talk. Almost like Crush in California Adventure!
However, my favorite moment had nothing to do with a parade or a ride or a meal. My grandpa wanted to go to the water front to watch the boat. We wheeled him down there next to Wes in the stroller. The two Wesleys sat, side by side, watching the ducks and the boats and the people on Tom Sawyer's Island. I happened to get a picture of it and plan to have it framed someday. I asked Wes what he was doing with Papa Wes down by the water and he replied, "Nothin'. Just watching stuff with my Papa Wes. He likes to watch stuff like me."
It was great weekend all in all. We went on rides, saw shows, ate at Goofy's Kitchen, got Pluto and Goofy's autographs, got pictures with all sorts of characters, and had lunch at the Blue Bayou.
Disneyland is a magical place for all children. But it is just as magical, or even more so, when you see it through the eyes of your own child.

New Kid Back on the Blog

After an extended absence from the blogging world, I decided to get back in the game. And what event/subject has wrestled me from my semi-retirement? BEERFEST 2008!

A quick history of Bill and beer, first...I wasn't a big drinker in high school, like some of my friends. And when I did drink, it was usually a wine cooler or Lynchburg Lemonade or something like that. I tried beer sometimes. In fact, on my 21st birthday in Las Vegas I bought different kinds of beer (strawberry beer, Sapporo, and honey wheat). I was barely able to swallow them down. At some point, after I turned 21 I came to the realization that I can't keep ordering appletinis, purple hooters, and strawberry margaritas the rest of my life without being accused of having a vagina. So I gave myself a challenge. I said that for 3 months, whenever I went out to eat, I could only order beer or water to drink. No buttery nipples, no rootbeer shnaps, no Malibu and Coke. I wanted to be a man. And the rest, my friends, is downhill. I started to enjoy beer after the first 2 months. It was cheaper AND more filling than an Alabama Slammer. I started to love beer.

I've tried different kinds over the year. My favorites in the past have been Corona, Amber Bach (I even named my softball team "Amber Balk"), Fosters, Blue Moon, and the great Jeremiah Red from BJ's.

Last weekend I took a trip to Japan, the Himalayas, Croatia, Belgium, Germany, San Luis Obispo, Jamaica, and other places. I tried 19 different beers at BEERFEST 2008. This was the first, in hopefully many more, annual festival of beer. The best thing about it was the fact that not one of the people who attended, including myself, drank too much. When drinking dixie cups of beer, it is hard to create a buzz. All in all, I learned a lot about my personal tastes and the tastes of some of my friends. I am not an IPA fan, as my friends Kevin and Ian are. Croatia makes a really crappy beer. Red Stripe (it's red beer!) is a great summer beer. And my favorite was the one I brought, Blue Moon. Apparently, even though I was drinking beer, I can still be accused of being a woman when adding an orange slice to my beer. ("You can't fruit the beer, man!") Hey, I like my beer fruited, so BACK OFF!

I want to thank Kyle for hosting this historic event and for all those who participated! It was a great time and I look forward to doing it again!