2014 Year in Review

In January Dad, Mik, and I went to Walt Disney World. Dad ran the WDW Marathon and we enjoyed staying on the Club Level at Animal Kingdom Villas.

February marked one year in our house in Alabama. We still weren't unpacked, but we did get snow. Never did really unpack everything in Alabama. However, another move later and we are almost all unpacked in our new places (just a few boxes left in Mik's room and Mom's organizing her stuff at her place is just a forever ongoing project).

Mom, Mik, and I visited Walt Disney World for a quick weekend trip in March to get our DVC discounted vouchers for next year's Premier Passes and go to the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.

I spent a lot of the first half of the year at the lake house we rented, especially after Charter finally decided we weren't too far from a hook up to have internet in March. Did quite a bit of fishing, but only caught one fish, which was early on Easter and ended up being our Easter dinner.

In March/April we decided that it made more sense to switch from saving for a dream house on the lake to a condo in the DC area as it actually made sense as a place for us to live long term. In April we went to check out different areas and condos. We also went to Opening Day at Nationals Park. We did end up making an offer on a place, but they refused it because they did not want to make reasonable accommodations to the entry. Loved that unit, but it turned out for the better because we ended up in a community with much better amenities and I got my patio.

As soon as the 2014 Cubs schedule came out last year we decided we would see a game at Wrigley Field during the 100th Anniversary season when the Dbacks were in town and we choose the Wednesday game because that was Dad's off day, so he wouldn't have to take as many days off to go. Ended up being the actual 100th Anniversary date!

We all ended up back in Tucson in May and visited the Titan Missile Museum, which we had never gotten around to visiting in all the years we lived in Tucson.

At the end of May we closed on Mik's and my condo in Alexandria. In June Mom got a job relocation to Virginia and her and Dad found a condo to rent in the same complex as ours. The moving process took four months, but unlike still having at least a room full of boxes a year later from the AZ to AL move we have actually pretty much entirely finished unpacking (or at least Mik and I only have a few boxes left in Mik's room).

When checking out the local used bookstore when we first got our condo in Alexandria I found a 1940s Virginia Guidebook that Mom got me as a housewarming gift. After finding 1940s book on Tidewater Virginia I decided to start a 1940s book collection by finding books printed in the 1940s at local used bookstores. I'm using a bookcase we put in our dining room for the collection, which now includes several books I already had from the books I saved from my Grandma Kjos' library, a dictionary my Dad had that was originally my Grandpa Wasiak's, and seven other books I've found at various used bookstores in my travels this year.

I enjoyed some time at the cottage in Michigan with Grandpa, Jeannie, and Kirsten in June.

Also, in June Dad and I checked out the mini golf that was set up along the sidewalks in downtown Huntsville.

For Mom's birthday in July I got us tickets to see the Blake Shelton concert at Wrigley Field. She said it was the best concert she's ever been to. Mine, too, but I still don't officially like concerts. However, it was awesome see Neal McCoy perform. He's a true entertainer.

Dad and I went to Poland in August for the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. I enjoyed hearing the first hand stories from my Grandpa Wasiak as we visited the Warsaw Uprising Museum and the area he grew up in Old Town.

When we lived in Arizona we traditionally went to a Nats @ Dbacks game once a season. Now that we live a metro trip away from Nats Park we went to several games this season, but most importantly we started a new tradition of going to a Dbacks @ Nats game. Also, I got Mik to agree to be a Nats fan now that we live in the area. He's still a Dbacks fan, but he roots for the Nats, too, unless they're playing the Dbacks.

For my birthday in October we went on a Disney Cruise that included Mik and I finally going to Mexico (Cozumel) and a stop in Jamaica. Mom and Dad also did the Castaway Cay 5k. I also ended up with a fleet of Dumbos from collecting the popcorn buckets for my Dumbo lamp project and also Mom getting me a stuffed Dumbo, which Mik found quite snuggy.

For years I have been wanting to take Mik back to the top of the Washington Monument, but it kept being under renovations when we visited and then repair after the earthquake. It reopened around the time we moved to the area and in November we finally got tickets and did it. Mik couldn't enjoy the view as they did not have the periscope like when we took him in 2006, so he still has no idea what I have been trying to explain to him all these years because he doesn't remember it.

The weekend before Christmas Mom and I went to Nashville as she got us tickets to see the Opry at the Ryman as my Christmas present. When I heard about the Kelly Clarkson's Miracle on Broadway concert I got the tickets for that as her Christmas present (I told her not to get used to concert tickets as presents!). We also toured the Ryman, visited The Hermitage, got boots, and enjoyed music at a honky tonk.

Since moving to Alexandria Mik and I have enjoyed visiting the various museums, especially the temporary exhibits, in D.C. In December I took him to a variety of the holiday things including the Holidays at Union Station, Capitol Christmas Tree, National Christmas Tree, and our favorite Season's Greetings at the U.S. Botanic Garden. In December we also visited Walt Disney World mainly to pick up next year's annual passes, but also to enjoy the holidays at the parks.

Dumbo Lamp in Kitchen

Mom emailed me this morning and said I had to do an update on my Dumbo lamp. So here it is. Not only has Mik not vetoed the one Dumbo on the lamp in the kitchen; but the lamp has turned into a miniature version of the Dumbo attraction. Mik doesn't mind it; but it does drive Dad nuts as he's always banging into it when throwing stuff in the trash or recycling cans.

On our Disney Cruise for my birthday last month they had the Dumbo popcorn buckets at the theater concession stand. The first night we bought one; because I had been talking about it being cool to turn the light into a miniature version of the attraction with three more Dumbos. We were going to get more each night until I had three; but the next night they were then out. However, the next night Dad and I noticed they had them again; so we just bought two to ensure we ended up with three. Then Mom met up with us in theater and had bought one, too. Thus, I ended up with too many Dumbos; but I guess can you really have too many?

Bonus collage that I've been meaning to put together of riding Dumbo over the years (and one of the Dino ride at Animal Kingdom; because it is now the only flying ride Mik does as it doesn't require a transfer).

Dumbo flying in the kitchen

Today I was putting away and organizing some of the stuff that had been piled in the dining room as part of the move and I came across my Dumbo popcorn bucket. I am currently pretty much out of space to display stuff in our Disney themed kitchen, so I decided to hang it on the light. I had used that as a hat rack when we first moved in and Mik did not like that. Now to see how long until he actually comes to the kitchen long enough to notice Dumbo and uses his veto power again.

Our Disney Yard Decor and Penguin Army Patio Style

We did not want to move any furniture on our initial trip to our condo to allow for easy painting and installing new flooring in the bedrooms.  Since we did not have to do anything to the patio, I did bring most of our collection of Disney Yard decorations.  Only things I did not bring were the grumpy plant (not going to be here to water the dill in it, so left in Alabama for now) and the lighthouse (I thought it might be too big, but it will go great in the corner I took the above panorama from).

 

I also brought some of the penguin army, which Mik says I cannot have on the patio except as a seasonal decoration, but for now he is not here and I have six on the patio (Christmas in July is coming up, right?). The ones I took were the extra sitting on the porch since we took them out of the yard after Christmas and the rest Dad would not let me take because they look good in front of the fake garage door in Huntsville.  Eventually I will move them all here and I will probably have to keep them in the storage unit except for December.  Maybe, Mik will let me have one out all year round, though.

Motorcycle Mickey and Our Disney Front Porch

About a week ago I found out that Kmart had an exclusive line of Disney outdoor products.  The motorcycle Mickey really caught my eye because of the HOA warning I got last year for having my scooter on the front porch.  They said it was because motorcycles are not allowed to be parked there, so I figured I might as well put an actual motorcycle on the front porch this year even though it is a miniature.

I also could not pass up on the solar powered Mickey lighthouse.  I was able to resist the Mickey and Minnie fountain, though I would not mind getting that eventually when we do get a condo if we do not already have too many things for our porch, which we might because we already had two Grumpy statues, a Mickey statue (I'm not attached to this, though), and the Grumpy planter that Mik choose online and also arrived today.

Mickey Gnome Rain Gauge Collage

Tonight we have more snow.  Yesterday's melted by evening, but now we already have the same if not more.  I decided to take some more photos. I took one of the Mickey rain gauge yesterday morning and when taking another tonight I was reminded of the frozen one I took of it back on Thanksgiving.  I thought it made an interesting collage combining those with one of just rain I took of it the first week we had it last March.  Kind of a look back at how precipitation has gone from something we didn't see much when we lived in AZ just over a year ago and the abundance of it we get now in AL to the point I have been totally over it (the rain, the snow is still a novelty!).

Reindeer Dilemma

The other day Mom and I went to the Disney Store in Tucson and I got the big stuffed Olaf snowman guy from the upcoming Disney Frozen movie.  I was going to use it to replace the big penguin on my bed at home, since it is old and wearing out.  I almost also got Sven the reindeer, but he wasn't as big and mixing a reindeer with the other penguins on my bed seemed almost as bad as a polar bear, which I absolutely hate when they get mixed with penguins in designs because they are from opposite parts of the globe.

In the end, I left Olaf in Tucson to have when I am staying at the studio and I bought another one online for at home in Alabama.  I also got a Sven then, too. (Replaced Mik's Grumpy pants the carpet ruined last month, too)

When Sven arrived yesterday, Mik told me I couldn't put it with the penguins or he'll come throw away the penguins.  Mom said they could be mixed because the reindeer is Norwegian like our heritage, so an exception should be made.  I will probably just move the penguins to my office, though, as that's where the rest of my penguin collection is anyways and Sven and Olaf go better with my bed since my Disney stuff is displayed on the walls by my bed. How the giant pumpkin pillow I keep on my bed all year round fits in to the theme I don't know.

The Killer Carpet

Friday Mik texted me this photo of his knee sticking out of his favorite pajamas pants.  His only comment was that next time we are at Disney he needs to looking for new pants.  Ever since we moved into the house the transition areas of the carpets have been annoying, as the carpet they were putting in the day we put an offer on the house is crap.  Mik has ended up with several cuts from crawling over the area between his bathroom and room and now he got a big hole in his Grumpy pajama pants.

Pool Noodle Sorcerer Hat Craft

When I saw the Use-Your-Noodle Headboard project in the February 2012 Family Fun magazine, I instantly thought it would be awesome to make a pool noodle Sorcerer Hat wall hanging for my room.  First, I had to wait for pool noodles to be in stores in April and it then took a couple weeks to find the right color ones and enough of them.  By May, I had everything to make the project, but the stuff just ended up being stacked in my room for months because I was not sure I could cut through them straight enough.  Thus, from May until a couple weeks ago all I had done was traced the Sorcerer Hat design on poster board.



A couple weeks ago, I finally decided to just try to cut the pool noodles in half and the shape out of the poster board on my own.  I did not exactly get the noodles in half using a steak knife, but it ended up being close enough they look fine.  I was all ready to finish the project then or so I thought, but it turned out the glue sticks I got did not fit in the glue gun I had purchased.  Thus, I had to wait another week to get the right size ones.

I finally got the pool noodles glued to the poster board or at least partially on Monday.  Monday I also cut out the stars and moon and spray painted them with glow-in-the-dark paint.

Yesterday, I then had to go back to some of the longer noodles and reglue them on half at a time because they did not stick with the glue drying too fast to get them on.  I then added the stars and moon, so it is finally complete other than hanging it up, which I cannot decide if I want to do or not with a move possible in our near future.

I Knew I Should've Avoided the Disney Store

Yesterday, I was walking along Michigan Ave in Chicago to go to Best Buy and get some headphones because I did not bring any on the road trip and wanted some for listening to my iPod on the flight home today.  My plan was just to hit the stores with Shopkicks on the way.  I skipped the Disney Store on the way there, but I could not resist going in on the way back.

Of course, once there I could not pass up the fun Windy City Chicago Vinylmation guy.  Also, I found a fun one with little Mickey's representing flags of the world.  Lastly, I finally got a Cubs Vinylmation.  I really want a Nationals one, but alas they do not make one (maybe, they will if the Nats keep being awesome!).  I do not want the Cubs one in my ledge collection at home, but I could not resist getting it for Mom's apartment because it was perfect for the TV room that has Wrigley Field and other Cubs decor.  I certainly did not need 3 Vinylmation, but once I was in there and they had Chicago ones and the newer flag one I just could not resist.  At least I did resist the fun scented ones.

My Disney Ledge: Starting my Vinylmation Collection

I finally have a few Vinylmation figures.  When I first saw them in Disney stores last year, I did not really like them much less want any other than I did actually buy one at the D23 Expo last year, but that was mostly because it came with a pin I liked.  However, ever since I moved into the Master Bedroom and made it themed Disney I have wanted to get some Vinylmation to put on the ledge.

The collection started with the ice Vinylmation that I only got because I wanted the ice cube mold it came with.  It was not really a collection, though, until I got some more in Disney World earlier this month.  Now I also have a big red light one, a 2012 one, and a Norway flag one.  Eventually, it would be cool to have them all across the ledge, but I am being pretty picky on the ones I get and the only ones out now I do not have that I want are ones that I am probably going to have to get on eBay because they are old like the bowling one and/or come in mystery box sets.

Cars Land: 2nd June 2012 Disney trip, 1 to go

After getting back from Walt Disney World late Wednesday night (a whole day early actually!), Dad and I went to Disneyland on Saturday and Sunday.  We were supposed to end up home a whole week between going places, but I could not pass up buying the Cars Land preview tickets.  It ended up being totally worth it, although we did not get the private World of Color show as expected.

Saturday we finally got to Disneyland around 7 p.m., as we left Tucson later than planned, stopped quickly at Joshua Tree National Park for a stamp for my national park passport, and made a few stops at stores for Shopkick walk-ins along the way, too.  I got my new annual pass, since mine and Mik's expired in Disney World.  This year we are just getting Disneyland premium ones, as we are not planning to do Disney World again at least until Christmas 2013 or later.  Dad's premier pass is good until April, since I only just got his when we did Disneyland in April and knew we had a Disney World and at least one Disneyland trip coming up.

Saturday night Dad and I went into Disneyland for a few hours.  We enjoyed dinner at my new favorite, the Jolly Holiday Cafe, and went on Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion before escaping before the Fantasmic and fireworks exit crowd.

Sunday we got a late start not getting to the parks until noon, but that was okay since the event was 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and we knew we would likely stay for the whole event.  Plus, we thought World of Color was supposed to show after the event and thus it would be a until midnight at the park night.

The first thing we did was picked up our cool Cars Land wristbands.  We then headed into Disneyland to do some rides.  We ended up just doing a few Fantasyland rides (Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and Mr. Toad).  Also, discovered the salmon salad at the Harbour Galley by the Rivers of America.

After lunch we headed over to California Adventure to check out the new Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and ride Toy Story Mania.  It was fun to get a free chocolate square and while frozen white chocolate mocha is not cheap it was tasty and refreshing on the sunny day.  When we go back for Mik's birthday in a few weeks, I am going to try the Gold Rush sundae (peanut butter sundae), as that looks awesome and I did not notice it until after I ordered my mocha and I was still full from lunch anyways.

After a ride on Toy Story Mania, it was around 5 p.m. and while our preview time was not supposed to start until 6 p.m. we decided to go line up anyways.  The line was already all the way across the Pacific Wharf and starting to wrap up towards the other bridge.  Good thing we lined up early, though, as by 5:20 p.m. they started letting us in and we were actually on Radiator Springs Racers for our first time by 6 p.m.

Radiator Springs Racers is an awesome ride and made it totally worth going for the preview.  The first thing I liked about it was the Amazing Oil Bottle House part of the queue, which has colorful oil bottles in the walls.  The coolest thing, though, is there are some glass insulators up on the top shelf inside.  It totally gave us some ideas of things to do with the ~600 glass insulators I have sitting in storage.

Of course, the Radiator Springs Racers ride itself was a lot of fun, too.  You go through Radiator Springs and before getting ready for the big race.   For the race, we ended up going through a spray paint area, which is made to light up and look like it is spray painting the color of the car you are in, so it changes depending on the color car you are in.  At first I thought this was the only pre race preparation, but we later learned there was a tire changing thing for the left side car.   Once both cars are ready, you race each other and it random which side will win.

After our first ride on Radiator Springs Racers, we headed over to Luigi's Flying Tires.  This is a rather odd ride where you get in a giant tire vehicle and air makes them float.  You shift your weight to control it to basically do bumper tires.  There are also giant beach balls to pick up and throw around if you want.  An interesting ride, but not all that exciting.

Before going on the third ride in Cars Land, we strolled through the shops and I only picked up one thing (a Cars Land antenna topper).  I also got some pretzel bites at the Frozen Cone-Coctions cone at the Cozy Cone Motel.  They were good, but I was annoyed that the cone places do not give the annual pass dining discounts.

The final ride in Cars Land is Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.  It is a wacky tractor ride.  The tractors go in circles and switch tracks as you go around making the cart swing side to side.  It is really hard to describe, but it is crazy and fun and the video I did while riding is below.

After trying out all the rides, we went back to Radiator Springs Racers and rode it again and again with one short break to take photos of Cars Land lit up at night until our final ride ended about 10:45 p.m.  By the end the wait was pretty much nothing, so we got in at least 7 rides on Radiator Springs Racers (yes, more rides on one ride in one evening than I did the whole six days at Disney World!), which is awesome considering they are expecting 5 hour wait times when it opens.  I totally plan to fastpass and ride when we go for Mik's birthday, but we are not waiting that long for it.



We could have kept going until 11 p.m., but we thought there was a World of Color showing.  We headed over there and found out they canceled that a week ago and instead we were supposed to get fastpasses to the 10:15 p.m. show.  I am kind of annoyed I paid $25 extra for a private show that did not happen, especially since no one told us about the early time because we did not get the fastpasses at check in.  However, we did go to guest services and I can pick up two fastpasses for the blue section first show any of the dates we are going to be at Disneyland in a few weeks for Mik's birthday.  Not sure I will use them, though, as we already are doing the dining package at Carthay Circle for his birthday.  The preview was still totally worth it and not going to the 10:15 p.m. show ended up making the lines shorter at Radiator Springs Racers, but I could have gotten in a few more rides if I knew there was no show (I would not have gone at 10:15 p.m. if I had known because it was the public show, which is nothing special like a private viewing might have been).