The Birthday Box

[Agent M]

That was very cool kli!!!
Ew Gryphon!!! And don't you remember what I told you? There's no such thing as too much chocolate!!! Actually I might have said sugar....... tee hee.

[Kathy Li]

Chani--no, it's not a bread-pudding specific thing. It's only if Extraordinary Desserts is doing their specific haute cuisine magic on it. Their high-falutin' oh-so-rich version of a homecooking staple just cracks me up, even as I feel my arteries harden. It's just plain worth it.

[Chani]

Okay... I get it.
Hmm... would that be in Cali? I am going to be in Cali in a couple of weeks... gonna take the kidos to Disneyland for a week. I went about 7 years ago to SD.. saw the ocean there for the first time ever and was most taken with the breeze off the ocean. It smelled so clean and cool. (Can one actually smell what 'Cool' is?... Whatever.) It is what I remember most... 'course, in Phoenix it is rather smoggy at times and one does get tired of smelling exhaust and the overpowering smell of citrus. I used to like it, but after living here for 17 years, it doesn't have the same appeal.

The one dessert that gets me is a good icecream sandwich. Ahhh.... *drooling profusely* Well, New York style cheesecake is pretty good too.

[Kathy Li]

Yup, San Diego. But if you're gonna be up Anaheim way, it's probably not worth the drive, especially since L.A. has tons better good eats than we've got down here (Mexican excepted :-). Disneyland's always a blast. If you can afford the time/money, doing both Dizzyland and California Adventure is well worth it (but not CA by itself--it's far smaller than the main park, and can pretty much be "done" in five hours). But you're going to be getting into High Tourist season (ugh) and the place will probably be crowded to the gills.

[db_pr]

go to
www.takeoff.to/diegogalaxy
ignore the pop-ups

[Chani]

Kli.. or Kathy is it?

Yep yep yep. Actually, we have park hopper passes this time and we are staying in the Pier hotel. We priced everything over there and found that it was about $200 more to stay at Disneyland in one of their hotels. I figured it was worth it, we didn't have to pay for parking, like we would if we stayed somewhere else. We will be there 3 full days and 2 partial days. With 3 boys under 9, I think it will probably take us that long to explore everything and ride the rides. Last time we went, tomorrowland was closed, so we haven't seen that at all. Hey, if we get bored, we can take a trip to the beach, my youngest has never seen the ocean.

BTW... Happy Birthday to whomever it is a birthday for... gotta be somebody somewhere, right?

[Kathy Li]

Either kli or Kathy's fine. I'll answer to either. Just one more bit of advice: I take it you know about the park Fastpass? If you've got someone in the family who likes to do time-efficiency strategizing, it can be fun to plan grabbing all the fastpasses.

Oh, and for Fantasmic!, most folks do this lemming/herd thing of sitting down as soon as they get to the area: keep pushing forwards, and aim for seats before the middle set of speakers (there'll be three big groups of speakers). The show centers to face the Art Gallery (you can get the primo coffee-and-dessert tix to sit on their balcony at Guest Relations, but it's something like $60 a pop).

Yes. I've been there THAT many times.

[Chani]

I think that as part of our package we get Fastpass. I don't remember everything else we have. I guess I had better read through it again. Thanks for all the headsup though.

[Gryphon]

((hehe))

No, I think I oughta just leave it there for someone to lick up. Clean up, I mean. S'cuze me. :P

Meh... Disney. Blah. Well, lets just say I never had a thing for rides. And er, roller coasters. Eeee!!!! I hate them so bad its not funny. I was forced onto a roller coaster one time at Disney. I'll never do that again. Never. I was literally crying on that one.

[Kathy Li]

tsk tsk tsk. Why would anyone force someone on a rollercoaster if they don't want to go? (Personally, I get nauseous, now, riding Space Mountain so that one's forever off my list). That's evil. But be glad you weren't at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The Disneyland coasters are baby-rides compared to Magic Mountain's. The first sign I had I was getting old was when I realized I just couldn't take that many adrenaline rushes in one day.

And yeah, the House of Mouse ain't for everybody. You gotta have a good high cute threshhold. If you're ever forced to go back, do the no-rides Disneyland--take in all the shows and parades and sit-down shows (lots of fun 3-d movies). Everybody else can stand in line all day, while you enjoy the day at the Tiki Room (my bet is this is the next Classic to go--probably Lilo & Stitch-themed), and the new Snow White show, and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, etc. LA is a town full of unemployed actors, all willing to get into weird costumes and do things on stage for your amusement.

One friend and I went into hysterical giggling fits when we saw them staging the Mob Song from Beauty and the Beast ala Les Miserables, complete with red flags and patented-RSC-walk-down-to-the-footlights. (This was before the stage musical.) It was a *hoot*.

The other options are the little kiddie rides around the carousel. Peter Pan and Storybook Land are fun if you like miniatures. Or taking the guided tour. Just 'cause most people do the rides doesn't mean that's all there is to do.

[drea]

Hmm. Three boys under nine will definitely appreciate the disneyland experience. I always go in for the Indiana Jones ride. And the splashy rides are always good during the summer, 'cause SoCal sucks during the summer.

[db_pr]

And, of course. The Hulk ride at Universal!

[Chani]

drea,

Why don't you like southern California? Everytime that I have been there, the weather is wonderful. Lots of cool breezes. Better then stifling hot... where like the desert scenes in a movie, you can see the heat waves rising off the ground. It isn't just camera tricks, ya know. In the summer here, if people are out in the heat they are probably drinking lots of water (or you dehydrate really fast) and they are very red (either from the heat or a sunburn). GO AIRCONDITIONING!!! I think that our electric bill in the summer is about $230 dollars a month for a small house. Pretty sad. And that is only the electric bill.... anyhows... enough... Happy birthday to my mother-in-law today. (And yes, I do get along with her) They just moved into their brandnew house a week ago ... they have retired now. It only takes us 1 1/2 hours through terrible traffic to get there now. Hehe... Well, they are fun, though and the boys seem to really like them.

[Gryphon]

Meh. Heat waves. They're wherever things get unbearably hot. Meh bleh. Well, don't dehydrate! Remember, water tastes tasty! :P

...Nnng... s'what happens when Gryphon gets sleeper. Uncomprehendable incoherent meh bleh posts that nnnnnn......... Where's that sleepy smiley when you need it? Ha! Found it.

[drea]

You have to understand that I live in Central California. Like, just north of Santa Barbara. Southern California just can't compete. There's no smog, and it was small town life for a long time, but unfortunately, it's growing rather rapidly now.

We had our staff meeting this morning, and it was out on one of the ranches (yes, real live ranches, involving cows, and rolling hills and all that good stuff). It's the most beautiful place in the world.

Southern California has all the smog spread out, and crazy drivers (although those are almost everywhere), and it's way to developed. You should come visit, and see.

Point in Case: http://www.tedsimages.com/text/sanynez.htm