As always, I made a couple late sales that have pushed our installs well into December. I think I did our last install around the 10th. It was just before I left for Louisiana. I can’t believe that people wait till the last minute to call us to do their lights. Don’t get me wrong… I love the work! But, come on! Call me in early November, that way you get the most for your money.
Jon had just headed back to Charlotte since our season was basically at an end. That left Mark and KJ and since Mark’s daughter Lillia was in Mississippi they opted to drive with me to Louisiana so she could come back with us.
As always the drive to LARF was easy. I got to stay with the lovely family Riki and I stay with every year as well. It’s so nice to be performing with the Gold Team again. It’s kinda like your favorite blanket. Warm, comfortable, familiar… you know. I don’t want you to think I don’t like working with the Blue Team. That’s not the case at all. It’s just that me and the other “old guys” have such a good rapport with each other. It’s really a joy to work with them. If you tell them I’ll deny it. Aww crap, I guess they can read.
While in Louisiana we had the opportunity to visit with our friend Jeff who is now the GM of Restaurant August. It’s Chef John Besh’s French restaurant. (restaurantaugust.com) He won Iron Chef a few years ago. Anyway, the meal was amazing. Thanks Jeff! Afterwards, Riki and I drove thru the French Quarter and visited some friends. By the way, if you remember, the boys and I had a cameo appearance in a sit com set in the Quarter. The pilot is being shopped to Showtime and Comedy Central as you read this. Cross your fingers!
Our weekend in Louisiana was a blast. Everyone had a great time. Thanks to all our fans down there for the warm welcome. We feel just as much love from this small show as we do from some of our biggest! If I ever have to give this show up due to Decorating Elves biz I’ll really miss it.
With LARF finished and all our DE installs done it’s time to enjoy the holidays. Sharon’s aunt Kathy is kind of her surrogate mother. Sharon is much closer to her than her own mom and she lives about an hour away. In another coincidence, Kathy also used to work for Mid America Festivals. That’s the company that owns Bay Area, Kansas City, Michigan and The Minnesota Ren Fairs.
Anyway, as a Christmas present to all her family, Kathy and her husband Joseph decided to take everyone to Disney for Christmas. The Magic Kingdom as a matter of fact. Now, as a veteran Disney visitor, I know that the Magic Kingdom is a frickin’ zoo Christmas day. But, she had her heart settled on it.
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So, on Christmas Eve we checked into Disney’s Swan resort. It’s adjacent to Disney’s Boardwalk and close to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The room was beautiful! A nice big King bed and fridge were just a couple of the upscale amenities. We got a good night’s rest and got up early the next morning. Kathy wanted to get to the Magic Kingdom early and knew we needed to get out of the hotel as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Sharon’s cousins are not morning people and took forever to get up. We took the bus into the Magic Kingdom. The traffic was insane! Once at the Main Gate, we went to get scooters for Sharon aunt and uncle, but they were out of them already. Kathy aunt was pissed! Since I knew she couldn’t get around for a whole day without the scooter I had the ticket agent call EPCOT and see if they still had scooters left. They did! So, we took the monorail to EPCOT, got their scooters and started our day. Thank God! Because I found out that the Magic Kingdom closed due to capacity at about 11:30. That was about 20 minutes after we left for EPCOT. You don’t want to be in that park at capacity, especially when they don’t serve alcohol.
The day at EPCOT was fun. It was sometimes difficult wrangling Sharon’s cousins and their kids, but still a good time. We had drinks around the world after all. After we sent Kathy and Joseph back to the room to get ready for dinner. Sharon and I drove the scooters around World Showcase for a while. Now that was fun! I think we may have to try it again.
I was very excited for the next day’s events. We were going to Universal’s Islands of adventure. It’s the home of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I’ve been such a geeky little boy about going. I just love this kind of stuff. And we’ve been hearing a lot of good things about that section of the park.
The night before we left for Universal a major cold front came through. It dropped the temps down to the thirties and promised wind gusts up to 30mph. WOW! That wasn’t gonna stop me! I was destined to see this part of the park if it killed me.
We arrived at the park and as promised we were greeted with wind and cold temperatures. Like before we got scooters for Kathy and Joseph. The rest of the family was still in bed so we left ahead of them. I didn’t mind that at all. We made a beeline for the Harry Potter section. It was awesome! Walking through the gates of Hogsmead was truly magical. The entire town is covered in faux snow and ice which fit so well with the unseasonably wintery weather we were experiencing. I can’t imagine it’s as much fun in the dead of summer when the mercury is approaching 100 degrees. Everything from the shops to the Hogwarts Express was perfect. Now, to get to the ride itself!
Because we were with the scooter riding Kathy and Joe, we were able to do the handicapped thing and bypass the 75 minute line. Wooohooo! The ride was bad ass! It is not for the faint of heart or people prone to motion sickness. As a matter of fact the car next to us had to be “cleaned” after the ride. I’m still not sure if it was a matter of motion sickness vomit or a small bout of incontinence. My heart goes out to the operators of that ride.
After wandering around Hogsmead for a bit we decided to get lunch. I had taken some pictures and started sending them to my friends to show off a little. One of them was the best man in my wedding, Mark Meyers. He responded to my picture message with a message of his own. It was a picture of one of his sons on the Hulk ride. “Ha Ha” I told him…figuring it was a picture from a previous trip. Then he sent me one of him and his son and brother wearing xmas hats in front of Hogwarts. Holy crap! What are the chances that he’d be here with his family the day after Christmas from Houston???
Boy was it great to see him and the family. We’ve managed to stay close over the years, but due to the distance between us, we usually only get an evening together when I drive through Houston on my way to Arizona. What a treat!
Another special thanks to Kathy and Joseph. We really had a great time. Thank you for everything!
Next on our holiday schedule was our trip back to Orlando. My friend Earl has a timeshare at Bonnet Creek Resort. It’s the only non-Disney timeshare on Disney property. Every year we try to make a pilgrimage out there for a couple of days of drinking and floating in the pool or lazy river. This year we decided to do it for New Years Eve.
He got a three bedroom suite! It was beautiful and it over looked all the major Disney Parks. The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios were all in view. We spent the early evening wandering around Downtown Disney, bar hopping and checking out restaurants. Then we went back to the room to watch multiple fireworks displays. That was by far the high point of the evening. The next day we hung out by the pool and watched football from our private cabana. Again, another display of excess but since none of them were taken, it was free! Now back home to rest and decompress. I love when I need a vacation after my vacation.
So, we’ve survived another holiday season. Thanks again to all that made it possible. Next on the schedule Miami!!! Then it’s off to Arizona. See you there!
