Let The Party Begin!

Puerto Rico Trip

Day 1

Friday, January 18, 2019

It's birthday vacation time!

I realized that I forgot Bananaman and was sad that he would be alone on my birthday, but then he would have been another thing to pack and I'm pretty sure I had enough to worry about, what with all of the different kinds of outfits  I brought since I didn't know what we'd be doing outside of the main event.  I plan to make up for the lack of Bananaman pictures by taking pictures of other bananas and plantains.  Somehow, I"ll make up for this to Bananaman when I get home.

I stayed at Bro's house the night before so that we could wake up in the wee early hours of the morning to get to LAX for our 7:45 a.m. flight.  V belongs to the Admirals Club, so we enjoyed our free breakfast there while we waited to board the plane.  

Before Dawn

Good morning, Tower!

We had individual video screens at our seats, so all 3 of us watched movies instead of sleeping.  I watched "BlacKkKlansman" and "Tag", both of which I wasn't able to catch while they were in theaters.  It really helped pass the time for an approximately 5-hour flight.  If only the flight attendants had been a little bit friendly to make it even more pleasant, then it would have been a wonderful flight. I think that maybe with everyone looking at their screens, the attendants don't feel like they need to be personable with the people on the plane.  There I go with my psychological theories again.

Window View

Good Afternoon, Miami!

We landed in Miami and had snacks at the Admirals Club.  I like this Admirals Club thing!  I enjoyed their carrot soup and the roasted red pepper hummus.  We didn't get to spend as much time there as we did at LAX because we were between flights, but it was nice to get some free food.  None of us splurged on the menu items that were not complimentary.

View from AC

While waiting for our flight, I thought of getting empanadas at a Cuban place adjacent to our gate, but decided against it.  It's a good thing, too, because we were seated next to the bulkhead, which meant that we didn't have any space in front of us where we could put our smaller carry-on items.  This flight, although we didn't have individual screens, was still enjoyable because we were able to chat with the flight attendant whom sat down in the aisle next to V during takeoff and landing.  She asked if we were going on a cruise, and we told her the reason for our trip.  She got really excited for us, and told us about other people whom had made the journey in the last week or so.  She also told us that they were holding an annual fiesta in town, which lasts until Sunday, so we picked the perfect weekend to go to PR.  V told her that it was my birthday the next day, and she sweetly wished me a Happy Birthday when we deplaned.  She told V, "Let the party begin!"

The baggage carousel was sponsored by a casino and looked like a roulette wheel.  Bro said that we should bet on whatever number we found my bag, which ended up being MY number!  

Are they trying to tell me that the chances of my bag
 getting here is like a roulette game?

After I got my bag
V moved the other one so I could take this pic

We tried to catch an Uber or Lyft, but that is not available here, so we got in line for a taxi.  We told the taxi company rep how many people were riding, where we were going, and how many bags.  This helps her determine the fare, which she checked off on a sheet of paper so that we would know what to pay once we arrived.  I tried to give the taxi driver a $4 tip, but he didn't have the appropriate change, so he ended up with $3.  Oh well.

We checked in and I ate my free cookie, then we went to dinner downstairs at Cafe Pierre.  I enjoyed my Old Harbor Stout, which had a seasonal flavor of white chocolate.  We also enjoyed our food: Ceviche and Plantain Chips, The Havana (Cuban sandwich), and Churrasco wrap.

The Havana

Ceviche and Plantain Chips

After dinner, we returned to our room and unpacked.  My bed is a Murphy bed, and the bathroom is too intimate for my liking.  (The door is glass and opaque, and the wall between the shower and the room is glass blocks).  While you can't really see anything, there is a lot of echo and you can hear everything that's going on in there.  Maybe if there was more buffer space between the bathroom and the beds, I would mind less, but the bathroom door opens from beside the bed. They couldn't have the door open to the little hallway?  Anyway, that's the worst part of the room for me so far.  

We Skyped with the kids and went to sleep a little bit after midnight, so Bro and V wished me a Happy Birthday.  Thank you!!!

Cheers to Puerto Rico!

Next up:  Birthday in San Juan

Don't You Forget About Bee

There's been so much going on in the last month or so that I wasn't sure I'd get to see "Bumblebee" while it was still in theaters.  But I did!

• AllSpark Productions!  Cool.
• Love the soundtrack!  Of course I do: I'm a child of the '80s.
• Oh, THAT'S how he lost his voice!  Origin story!
• WHY am I crying?  Isn't this a Transformers movie?  And why did I cry three times?
• Hailee Steinfeld is adorable. That shot of her cheek to cheek with Bumblebee should be framed and on her dresser.
• Hey, that tunnel looks really familiar.
• Otis kinda looks like what I imagine a young Tom Hiddleston looked like, with curly hair.
• "They literally said they were 'Decepticons'.  That doesn't raise any red flags for you at all?" 
• "I like the way they pop."
• "The darkest nights provide the brightest stars."
• I like that his screen is made of up of a honeycomb pattern.
• Why are bees making a hive on the car?  Do they do that in real life?
• "You mean you could have been a Camaro this whole time?!?"
• Love the Breakfast Club fist pump in response to the salute.
• Nice 'Vette, Charlie!

I really enjoyed this movie.  It's got heart, it's got action, and it's got '80s music!

Power Play

Today, I decided to see Christian Bale in "Vice".  I had been looking forward to seeing this movie since I saw the trailer, and based on his Golden Globes acceptance speech, what's better to see after a very inspirational hour of church?  

• So it's Batman from one universe, and Lois Lane from another universe, and I'm wondering if Superman from any universe is happy about this pairing.
• I do, however, like Adams and Bale together.  It reminded me of seeing them together in "American Hustle".
• My new theory is that the world might have been a better place if Lynne had dumped Dick and married someone else.
• Steve Carell had that Rumsfeld smile perfect.  It was kind of scary.
• I don't know enough history.  I had no idea that Cheney started as an intern at the NIxon White House.
• "So, what do we believe?"
• Bale, as usual, is outstanding in his portrayal of Cheney.  I wish he would stop doing such crazy things to his body, though, and let the makeup people do their work.  I know, I know:  METHOD.
• "We WEAR our bras!"
• I love the mid-film credits with the happily ever after...almost.
• "I need to go to the hospital."
• The scene with Alfred Molina as the waiter describing the menu was genius.
• Also genius: the Shakespeare scene.  That's right: SHAKESPEARE.
• That last scene, with Cheney breaking the fourth wall:  <shudder>  Dude, I did not choose you!

I really enjoyed this movie and its dark humor.  Great performances, and I liked the way the story was told.  Also, I learned stuff!

Street Smarts Rule

My friend Lori and I were having some girl time after church last week (she lives with 3 guys, so she welcomes this a LOT).  After brunch, we decided to see "Second Act".

• I don't know about that rainbow knit dress, JLo.
• Push it, push it good!  Wait, why did that scene happen?
• Figured out a major plot point and hit Lori before the actual reveal.  I don't usually do that, but I guess I was having an "aha!" moment and felt like sharing it.  (Not the group that performs "Take On Me").
• I wish JLo and Milo had more scenes together, because they were cute.
• "Our mistakes don't limit us; our fears do."
• I like Leah Remini, but I think there was a little too much botox going on here.
• "What did you mean by 'kinky'?"
• Do companies actually use that plant in their products?  Does the plant actually exist?
• Vanessa Hudgens is too pretty, like, for this world.

Cute movie, but not a must-see in my book.

DLR LotD 01/01/2019

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

"You should have this; you have the maid outfit." -- Cindy, to Glenn, at Catal

Happy New Year, everyone!

DLR LotD 12/31/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Monday, December 31, 2018

Special New Year's Eve at Catal Edition

First Course
"Spicy Squid Ink.  That's Sherry's jam." -- Cindy

Beef Carpaccio
Dungeness crab, caper creme fraiche, crispy potato

Second Course
"They made more girl dough than boy dough." -- Cindy

Dungeness Crab Cannelloni
stewed clams, ocean herbal broth, shaved fennel salad

Third Course
"That's where Tim's been this whole time: making bread." -- Sherry

Filet Mignon
roasted wild mushrooms, slow roasted onions,
green peppercorn sauce

Fourth Course
"Wait, make sure I don't have claw hand!" -- Sherry

Butterscotch Pot de Creme
buttermilk whipped cream, crushed amaretti

Trip A Little Light Fantastic

Today I wore my "Step In Time" shirt from The Academy's Mary Poppins-themed show for "Mary Poppins Returns".  I don't know what was going on with me today, but I then proceeded to stop paying attention to the drink machine and spilled all over the place, ice and all.  Embarrassing.  Then the mustard wasn't dispensing correctly and I worried that I would get it all over my shirt.  It didn't happen, thank goodness, and I made my way to the top row in the Dolby theater, which I had all to myself!  Nice!  I should have put something on each chair just because I could, but then I'd have to pick it all up later, so never mind.

New trailers to me today:  Avengers 4 (no, I did not watch it when it was first released online), and The Lion King. Oh, and Find Bernadette.  I wasn't paying attention to that one, so I don't know yet if I want to see it, but I am looking forward to the other two.  The Lion King already had me teary, as it always does with that opening music.

On to the Poppins!

• Nice castle logo set in London.
• I'm going to blame TLK for getting me prepped for all of the emotion, because I almost started crying at just the first song.
• And then Michael sang his song, and I reached for a tissue because I didn't want to look like a mess after this movie since I had other stuff to do.  
• Then he threw away the snowglobe (with the Votes for Women sash on the kite!) and that did not help my sadness.
• I liked all of the music, and I really liked how they interspersed elements of the score from the original film. I almost lost it completely when I heard "Feed the Birds".
• Oh, that lady asking for directions was the original Jane?!?!
• "One thing you should know about Mary Poppins: she never explains anything."
• I figured the books in "A Cover is Not the Book" must have had something to do with P.L. Travers.  It turns out that they were chapters in "Mary Poppins".
• I beamed when I saw that Jack was calling his fellow leeries because I knew that meant a "Step in Time"-like segment was coming.  I was not disappointed!  Loved seeing some of the SiT choreography in there, too!
• Emily Blunt was practically perfect in every way as MP.  I loved all of her little looks and her fake denials of the ridiculous things the children claimed to happen.
• Nice detail during the segment on the cup, and I loved how the clothes looked like they were drawn instead of sewn.
• I would like to have a copy of Mary Poppins' shoes, please.
• I think I need to play Topsy's song on Topsy Turvy Day in a couple of weeks.
• "When the world turns upside down, the best thing is to turn right along with it."
• The original set paintings!  Still gorgeous, especially that last shot as she flies away.
• Oh, that "The Place Where Lost Things Go" song put me over the edge and soaked my tissue, especially when the kids sang it to Michael.
• "Nothing's gone forever, only out of place."
• It's just not Mary Poppins without Nackvid Keyed, and I'm glad he was there and dancing!

What a beautiful movie!  I need to get that soundtrack so I can keep on crying.

Permission to Come Aboard?

I stayed at Bro's house last night after Tita and Me day with Miss O, and forgot to pack my Wonder Woman paraphernalia to support her Justice League buddy, "Aquaman" today.  I did, however, remember my "Shape of Water" shirt, so I wore that and my Little Mermaid shoes.  Still in theme!

• Love the logo and the comics being underwater.
• Helloooo, Jason Momoa! (to be recited in Dot's voice)  I remember being in the same room as him at Dallas Comic Con.  He is a sight to behold.
• "It's Fish MAN.  What do you want?"
• "I am Arthur.  Of Lighthouse."
• Hey, I know that newscaster guy!  He's from KTLA.
• Mera reminds me of Ariel because of her hair, and the green outfit, and the whole sea thing.
• Ooh, Mera's gown was so pretty!  Nice effect with the jellyfish!
• Atlantis is beautiful and I love all of the bioluminescence!
• "Something something trident."
• Oh, THAT'S why his eyes glow like that.  I love origin stories.
• "I already got one of those."
• I love that Mera and Atlanna are so kickass.
• I would like to ride on a giant seahorse, please.
• "I got this from 'Pinocchio'."
• I don't understand why those guys in the red armor needed to breathe in water, but the others didn't.
• The slide in the desert reminded me of The Goonies.
• Yes!  Octopus playing the drums!  That makes for awesome drum solos!
• Oh!  The rightful King.  King Arthur. Excalibur Trident.  I GET IT!!

That was fun.  Maybe I'll get an Atlantean insignia now.

DLR LotD 12/20/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Thursday, December 20, 2018

"I didn't used to like this ride, but I think I like it now because now I know how to swim." -- Miss O, on It's a Small World Holiday

Happy 9th Birthday, Miss O!

As You Wish, Deadpool

It's a Marvel Movie weekend!  I saw "Once Upon a Deadpool" on Sunday..

• "The only f-bomb we're using around here is 'Fred Savage'."
• "Where are my pants?!"
• Say it!  "Is this a kissing book?"
• "No, you've been involuntary relocated."
• "Whoa, you fridged Vanessa?"
• Deadpool in button-down shirt, putting velcro labels on food!
• "How did you get Brad Pitt?!"  "Same way we got you."
• "I love after-credits scenes!  It feels so private! You know something. You stayed."
• Aw, Stan.  You did write some good stories.  Thank you.

Merry Christmas, Fred and Deadpool!

He's Got Radioactive Blood

Yay!  It's finally opening weekend for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse"!!!

• Nice pixelated Columbia logo!
• "Let's start at the beginning one last time..."
• I love how the film plays with the different renditions of Spidey through the parallel universes.
• "I don't think you know what puberty is."
• "The costume always fits...eventually."
• "Child dressed in a Spider-man costume, dragging dead hobo through the streets..."
• "...I'm going to grab a bagel..."
• I don't know why Spider-Ham didn't sing the Homer Simpson Spider-Pig song, because that would have been awesome.
• "Where is that wind coming from?  We're in a basement."
• "Blue? Purple."  "NO!"
• I love the way Miles designed his suit using spray paint.
• I really liked all of the comic book-style imagery.
• This Aunt May is soooo cool!  Yay, Lily Tomlin!
• Fun seeing Peter B Parker and Miles walking up and down the sides of the buildings.
• "Can he say that?  Legally?"
• "What's 'Comic Con'?"
• "Take that off, show some respect.  Spider-man does NOT wear a cape."
• Excellent throwback to the 1967 show.

This film did not disappoint.  I hope it sticks around in the theaters for a while so I can see it again on the big screen.  He is, after all, my favorite Stan Lee creation.  

Thank you for bringing Spider-man to the world, Stan.  Excelsior!

This Is A Story About A Thief

I saw "Robin Hood" this weekend.  Not the animated film which I think I've never seen in its entirety, not the musical, and not Russell Crowe's film, which I've never seen and might not ever see, but I don't know.  The one with Taron Egerton.

• Why do I love seeing archery fights so much?  I guess because they require more skill than guns.  Awesome arrow work, especially during the training session.
• Always enjoy seeing Ben Mendelsohn as a baddie.
• What I love about Marian is that she's not stupid.  "Well, it fooled everybody else!"
• OK, so I get that Jamie Foxx is John, but when do they start calling him "Little John"? Because he doesn't seem shorter than Robin.
• I don't remember Little John having only one hand in the other stories.
• I really liked Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck, mostly because of his humor.
• Oh, that's how I know Jamie Dornan!  He was the Huntsman in Once Upon A Time.  
• All of the people wearing the hoods reminded me of the scene in "The Three Amigos".
• Hmmm...looks like this is set up to be the first of a series.  I guess it makes sense that someone needed to become the new Sheriff of Nottingham.  I can go with that.  Origin story!

I'm glad I got to see this in the theater, because I really did enjoy the action scenes.  

Doing It For Themselves

I was looking forward to seeing "Widows" when I saw the trailers, and was happy to get a chance to see it last week.

• Oh, Viola Davis.  You are the best at expressing raw emotion.  That primal scream that you needed to let out just told it all.
• So this whole gangsters-and-politicians thing.  Is that in every big city?  Does it happen in small towns, too?  Yes, I already knew about Chicago gangsters.
• Dude was going to get my forever hate if he had killed the dog.
• Robert Duvall can still play a real a$$hole at his advanced age.  I wanted to trip him.
• Hey, I know that lady!  She can SAING!
• Daniel Kaluuya's character frightened me and made me want to hypnotize him back to being a good guy.  Would you like a cup of tea?
• Movies teach me things.  Next time I want to have a private conversation in a sauna, I'm going to add lots of water to the hot rocks.
• Me:  "Wait.  What is HE doing there?"
• Me later: "Ohhhhh...."
• Love what Veronica did with her share of the money.

That was quite a ride!

DLR LotD 12/09/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Sunday, December 9, 2018

"He's in Heaven Jail." -- Cindy, to Sherry, at It's a Small World Holiday

Wreck It 2: The Internet Bugaloo

I saw "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph " on opening weekend with Linda and Glenndy.  Glenndy had already seen it, and wanted to see it again so they decided to accompany us.  There was a man in the audience dressed as Ralph, and his daughter was dressed as Vanellope.  At first, I didn't recognize the outfit, and was, like, "What the?"  Linda told me he was dressed as Ralph, and not Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies.

• Love that opening castle logo!  I wish it had digital rain like on my Disney Emoji Blitz game.
• Funny seeing Felix and Calhoun with all of their new Sugar Rush kids.
• Wonder Woman leads a gang and is an awesome street car driver.
• My favorite scene, of course, involves Ariel.  I bought pajamas of the outfit she was wearing as soon as I got paid.  I also already have the little Funko figurine because I saw it when I was in the movie theater today.
• Those princesses, I love them.
• "Are you guys okay? Should I call the police?"
• "We can't understand her."  "She's from the other studio."
• "The reason I came to your neck of the face..."
• The build-up to "A Place Called Slaughter Race" is hilarious!
• That's a lot of Jethros.
• Being Rick Rolled was much better than seeing a sneak of Frozen 2.
• Pancake, Milkshake, Pancake, Pancake, Pancake

Oh, no!  Another movie I want to see again before it leaves theaters.  When am I going to find all of this time?

Wands Ready

I wore my Hogwarts sweatshirt when I went to the theater to see "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald".  I also wore my Oreoboros shirt because I'm Slytherin house, and the shirt not only has a snake on it, it's green!

• I don't know why anyone thinks they can just transport Grindelwald without someone using polyjuice potion.
• Let me open my dress so you can enter the Wizarding World.
• I really like the beasts in this series, and in this film my favorites are the Scottish Kelpie and the Chinese Zouwu.  Their movements must have been really difficult to create.
• The other reason for the shirt: the reveal of Nagini, which I already knew about because I saw a spoiler.
• "Her eyes are like a salamander's."
• I love the casting of Jude Law as young Dumbledore!  
• Aw, Leta.  Interesting that she's so different from Bellatrix and doesn't seem prejudiced against those whom aren't purebloods.
• There has always been a storyline about purebloods versus muggles since the Potter series, but in this series, it's much more pronounced.  I find the issue of this brand of racism even more interesting given today's political environment.  
• I'm looking forward to seeing how Dumbledore and Grindelwald came to the point of being "closer than brothers".  
• That last reveal, though: it BLEW MY MIND.  The next film can't come soon enough!  

Great movie.  I hope I can see it again before it leaves theaters.

Everything

I saw "Beautiful Boy" a couple of weeks ago.

• Timothee Chalamet slays me, man.  How is he so brilliant?
• I know parents would do anything for their kids, even going out into the pouring rain to find them all drugged out in alleys.  Steve Carell does a great job of portraying one of those parents.  
• I think that what really got to me was the flashbacks to Nic as a child.  I mean, you really don't know when a kid is so small that they're going to end up this way, and all a parent can think sometimes is "What happened to that kid?"  How do you deal with that huge change?  
• It's Steve and Amy, together again!  Aw, I miss "The Office".
• I kind of wish we had seen more of Maura Tierney's character's struggle.  What would she have said if she had caught up with Nic when she was following him in the minivan?  I don't really know.
• I had no idea that this was based on books written by father and son David and Nic Scheff until I saw the credits.  Very interesting how they were able to put both sides together.
• "Let it Enfold You" was the poem recited during the credits.  I need to read that because I don't think he had enough time to read the whole thing.
• "Do you know how much I love you?  I love you more than everything."  Oh, dammit, I'm crying again.

So, well, yes, I cried buckets of tears.  I really liked this movie, although I think it would be too painful for me to watch several times.  

DLR LotD 12/01/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, December 1, 2018

"...and a baby was consumed...no, not consumed...CONCEIVED in the womb of his mother, Mary." -- Chris Pratt, at Candlelight

Candleholder

Pratt Pratt Pratt

Lantern holders

Candelight Choir

Candlelight Orchestra

The awesome ASL interpreter

Dapper Dan/m-pact member Drew,
singing "Silent Night"

DLR LotD 11/27/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Wednesday, November 27, 2018

"What is it about this ride that gives me such satisfaction?" -- Jennifer, at AstroBlasters

DLR LotD 11/11/18

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Sunday, November 11, 2018

"I don't like the word master ... macerate." -- Cindy, at Catal