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Thursday, October 31, 2024

31 October 2024…..damn trip

 This was a trip. It was very fun and not so fun. 


 We started out flying into Orlando and we got an Uber to take us to the Disney Polynesian resort. So far so good. 


Everything was great so far. We got our room and we slept for the night then I went to get my scooter the next morning.


It took me a little bit to figure out where I was supposed to pick my scooter, but I finally got it. 

Then the problems started when I was going back to my room.


The first problem when I arrived at the building that we were staying, my scooter would not fit in the elevator, so I could not get to my room on the third floor. I was already not happy because the room was not handicap accessible. I am sure my travel guru requested handicap accessible room because I mentioned it to her and I trust that she mentioned it when she made the reservations, but it was not a handicap accessible room and they said that handicap accessible room was never requested. ? They said we could get me a handicap accessible room about halfway through my stay. Ugh. So we spent the next few hours trying to figure out where we would be staying. We wandered around the resort and looked at some stuff and ate breakfast.  By about 1 o’clock we had settled, kind of, into our room and we finally made it to the magic kingdom where we were supposed to be going that day, but we have been trying to figure out what room we would be staying in.


After we got back from dinner and the park, we were exhausted. We finally decided to take showers and that was not easiest for me but when I took a shower the bathtub filled with water to my knees. At least they provided me with a shower bench. I took photos of the water sitting in the tub and went to the front desk. It was about 1:30 AM. So, manager, a very nice and helpful man, and explain to him and showed him the picture of what we had.  The night manager and his assistants were very helpful they sent, two people to help get the bathroom working that night. My wife and I were exhausted. It was 2 o’clock in the morning, maybe later, before we got to bed and before my wife was able to take a shower. I was beyond exhausted. So I was laughing all the time I tried to talk. 




For the most part of the trip it was a trip to Disney world. Very fun. I understand the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Hollywood studios and Animal kingdom not so much. 


There is lots of open space throughout the property. While the parks are fun. I think they could do more with the open spaces, for example, create a hiking trail and then maybe every quarter mile or so different different exhibits and rides and shops  restrooms or some other things that would need to be sent out in nature.


I love the parks, but I think too much stuff is too close together. They could create a lot of more fun areas slightly associated with nature. Just one example would be create the hundred acre wood with Pooh bear and all of the characters from that or other stories. Have a few areas that just maintain the natural environment and have a few restrooms and picnic tables nearby and you have to walk a little ways to get to it, but you could get there and in the meantime, avoid the god-awful crowds.


I watch too much YouTube so I have had nightmares of what some things might be like at the Magic Kingdom and the other parks. 


I encountered one gentleman the first day who I thought was strange. He had earrings and was wearing, I would say, rather heavy make up, but he seemed like a nice guy.


I encountered one man going into Epcot who worked for Disney, who had painted fingernails, and a strange hairdo. He looked like he was trying to channel some kind of woman. I cannot say much about painted fingernails because I do paint my own fingernails. I go to a salon and they help me cut and paint my nails. This person I would say was trying a little bit too hard.


I saw another man who was with his family and he was definitely trying to be identify as female, but he did not have the physique or ability to pull this off. He had a female haircut, he was well shaved, with a tiny bit of shadow starting to show through, his parents and his sister were with him. The sister was a very lovely girl, but she had more tattoos on her then I think anyone should.


If that’s the way people want to live, I don’t care, they can, I think it is ridiculous. If you were born with male anatomy, you are a man. If you were born with female anatomy you are a woman. Its a very simple sight test at birth. Or you can get a DNA test. After your dead archeologists can measure your bones. You can dress up, however you want, but you cannot choose what other people call you and identify you as. I paint my finger nails. I have done activities like sewing that are normally thought of as feminine activities.  What a dumb life this is at times. 


So price. This is kind of a weird subject. Well, most people know Disney is expensive. I would dare say it is outrageously expensive now. You do get amazing service. Only one person this last trip seemed annoyed about my bath when he was working on it. I cannot use both hands at the same time on things so I will not able to turn the water in the shower on same way he was able to.


The service is excellent, but there are many things that are outrageously expensive. The resort we stayed at was very nice and people were willing to help you a lot, but you pay almost the equivalent of your own child. It costs you about as much as your first born. 


There was a bus that took you from the airport to your resort several years ago. That is not available anymore so you have to pay for your own ride to get from the airport to the resort and being in a wheelchair, that is a pain in the butt to say the least.


If you want to go on some rides, you have to stand in line forever.  Years ago they had what was called a disability pass. That’s gone. I rode my scooter and tried to go through the one line and there were so many twist and turns that you were practically doing a type of calisthenics  to stop from crashing into the rails. On top of that you had to wait for a car that could hold you in a wheelchair.  They to don’t have more than one of the cars available at any given time so 15 minute wait can easily turn into 45 minutes or an hour. And if you can find their department/Guest experience, so you can make any kind of complaint, you are lucky. It is nowhere on the map and if someone tries to explain it to you, where to find it, you are beyond lucky.


If you are in a wheelchair, you deal with all kinds of stuff on your own. CastMembers will bring you a manual wheelchair and then leave it and abandon you so you have no one to help you anymore. I had that happened to me on more than one occasion. Star tours and Finding Nemo. Stupid visit, so so ugly!


Trip home 

Very hectic. 

We woke up and got ready and turned in my scooter. An Uber picked us up. 

 I hate Orlando airport. Arriving was ok. Departure, we almost had to beg for service. One lady who checked us in for our flight home, annoyed me so much. She thought she could speak Portuguese. No, it was mostly Spanish. I could not understand when she was speaking what she thought was Portuguese. Sounded like Spanish. Her English was barely intelligible. The one lady was on her phone 90% of the time. Disney needs to take over management of the Orlando airport. I don’t like everything they do but at least they try. Overall, it was the end of a trip. 


Am I ever going to Disney world again?  Big maybe but probably not. It was a money suck years ago when I took my children. It’s even worse now I would say. If you like money don’t go. If you don’t care about money, cost, expenses,  get a good job and throw all the money you want at Disney. I still think most of the recent movies suck. I like the campy movies from the 60s and 70s.  

Friday, October 11, 2024

11 October 2024….cats and dogs.

 

I love our dog. He is extremely sweet. 

If you think of being easily distracted like Doug on the movie UP, he is kind of like that. But he is so strong he is hard to control. 

My wife decided we/she needed to get the dog this past March. He was born in January.




 So he was young, about 4 or 5 weeks old.

 Now he is 9 months old. 

He is part pit bull, part chihuahua. Strange combination I know. But he is a sweet dog.




The calm part is the pit bull. He acts like a chihuahua with OCD at times. 


My wife and I hoped he would stay relatively small or medium sized. Nope.




He is 60 pounds. Plus he is strong. He nearly dislocated my wife’s arm, so we have a carabiner attached to my wheelchair and he walks with me. He wants to run, so I get my chair ready to go as fast as possible and he still seems to be walking. 

While he has the strength of a pit bull he barks incessantly, similar to a chihuahua. He has a strong bark and he never stops barking at times. If my wife or I go out the front door alone, he reminds us that he’s not with you. I want to jump out of my skin when he starts barking. 

He is still very sweet. Would never bite. He will jump up on you and his claws can hurt. He is so excited to see almost everyone. I think I love him, then he jumps on me and I want to give him away. 

We walked around a corner and a gentleman surprised us. Patrick, our dog wanted to play, but the man was nervous because, the dog is so big. 

My wife thinks she should leave me at home alone with the dog.

No. 

She can leave without me as long as the dog goes with her. 

I wanted a dog for years after I had my stroke. There is no way I can take care of a dog. 

That’s why I have a cat. But I love my cat because she can sit on my lap. 




Friday, October 4, 2024

4 October 2024……make life better, talk to your plants


I think this whole election cycle is beyond stupid. If you want to vote for Kamala Harris, I would say you are not playing with a full deck, I weep for your soul.

 I heard an interesting idea to analyze her interviews or anything she says by looking at and reading the transcript of what she said. 


I would never try to convince anyone that Donald Trump is a perfect individual. In certain things I disagree with him. But even though he is not my idea of a “perfect man”, he is a good man that cares about our country. Comparing him to Hitler is a real stretch of the imagination. So is comparing him to Christ. Definitely not either one. That said I read a statement about a king that lived a long time ago. The following comes from The Book of Mormon. 


ETHER 10


10 And after that he (Morianton) had established himself king he did ease the burden of the people, by which he did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint him to be their king.


11 And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord.


12 And it came to pass that Morianton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored unto them.


I am not saying I want a King and I am not saying that Donald Trump would try to make himself King. Personally, I think he could do great things and if lots of things become less expensive that be cool. 

 I would say Donald Trump wants people to be free and do awesome and amazing things. 

Now if we remember that Moroni wrote this passage, and he was a prophet, and similar to an apostle.   We need to remember Moroni had a very different perspective from most people. Still Morianton built cities and the people became rich. 

My understanding God will let us become physically wealthy but monetary wealth if not essential. We can be a good follower of God with or without money. 

Most of the people on earth are kind of shallow. We all want stuff. Provided us with a nice place to relax occasionally and generally we can handle a lot. 


If there are any concentration camps, or Donald Trump tries to turn himself into a Kinglike figure, I will send you a box of cookies to help you drown your sorrows and you can tell whoever you like that I am the most gullible person you have ever known.