We Went to Disney World!

Saturday morning, June 21, at 8:35 the family boarded the plane for Orlando via Dallas. Mrs. Driller, myself, our daughter, her husband, and the four members of the grandcrew. It was the first plane trip for the two youngest and they made the most of it.

De plane, de plane!!

We arrived in Orlando about 3:00 local time. It was raining, which is normal central Florida weather this time of year. By the time we got to the resort, the rain had quit, the humidity had set in, but it was cooler. After we got checked in, we headed to Downtown Disney. We had made arrangements with Disney to pick up our luggage at the airport and deliver it directly to the resort, great service! Our hotel was only a few blocks from DD. We stayed in a two bedroom condo at Saratoga Springs Resort on Disney property. This is the most convenient way to visit Disney World. All of your transportation is provided via bus or monorail. At Downtown Disney we purchased the first round of souvenirs. I got a baseball cap that chronicled the history of Mickey Mouse. The cap would be my constant companion the remainder of the week. Although we had purchased a Disney Deluxe Meal Plan, we had dinner at Rain Forest Cafe that evening. The food was excellent and the grand crew enjoyed the atmosphere.

My New Hats!

After dinner we wandered through a few more shops before heading home. I began to collect a few Disney pins. This is something that I resisted five years ago, but what can I say, this is probably our last trip to see Mickey and friends so I spent a little more money on silly stuff than I might have otherwise.

My Mickey Pins

Once that our shopping was completed , it was time to walk back to the resort and bring a close to day one at Walt Disney World. Stay tuned, tomorrow we're going to Hollywood Studios. It's Star Wars week-end! You don't want to miss it.

Note: In additon to all of the shops, Downtown Disney has plenty of food and entertainment. There is Rain Forest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Wolfgang Puck, Raglan Road (Irish Pub & Grill), Fulton's Crab House, Cirque Du Soliel, Disney Quest (video gamer's Nirvanah), House of Blues, and a 24 screen cinema among the line-up. You're sure to find something to entertain you.
As always, just click on any photo to enlarge and see the details. You might want to do that for the pins.

Sneak Preview Part II

OK, I've been through the 500 photos and I have thinned the herd down to about 100 good shots. That's still way too many for three or four posts this week, so I am going to post a few of my favorite grandcrew photos now. Disney is about kids and those who are still kids at heart. Some of the best photos are just kids being kids and not necessarily the posed pics. None the less, here are some of each for your enjoyment. Actually they're for my enjoyment, you can look over my shoulder if you like. As always, click on any photo to enlarge.

The Grandcrew

Sneak Preview

We're HOME!!!
I have over 500 photos to go through so it will be a few days before I post a few of my favorites, however, Disney World is more than just rides and shows. If you look around, you will find some excellent photo opportunities. Here is a short sneak preview of a couple of my favorite shots.
Disney Land and Disney World are defined by Cinderella's castle. The most common view is looking directly at the front of the castle, but there are other great views available.
You can click on any photo to enlarge.


Here is the most common view, looking down Main Street USA. This angle will ALWAYS be filled with people.

Standing on the bridge leading to Tomorrow Land provides this shot. Look, no people!

Looking over the rooftops in Fantasy Land provides this view. The only way to eliminate the crowd is to crop them out.

This view is from another bridge between Tomorrow Land and Fantasy Land. Look, no people again!!! This is probably my favorite view.
Ok, that's it for the preview. Stay tuned for the whole story. The saga begins on Tuesday. Until then, "Have a magical day."

Let's Make Some Magic

We are less than 24 hours from take-off! Tomorrow we will be traveling to Disney World! We will be leaving at 8:30 am CDT and flying from NW Arkansas, through Dallas to Orlando. Our arrival time is 2:30 pm EDT.
Yesterday I finished up everything at the office. Busy day! After twenty years of dreaming, two years of design and drawings, fifteen months of construction, we signed the Certificate of Substantial Completion and took possession of our new building. I finished packing up my office since the move will happen while I am gone. That means I get to unpack twice when we return from vacation (my bags and my office).
Last night I got the yard mowed so that it won't look like a pasture when we return. We've had so much rain this spring that I have been mowing twice a week lately. Later, I spent some time checking my camera gear and laptop to be sure all of it was packed. Getting on the plane with a backpack filled with camera equipment might be a bit of adventure.
Today, the final packing begins. Most of my stuff is in my suitcase, it's just a matter of double checking everything. Gotta get my hair cut later this morning. Then I can enjoy the rest of the day.
This most likely will be the last post until we return. Four adults, four kids, Disney World, it's going to be an exciting week and I doubt if there will be any down time for blogging. Most of my down time will be spent downloading photos and videos shot each day into the laptop or burning the information to discs. When we return home, you can expect to be overwhelmed with vacation photos and posts. So, enjoy the vacation from this place, visit among your selves and I'll see you back here in a week.

It's Friday. It's time for the inspirational song. What could be more appropriate than "I'll Fly Away"? Enjoy!


I'll Fly Away" - Kim Hopper & David Phelps

Thursday Thirteen No. 28

Thirteen Signs You're Getting Old

Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) as a group are generally in age denial. We're getting older we just don't want to admit it and we certainly don't want to act like it. The awful truth of the matter is that we are indeed getting older, whether we like it or not. So, here are few signs that you may be getting older.
1. You would love to own a new Nissan 350Z, but you have absolutely NO interest in a six speed manual transmission.

2. You would love to own a new Nissan 350Z, but there is NO way you're going to give up your pick-up truck!
3. You don't belong to a health club, it's called a Wellness Center and you must be at least 50 years old to join.
4. After thier work-outs, the guys at the Wellness Center don't compare bench press numbers, they compare blood pressure numbers.
5. You are the oldest commenter on every blog that you visit.
6. You're pretty sure that you know more about the Bible than that TV evangelist that's always asking you to plant that seed of faith in his wallet.
7. Everyone in your office comes to you for advice because of your vast experience.
8. Your boss comes to you to learn about the history of the company.
9. You have started reading the obituary column to see if any of your high school classmates are listed.
10. If you and three of your friends decide to go skinny dipping and you look like this.
11. You don' t see anything wrong with the third guy's footwear.
12. Your favorite radio station plays nothing but 60's Top 40 music.
13. Your idea of a great family vacation is taking the grand kids to Disney World!!!

Well, we're going to find out if No. 13 is a good idea next week. Saturday we are leaving with the family and the four grandcrew to Disney World. The result is that there will probably be no posting from me next week. However, when we get back, you can expect multiple posts and lots of photos.

The Countdown Begins

We're less than one week away from our trip to Disney World. The packing and final plans will begin in earnest now. I have packed most of my camera bag and there may not be quite enough room for everything. I have my digital SLR, my digital point & shoot, my wife's digital point & shoot (4 AA batteries required here) and we now own a digital camcorder. There is plenty of room for the cameras, but the accessories are another issue. Of course each camera has it's own special battery, and it's own charger...and none are interchangeable. I think it's a conspiracy. Oh yeah, there is the laptop and it has its own charger too.
Clothing is a whole other issue. Since we have a two bedroom unit with a washer and dryer, I am willing to bet I can pack everything I need in a carry-on bag. I'm not going to actually do that, but I'll bet I can.
We will be leaving Saturday morning and returning home the following Friday. That probably means that there will be NO posts on this site next week. I'll be too busy with the grandcrew to do any blogging. We have a 5 day park hopper pass and a meal plan, so there will be few out of pocket expenses once we arrive. Now, while you may be thinking this trip is all about the grandcrew, let me assure you that I do have a day for myself. After all this is my trip. I have celebrated my 20th anniversary with the firm where I work. After twenty years of service, the firm awards you with a trip for two anywhere in the U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands. We picked Orlando and Disney World because we wanted to share the trip with someone, and who better than the grandcrew?
What about my day you ask? Well Thursday, I have booked a guide, a bass boat and I will spend the morning bass fishing the lakes of Epcot. It will be just the guide and myself. I am really looking forward to this little adventure. While I am going to enjoy every minute with the family, I have a feeling that this extra activity has the potential to be the highlight of the trip for me, especially if there is a 6-10 pound bass in it.

Flag Day!

It's another opportunity to show our patriotism and wave "Old Glory"! Today is Flag Day!
The following are a few fun facts that I found about this non-holiday celebration. So fly the flag, wear the red, white, and blue, and be proud of the principles that on which this great nation was founded. Have a great Flag Day.

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag.

Since 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, Americans have commemorated the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by celebrating June 14 as Flag Day. Prior to 1916, many localities and a few states had been celebrating the day for years. Congressional legislation designating that date as the national Flag Day was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949; the legislation also called upon the president to issue a flag day proclamation every year.

According to legend, in 1776, George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new nation. Scholars debate this legend, but agree that Mrs. Ross most likely knew Washington and sewed flags. To date, there have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars varied according to the flag-makers' preferences until 1912 when President Taft standardized the then-new flag's forty-eight stars into six rows of eight. The forty-nine-star flag (1959-60), as well as the fifty-star flag, also have standardized star patterns. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became the fiftieth state on August 21, 1959.

When : Always June 14th

Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag, its designers and makers. Our flag is representative of our independence and our unity as a nation.....one nation, under God, indivisible. Our flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon.

As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and our flag. So raise the flag today and every day with pride!

Properly Display Our Flag

There is a right way and a wrong way to display the flag. The American flag should be held in the highest of regards. It represents our nation and the many people who gave their lives for our country and our flag. Here are the basics on displaying the American flag:

• The flag is normally flown from sunrise to sunset.
• In the morning, raise the flag briskly. At sunset, lower it slowly. Always, raise and lower it ceremoniously.
• The flag should not be flown at night without a light on it.
• The flag should not be flown in the rain or inclement weather.
• After a tragedy or death, the flag is flown at half staff for 30 days. It's called "half staff" on land ,and "half mast" on a ship.
• When flown vertically on a pole, the stars and blue field , or "union", is at the top and at the end of the pole (away from your house).
• The American flag is always flown at the top of the pole. Your state flag and other flags fly below it.
• The union is always on top. When displayed in print, the stars and blue field are always on the left.
• Never let your flag touch the ground, never...period.
• Fold your flag when storing. Don't just stuff it in a drawer or box.
• When your flag is old and has seen better days, it is time to retire it. Old flags should be burned or buried. Please do not throw it in the trash.

Did you Know? There is a very special ceremony for retiring the flag by burning it. It is a ceremony everyone should see.Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis. If you have an old flag, give it to them. And, attend the ceremony.