A Man or A Muppet

Radiator Springs June 15th

 My three children and I camped in the plaza in front of Disney's California Adventure the night before the Re-Opening. Getting in line at 9:00pm, we slept on the cement pavers, watched the blimp fly over head and cheered with crowd for "Good Morning America".

After eleven hours, we watched the backs of people's heads for the Grand Opening Ceremony. Buena Vista Street was packed to capacity, and we were in the middle of it. We saw the morning fireworks and heard Mickey Mouse.

Once the official opening was complete, the crowd surged toward Cars Land. We held back and picked up fast passes for "Radiator Springs Racers". A 9:20am-10:20am time...not bad.

A quick ride on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, which had no line, at all, and then then a fly through Luigi's Flying Tires, who's line was about fifteen minutes, and it was time for the Racers.

We got in the Fast Pass line and the ride went down...

With Cars Land packed to the rims, we headed back out to explore Buena Vista Street. Some photos with Mickey, Chip and Dale and a bag filled with secret 'treasures' from the Imagination Studio (Opening Day Pins and such) and we headed back to Cars Land, again.

The Fast Past line wove out past Stanley's Statue into the main stretch of Route 66 toward the Cozy Cones. Getting into the end of the line, we waited for about ten minutes before the Racer's ride went down, once again.

With reluctance, we decided the "Radiator Springs Racers" would be experienced on another day. Our DCA opening day fast passes  for the Racers will be unique souvenirs for our Disney scrap book.

So, you could say we waited over 20 hours to NOT ride the new "Radiator Springs Racers" on June 15, 2012.

POTUS on Jobs

Obama:

And given the urgency of this moment, given the hardship people are facing. Folks gotta get together, but we’re not going to wait for them. We’re going to see if we’ve got some straight shooters in Congress. We’re going to see if Congressional Republicans will put country before party. We’ll give them a plan then we’ll say do you want to create jobs then put our construction workers back to work rebuilding America? Do you want to help our companies succeed? Open up new markets for them to sell their products. You say you’re the party of tax cuts? Well then prove you’ll fight just as hard for tax cuts for middle class families as you do for oil companies and the most affluent Americans. Show us what you got.

The time for Washington games is over. The time for action is now. No more manufactured crisis. No more games. Now’s not the time for the people you sent to Washington to worry about their jobs, now’s the time for them to worry about your jobs.

Link

APPLE-OATMEAL CRISP

APPLE-OATMEAL CRISP
1 1/2 lbs. apples (4) 1/2 c. butter 3/4 c. packed brown sugar 3/4 c. oatmeal 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 c. flour Arrange apples in casserole (sliced). Melt butter; add sugar, oatmeal, flour, cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Apples from our own 'State Fair' apple tree. COOKS.COM

Tradition...Tradition

The spontaneous and generous gift of a 25 pound turkey allows our Annual Labor Day Weekend Turkey Roast to continue
uninterrupted.

Downsizing: Year One

To say this past year has been tough, would be an understatement. What will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, its hard to say. Still, I am humbled, not by our circumstances, but the people in my life.

My two girls, knowing their friends are shopping for school clothes and supplies, instead, search the cabinets for folders and notebooks, pencils and markers. There is not a solitary mention of 'new' clothes from either one. Instead, they ask us to spend our TIME with them playing cards.

We have friends showing up to cook us amazing meals. A daughter who brings cardboard boxes filled with food or just cardboard boxes for moving. And a son who buys groceries ~ every single week ~ with his first ever paychecks.

We spent the summer bonding over 30 years worth of memories, as we cleaned up the house to prepare for the inevitable move, if things don't improve. 100's of resumes and dozens of job interviews, we have thinned out our clutter, but the magic 'job' to save us is still hovering somewhere over the horizon.

"Never take a person's dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you." — Frank X Barron

I have learned that while I always considered myself a generous, considerate person, I could have done much more. I have also learned that some people I considered thoughtful and generous, are not.

Mostly, I have learned people like to judge others with little regard to actual facts and that it really does not matter. The people in your life who care about you, will always be there when you need them, and the others don't matter, anyway.

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    Joanne Otto Praying for you and your family Mary. I'm sorry you are going through difficult times, sounds like you have raised wonderful, respectful, generous children, that is worth more than any amount of money.

    16 hours ago · Reply
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    Maureen A James Oh No!! I understand all this!!! I am soo Sorry!! This is the stuff I live for.. Mari in Colorado...This is the saddest stuff in the World..And this iIS what needs to change. All of it!!!

    37 minutes ago · Reply

Living through Unemployment

Forgive the topsy turvy dates of the first few posts. We are editing an old Blog and reinventing it for this adventure.

Converting site...check back SOON. This site will be filled with everything you need to help you through the most incredibly difficult time of your life.

I know this because we are living it with you. Learn how to survive from, day to day, with us.