Travel woe

So explain.... How we can leave our town at 7am and FINALLY check in to our hotel at 6:30pm. Ugh. We are over 3 hours late to do anything. The Grove closes at 8pm. It's 6:45 now and it takes 30 minutes to get there. Bleg

Update: we didn't do anything. We ate some kick ass Indonesian food in West Covina and then checked into our hotel near LAX. Truth be told, it's a gorgeous hotel... But they are charging $11 per day for Internet!! Thanks but no thanks! I am posting this from a Starbucks, thank you chain O' coffee for your wi-fi service that I can access through my normal service provider!

Tomorrow I am taking the fam to Disneyland. My mothership. Yes... I was there not more than a week ago and I am going again! This time Scout gets to go with me. My parents and brother haven't been in over 5 years. They have a lot of new stuff to see. Scout and I have a lot to cover in a short time!

xoxo

Emma

Single Awareness Day? I spit on you!

Having a gay man as your valentine is the best thing ever!!!! He was extremely thoughtful and attentive! I got a teddy bear, chocolates, a handmade card AND homemade cupcakes decorated perfectly. This was an awful lot more than the valentines I got when I was married. I love you Nick. :).

Nick's bestie, Taylor made cute cards for me and Scout. Spending the day with them was better than any Valentines Day I've had in quite a long time. Today has made me extremely happy!

xoxo
Emma

Singles awareness day

I have a valentine. His name is Nick *not his real name* and he's gay. :D



Though, please don't read into it more than you need to. It's not a romantic valentine... but more of an understanding of 2 single people who hope for an "other" for a Valentines day in the future. There are no candies, candles or romantic gestures. Frankly, that's totally okay. Scout is also my valentine, but that's because she's my kid. *shrug*



As a special treat for my Valentines, we're going to see High School Musical on Ice on Saturday. Lizzie has not yet seen the movies, so I know her enthusiasm for Teen Disney music is on the low side. I'm excited because I've seen the other 2 ice shows and this one will include High School Musical 3!! Nick and Scout have a shared adoration for HSM, so I know they will be totally excited. Nick's best gal pal, Taylor, is coming with us for her shared passion for all things HSM.

I'm just excited to get out of the house. I love roadtrips! :D

xoxo

Emma

37.... in a row?

I'm not referring to the "Dicks in Row" comment from Clerks... but the mass of people that I went to Disneyland with this past weekend. Yes, we had 35 and not 37 people, but the quote still sounds good...right? I was able to procure 35 "I'm Celebrating" buttons for the entire group. We looked unified. We also moved as a big mass all over the park. I was able to charm the pants off many a cast member with the opening phrase "Pardon me..." that wasn't proceeded by "do you have any Grey Poupon"



The one thing about me that only exists in Disneyland is the fact that I wish people Happy Birthday. I'll walk, see a button, say "Happy Birthday!!!" then continue on my way. It interrupts my conversations with people sometimes, but also breaks the monotony of an otherwise normal Disneyland operating day. The group totally got into it and wished people a happy birthday with some clapping motions and a group shout / point of "YOU ROCK" towards the birthday person. No age was discriminated against. It would start with a person in our group shouting "Hey, (insert name on Birthday Button here), HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" Then the clapping and chanting. It was sweet and (personally) cool to have so many people acknowledge you on your birthday. Okay... to be fair... I love when people wish me a happy birthday. I don't care advertising my age either. Also... I don't really LOOK my age... so it works in my favor. ;)

This trip was truly, one of the best times I've ever had. I've had many trips to the park with many people. but never in a group this big. It was a bittersweet undertaking, but fulfilling all the while. I did learn a few things on this trip.

1) Tired and driving = spilling of secrets
I think I told all I had in me to the 2 people that stayed up to hear them. I can't tell you if they remember anything I said, but I think I remember what I said and it was pretty juicy information. (Please... like i'd blog my secrets here... lol)

2) Gay men smell good. Really? Need I say more?

3) I'm not as young as I used to be, but that's totally okay. I think it's bunking with people who are a decade younger than I am that made me the "old lady" in the room. I'm sure that the roommates didn't think that, but it was one of the first times I thought that.

4) My cursing while driving is amazing. I put words together that really don't belong, but in the context of my anger... makes absolute sense. It scares people

5) I got extra emo during the fireworks. Kudos to Lizzie for being sweet and comforting. I don't know what came over me. It was more emotion than I was used to during the pretty lights in the sky. Also, see #2.

6) I need to work out my right arm more if I'm going to dust Lizzie in Toy Story Mania ;) Screaming like I was birthing a child while yanking a rope over and over to shoot virtual balls is not okay! lol

7) I've never been more appreciative of everything I had in my life until I did all of these things this last weekend.

It's been a long road, but I think things are going to be more than okay. A lot of my dreams have come true and I still have a long way to go in my life to make more of these wonderful daydreams tactile.

Thank you 827. Our store may be gone, but we went out in a fantastic and glorious way! :D

You know you love me
xoxo
Emma

The Ice Age is Over

Scout and I went to see Smuckers Stars on Ice last week. We went last year... but that was a big bore. Really.... it was booooring. This year, there were flashy lights, some younger performers and some up to date music (Feist!!).





**take a trip in my Way Back Machine**


My first ice skating show was Discover Stars on Ice. This event happened over umm... 16+ years ago. I was mesmerized. The world was not yet versed in Figure Skating sabotage in the form of Harding and Kerrigan. They were still lauding skating royalty like Scott Hamilton and Kristi Yamaguchi. The place was packed and the vibe was electric. My mother and I were perched on the highest nosebleed seats in all humanity. Barbie dolls skated on the smooth white surface below. It was amazing. I was transfixed by seeing professional people skate.





The show stopper... was the Russian pairs team of Ekatarina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. They were poetry on ice. They were a vision. He lifted her effortlessly as if she weighed no more than a feather. When he set her down on the ice, it was as if he was setting a baby down into a crib. For the magnificent throws, she landed softly on the ice and glided gently away. I do remember the silence when they skated. You could hear nothing but their skates on the ice. Thunderous applause erupted when moves were performed perfectly.





I was devistated when a few years later Sergei Grinkov died. I think a part of skating died along with him. At least for me, skating was never the same. The magical part of their love story was no longer manifested in the beautiful routines they performed. They were young, in love and had a family. Everything that a young girl of my age dreamed of. Add to that the talent, the grace and the willingness to share that with the world... and they really elevated ice skating to a high level.



**back to 2009**



The stars of today weren't what they were back then. I miss old skating days.
In other news, Scout and I shared an ice cream during the intermission. Oh... and one of the skaters did a routine to "Shook Me All Night Long". That routine was H O T. The guy had a lot of muscles. xoxo emma

I forgot to add

My new toy is my iTouch. I don't need the phone part.... just the iPod / techie part. I'm in love with it! yay! xoxo Emma

New toy