What a crazy weekend!
Saturday night I got off at 8, hung out a bit in Magic Kingdom with a friend and then drove an hour and a half north to Ocala for a dive on Sunday in Williston, FL at Devil's Den.
It was supa' cool.
Literally.
The water was 72 degrees.
Freezing!
Anywho, I would love to dive it again in the winter time when that would be VERY warm relative to the weather. Since it is a spring, it is a constant 70 year round. It had caved in creating a cool effect of ambient light. After two dives I finally reached level 2 in diving. Because of m speciality classes (Navigation, Boat, Deep, Limited Visibility/Night), I was now officially a specialty diver as well!
New scuba card for Madison!
Sunday evening was spent back here in Celebration with a quick bike ride, Toy Story Macaroni and cheese, and watching Tron (overrated by the way).
I worked yesterday and had a great time. I love working at role that involves two attractions. Going from the heat of driving free floating rafts to the air conditioning of a 20 minute show is really nice - much better than pushing roller coaster buttons all day.
This morning I started running again, just over a mile to start. My brother wants us to run the St. Jude Half Marathon the first weekend of December. I volunteered last year and it was a great time. I downloaded an app called Nike+GPS. It is free for a limited time, so go check it out now! It is great for keeping up with everything plus you don't have to buy their shoes or their sensor, you just need an iPhone (sorry no iTouch since they don't have GPS).
I'm headed to EPCOT right now to eat lunch at Coral Reef, a restaurant that is built around their huge aquarium. Afterwards we are headed to dive the same aquarium which includes a tour. I hear it is a wonderful experience, and cast members get half off (only 90 instead of 180), so why not!?
Only one week til I fly back to Tennessee for Bonnaroo! I'm volunteering this year with my brother. He is picking me up at the Nashville airport on his way to Manchester. For those who are unaware Bonnaroo is apparently a modern Woodstock (rockin' music festival). I was told by a guy I met scuba diving to bring battery-operated fans since it will be hella hot, make sure the car is filled with gas because traffic getting in is bad plus car chargers are the only way to charge your phone, and a cot or air mattress since the dew gets pretty bad. So anyone headed that way take note I guess.
Much love!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Life in Florida-The First 48 Hours
As I approach my first 48 hours in Orlando, I realized that I blog on all my trips and I should probably blog my experiences here for the summer as well.
Since I am a seasonal cast member at Walt Disney World I pretty much come and go as I please as far as a work schedule goes-not bad. I decided to move down for the summer because I have missed it so much, plus my friend is going through some really hard personal times and could really use someone by her side. We are rooming together in her one bedroom apartment in Celebration, FL.
If you have never heard of Celebration-google it. It is the picture perfect town inspired by Disney himself and rests on the south side of the parks. Most people bike, walk, or run to get around and spend a lot of their day outside. It is a wonderful place to live, but VERY expensive. Fortunately, a fellow cast member owns a townhouse here that has an apartment above the garage, making living in celebration a little affordable (but still a steep $900 a month).
Although IKEA is the king of space, we have been going back and forth from Target for storage for most of my time here. We bought 2 garment racks (only $10!) and just bought hangers and hanging shelves with little bins on the bottom for shoes and such. Super cute and saves a lot of space on the cheap.
My professor is also in town visiting the parks with her 6 or 7 year old. I spent most of my day with them and getting my costume at work.
The day ended with biking around the neighborhood at dusk with my friend Dainan. He and his roommate were visiting for dinner. While it was cooking, we took off and went riding. In celebration, there are several areas where boardwalks connect streets through the woods. There is one just across the street from the apartment, so we went exploring and discovered even bigger houses and a beautiful lake.
Today won't be as exciting. Just cleaning house from last night and still unpacking, plus more Target runs. Before work I hope to run by Cast Connection, one of the cast stores, and pick up a princess gown for my professor's daughter. They are visiting me at work today to play and pick it up.
Ta Ta!
Since I am a seasonal cast member at Walt Disney World I pretty much come and go as I please as far as a work schedule goes-not bad. I decided to move down for the summer because I have missed it so much, plus my friend is going through some really hard personal times and could really use someone by her side. We are rooming together in her one bedroom apartment in Celebration, FL.
If you have never heard of Celebration-google it. It is the picture perfect town inspired by Disney himself and rests on the south side of the parks. Most people bike, walk, or run to get around and spend a lot of their day outside. It is a wonderful place to live, but VERY expensive. Fortunately, a fellow cast member owns a townhouse here that has an apartment above the garage, making living in celebration a little affordable (but still a steep $900 a month).
Although IKEA is the king of space, we have been going back and forth from Target for storage for most of my time here. We bought 2 garment racks (only $10!) and just bought hangers and hanging shelves with little bins on the bottom for shoes and such. Super cute and saves a lot of space on the cheap.
My professor is also in town visiting the parks with her 6 or 7 year old. I spent most of my day with them and getting my costume at work.
The day ended with biking around the neighborhood at dusk with my friend Dainan. He and his roommate were visiting for dinner. While it was cooking, we took off and went riding. In celebration, there are several areas where boardwalks connect streets through the woods. There is one just across the street from the apartment, so we went exploring and discovered even bigger houses and a beautiful lake.
Today won't be as exciting. Just cleaning house from last night and still unpacking, plus more Target runs. Before work I hope to run by Cast Connection, one of the cast stores, and pick up a princess gown for my professor's daughter. They are visiting me at work today to play and pick it up.
Ta Ta!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sports Teams and Sanity
Warning: Vent Post!
As a front desk agent I put up with a lot of things for little pay. I'm part psychiatrist, housekeeper, dog walker, baby sitter, maintenance worker, concierge guide, among other things.
One of the many frustrating parts of hotels is sports teams. No matter the sport, no matter the age sports teams are the epitome of the weekend leisure traveler in mass bulk and hysteria.
Upon their unorganized mass arrival, the demands start rolling in. Extra blankets, extra pillows.
"What's taking so long?"
You just checked-in twenty rooms with forty complaints and needs. There is one front desk agent.
You do the math.
"Why aren't you answering the phones?"
I just did, didn't I? You really think you gave me adequate time to walk back downstairs from changing your sheets plus the side trip to tell that other parent "sorry the pool isn't heated."
"We wanted to be next to the Smiths!"
Are you 4? Did becoming a parent reduce your maturity? Are you incapable of existence outside of a 20 foot diameter of the Smiths?
"I think I will just walk up to the desk and stare at the agent until she reads my mind."
Sorry, I left those skills at home. I charge extra for mind reading.
Please just say what you want.
And if its another room key, we charge .50 per key after #5. Your tab is up to $20. And if you want directions printed-the business center is five feet away. You are under 45 years old and we both know you can google.
If you are calling to complain about the noise in the courtyard and hallways, look for your kid. Chances are its him running up and down the halls and throwing balls all over the courtyard because you aren't watching him. Its hardly supervising if you are drunk in the courtyard of a hotel in the suburbs.
Real nice.
You're a cool parent.
And no, I can't give twenty rooms a 3:00 pm check out. My check-in time is 4 and I have normal people that know how to travel and still have their manners checking-in. Did you forget this was a business, not just your play pen to trash? I'm sorry your kids are playing late games and you have an 8 hour drive, if you want you can stay another night. Or maybe just skip on the 8 hour trip for a t-ball tournament.
Really, it's T-ball.
You are taking their undeveloped athletic skills a little too seriously.
Maybe you should have worn a condom. Or if spawning was optional, maybe you should have better spent your travel money on a typical family beach trip.
If you ever produce, or already have, and have the opportunity to travel 8 hours for something as ridiculous as a t-ball tournament, please keep this post in mind.
As a front desk agent I put up with a lot of things for little pay. I'm part psychiatrist, housekeeper, dog walker, baby sitter, maintenance worker, concierge guide, among other things.
One of the many frustrating parts of hotels is sports teams. No matter the sport, no matter the age sports teams are the epitome of the weekend leisure traveler in mass bulk and hysteria.
Upon their unorganized mass arrival, the demands start rolling in. Extra blankets, extra pillows.
"What's taking so long?"
You just checked-in twenty rooms with forty complaints and needs. There is one front desk agent.
You do the math.
"Why aren't you answering the phones?"
I just did, didn't I? You really think you gave me adequate time to walk back downstairs from changing your sheets plus the side trip to tell that other parent "sorry the pool isn't heated."
"We wanted to be next to the Smiths!"
Are you 4? Did becoming a parent reduce your maturity? Are you incapable of existence outside of a 20 foot diameter of the Smiths?
"I think I will just walk up to the desk and stare at the agent until she reads my mind."
Sorry, I left those skills at home. I charge extra for mind reading.
Please just say what you want.
And if its another room key, we charge .50 per key after #5. Your tab is up to $20. And if you want directions printed-the business center is five feet away. You are under 45 years old and we both know you can google.
If you are calling to complain about the noise in the courtyard and hallways, look for your kid. Chances are its him running up and down the halls and throwing balls all over the courtyard because you aren't watching him. Its hardly supervising if you are drunk in the courtyard of a hotel in the suburbs.
Real nice.
You're a cool parent.
And no, I can't give twenty rooms a 3:00 pm check out. My check-in time is 4 and I have normal people that know how to travel and still have their manners checking-in. Did you forget this was a business, not just your play pen to trash? I'm sorry your kids are playing late games and you have an 8 hour drive, if you want you can stay another night. Or maybe just skip on the 8 hour trip for a t-ball tournament.
Really, it's T-ball.
You are taking their undeveloped athletic skills a little too seriously.
Maybe you should have worn a condom. Or if spawning was optional, maybe you should have better spent your travel money on a typical family beach trip.
If you ever produce, or already have, and have the opportunity to travel 8 hours for something as ridiculous as a t-ball tournament, please keep this post in mind.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Unintentionally Sexual Church Signs
I have been finding a lot of random site and such thanks to a mix of boredom and the ease of StumbleUpon. I figured I would start posting some here and there for your enjoyment.
So enjoy!
So enjoy!
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