~:: Birthday Trip to the Mouse House ::~

Okay. So by May, I was really discouraged because of  the weird state of my little body. Worn out, hurting – just not feeling hopeful. But in the background, all along, G and the kids had been coming up with a plan –

On the day of my birthday – barely on the day – at like six in the morning, I woke up and was stumbling sleepily towards the bathroom, when here comes Guy from the lighted hallway, all dressed.  And he says, “I have to tell you something.”  Which was a little chilling – like WHAT HAPPENED?  WHO IS DYING?

“You have to get ready,” he said. “You have to pack. We’re going away.” But he wouldn’t tell me where.  So what was I supposed to pack?  For how long?  “Five days.” FIVE DAYS????  But who’ll take care of the horses?  “Rachel.”  Oh – you mean the Rachel who turned me down when I asked her to go — somewhere, I can’t remember –  with me for  my birthday?  And there was a dog sitter coming.  And I had to hurry, because my shuttle was coming.  So were we flying somewhere?  “Driving AND flying.”

It wasn’t even LIGHT yet.

So I did what I was told.  And then, there we were, standing out on the sidewalk with our bags, waiting for a mysterious shuttle.  Then – did he make me close my eyes? – “Here it comes,” he said.  And when I opened my eyes – there was Murphy’s car, with fine, white letters across the upper windshield like it was a bus: DISNEYLAND.

It was amazing.  And it made me cry.  That G would plan it and Murphy and Laura could go – and another surprise later – Ginna and the boys were coming too.  So we drove down to Anaheim and stayed in this really nice place just a block or two off Harbor, and we WENT TO THE MOUSE HOUSE.  It was especially fun because none of us had ever been to the new Cars’ Land.

You are about to see a bunch of pictures of the suite in which we stayed.  You don’t really want to spend a whole lot on where you stay – you’re hardly ever there.  But this place really made a big effort to be a Disney sort of place, full of fun detail –

It was big enough for all of us – two bedrooms, two baths, and the living room was also a sleeping room.  And a kitchenette, which is a great thing when you know what food in the park costs.

So, self portrait in the master bath. I think I must have taken ten shots of the bathrooms, because you really got the magical treatment there –

Origami towls

Fancy Kleenex

The whole nine yards. HA – that washcloth looks like a Muppet face straight on.

Nice windows.

Children, demonstrating the usefulness of the table. They had brought FOOD to share.

Max and the Murphys

Ginna with pizza sent up by Bryce, who had come by to visit.

The next day: we went to the park!!!

I don’t remember the names of the rides – this one was giant tractor tires that ride on a cushion of air.  You get on them and you try to mash people.

You see what kind of attitude a ride like this brings out in people. I was shooting with my brand new tiny Nikon – my instrument of choice when there is mashing going on around you.

Here we are, just before the Radiator Springs car race ride – which was really fun.  But even better just to look at.  This is Disney at its best  – those rock formations I show you in the desert?  There aren’t any in Orange County, CA – so Disney just builds them.

This mountain range is characterized by 1950 car fins.  They had some great look-out places, just like the places you’d pull over to see the sights in the real mountains and desert.

And again, just like Disney – here we are, walking right into the world of Cars – everything full-sized and real and amazing.  It’s really nostalgic for people like G and me – people who grew up in the 50s-60s in LA.  This has the feeling down to the balminess of the air.

Nothing like sharing your childhood with your grown kids.

So because of Mr. Cute, here, we had to take this ride in waves.  Some of us went first on the fast pass, then Max got to ride again with his mom. The line was insane, of course – new, fabulous rides are like that.  They used to call the Indiana Jones ride “Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Six Hour Wait.”  So we found a place where we could see Gin and Max tear by in their race car – and I stood there taking pictures of every flipping car that came over the hill for forty minutes, so I wouldn’t miss them.

It got a little cool and rainy.

But that doesn’t matter if you have a grandfather around to keep you warm and safe.

And a silly uncle and a lovely aunt.

So I didn’t mind too much, shooting every car. I never knew what I’d shot till I got home. I actually shot Gin and Max, and never knew it – the cars are moving so fast.  But it’s fun to look at the people now, as they zoomed by us – like, look at the hair on the girl in the closest car in the picture above.

And the lady who seemed to take joy in having her picture taken at high speed by a perfect stranger.

You got the obligatory raised arms from some people –

Here: raised arms – AND people grinning at us – just in case, maybe, we were their relatives?

Or two groups of people crammed into two cars, yelling back and forth –

Or people in Goofy hats.

And then, finally — Gin and Max, flying by at Lightning speed.  I had to go through every one of the, like, forty shots before I found them.  But when I did, I felt really fine.

Yeah – so doesn’t this look just like the real deal? Except there are no Suguaro cactus down by Moab and Durango.

Max, in the Blue Bayou.  Very magical.  Also expensive.  Food isn’t that great, but there are pretend fire flies that I love –

Sandy – still having fun.  But for how long yet???

I don’t know if this is all I shot, or if I just ran out of gas putting these up.  But there you are – the magical birthday tour.  Yeah.  I was pretty lucky.  We ended up flying home – Gin’s flight going out twenty minutes before ours did, while Murphy and L drove out to Gin’s to meet her there for some dental work.  Oh – I think there are more shots. I’ll have to look.