A Long Day at Two Parks

by Pa Rock
Footsore and Fancy Free

The day started out crappy. My only bag couldn't be found last night, so I missed my evening insulin and some other meds. This morning they tracked it down to the hotel that we would have been at - if I hadn't changed the reservation at the last minute so that we could buy the meal card. I was able to take my morning shot and put on clean clothes, but was still meaner than a bear until around noon when all of the drugs started to kick in.

The afternoon was delightful. I didn't even get disturbed when I realized that my new digital camera got murdered on the water ride. (We were on some sort of spinning raft ride with eight people to a raft - and I was the lucky cuss who got the wettest spot! The camera looks to be a hopeless case.) We had a very nice afternoon meal in an air-conditioned, oriental restaurant at the Animal Kingdom, and I was still soaked from the ride. I have been sneezing all evening and expect to contract full-blown pneumonia. Could there be a classier exit than dying at Disney World?

The other park that we hit today was the Magic Kingdom, which is much like the old Disney Land that I visited in California in 1958 - back when Uncle Walt was still alive. I liked the Magic Kingdom a lot. We rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Adventure Land, saw a computer-generated Monsters Inc show in Tomorrow Land, rode through the Snow White story, and walked through the Old West and Cinderella's Castle.

All of the rides and things were great fun, but the absolute highlight of the day was a squirrel eating a chocolate chip cookie that someone had tossed into one of the flower beds. People could get right up next to him and take his picture while he munched away. His name was Bob, and I am betting that he is really wired tonight after eating all of those chocolate chips!

We only had one celebrity sighting today. Pluto was posing with tourists out in front of the Magic Kingdom.

I found a "Goofy" tee-shirt for myself and something special for Sebastian.

We are staying at the Port Orleans French Quarter. Lots of iron grill work, and Spanish moss hanging from all of the trees. The Spanish moss is dangling so neatly that one would suspect that it was hung there by Disney's minimum wage slaves - like foil icicles on Christmas trees.

Most of the people working here are either college age or my age, with not many in between, a clue that people supporting families probably can't afford to be employed by Disney. But, with one sourpuss exception, all have been very courteous and fun to banter with. I am seriously thinking that I might want to come here and be Goofy when I retire from the rat race. I've also given some thought to being Pluto, but I really don't get Pluto.

More to follow...