Universal Studios Islands of Adventure - Day 3

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure was the day 3 destination. Can you imagine the crush of people who want to visit Hogwarts and the Harry Potter section of the park? Why?


Because it is worth it.

And I am not a huge Harry Potter fan, but this section of the park makes the books come to life in a believable way. The place is magical as are the other sections of the park which include Jurassic Park, Super Hero's Island, Dr. Seuss, and Sunday Comics Land.




This day was devoted to adventure and riding rides. Chris and I rode one roller coaster four times during the first hour while watching Jax during the period when the rest of the party was off doing the marquee ride in the Harry Potter section.



We also had a great meeting with Captain America! Who was very engaging. I personally think he was happy to meet some boys who at least spoke English. There were a lot of languages being spoken at the park--not English.


I did get to experience three different wide where the signs said something like: "You may get wet." I can assure you, the signs understated the probability. Indeed, the ride designers apparently took the opportunity to ensure that those who dared to pass the signs got soaked. I also got to experience a "people dryer." And it felt good on a cool day.

It was a busy day. A fun day. A wet day, A day devoted to fancy and imagination.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wire to Wire in the Magic Kingdom - Day 2

From the Character Breakfast at 7 AM in the Contemporary Hotel, to the welcome performance in front of the train station entrance to Main Street USA, to the 10 PM fireworks to close out the day, in the words of someone: "we did it all," well mostly.


The boys were fried by the end of it all even though we did return to the resort for a middle of the day respite (read nap). But we also experienced a very active pool area as well.




My take on the day--the Disney magic is beginning to fray around the edges. We had trouble with out lunch reservations and then our dinner reservations and saw behind the Disney magic a bit to the side where people are over worked and not really happy to help. We also decided that the busses do not run frequently enough from our resort, although we did get out of the park at the end of the day in fairly efficient fashion.

That written, the Fast Pass system works well. Having a plan for the day works great too. Nicole's plan to start the day saw us on five attractions within two hours. Fabulous. Well, almost, running at full tilt at 9 AM to get on an attraction is a bit excessive--but it worked.

The boys were great--mostly. But of course the heat and constant activity took its toll.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Disney World Arrival and Day 1

Logistically, the day went well.

The alarm went off at 3:40 AM and we were on our way to the BWI by 4:40AM after having said good-bye to Makayla and the cats.

It has been a long time since I have been in an airport before 5AM. It is very quiet. Add to that, there were only about 30 people on our flight to Orlando--and the whole process of getting from home to Disney went incredibly smoothly.

We had some issues checking in and getting the right rooms--but after most of the day this too was corrected.



The day was an Epcot day--and we were in the park just before 11AM.

The best, by far, ride in Epcot is Soarin'. We did a fast pass for this first thing and we able to snag tickets for 4:45 PM. This ride continues to be a first rate experience and one that the kids enjoy too.



We ate at the Coral Reef Restaurant--and it was our big meal of the day. The experience was truly worthwhile, eating in essentially a huge aquarium.

We also did the usual Epcot stuff and had a great time and a long day. I was able to enjoy the international area around the lake.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Disney begins

At the airport on the way to Orlando and a week of fun with Mickey!

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, right? 

Yeah. 

Epcot today to get started. Soaring is on the agenda. 

But first to survive BWI and get to the land that the mouse built.  

Our party of 7 will never be the same.  

Five adults and two children but all young at heart.  

- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 16, 2012

1. Tax Day is upon us! Today is Tax Day for the State of Maryland; tomorrow is Tax Day for the Federal Government. If you have not filed your taxes yet, you are probably going to be late.



2. Last evening, after a day of over 80 degree temperatures, I saw the first fireflies of the year. I was truly astonished as I do not recall ever seeing them so early. I was so amazed that I made sure to get independent verification from Chris that there were in fact fireflies in the trees.

3. I made an interesting observation in the major league baseball standings yesterday morning: both the Nationals and the Orioles were in sole possession of first place in their respective divisions. I do not believe that has ever happened before. Of course the Orioles lost yesterday and now share the division lead--but it was interesting for one day at least.

4. I am still in shock about how quickly machinery can reduce a small forest into a 10 acre patch of bare land.




5. With Ethan's birthday behind us, the family birthday season has ended. We begin celebrating family birthdays in September and conclude in April. In between, there are 11 birthdays--more if extended family is counted. I guess it gives us something to do while the pool is closed.

6. And in the pool department--I ordered the chemicals for the coming year. I always feel like a mad scientist or something after I order the pool supplies.



7. Yesterday, George Washington was selected as Britain's greatest enemy, or most formidable foe since the 17th Century. The article makes an interesting read--but essentially, Washington is the greatest enemy commander to face the British Empire! One of the rules of the competition was that the commander had to lead troops in actual combat--hence, political leaders (like Hitler) were excluded.

8. I am about to head off to the land of Mickey Mouse! The good news is that it is in Florida. The bad news is that it is no where near the beach.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cat Clipping Day's

By 8:30 AM, the semiannual clipping of Louis had been completed yesterday. Louis is a 14 pound rag-doll cat with very long fur which matts pretty badly, especially during the summer. In an effort to keep him more comfortable we have him clipped.


This is the after picture and he is sporting what is called the "lion cut." I know it seems pretty radical, but I believe he really appreciates the short cut. There is a bit of self preservation involved as well--the hair ball count goes down dramatically after he gets trimmed. Every cat owner knows that there is nothing worse than getting up in the morning and stepping into a cold and slimy fur ball with their bare foot.

The process to trim Louis is not without some danger though. He does not tolerate it too well and must be drugged. Even so, it is two person process and I caught a claw helping the groomer shave the cat.



Apparently, Riordin was unhappy that he did not get invited out for the trip. He checked out the carrier after we returned home. Little did he know where that carrier had taken his best friend.

Louis recovered nicely from the drugs--they barely affected him anyway--just taking the edge off a bit, and the day went on.

Another checklist completed on the highway to summertime!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Day in Elementary School

I spent a day as a volunteer Dad at Ethan's school on Friday. I was part of a program they call Watch D.O.G.S.. Who knew that I was a hero of the hallways.

I learned a lot about education in America today as I saw first hand the over crowded and dirty classrooms that are part to public education. That learning can occur is really a testament to the dedicated teachers who struggle in these less than ideal conditions.

I noticed a few things during the day that show how much life has changed since I was in elementary school not just a few decades ago.

Lunch boxes have really changed. I remember metal lunch boxes in the shape of school busses or with the some Disney characters on them. The boxes are now canvass and probably work a lot better. They are adorned with current heroes and movies. The most popular among the boys is Clone Wars--I saw five boys sitting together all with Clone Wars lunch boxes.

The noise is deafening. Everywhere it seems the noise is at levels equal to that of jet engines.

Security is serious. One of my jobs was to ensure every door in the school was locked. I was amazed how many outside doors there are in a school. And I found an insecure door which I immediately secured.

I found the pace of the day slow--and that is not bad. I was able to stroll outside in the sun for a couple of hours during the beautiful day--something that I never would have been able to do at my regular job. So yeah, I enjoyed it.

As a trained Watch D.O.G.S., I expect to volunteer again. It was nice to get to know the administration and the teachers at the school.

It was a great day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Off on the Zoo Path

Although I did not get to go to the zoo last week, Chris did, twice, and took some great images of the animals who live at the Baltimore Zoo.


The zoo is really very nice, but a bit off the beaten path.

The animals were very active; providing the opportunity for some great shots.

I was reminded of an old Paul Simon song about the New York Zoo from her stories about the activity of the animals and spectators.




She was most proud of her images of the bats taken from within the darkness of the bat room.

I can see why--close up and personal with the bats.

OK--maybe that part is kinda creepy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Forest is Lost

The forest that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago in the article Forest's Final Spring has ceased to exist.

A broken 10 acre plot of ground, devoid of life and trees, now sits where the thriving woodland community formerly stood.

It is sad and permanent. I have watched the trees be removed during the past two weeks as the plot was cleared. The heavy equipment was ruthless--no living thing remained standing. It was like a scene from Fern Gully or Avatar.

What is even sadder was the realization that in a month or so, the new empty space will seem normal to me. I won't remember the trees and the life which abounded there in advance of the construction project now underway.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Too Cold in the Stands

I went to see the Orioles play last evening. I was hoping to see them win again.

I learned that watching a summertime sport as temperatures approach the mid-40's is not a lot of fun. Frankly, I was freezing and wishing with every pitch for summertime and 80 degrees.

I thought I had dressed for the game--two shirts and a coat. But it was so cold, I didn't even want to finish my beer--because it was making me colder with every sip.

The only thing keeping me there was that the Orioles were winning.

When the lead evaporated during the sixth inning and the game was dragging, I began to think about turning the heater on in my truck and warming up.

So I left--purely for self-preservation.

On the drive home, I finally warmed up. I bet it was over 90 degrees in my truck when I pulled into the driveway of my home.

If I had known it was going to be a winter game,I would have dressed even warmer. As it was the Orioles lost in 12 innings. So I probably made a mature decision.

At least I got warm again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD