joedisney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2000
- Messages
- 70
Ok, ok, I apologize for taking so long. I have gotten a bit carried away with Chapter 3 and, therefore, have divided it into two parts. The good news is that part two is just about complete and should be out tomorrow
Its 12 am on October 16th, 2003. The eerie glow from over 1.2 million televisions supplements the light of the half moon that shines over Boston and its surrounding suburbs. Inside, the agony of Red Sox nation continues its 85-year run as the curse of the Bambino once again strangles the dreams of three generations of loyal fans. The hometown team has just relinquished a 5 to 2 lead in the 8th, giving up 3 runs at the hands of their ace pitcher, Pedro Martinez. Just after 12:30, the game is knotted at 5-5 going into the bottom of the 11th. From my living room, I stand and watch; sound is down, not wanting to hear the nauseating cacophony of the 55,000 fans rattling the rafters of Yankee stadium. As Aaron Boones walk-off home run sails through the air, my stomach clenches. The Red Sox have lost game 7 of the American League Championship Series to the evil New York Yankees. Fighting back the need to puke, I think I am hallucinating when I hear soft wrenching noises floating down from above. I check to make sure I havent puked on myself, when I hear the noises again. The sounds are actually coming from Caley who is indeed losing much of her last meal. After cleaning her up, it is clear that Caley is now spending the night with her mom and Dad. I eventually find my way to bed, sleeping restlessly with the smell of fresh vomit and the weight of an ancient curse preventing me from getting much rest.
The alarm isnt needed as I crawl out of bed and shower before going to work. Kathy has little sympathy for the throngs of miserable Sox fans. She has a sick child, two boys to get off to school, a daycare to run and is in the midst of a 6-week family battle with head lice. Yes, head lice, but that is a story for another day. Let me just say that those little buggers are pure evil. Lets go, she shouts, its just a dumb baseball game. I head to the bus stop with the Map boy to commiserate with the neighbors who are much more understanding and share in our grief. A stunning bouquet highlights the tree-lined roadways as autumn leaves burst forth with the vibrant hues of a classic New England fall. The majesty that surrounds me is wasted as I make my way to work. Suffering through the day, I manage to remember that I have a little Disney planning to do when I get home. The next morning I must wake up promptly at 6:45 am to be ready for the call to Disney dining. The most difficult reservation to get in the entire World is breakfast at Cinderellas Royal Table. Back at home, I synchronize my watch with the time at atomicclock.com, double check the PS calculator to be sure I have the right day, I write down the phone number and recheck the sequence for getting through to book the Cinderellas breakfast. Tomorrow I will make reservations for our party of ten.
Friday January 16, 2004
I am a sound sleeper. I hate waking up in the morning, typically waking up at the last possible minute. I can sleep through almost anything. When the kids were babies, Kathy would get up in the middle of the night to feed them and I would never know. Yet, for the second time in two nights I am blasted awake by the screams of eight year old Connor. Sound asleep to adrenaline rush in 2.8 seconds. This gets my heart rate up faster than the Rockn Roller Coaster. After settling the little guy down, I easily fall back to sleep, knowing that we have another perfect day ahead starting with our breakfast at the castle.
Exactly according to plan we are up and out of the hotel right on time. We ride the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom and go right in to the park. There is always something special about being in the park when it's not officially open. Although I have never been in the park in the early morning, one of my fondest memories is eating ice cream after closing while slowly walking down Main street with Kathy and the boys. Caley was there, but still in mom's tummy. When we enter the park, there is only a handful of people in sight.
Flashback
It's 6:57 am on October 17th, 2003. I make a test call expecting the not there yet message and get through. Not only do I get through, I am being asked automated questions that I didn't anticipate. This isn't anything like the steps outlined in the Unofficial Guide. My timing is shot. My mind begins to race. Im sure there are 5 million people making the same reservations ahead of me. Not rational, I know, but its early. "Reservation for 10 at Cinderellas Royal Table for the 16th," I blurt out when I finally get through to a human. "What month?" comes the obvious query. "J- J-January," I scream. There is a silent pause. The seconds feel like minutes. I hear clicking, followed by more silence, followed by more clicking. I Wait. Sweat drips. I wait some more. Just as I'm about to scream into the phone, I hear, "Ok, you're all set for 8:25 am on Friday, January 16th for a party of 10." Silence. "Hello, sir? Helloooo." I catch my breath, "yes, Im here, sorry. That is perfect." I write down the confirmation number. I did it, reservations for 10 at Cinderella's Castle. I can hardly wait. Or maybe I can.
Back at the Castle
Right according to plan, we are at the Castle about 15 minutes early. I scan the area for my sister Janet and her gang. Not there yet, so we drop off the stroller around back and go over to the podium to check in. We are told to come back when our entire party has arrived. No problem, Janet has been forewarned to be here early. I explained to her on the phone, in person and with an e-mail to get to the Castle about 15 minutes early. I am, by the way, an idiot (I'll explain why in a minute). We decide to wait inside the lobby area. The place is empty and we have fun looking around. No one is interested in taking a picture on the big throne. The closest I can get is a picture of Alex's hat resting on the throne. Nice picture, but I'm thinking it would have been better with Alex actually wearing the hat. A quick check of my watch tells me it is 8:20 and I start to get a little fidgety. We play I spy for the next 10 minutes and still no sign of my dear sister. For those good at math, you realize that it is now 8:30 and they are officially late. The lobby starts to fill up with people. The kids are hungry and we are quickly running out of stuff to do. Janet is nowhere to be found so I stroll out to the front of the castle and wait. What is it about time? When you're late, time seems to zip by at twice its normal rate. I'm sure from Janet's perspective time is frantically ticking away. For me, the waiting is down right painful. It's like sitting in the car while your wife runs into the store to get "one" thing. It's 8:45 and I can't believe she has done it to me again. Why am I an idiot? I am an idiot, because Janet is ALWAYS late. This is no exaggeration. I am pretty sure she has never been on time for anything. Maybe her wedding, but it was a long time ago and I may be wrong about that too. Just as I'm thinking she probably never even made it to Florida since she would have had to get to the airport on time, I see them. Off in the distance I spot four fast moving people. I pull out the camcorder and record them as they cower towards the castle. They're still 25 yards away and I can already hear them blaming each other. I can see the stress, so I decide not to lay it on too thick. I check back in at the podium and I am told they will call us when our table is ready. We move into the lobby with the other three hundred people now waiting for a table. About another 20 minutes later we are called and sit down at our table a little over an hour after our scheduled time. No problem, I have learned my lesson. Right?
Time to relax, get a good breakfast, enjoy the castle and watch my little princess meet Cinderella. Unfortunately, none of us are that impressed with breakfast. Caley is having a good time, but the rest of us are miserable. Although the fresh fruit was good, the rest of the breakfast just wasn't that great. They also have this "my Lord" and "my Lady" thing going on that just made me feel uncomfortable. The big boys are bored to tears. Our waiter was funny though when he looks over at the statues that are Connor and Christopher and says, "you two need to settle down." followed by, "I can pull some strings and get you both in here for lunch." The boys were not amused. Don't get me wrong, being inside the castle was very cool. A great place to eat, but it just wasn't working for us. Caley got to see some of her favorite characters, but we were done with breakfast and still waiting for Cindy to make her way over. Finally, she is one table away and we see an end to our breakfast ordeal. When I made those reservations back in October, I never imagined I would be describing this breakfast as an "ordeal." Ok, there are all adults at the table next to ours, this should be quick. Let's take a look over at the next table and see what's going on. First a picture with Cinderella and the wife, followed by a picture with just the husband. Next it's a picture with just the grandfather. Now we have the grandfather, the wife and Cindy, followed by the grandmother and Cindy. Next we have the grandfather, grandmother and wife with Cinderella. Whew, looks like she's finally on her way over. Nope, they're calling her back for a few more. They now have the waiter with the camera for a full group photo. I start to cry. With Cindy back, they take several more photos before finally setting her free. I'm wiping away tears as Cinderella finally approaches our table. The pain begins to fade away as I snap a photo of our sassy little Caley with the lovely princess. Caley has that timid shy side that comes out in front of strangers that is such a nice contrast to the sassy spirit that dominates her personality. Don't get me wrong, I love her spunky side too, but a de-fanged Caley is a nice change of pace. Our epic breakfast at the castle is complete at last. The people from the next table over are hailing Cinderella back to their table as we leave the restaurant. I'm thinking I now have an idea of what it might be like to give birth.
Its 12 am on October 16th, 2003. The eerie glow from over 1.2 million televisions supplements the light of the half moon that shines over Boston and its surrounding suburbs. Inside, the agony of Red Sox nation continues its 85-year run as the curse of the Bambino once again strangles the dreams of three generations of loyal fans. The hometown team has just relinquished a 5 to 2 lead in the 8th, giving up 3 runs at the hands of their ace pitcher, Pedro Martinez. Just after 12:30, the game is knotted at 5-5 going into the bottom of the 11th. From my living room, I stand and watch; sound is down, not wanting to hear the nauseating cacophony of the 55,000 fans rattling the rafters of Yankee stadium. As Aaron Boones walk-off home run sails through the air, my stomach clenches. The Red Sox have lost game 7 of the American League Championship Series to the evil New York Yankees. Fighting back the need to puke, I think I am hallucinating when I hear soft wrenching noises floating down from above. I check to make sure I havent puked on myself, when I hear the noises again. The sounds are actually coming from Caley who is indeed losing much of her last meal. After cleaning her up, it is clear that Caley is now spending the night with her mom and Dad. I eventually find my way to bed, sleeping restlessly with the smell of fresh vomit and the weight of an ancient curse preventing me from getting much rest.
The alarm isnt needed as I crawl out of bed and shower before going to work. Kathy has little sympathy for the throngs of miserable Sox fans. She has a sick child, two boys to get off to school, a daycare to run and is in the midst of a 6-week family battle with head lice. Yes, head lice, but that is a story for another day. Let me just say that those little buggers are pure evil. Lets go, she shouts, its just a dumb baseball game. I head to the bus stop with the Map boy to commiserate with the neighbors who are much more understanding and share in our grief. A stunning bouquet highlights the tree-lined roadways as autumn leaves burst forth with the vibrant hues of a classic New England fall. The majesty that surrounds me is wasted as I make my way to work. Suffering through the day, I manage to remember that I have a little Disney planning to do when I get home. The next morning I must wake up promptly at 6:45 am to be ready for the call to Disney dining. The most difficult reservation to get in the entire World is breakfast at Cinderellas Royal Table. Back at home, I synchronize my watch with the time at atomicclock.com, double check the PS calculator to be sure I have the right day, I write down the phone number and recheck the sequence for getting through to book the Cinderellas breakfast. Tomorrow I will make reservations for our party of ten.
Friday January 16, 2004
I am a sound sleeper. I hate waking up in the morning, typically waking up at the last possible minute. I can sleep through almost anything. When the kids were babies, Kathy would get up in the middle of the night to feed them and I would never know. Yet, for the second time in two nights I am blasted awake by the screams of eight year old Connor. Sound asleep to adrenaline rush in 2.8 seconds. This gets my heart rate up faster than the Rockn Roller Coaster. After settling the little guy down, I easily fall back to sleep, knowing that we have another perfect day ahead starting with our breakfast at the castle.
Exactly according to plan we are up and out of the hotel right on time. We ride the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom and go right in to the park. There is always something special about being in the park when it's not officially open. Although I have never been in the park in the early morning, one of my fondest memories is eating ice cream after closing while slowly walking down Main street with Kathy and the boys. Caley was there, but still in mom's tummy. When we enter the park, there is only a handful of people in sight.
Flashback
It's 6:57 am on October 17th, 2003. I make a test call expecting the not there yet message and get through. Not only do I get through, I am being asked automated questions that I didn't anticipate. This isn't anything like the steps outlined in the Unofficial Guide. My timing is shot. My mind begins to race. Im sure there are 5 million people making the same reservations ahead of me. Not rational, I know, but its early. "Reservation for 10 at Cinderellas Royal Table for the 16th," I blurt out when I finally get through to a human. "What month?" comes the obvious query. "J- J-January," I scream. There is a silent pause. The seconds feel like minutes. I hear clicking, followed by more silence, followed by more clicking. I Wait. Sweat drips. I wait some more. Just as I'm about to scream into the phone, I hear, "Ok, you're all set for 8:25 am on Friday, January 16th for a party of 10." Silence. "Hello, sir? Helloooo." I catch my breath, "yes, Im here, sorry. That is perfect." I write down the confirmation number. I did it, reservations for 10 at Cinderella's Castle. I can hardly wait. Or maybe I can.
Back at the Castle
Right according to plan, we are at the Castle about 15 minutes early. I scan the area for my sister Janet and her gang. Not there yet, so we drop off the stroller around back and go over to the podium to check in. We are told to come back when our entire party has arrived. No problem, Janet has been forewarned to be here early. I explained to her on the phone, in person and with an e-mail to get to the Castle about 15 minutes early. I am, by the way, an idiot (I'll explain why in a minute). We decide to wait inside the lobby area. The place is empty and we have fun looking around. No one is interested in taking a picture on the big throne. The closest I can get is a picture of Alex's hat resting on the throne. Nice picture, but I'm thinking it would have been better with Alex actually wearing the hat. A quick check of my watch tells me it is 8:20 and I start to get a little fidgety. We play I spy for the next 10 minutes and still no sign of my dear sister. For those good at math, you realize that it is now 8:30 and they are officially late. The lobby starts to fill up with people. The kids are hungry and we are quickly running out of stuff to do. Janet is nowhere to be found so I stroll out to the front of the castle and wait. What is it about time? When you're late, time seems to zip by at twice its normal rate. I'm sure from Janet's perspective time is frantically ticking away. For me, the waiting is down right painful. It's like sitting in the car while your wife runs into the store to get "one" thing. It's 8:45 and I can't believe she has done it to me again. Why am I an idiot? I am an idiot, because Janet is ALWAYS late. This is no exaggeration. I am pretty sure she has never been on time for anything. Maybe her wedding, but it was a long time ago and I may be wrong about that too. Just as I'm thinking she probably never even made it to Florida since she would have had to get to the airport on time, I see them. Off in the distance I spot four fast moving people. I pull out the camcorder and record them as they cower towards the castle. They're still 25 yards away and I can already hear them blaming each other. I can see the stress, so I decide not to lay it on too thick. I check back in at the podium and I am told they will call us when our table is ready. We move into the lobby with the other three hundred people now waiting for a table. About another 20 minutes later we are called and sit down at our table a little over an hour after our scheduled time. No problem, I have learned my lesson. Right?
Time to relax, get a good breakfast, enjoy the castle and watch my little princess meet Cinderella. Unfortunately, none of us are that impressed with breakfast. Caley is having a good time, but the rest of us are miserable. Although the fresh fruit was good, the rest of the breakfast just wasn't that great. They also have this "my Lord" and "my Lady" thing going on that just made me feel uncomfortable. The big boys are bored to tears. Our waiter was funny though when he looks over at the statues that are Connor and Christopher and says, "you two need to settle down." followed by, "I can pull some strings and get you both in here for lunch." The boys were not amused. Don't get me wrong, being inside the castle was very cool. A great place to eat, but it just wasn't working for us. Caley got to see some of her favorite characters, but we were done with breakfast and still waiting for Cindy to make her way over. Finally, she is one table away and we see an end to our breakfast ordeal. When I made those reservations back in October, I never imagined I would be describing this breakfast as an "ordeal." Ok, there are all adults at the table next to ours, this should be quick. Let's take a look over at the next table and see what's going on. First a picture with Cinderella and the wife, followed by a picture with just the husband. Next it's a picture with just the grandfather. Now we have the grandfather, the wife and Cindy, followed by the grandmother and Cindy. Next we have the grandfather, grandmother and wife with Cinderella. Whew, looks like she's finally on her way over. Nope, they're calling her back for a few more. They now have the waiter with the camera for a full group photo. I start to cry. With Cindy back, they take several more photos before finally setting her free. I'm wiping away tears as Cinderella finally approaches our table. The pain begins to fade away as I snap a photo of our sassy little Caley with the lovely princess. Caley has that timid shy side that comes out in front of strangers that is such a nice contrast to the sassy spirit that dominates her personality. Don't get me wrong, I love her spunky side too, but a de-fanged Caley is a nice change of pace. Our epic breakfast at the castle is complete at last. The people from the next table over are hailing Cinderella back to their table as we leave the restaurant. I'm thinking I now have an idea of what it might be like to give birth.
